Laura's Letters

Laura's Letter, Vol. 2, Issue 6, September 2008

2008-09-05T14:02:00.000-07:00

Rwanda
Rwanda was amazing! I don’t even know where to begin to tell you about it, so I am going to put in a few of my journal excerpts and a bunch of photos. Hopefully that will give you a taste of my African experience!
July 16: What a dream to be in Africa! There are the lovely things - the smell, the tropical fruit, the people, the heat - and the not so lovely - politics, scandal, scary food and water. The camp prep is going well. Yesterday I went shopping for supplies and got to watch while the paint was mixed to the exact shade of purple... by hand!
July 18: It is so beautiful here! I am sitting at the bottom of the school buildings looking down into the valley. The hills are so lush and green and go on forever. It is hard to imagine the bloodshed and horror that they have seen.... It is good to have the team here. I really like our team - I am especially thankful for Kellie and Mary - and I am excited about everything... except that everything that we do, the closer we get to the end!
July 24 (excerpt from camp lesson):
Patience: Kwihangana How much patience should we show to others?
“May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other.”
Romans 15:5a
July 19: Today we went to the village where the houses are being built. It was very surreal. It felt very uncomfortable all us white people in a big bus trucking up there like we were on a safari of some sort. One of the most humbling things in the world for me was to have a brick I was carrying taken away from me by a girl, half my size, no shoes, covered in dust and dressed in rags...
July 23: Every time I am in the big group I feel overwhelmed. All these precious kids singing and dancing. My heart almost doesn’t have room for all of it. God, expand my heart... Today the morning went really well. The afternoon felt like I was beating my head against a wall. It was so frustrating! Kids stealing beads - the energy level skyhigh. It’s a crazy feeling to be on the other side of the world and have it feel normal... life is still life. I still get frustrated and kids are still just kids!
July 31: It was good to see the kids again (camp reunion) but sad, because it is the last time. The rematch football game was this evening... intense! There was this little boy, I think his name was Vittoire, and he broke my heart. So thin. His eyes were so cloudy. By himself. All alone, just wanting to be part of the excitement. When I asked his name he kind of smile. And I almost cried. I gave him a fruit bar. I probably wasn’t supposed to (I didn’t have enough for everyone) but how could I not? The look on his face did me in. As he left he grabbed my hand and said goodbye. It is so hard to let go of these kids and leave them at God’s feet... I know one fruit bar won’t make much of a difference. God hold onto him... Tonight Jen and I rode on the motos to the coffee shop. We had a great time! On the way there my moto almost didn’t make it up one of the hills and the driver basically had to walk it up! I love it here - it makes me feel more than I’ve felt before; there is so much pain and yet there is still so much joy.
August 1: Widows - I don’t even have the words... One of them was my age. Raped at 17 and forced to live with her rapist... all with AIDS. I don’t know what to say.
August 5: Last night was amazing. The drumming and dancing was incredible. It really feels like we’ve made friends here. Today was difficult - saying goodbye. Especially saying goodbye to the widows. It is almost incomprehensible to me that some of those ladies may not be around when we come back. God keep them. It has been such a wonderful time in Rwanda. So many amazing people!
I hope I get to come back.

And Now?
I wrote in my last journal entry in Rwanda that I hope I get to go back, and it seems that I might actually get to! I am tentatively planning to go back in the new year to further explore some options that came up for future work there, and the possibility of combining that with my studies at SFU. Your continued prayers are greatly appreciated as I look in to these exciting opportunities.

Laura's Letter, Vol. 2, Issue 5, July 2008

2008-07-06T22:52:00.001-07:00

Looking Back
We It has been an AMAZING five and a half years with Greater Vancouver YFC, and I have had so much fun, met so many amazing people (both kids and adults) and learned a LOT. In the fall I will be beginning a new chapter of my life and ending my working role with YFC. I hope to remain connected to Youth Unlimited, as I have created some very meaningful relationships with my coworkers and the kids I work with, and I am still passionately in support of ALL the wonderful work that YFC does.
While I’ll tell you a bit more about what I am moving on to in the fall later (school - which I am SUPER excited about!), I would like to take this space to reflect on some of the most pertinent things that God has taught me, and the meaningful memories that I’ve made in my time with YFC.
Pre-Teens... What can I say? Well, to start, I wasn’t totally overjoyed when I found out I would be working mostly with pre-teens in Langley, but two years later and I LOVE PRE-TEENS!!!!!!
When I began working with the kids at Langley Meadows, I wasn’t sure how to connect with them - they were screechy, hyper, irrational, and you can’t just take them out for coffee like you can older teens!
Over the last 2 years running Art: After School, I have grown to love my energetic pre-teens. Their personalities are just starting to solidify, and they are on the cusp of becoming “their own person.” Working with them provides ample opportunity to give direction as they head towards the huge changes that the teenage years bring.
Whether it’s personality clashes in the group, rebellious spirits, or just learning to cooperate, all of it provides ample learning opportunities. I actually got to the point where I enjoyed the days when there was conflict because it always turned in to such a great teachable moment!
Opportunities to travel have also created very meaningful memories. I have been able to travel to Mexico, Reno (not so far away, but a different culture none the less!), Scotland twice, and now Rwanda. All of these travel experiences have taught me so much. From, to navigating rush hour Tacoma traffic in a 15 passenger van full of teenagers, to leading a group of teens, to learning how to operate, adapt and be flexible in a foreign country - God has used all of these experiences to clarify and direct me in the path that He has for me, as well as build things in to my character that wouldn’t otherwise be there.
God has also used the other staff, volunteers and Lifeteams students to bless my life so much. I cannot even express to you the privilege it has been to work with such amazing people. YFC is a beautiful family of truly incredible people, and I am glad that family ties don’t break as move on to something new. Even though I will not be working for YFC any more, I know that the friendships that I have made will continue and the wonderful people in my YFC family will continue to be blessings in my life.
God is good... and He has truly used my time with YFC to not only mold and shape me in to more of the person He created me to be, but He has also truly and madly blessed me more than I ever imagined He would when I began my time with YFC.
As I move with confidence in to a new phase of my life, it is not without a great deal of sadness that I leave my work with YFC behind. I would like to thank you so much for being a part my experience here at YFC, and I would like to ask you to continue to keep the work of YFC in your thoughts and prayers. The work that is being done by this organization is invaluable. The difference our staff make in the lives of young people is immeasurable. And the support of people like you is irreplaceable.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.

Baptism
Another of the highlights of my work with YFC has come this year through my role as a mentor to D., one of our Student Leaders in Langley. It has been wonderful to get to know D. and to watch her navigate her way through high school, trying to be a faithful follower of Christ. D. has also been a huge help to me this year at Art: After School, and so when she invited me to her baptism, I was thrilled.
Baptisms are always moving, but even more so when you’ve had the opportunity to walk alongside someone for part of their faith journey.
It was really great to watch D. up there, with her family in the crowd, proclaiming her faith in Jesus. She is an amazing young woman, with a supportive family, and I am excited to see what God has in store for her life.

What’s Next??
Starting September 2nd, I will be a student again! I will be studying International Studies at Simon Fraser University. I love traveling, and desire to work more on an international/cross-cultural level. I have long had an interest in empowering those in situations of powerlessness, and am passionate about helping people be who they were created to be - beautiful, wonderful creations of a loving God. At SFU, I am specializing in International Security and Conflict, and am interested in working to end slavery and human trafficking, as well as in the rehabilitation of those who have been involved in such situations.
Come September (after one more letter with YFC to update everyone on my Rwanda trip!) I will no longer be required to send out updates as a part of my job. Despite this, I have really come to appreciate you as a support team, and I believe there is much value in sharing stories, so I have decided to continue sending out updates twice a year. Please let me know if you would rather not receive these letters, and I will take you off the list.

Laura's Letter, Vol. 2, Issue 4, May 2008

2008-05-21T11:39:00.001-07:00

SLAM!!!
We had a really great time in April talking about Changes. August, Charlotte and Jessie came up with a wonderful month of discussions and projects.
“Be the change you want to see in the world,” was the quote that we based much of our discussion on, and became the inspiration for our Poetry Slam.
At Art: After School we like to try and expand the kids’ definition of “art” to include not only painting and drawing, but also other forms of creating such as poetry. Talking about changing the world was a great opportunity to introduce poetry as a form of expression.
We explained to them that often participants in a poetry slam use it as an opportunity to “speak out” against something that they feel strongly about, and emphasized the need to respect other peoples’ ideas. For a bit of fun, we also showed them a bit about rhythm and how drums are used in poetry slams, and that people snap their fingers instead of clapping to show support for a poem that they particularly like.
After giving them time to create their poems, we had a little slam of our own. It was so fun watching the kids perform with the drum, and snap madly after each performance.
I’ve typed out a few of my favourites for you to have a look at. I’ve tried to type them out exactly as they were written so please keep in mind that English is not the first language of many of our kids. And reflecting the multi-culturalism of our group, one boy attempted to incorporate three different languages in his poem!

No more war in the world
Start helping and don’t do bad
Ne fais pas la guerre dans le pays
Il faut aider les gens et ne pas faire les truc mals
Don’t do bad
Don’t do bad
You should help
You should help
너를 감사하십시요
どういたしまして
~Joe

Discrimination
It’s something that destroys our nation
It’s so uncool
It makes me think about it all day in school
~Emma

Bullying is not the way to accomplish anything that they want to say,
When feelings get hurt, it doesn’t get cured in a day.
Be in the other person’s shoe.
See how it feels if it’s you.
~Amy

It’s more common than you think
It’s unfair and uncool
Girls need the same respect as guys
We are both made the same
We are equally important
So let’s treat each other the same.
~Jamie

Rwanda Update
I leave in a little under two months and I am still busy preparing. My fundraising for this trip has gone really well, and I have been very encouraged by all the support I have received. I finished the 10km run that I wrote about last letter, and was so happy to have six other people participating on my behalf.
Along with the fundraising I’ve been doing, I’ve also been to the travel clinic, received all the required shots (OUCH!!), purchased my anti-malarial medication, and started collecting all sorts of travel essentials like hand sanitizer and earplugs.
A small group from our team visited Rwanda in March, and came back with a bit of an updated picture of what we will be doing while we are there. Originally we had been told that we would be running a camp for over 500 kids, but that number has been limited now to 250, a much more manageable number, and the ages have been defined to only those who are 10-14. So now I am busily researching suitable art/craft projects for a group of that size and age.
Please continue to pray for the team and myself as we sort out all the remaining details before we leave in July.

To donate to the Rwanda trip online CLICK HERE.

Open House
We finished up our year at Art: After School with a small Open House for the parents on May 7th. It was a wonderful opportunity for the kids to show off all of the projects we’ve worked on this year. Many parents came out to have a look, and all in all it was a very nice evening of chatting with the kids and their families.
_____________________________________________________________________________________

If you want to help financially with the work in Langley,
please click here.

Laura's Letter, Vol. 2, Issue 3, March 2008

2008-03-11T20:45:00.000-07:00

Running to Africa!

Well, not really, but sometimes it feels like it! Most of you probably already know that I am heading to Rwanda this summer as part of a team that is running a kids camp, as well as some community rejuvenation projects on the outskirts of Kigali. And many of you may know that I am participating in a 10km run to raise funds for this trip. But what most of you probably don’t know, is that I really don’t like running.
During high school I stayed fit playing sports and taking dance classes, and in university I went to the gym, but I’ve never been a runner.
It’s not that I don’t like the idea of running. It sounds like a lovely idea - alone, outside, enjoying the quiet - it’s the practicality of it that almost does me in. It’s my knees aching, my lungs burning, and that voice in my head that keeps saying, “This should be fun. You should be better at this.” But I really want to go to Africa, and if getting sponsors and running 10km helps get me there, then that’s what I’ll do!
Running the 10km Spring Warm-Up is a huge challenge for me, as are a lot of the other preparations for the trip to Rwanda. And to be honest, the biggest one looming in front of me right now (scarier that running 10km!) is the fund raising challenge.
There are some pretty serious funding deadlines to be met, and it takes almost all the faith that is in me to trust that because I believe God wants me on this team, He will provide the means for me to go.
I’ve put the list of fund raising deadlines in the highlighted box at the end of this article for you to have a look at. I’d like to ask you to help me in meeting these goals by either supporting me financially, prayerfully, or both.
I am so excited about this trip. In fact, I often have a difficult time sleeping because I’m so excited! I’m grateful to have the privilege of affecting childrens’ lives in Rwanda, and I’m anticipating the effect that their lives will have upon mine.
For more info on the trip to Rwanda, check out elevate-rwanda.com

To donate online CLICK HERE. Make sure you note that your donation is to support me in the comment section at the bottom of the online form.

Setbacks & Opportunities

It’s interesting how God takes things that we see as negative and turns them into positives. For instance, it would be easy to look at all the delays with our new bus as a setback, but I think God had a different idea for this time.
Being bus-less this year, our Friday night team has had the unique opportunity to take on a new role working more closely with the Community Association in Langley Meadows. On a normal Friday night we run a program called Night’s Alive, which includes gym games and a smaller room of quieter activities, but every once in a while we help out with the events that the Community Association has planned. We have set-up, run concessions, taken admission, cleaned up, and done basically whatever needs to be done, including a “science show” put on by our Lifeteams students at last weeks movie night.
One of the best things about these nights is the opportunity to get to know the families of the kids we work with. Working with pre-teens presents many challenges that are different than those involved in working with older teens, including the increased necessity for parental involvment, and these evenings have been instrumental in building trusting relationships with parents and families.
We’ve also been able to build a good reputation in the community as being involved, hard workers. In fact, at the end of the evening last week, a member of the community remarked to Danny about what a hardworking team we had.
These are all things that will be so beneficial for Youth Unlimited in Langley as we continue to work in the community, and opportunities that we may not have had if the bus had been up and running all year... but, we are still very glad that the bus is finally getting close to being on the road for Friday nights again!

Bowl Sale
We had our Bowl Sale to raise money for the Langley Food Bank on February 29th, and raised almost $300, slightly less than last year. This was probably due to the fact that, despite numerous reminders, none of the Art: After School participants came to the sale! They are the ones who really do the selling - no one can resist those little cuties when they look at you and ask, “do you want to buy a bowl I painted?”
We still have some wonderful bowls left, so if you weren’t able to make it to the sale, but would like to purchase a bowl and support the Food Bank, give me a call!
_____________________________________________________________________________________

If you want to help financially with my work in Langley,
please click here.

Laura's Letter, Vol. 2, Issue 2, February 2008

2008-02-02T15:56:00.001-08:00

I'm Not Good at Dreaming

The Lifeteams’ students and I put a lot of time and effort into planning projects that stretch kids’ imaginations and expand on our monthly themes, so it can be especially discouraging when week after week, the same student refuses to participate. J is one of our youngest participants at Art: After School, and has shown some really great drawing ability in the past. Unfortunately, when J feels insecure or doesn’t fully understand the project, he resorts to being disruptive, running around the classroom, pestering other students and getting into things that are off-limits. This past month, we have been talking about Dreams. August, Charlotte, and Jessie have done a wonderful job of creating a fun environment for the students to dream for themselves, their families, communities and world, and have incorporated their ideas into a multi-media canvas project. This project requires a lot of creativity from the students, as they first have to come up with a dream, and then must somehow transfer that dream onto a canvas using at least five of the materials we have provided, including paint, thread, fabric, buttons, etc. From the beginning, J had some problems with this project and at the end of our first week had refused to do anything that was asked of him. I took him aside, feeling very frustrated, and told him that he needed to come up with some sort of a dream that he could put on his canvas by next week. He said that he didn’t like the project and didn’t want to do it. I told him it was unacceptable for him to wander around aimlessly while the rest of the group worked on their projects. He was to come up with a project that followed our theme, or not return to art club until the next project began. I hated to give him that kind of an ultimatum, but was frustrated and didn’t know how else to get him to participate. I could tell that he was feeling frustrated too, and I didn’t want him to have to miss art club, so I bent down to speak with him again. “Ok, here’s the deal - I really want you to be able to come to art club, so you and I will brainstorm all week and we will come up with a project for you to do next time.” He nodded and later as he left, I reminded him again, “Make sure you come up with some ideas for next week!” The next week, J approached me looking quite defeated and said, “I don’t have any ideas. I’m not good at dreaming.” His small voice made my heart sink. I had told him that he couldn’t participate if he didn’t have a project, but the whole point of art club is to foster creative thinking, not punish kids for having a difficult time coming up with an idea. So I was determined to come up with a project that would suit him. He had shown some great ability in a still life drawing project before, and often I had found him playing with the Lego (that is off-limits) during project time, so I had an idea that would utilize his drawing ability and his proclivity for construction, while at the same time requiring a bit of dreaming on his part. I cleared a space on the floor and pulled over a box of wooden blocks. “Here’s the idea...” I explained to J that I wanted him to create something out of the blocks and then draw a 3-D image, with shading, of his creation. J busily got to it, and spent his time building a magnificent bridge, even approaching me to help him with some aspects of it. He then took his pencil and paper and drew the whole thing, adding in little details like cars and birds. When he was finished, he presented his drawing to me proudly. “Can I have a canvas for next week to make my bridge on?” He asked eagerly. I said yes, and spent the rest of the day smiling at J’s eagerness. It’s situations like that one, that remind me why I started Art: After School. It’s for kids just like J - to give them the resources and space they need to realize that they do have good ideas, and that they can be “good at dreaming!”

World Changers

This year at Art: After School we have a very multi-cultural group, with students from Mexican and Philippino descent, as well as students from families that have immigrated to Canada from Russia, Cameroon, and Korea. Our club is just a small snapshot of Langley Meadows Community School, and the Langley Meadows Community at large. As the community grows, it is becoming more and more ethnically diverse, and the positive impact that this has had can be seen in the interactions between students at the school and at our club. We have had many globally focused conversations at art club, and it is exciting to hear see some of the students’ global awareness being reflected in their Dream projects. Many of the students dream of traveling all over the world, meeting new people, learning new languages, and seeing the famous sites, but one student’s dream in particular caught my attention. B, a grade five student, would like to be able to dig a tunnel from Canada to North Korea so that he can rescue people from the leader of that country, who he described as a “really really really really really bad man.” Although the tunnel idea may not work out, it’s kids like this, that, with a little direction and encouragement, will be world changers.

Support the Langley Food Bank - Buy a Bowl!!
Art: After School will be having it’s Second Annual Bowl Sale to raise funds for the Langley Food Bank on Friday, February 29th at the Wired Monk in the Municipal Building. Each bowl was hand painted by an Art: After School participant and costs $15. Come join us for lunch between 11:30am and 1:00pm and help us raise money for the Food Bank!
_____________________________________________________________________________________

If you want to help financially with my work in Langley,
please click here.

Laura's Letter, Vol. 2, Issue 1, Nov 2007

2007-11-24T19:44:00.001-08:00

And So it Begins!
Fall - school starts, days shorten, the temperature drops and all our Youth Unlimited programs get in to gear again. This fall looks a little different for Youth Unlimited here in Langley, with some changes being exciting and new, and others a bit of a challenge.
First of all, we welcomed three new Lifeteams students to our team this year. Lifeteams, for those of you who don’t know, is a year long youth ministry training program with Greater Vancouver YFC, which I did five and a half years ago. The students get hands on training through class time, assignments, adventure/outreach components, as well as their ministry placement. Our three students, Jessie-Marie, August and Charlotte, are a welcome addition to our team, and I’m excited to work with them throughout the year.
Another exciting change is Momentum, Langley Youth Unlimited’s student leadership team. The student leadership team was started last year by our Lifeteams students, and is being further developed this year by Danny. Momentum’s six high school students meet regularly and have assignments and placements within existing Youth Unlimited programs. Danielle and Dan, two of the 2007/2008 Momentum participants will be helping out at Art: After School this year.
One not so happy thing this fall is our lack of a double decker bus to run our Friday night program with. The bus that Langley Youth Unlimited purchased has had numerous issues in it’s refurbishment and repair, including mulitple breakdowns and vandalization.
We still hope to get the Bus program up and running as soon as possible, but in the mean time we are helping out with a program called Night’s Alive at Langley Meadows Elementary. It’s been a good way to stay involved and lots of fun to hang out with the kids, but we are definitely looking forward to getting that Bus up and running!
Another interesting change has been my switch out of Communications with YFC. Right now I am only working one day a week with YFC, and with that comes a lot of adjustment - I’m definitely learning to manage my time more effectively! I’d like to be able to increase my time with YFC, but right now lack the funds to do so. For more information on this, please read the note entitles "Changes" below.

Art: After School
My weekly art club started up this year on October 4th. For those of you who remember, last year we started the year with only two students involved. That number quickly grew and rounded off to approximately 12-15 students each week.
I expected a bit of a slow start again this year, but was almost overwhelmed on the first day when over TWENTY students showed up!! Our tiny kindergarten room is bursting at the seams, forcing me to rethink and restrategize how Art: After School is run; it’s a good problem to have, but a challenge none the less.
It’s an interesting mix of kids this year, spanning grade four to grade seven, with approximately seven boys and thirteen girls. Some of the students from last year came back, there are a couple from art camp this summer, and a few who are brand new.
We are looking forward to an exciting year full of good discussion, drawing, painting, and trying new things!
Here are some of the themes we are exploring this year:
• Working Together
• Self Image
• Giving
• New Beginnings
Please keep Art: After School in your prayers as we delve in to these topics and try to think creatively.

Changes
Recently I resigned from Communications at Youth Unlimited and am focusing on youth work in Langley. In my role as Communications Officer, part of my salary was covered by the organization, but as a Youth Worker I am required to fund raise my entire salary, plus benefits as well as any ministry expenses. As you probably know from reading my updates, I’ve been working on this for a long time, but I still have a long way to go. Thanks to current supporters I currently have enough in monthly funding to work one day a week, but I’d like to increase my time. I’ve included an Information Package with this letter that outlines my funding needs, as well as the options for giving. Please have a look at it and consider getting involved in my work with Youth Unlimited. If you already support me, THANK YOU!!!! and would you prayerfully consider someone else who might be interested in partnering with us in this work. I’m honoured to be a part of the lives of youth in Langley, and value your involvement.
_____________________________________________________________________________________

If you want to help financially with my work in Langley,
please click here.

Laura's Letter, Vol. 1, Issue 10, Aug 2007

2007-08-23T14:35:00.001-07:00

A Lesson in Letting Go
“God is in control. God loves these kids more than I ever could.” These are phrases that I found myself saying over and over in my head as I boarded the bus that was to take me away from Kemnay, the village where my team was working in Scotland. Of course those are things that I know, but sometimes a certain kid crosses your path that causes you to turn to those truths a little bit more for reassurance. Devin was one of those kids.
When our team first arrived in Kemnay, some local church kids took us on a tour of the village. As we approached the skate park, one of the church kids saw a group of bikers and roller bladers and said, “Oh, you won’t want to talk to those kids.” Immediately my interest was piqued, so I asked why. “They’re bad news. We don’t really hang out with them.”
“Why don’t we go down anyway and see what’s going on,” I responded.
As we approached I saw a group of about seven or eight boys, and two girls. We watched for a bit, listening to them shout crude words and profanities at each other, and when a few of them skated by I asked them to show me a trick. I think they were surprised by my interest, but excited to show off their skills, so off they went.
After a few minutes of trying their best to impress me, one of the smaller boys came up to me and we started chatting. I asked his name and how old he was - Devin, and nine - and chatted to him about how long he’d been biking for, and what he’d been doing for the summer. He explained that he had been hanging out in Aberdeen a lot, you know, just stealing cars and bikes and things, but had decided to stop getting into trouble. So now he spent most of his days at the skate park biking around, and in the evening he would return there, along with approximately 15 to 20 others, to drink and do drugs. He assured me that if I came back later that evening, he would personally procure at least two glasses of vodka for me - interesting offer from a nine year old! I turned him down and told him we were having a drop-in with our team that evening, and for the rest of the week, and he was more than welcome to come by and see us.
He didn’t show up that evening, but the next evening Devin and a few friends came by the drop-in.
“How old are you?” He asked me. When I told him that I was 26, he laughed and told me to prove it.
So I did, and informed him that I would not lie to him. I said that I believe honesty is very important, and proposed to him a “truth agreement” - neither of us had to tell the other anything, but if we did decide to say something, it must be the truth. He agreed, and not long after told me he had lied about his age earlier, to see how I would respond. Devin was actually 11.
We continued our conversations that night and throughout the week and I learned more about this rough eleven year old that was “bad news.” Suffice it to say, Devin has not had an easy life. He has no father figure to speak of, is often left in charge of his four year old cousin all day and evening, and seemingly has never known love with no strings attached, which is what we tried to offer him that week.
By the end of the week, we’d formed a tight bond and he came to the ceilidh (a traditional Scottish get-together) that the church hosted and, along with a few friends, presented our team with a thank you card that they had all signed. On the last day, as we packed up to go, his eyes started to water. He shuffled his feet a little and told me his little cousin was crying and it was making him cry (meanwhile, she was skipping around humming!) I felt compelled to tell Devin again that the reason we had been there that week was because we wanted him to know that he was loved - that we loved him, but more than that, God did. I told him that the church folk loved him as well, and he was always welcome at the church centre. He looked at me and told me with big eyes, “I know.” I hugged him and he started sniffling and broke down even more.
As I left, my heart was breaking for that little boy, who might have been just beginning to feel lovable as we had to leave. I felt completely powerless, and didn’t want to let go, but as we drove away, I realized I had to. Devin wasn’t mine. I was not there to “save” him. I had to leave him in God’s hands, where he had been sitting all along. I had just been given the privilege of sitting there beside him for a little while. It was still hard to let go, but it was reassuring to remember that yes, God is in control, and yes, God does love Devin more than I ever could.

If you want to help financially with my work in Langley,
please click here.

Laura's Letter, Vol. 1, Issue 9, June 2007

2007-06-21T17:30:00.000-07:00

Summer
Summer is always a bit of a shift from the norm - schedules change along with the weather as weekly clubs and meetings are replaced by bigger events and longer trips.
This summer is no different. Both of Langley Youth Unlimited’s weekly programs - the Bus and Art: After School - have already wrapped up for the year.
The Bus closed out it’s year with a few big events, including: our last Bus night where we hung out with the kids and built in to relationships that we hope will continue over the summer and in to the fall; a fund raiser for our new bus, generously hosted by Jericho Ridge Church; and two bus work parties, one of which was hosted by another local church, Murrayville Community.
Art: After School finished up it’s first year on April 25th with a party in which we tried our hand at some “culinary arts,” namely making our own pizzas and decorating cookies! We also had a fun night at our Open House/Fund Raiser at Langley Meadows on June 13th, where we raised some much needed funds for next year.
With those programs on hiatus for the summer, you may wonder what I’m going to be filling my days with for the next couple of months. Well, from June 23-27 I’ll be at our National Ministry Conference in Toronto where I’ll be officially credentialed, as well as helping to lead a workshop on working with elementary aged students.
Then from July 12-30 I’ll be in Scotland co-leading a team of 20 youth from the Lower Mainland as we partner with YFC in Inverness for the Plunge.
And when I arrive back in Canada, I’ll be coordinating an art day camp from August 7-10 at the Langley Municipal Building.
And after that I will be busy training the new Communications Officer before my official transition out of that role in September.
Phew - so that is my summer! It is definitely busy, but like they say, a change is as good as a break!

Stories
I would like to share with you 2 stories about 2 different girls. Both these girls hold a special place in my heart, but one story grieves me and the other makes me smile.
Dianna is 14 and in grade 7. I see her almost every time I go to the school - she runs up and gives me big a hug! The first time I met her I knew that she was something special.
Dianna has had a difficult life, of which I don’t know all the details. She has incredible leadership potential, but unfortunately often uses her natural leadership abilities in a negative way. Since I’ve known her (just over a year), she has lived in 2 different foster homes, and is now living with her mom.
As negative as her last foster home experience was, I’m not sure that it is much better for her to be living with her mom again, as there are alcoholism and anger issues, as well as a history of rejection.
Please pray for Dianna as she navigates a world where no one seems to want her.
Elisabeth is 11 and attended Art: After School from day one. She is full of energy, does nice, thoughtful things for others of her own volition, and volunteers to help almost before asked. I’ve met her mother, and her home environment seems to be a positive, loving one.
Elisabeth recently spoke at our Art: After School Open House, and did an AMAZING job. I was so proud seeing her up there sharing about her experience throughout the year.
Please pray for Elisabeth as she works out how to interact with the world in her own unique way.

Plunge Update

As you read this, the Plunge team is preparing, physically and spiritually, for our trip to Scotland July 12-30th. We've been meeting over the past few months, ironing out details, sorting out fund raising, and getting to know each other.
Pleas continue to pray for us as we head out.

If you want to help financially with my work in Langley,
please click here.

Laura's Letter Vol. 1, Issue 8, April 2007

2007-04-19T10:06:00.001-07:00

Integration

The past month has been a really exciting time at Art: After School. We’ve been talking about Self Image— always a hot topic among youth— and we’ve had some guest leaders helping with our screen printing project.
Our guest leaders are three teens from our Bus Student Leadership team. The Student Leadership team at the Bus have been working with Hannah and Carmen (our Lifeteams’ students) for the past few months, learning about leadership and discipleship, and helping out at the Bus.
Hannah and Carmen were away for part of March, so I roped a few of the Student Leaders in to helping me out, and they have been more than willing to go the extra mile and invest in the younger students lives.
The three Student Leaders have taken charge of the T-shirt screen printing, freeing me up to chat a little more with the kids— something I don’t often get to do as I’m usually the one running around trying to get everyone on track with their project!
It has been so fun to watch these young leaders take initiative in working with the Art Club kids, whether it is helping with some homework, or taking some extra work home to help us finish off our project on time, they have been a great to have around.
I hope to be able to include more of these integration opportunities in the future.
Moving from elementary school to high school can be a scary transition, and I think that having older teens working with the younger students can help make that transition an easier one.
As well, it gives the older teens an opportunity to put into practice some of the leadership skills they are learning on the Student Leadership team.
It has been a good experience all around, and I’m excited to see more of this type of integration in the future!

New Beginnings

April is “New Beginnings” month at Art: After School. We chatted about Easter, why we celebrate, and some of the symbols and traditions of Easter. It was a great opportunity to talk about Jesus and the new beginning that He has offered.
We’ve also talked about spring and how it is a good time to take some of the negative situations in our lives and turn them around. We tackled everything from bad habits, like nail biting, to difficult issues such as anger management and family relationships.
After talking about all these new beginnings, we decided to give some of our trash a new beginning as well! Each of the students brought in something that would normally go in the garbage, and our mission was to make it into art.
It was great to see the creative juices get flowing as the students tried to tackle their trash and turn it into something beautiful.

Plunge Update

Planning for the Plunge trip to Scotland is coming along. Many of the students (and staff!) are working hard on raising money for their trip. We had one fund raiser in March where we were able to spend a good chunk of time with some of this year’s Plunge participants. It was great to get to know them a bit better and see how we work as a team. Please pray for us to grow closer to God as we prepare for this big adventure!If you want to help financially with my work in Langley,
please click here.

Laura's Letter Vol. 1, Issue 6/7, Feb/March 2007

2007-03-12T15:20:00.000-07:00

Time slipped away too quickly and before I knew it, I'd missed February's letter. So, here is a DOUBLE ISSUE... no extra reading, just a bunch of pictures for your viewing pleasure.
Click HERE to view the photos.

Hungry?
That’s what we at Art: After School asked the people of Langley as we invited them to take part in our fund raiser for the Langley Food Bank.
In December we talked about “giving” at Art: After School, and our project was painting soup bowls.
I had the bowls and firing donated by Joanette and the lovely staff at Totally Ceramic, and the idea was to sell the bowls and give the money to the Food Bank. Hikmat at the Wired Monk in the Langley Municipal Building was kind enough to let us use the coffee shop to host our fund raiser, and Lipton (Wired Monk’s soup provider) donated soup for us to fill the bowls.
The kids had taken a lot of time and put a lot of effort into making their bowls look nice.
I was worried that after putting so much time into this project that a few of them may have a difficult time giving their bowl away, but they were all quite excited about helping the Food Bank. In fact, I had to schedule the fund raiser on a day that they didn’t have school because so many of them expressed interest in being there to help sell the bowls!
So Monday, February 26, we all met at the Municipal Building to sell our works of art.
I was a bit unsure of the response we were going to get and wondered if we would be able to sell all the bowls.
As I met the kids at the Wired Monk, I could feel them buzzing with excitement. A few parents and staff from the school came out as well, to show their support. I’m often amazed and impressed by my Art: After School kids and the amount of initiative they show, always offering to help with snack, etc, and the fund raiser was no exception. They spent the whole time coming up with new ways to advertise and promote their bowls and encourage people to come and support the Food Bank. They coloured up a poster, ran around the building and invited people to come down, and even sold one bowl on the spot to a police officer! What a great bunch of students! In the end we sold all the bowls, met a bunch of new people in the community, and raise $295 for the Food Bank— quite an exciting accomplishment for these 10-12 year olds who weren’t sure what they could do that would make any difference.

One Year!
The Bus in Langley celebrated its one year anniversary by hosting an open house on March 2, at Langley Meadows Community School. We set up our Youth for Christ display, had cookies and hot chocolate, tentative drafts of the remodeled new bus, and... THE NEW BUS!! This was actually the second time the new bus has been out on a Friday night, and it is far from the finished product, but it was great to have it there to show the community what we
are doing.
It was a great night of connecting with parents, donors, volunteers, and kids. I spent my evening in the cold (no heat yet!) bus hanging out with some of the kids from art club and their friends. A couple of girls who attended the Bus regularly last year, but haven’t been around much this year (they’ve started high school) stopped in to say hi and see the new bus.
It’s really quite funny to see some of the kids reactions to the new bus. They are used to the fully renovated bus that we’ve been borrowing from Abbotsford, and are generally less than excited about the not-yet remodeled new one!
We’ve been doing our best to communicate that the finished product will look much different than it does now, and slowly they are getting more excited about seeing the transformation of the double decker transit bus, into our new Langely Party Bus.

Plunge 2007
Many of you know that I was involved in the Plunge trip to Scotland 2 years ago, and the Plunge work in the Lower Mainland last year. This summer I will be heading to Scotland again, only this time I am co-leading the Canadian team! I am very excited about this opportunity, but along with it comes some added responsibility. Please pray for me as I help organize this trip, lead the team, and prepare myself to go to Scotland.

Photos from past Plunges (2005 in Scotland & 2006 in Langley)

Laura's Letter Vol. 1, Issue 5, Jan. 2007

2007-01-22T15:50:00.000-08:00

Goals
It’s a new year, and as I look into it, I see a year full of exciting changes and opportunities. One of these changes is my transition out of communications completely and into full-time youth work in Langley. I’ve mentioned this a few times since last summer, and now that some of the plans have been finalized, I’d like to share them with you and ask for your help in this exciting transition.
In the fall, I sat down with my various supervisors and came up with a transition plan, and now that plan is underway. Part of this process included setting out monthly support goals. As many of you know, as a missionary with Youth for Christ, I am required to raise my own support. Basically what that means is that, similar to many overseas missionaries, part of my job is to share what I’m doing and my vision with others and give them the opportunity to get involved by supporting my work financially. The money that is raised goes into my staff account at Youth for Christ, and out of that comes my salary, ministry expenses, benefits, and other related staff costs. My salary is set by the organization, so if I raise more than I need, I don’t get more, and if I don’t raise enough, I don’t get a full pay cheque.
In my position as Communications Officer I work three days a week and am responsible to raise 50% of my salary— the other 50% is subsidized by the organization because my work in communications serves to benefit the whole organization. As a full-time youth worker, I will be responsible to raise 100% of my salary for five days a week, plus ministry expenses, benefits, and other staff costs. This means a substantial increase in the amount of money that I am responsible for raising— a daunting task for someone who finds this part of my job difficult already! But with the help of my supervisors, I’ve come up with a few goal dates that I’d like to share with you.

February 1, 2007:
One full day in Langley= $760/mo.

June 1, 2007:
Two full days in Langley= $1500/mo.

September 1, 2007:
Three full days in Langley= $2300/mo.

As you can see, that first goal date is coming up pretty fast. The good news is that I only need another $175/mo. to reach my goal! That means just 7 people
giving $25/mo. would cover it.
I’m very excited about my work in Langley and I’m encouraged that I’m so close to reaching my goal. Please join with me in praying that I am able to follow through on these proposed dates.
As always, if you have any questions, or would like to chat with me more about this letter or my work, please contact me.

If you want to help me meet these goals, please click here to donate online, or email me at laura_solberg@telus.net for other methods of giving.

A Package
After Art Club this week, I was sorting through the permission forms that had been turned in that week, a discovered a little package tucked in between the sheets. It was a plain sheet of lined paper, folded and taped into a little packet, addressed “To: The Art Club and Bus Staff.” I carefully opened the package and found inside a note, and four other sheets of paper. I would like to share the note and other contents with you, in hopes that it will encourage you as it did me. It read:
“Dear Bus Crew and Art Club Staff,
Thank you so much for teaching me all the different types of being respectful. With this note I have attached four other papers all talking about the ways of being respectful. Thank you.”
One of the other sheets of paper had an essay that the young girl had written on respect. Imagine-- an eleven year old, writing an essay that no one had asked her too! In it she spoke about the importance of respecting yourself and others; how you don’t have to dress provocatively to be pretty or get noticed; that you shouldn’t talk down about yourself or others, in order to make people think about you in a certain way; and how everyone is different and special in their own way.
She also included three pictures that she had drawn, each representing respect in some way.
I’ve also heard from two other parents since we started up again for 2007 that the art club is the highlight of their child’s week. It was so great to hear that! And what an encouragement that little present amongst the permission forms was to the whole team. It’s things like that package that let us know despite how sometimes the kids are a bit unruly and it’s hard to tell if they are hearing anything that we are saying, something is getting through!

If you want to help financially with my work in Langley,
please click here.

Laura's Letter Vol. 1, Issue 4, Christmas. 2006

2006-11-23T18:33:00.000-08:00

Family at Christmas

When I think about Christmas, I think about family. And although there is some added stress involved in making sure everyone gets the gift they want, working out schedules so that we can all spend time with each other, and cramming that last bit of work in before I fly home, I look forward to spending the holidays with my family. But for many of the kids I work with, spending time with family is not something they look forward to.
Jessica, who I mentioned briefly in my last letter, is one of those kids.
Jessica is 14 and in grade seven. She lives in a group home here in Langley, her mom lives in Surrey, and her dad lives in Vancouver. As I said in my last letter, I don’t know all the reasons why she doesn’t live with her mom or dad, but I’m starting to learn more of the story.
She has more than ten brothers and sisters, including her twin sister who lives with her dad. She told me she is not allowed to see her dad, but can’t say why because “it’s complicated.”
Jessica will be spending Christmas with her mom in Surrey. Afterwards, she will return to Langley and spend the month of January preparing to move back in with her mom permanently.
When I asked her how she felt about that, she answered me plainly. “I think it’s sh***y.”
I usually take what Jessica says to me with a grain of salt, but this was one time when I saw truth in her eyes. She is scared. And it breaks my heart. But what breaks my heart even more is that so many people have given up on Jessica. She is a beautiful young woman, who holds so much potential, but she desperately needs someone to believe in her. Yet, I was told that even staff at the school have recently said that they don’t have any hope for her.
And Jessica is not the only one with a difficult family situation to deal with this holiday season. There is Amy, from After School Art, who told one of our staff that she lives with her dad because her mom is bi-polar. When she was asked if that was difficult for her, Amy replied, “I just don’t have time for her.” And Jeremy, whose family is just making ends meet, and whose mom is fighting breast cancer. And then Andrew and Steven, who live with their aunt in Langley instead of their parents in Vancouver, but they are “not allowed to talk about it.”
So during this season where family is so important, please remember Jessica, Amy, Jeremy, Andrew, Steven, and the many other kids just like them in your prayers.

We still need a volunteers, people to provide snack, prayer partners, and financial partners. If you want to get involved, you can contact me by email ( laura_solberg@telus.net ) or by phone (604.308.4123)

Ten is the New Fifteen

“Child development experts say that physical and behavioral changes that would have been typical of teenagers decades ago are now common among “tweens” — kids ages 8 to 12.”

Associated Press

I have to admit, when I first realized that I would be working with mostly younger kids (ages 10-14) here in Langley, I was a little disappointed. I’ve mostly worked with older teens (15+) in the past, and really enjoyed it, and felt like it came more naturally for me to work with them. And in the World of Youth Work in my head, working with older teens seems more glamorous, and exciting. After all, they are the ones with the “real” problems, aren’t they? I look back on that stream of thought now and laugh at myself a little.
Although I still really enjoy working with older teens, I’m starting to realize that I am exactly where I should be right now, working with the kids that I need to be.
Ten really is the new fifteen. I suppose this is something I’ve known for a while, but if there was ever in doubt in my mind, working with kids that would be considered “tweens” has definitely confirmed it for me. Things like the eleven year old girls at After School Art, singing “My Hump” by the Black Eyed Peas, and the conversations we’ve had about boyfriends and kissing leave little doubt!
I am so thankful to have been given the opportunity to walk with these “tweens” during this pivitol time in their lives.

End of Year Giving-- You Still Have Time!
Please think of my ministry as you consider your year end giving. For your prayerful consideration, After School Art is in need of art supplies for the new year, and your financial gift would be very helpful. Thank you for considering this work and a special thank you to all of you who support my ministry.

Click HERE if you would like to make a year end gift.

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

“For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”

Isaiah 9: 6

If you want to help financially with my work in Langley, please click here.

Laura's Letter Vol. 1, Issue2, Oct. 2006

2006-10-12T15:37:00.000-07:00

Different Worlds
The other night at the Bus I was upstairs hanging out with some of the regular kids, most of whom are between the ages of 10 and 13, when one of them suggested we watch some Veggie Tales. For those of you who aren’t familiar with this children’s’ cartoon, it is basically a Bible lesson/story taught to you by a Cucumber (Larry) and a Tomato (Bob). They very clearly come from a Christian point of view, so I was surprised when all the kids greeted this suggestion with enthusiasm. Apparently many of them have seen the videos before at some point and thought they were hilarious. So we popped the video in and immediately the Bus was buzzing with the theme song as all the kids sang along at the tops of their lungs. It was in the midst of this that Danny peered around the corner of the stairs and caught my eye. “Do you mind hanging outside for a little bit. I think we need more staff out there.” He explained to me that some older teens (15-17) were hanging around outside. He had interrupted a drug deal that was about to take place, and asked if I could maybe keep an eye on things out there and make some connections with those teens. So I wandered over to one of the groups and started chatting. After fending off the flirtations of a few of the more inebriated boys, I took a few of them to check out the Bus. We walked upstairs to see the younger kids, still singing away, watching Veggie Tales. Some of the older kids started to laugh and poke fun at the “immature little kids.” Even as I was defending the younger kids for acting their age, I was struck at the difference in worlds that these two groups of youth live in. Separated by only a couple of years, their lives revolve around completely different things. Although the younger kids are starting to dabble in the “cool” world of adolescence, they can still have fun being silly and singing along with animated vegetables, while these older teens are wandering the streets getting drunk and high. They’ve misplaced their imaginations and dreams, and the younger ones are perilously close to doing the same. I say misplaced rather than lost, because I am convinced that each and every one of these young people has the potential to become a person who not only dreams creatively, but walks toward those dreams. They just need the opportunities, tools and encouragement to think differently about themselves, the world and life. That is what keeps me coming back— I so desperately want to see these kids come alive!! Even when I get shortchequed and it seems impossible that I’ll ever be working full-time; even when I’m stood up for a coffee date with one of my girls... again; even when it seems like kids make positive steps in one area of their lives only to fall back into old habits in other areas. I’ll continue because they are all worth it.

If you want to get involved in helping these teens rediscover their imaginations, there are LOTS of opportunities— from volunteering to financial and prayer support and everything in between. If you are interested, contact me and I’ll hook you up!

Team
I’m so excited to see the Langley team growing! We’ve recently welcomed Kandy White on staff. Her and her husband Peter moved here recently from Edmonton where Kandy worked with YFC Edmonton’s Teen Mom’s program.
We’ve also added two Lifeteams students (lifeteams.ca) to the mix. Carmen, from Salt Spring Island, and Hannah, from Inverness, Scotland, are a great addition to our team, and are going to be working closely with us on the art program as well as with the Langley Meadows Nights Alive program. I am a Lifeteams alumni, so it is really exciting for me to have these two with us for the year.
As well as the new additions to our team, we also have a wonderful core group of volunteers. Every week I am amazed at the incredible team I get to work with! But, we still need more volunteers! So if you are interested, or know of someone who may be, please email me at laura_solberg@telus.net

Annual Fall Dinners

I’d like to invite you to come check out our Annual Fall Dinner. It’s always a fun evening with good food, good people, and good conversation. Throw in some amazing stories of youth work around the Lower Mainland, some great videos produced by our East Vancouver team, and the president of YFC International, and it promises to be a great event. This year we are hosting a dinner in Langley, on November 18th, at South Langley MB Church. For more information, or to book tickets, please email me at laura_solberg@telus.net.

if you want to help financially with my work in Langley, please click here.

Laura's Letter Vol. 1, Issue1, Sept. 2006

2006-09-06T16:48:00.000-07:00

Art Camp!
Art Camp was a wonderful success!
My goals for Art Camp: to make new connections, and strengthen existing relationships, with people in Langley; to help the kids I work with re-discover their imaginations and start thinking about things, including themselves, differently; and to see if an on-going community youth art program would be feasible in Langley.
We only had 6 participants on our “fullest” day, but my first goal was definitely met. With only 6 kids I had enough leaders to partner up with each participant and I was free to assist whoever needed it. Four of the kids were ones that I’ve known for a while, and the other 2 I’d never met before. After the camp, the mom of the 2 I’d never met before emailed me to say thank you, and to keep her informed of further activities.
My second goal also worked out far better than I had imagined it could. I’ve known Lacey, one of the participants, since February when we started working in Langley. Lacey just turned 13, and is at a very critical stage in her life. She has a lot of potential, and how she chooses to direct her energy now will impact the rest of her adolescent life. Throughout the whole camp, Lacey kept telling me how embarrassed she was of her painting—how she wasn’t creative and she didn’t want to take her painting home. Every comment was countered by an encouragement from the team and I.
We displayed the paintings in the lobby of the Langley Township building. Quite a few people had a look as they were passing by, and one in particular looked quite interested. I took the opportunity to introduce myself to the woman who turned out to be Hikmat, the owner of the Wired Monk coffee shop located in the building. She asked me what we were doing with the paintings and I told her I was just planning on sending them home with the kids. Then she offered to buy Lacey’s painting! So the girl who said she had no creative ability now has her first painting displayed in a popular coffee shop in the Township building! All of the stress of organizing the camp was worth it just for the look in Lacey’s eyes when someone showed an interest in what she had made. She is already bugging me about making more canvases!
And the success of my third goal was really a no brainer considering the success of my first two. The whole camp was soooo much fun for me. I often tell people that you need to do what makes you feel alive. Leading the Art Camp definitely made me feel alive! In chatting with my Langley co-workers, we’ve decided to go ahead with co-ordinating an on-going community youth art program in the fall.

Grace
I am often amazed at how much I learn from leading teens! During the Plunge, one of our Langley team members was struggling with some issues that were making it difficult for her to participate in the mission. She clearly needed help, but was very difficult work with. Sending her home seemed like the only option. She was sent to stay with Jen (Plunge co-ordinator) while details could be arranged. While Jen, her husband, and Jon (another Plunge leader) loved her as best they could, God started to show them that maybe sending her home wasn’t the only option. Maybe this could be an opportunity to show grace and reconciliation. So, along with seeking the forgiveness of her teammates and some guidelines for her behaviour during the rest of the mission, she was giving the opportunity to re-join our Langley team. Justice is a high priority to me. So much so that grace can be difficult at times. This was one of those times. But I knew I needed to be a good example to the group of teens that I was leading. I thought I would be the one teaching them about grace, but it turns out that they needed no help in that area! As I watched them welcome back our team member I saw some of the purest examples of true reconciliation— teaching me much more about grace than I could have taught them!

Job Update
For quite some time now, I've been mulling around some ideas in my head, and now that some of those ideas have been discussed with my supervisors, I can let you know a bit more about my plans for the near future. Recently my heart has felt more and more pulled towards the community of Langley, and because of that, I will be beginning the process of moving away from the admin/communications side of YFC and pursuing full-time youth work. Even though all the details aren’t fully fleshed out yet, I’m very excited about beginning this transition. There are a few things that are holding me back in this. Communications is a huge job for our organization, and in order for me to move into full-time youth work, someone needs to take over the work that I do at the office. As well, the communications position is partially funded by the YFC Operations Fund, but youth workers are responsible for raising all of their salaries as well as program expenses. That means a huge increase in my personal fundraising (around $2000 more per month), which will be a challenge. Please keep those two things in mind as you pray for me, and if you want to help financially with my work in Langley, please click here.