I am so thankful for and encouraged by so many great friends! Some have been willing to support what I’m doing at ICYA financially, and some are willing to support me in countless other ways. It is an honour to know so many wonderful people who care about what is going on in my life. I still have quite a way to go to reach full financial support, but I trust in God’s providence. In the meantime I continue to work at Inner City Youth Alive, as they have agreed to supplement my support for the first months.
FAMILY UPDATE:
Some of you have asked about my family in the time since my last letter…
5 years ago Nicky became a nurse and is now working in homecare visiting people in their homes and providing care to them there. It is such a valuable service and she is the right person to care for these vulnerable people.
Ben, our oldest is 21 (I know, we are too young to have a 21 year old!), and is living with two roommates in Winnipeg while working full-time at a day care. He loves the work, and he loves being around friends. He is planning to go to U of M in fall, working towards being a teacher.
Hannah is 19 and is studying at Redeemer University in Hamilton, ON. She has absolutely loved her experience there, she has amazing roommates and loves being part of the volleyball team. She will be one of the directors at Adventurer’s Day Camp at our church this spring and summer, and loves being part of that ministry.
Owen is 17 and in Grade 11, he enjoys being around his friends at school and at church, and beating his Mom and Dad at ping pong. Owen has also been hired to be on staff at ADC for the summer. Owen is the little brother in name only, as he has now outgrown both his older siblings.
I am thankful to have such a great family, who are all good people, and enjoy being together. Recently, we all took a trip to Ontario to visit Hannah and see the sights, it was such a great time! On our way home some of us discovered we had COVID. We drove straight home and spent the next while suffering through a pretty rough bout with it. Thankfully, we are all doing well now.
COMMUNITY MINISTRY
Meanwhile, at Inner City Youth Alive, I have continued to really enjoy and feel at home in the place I find myself in. I am still discovering all of what my role entails, but I have really loved the time I spend with the Community Minister’s, doing my best to encourage them and help them think through difficult issues.
The work the community ministry team does is so valuable! I am so encouraged by the team’s commitment to and love for the people they interact with. One of the things that a few on the team do is to connect with some of the youth at Manitoba Youth Centre (the Juvenile Detention Centre you may have seen in the Tuxedo area of Winnipeg). Throughout COVID they haven’t been able to be there in person, but they continue weekly Zoom meetings with the young people there.
Jeremy Zehr is one of the Community Minister’s who is part of making these gatherings happen and the last few years he has offered to some of the participants that he would be willing to mentor them after their release. Maybe you are aware that many of the young people who wind up incarcerated before the age of 18 are more likely to have trouble with the law in the future…the statistics are not good. Jeremy takes the time to walk alongside these young people upon their release, not as something they have to do, but as something they choose to do in order to better themselves as people. 3 young people have taken him up on his offer over the last 3 years and he meets with them once a week, mentoring and encouraging them in their relationship to God, their relationship to themselves and their relationships with others.
Jeremy is very committed to these 3 young people, and sometimes has to go out of his way to make sure they continue to regularly meet and often receives calls and texts at all hours. 2 out of the 3 have made significant life-change and are following a much better path than the crime-filled, gang-centered life they were part of that led them to be incarcerated in the first place. Jeremy prays with and for these young people and encourages them in the difficult choices they have to make.
THE DESIRE FOR PROTECTION, BELONGING AND FINANCIAL STABILITY
The life of crime and gangs is extremely attractive in so many ways. A gang is so good at providing protection and a sense of belonging, and crime tends to provide money quickly. These 3 things, protection, belonging and money, are something that seem to be in short supply for young people in this neighborhood.
Young people in the north end may live in fear for many different reasons, while there are many good families, there are some who struggle. A young person’s family members may be involved in the drug trade, leading to fear of being stolen from or broken into in the middle of the night. There may face neglect and/or abuse in the family, or there may be violent crime in their neighborhood. All of these things, and many others, can lead to a sense of fear or having to always be hyper-alert and aware. A gang can provide a sense of security and protection, a real group of people who have your back.
So many of the young people we know in the north end come from families that struggle financially. This can be caused by many different factors, perhaps they have addictions that they can not beat, or people who take advantage of them and steal or manipulate money away from them, or they may just not have enough to pay the bills. Sometimes when a crisis hits, a young person may feel a responsibility to help. Many young people know they can make quick and easy money by dealing drugs or through some other forms of crime. This kind of financial security is hard to find for a young person in a crisis situation, and the easy money crime provides can become an addiction itself.
Every person has a longing to belong, to belong to a group of people. Many of us are blessed to have immediate and extended family we belong to and can always go back to for love and acceptance. We may find additional acceptance and belonging in church, or school, or through our extra-curricular activities. But if we grow up in a home that is neglectful, doesn’t go to church or encourage school attendance and can’t afford extra-curricular activities, we long for belonging! A gang is amazing at providing a place to belong and to feel acceptance.
HOPE
So Jeremy, and the young people he works with have their work cut out for them. It is nothing short of miraculous that 2 out of the 3 young people he is working with have made strides and are making good choices. He also maintains a good and strong relationship with the 3rd who has begun to make poorer choices, what a powerful message of hope in a young person’s life, as Jeremy shows grace, and another way to live. Please pray for these three young people as they face the difficult challenges in their lives, and for Jeremy as he walks alongside them.