As I write this my heart hurts, I wanted to write this to tell that as you get closer to any kid the reality of their pain will start to slowly break your heart. This past week a young man that has come to be dear to my heart told me that he wants to go back to school to get his high school diploma.  You see he is starting to grow in his relationship with Christ and has started to really think about what he wants in life.  We set up a time for him to go to a special one-room high school to get assessed so that he could be placed in the right grade.  After the assessment, I was informed that he had a 2^nd grade reading level and a fifth grade math level.  My heart broke as I realized that his dream was going to take so much work. I worried that he would only want to give up before he started. How do we as a society allow high-school aged youth get to this point? How can they ever believe that they can make it? That’s when I clearly heard God saying to me, you have to be his strength and his motivation. You and the others in his life have to push him, encourage him and help him. You see when we decide to FATHER the FATHERLESS we decided to take on the responsibility that Jesus Christ was talking about. When Christ said “if you are to follow me you must deny yourself take up your cross and follow me.”  You see, that is the cross that I’ve taken up. And, the cross to FATHER the FATHERLESS is hard.        

As I was sitting in the courtroom with a young man that has been involved in several of our programs for the past five years, I clearly understood just how unjust life can be for kids that grow-up in poor communities. I sat and watched young Black and Hispanic youth being called up to face the judge. The first thing that struck me was the attitude of the judge, the sheriff, and the others that where working in the courtroom that day. It was clear that they had very little respect for those in the courtroom and the family and friends that were there to support them. Secondly, I noticed that almost every charge was dropped and those that had charged the young people with a crime didn’t even take the time to show-up. As each case was called out, and as the defendants approached the beach the judge would often say “you can go” never even looking at the person and in a tone that let the defended know that he thought very little of them. The few defendants that the judge did speak too, he condescendingly asked, “Where’s your lawyer?” I was reminded that our kids are often treated like they are less than humans, and are shown very little respect. I was so angry that when I left the courtroom I didn’t know what to do or say to the young man that I was there to support. My only thought was, “who will be a voice for those in a “justice system” that has predetermined they deserve no respect.” I only know that I must do all I can to make sure that this young man has someone to speak on his behalf when he has to stand in front of a justice system that sees no value in him.

This summer we had the opportunity to see one of our young men spend the summer with a Christian family as an intern. We watched this young man and this family change as they grew together and worked through challenges together.

 We as a ministry were amazed how the young man and his host family worked together to create a contract that they would both be bound to, and how that contract set the parameters/rules for the summer. We were further  encouraged that open discussions between, the host family (mainly the Father) and our young man  which lead to a honest change in our young man’s value system, especially in the area of sexual purity.  

There was also an incredible change in our young man’s attitude when it came to work and initiative. As we got the chance to talk to the family and our man weekly, we had the privilege of walking with both of them through the difficult and the good times. We heard first hand of real conversation that normally happens between a father and a son. We saw a deep love and respect develop between a host father and a young man, between a host family and a young man to point that they now consider him as a Son.

We also saw the young man change the college that he was going to attend based on conversations with his host father. After looking at other schools he felt that he wanted to go to a Christian school he applied and was accepted to a good Christian college located in the community that he lived in during the summer.

We had the satisfaction of seeing a dream come true, by placing a young man into a Christian family for the summer fulfilled.

This has been a week where God has taught me and reminded me how hard it is for our youth.  I had the privilege of spending a full week at camp outside of Denver with 4 of our boys and 2 other staff. As I was the speaker at the camp, I had an opportunity to watch the 4 boys from a distance; I watched them interact with other youth their age and with their camp counselors.

Removed from the harsh realities of their urban environments, I saw the attitudes and the hearts of our boys change before my very eyes as God’s Word was working on their hearts.  As I listened to our boys share their life stories, I was reminded of the negative influences that they deal with everyday, and how hard it is for them to take a stand for Jesus Christ. The more I listened the more I heard them say that they wanted to change and that they love Jesus, but they feel that it’s just not possible to live for Jesus in the hood.  They shared that there are so many things that distract them when they’re back home, and that it’s hard to even hear God.

One young man shared that the injustice that he faces – even by those that are there to protect him - makes it hard for him to feel that God even cares. As he told his stories of harsh treatment from the police, friends, family and others, I could see the hurt and pain in his eyes as the tears started to fall.  All he could do was lower his head so that no one could see him crying. I realized that many urban inner-city at-risk youth have a great desire to love God, but they have given up because they’re feel it’s just “too hard.”  It was at this point that God said to me, “Don’t give up.  For the battle is great, but I love them and you must place my Word in their hearts.”  So, if any of you are in a place where you feel like it’s all a waste of time, let me assure you that God is doing a great work in the hearts’ of your kids. You just may not be able to see it in the craziness of the hood.