Praise Reports from our YOUTH!

Hey Everyone!

Take a look at how our beloved youths have grown...

I am reminded again, that God leads us and asks us to learn humbly as we grow... we have to be willing to continue learning at all times! A good friend once told me when I first started working with youths, that I had to be prepared to be a "seed planter/waterer", and that in most cases, I would not be able to see the fruits of the labor. For only God can make things grow (See 1 Corinthians 3:7).

Well... every once in a while you get some fantastic glimpses of what God is doing, and you get to share the joy! So here are some notes of encouragement, from some of the youth we know and love!

* Jamal was with me at church and accepted Christ, asking to be baptized soon and is absolutely on fire! He's asked for a Bible, and some movies/study assistance.
* Anton, Wydarius, Derrick and Charles Jones have all been court approved to go on the missions trip to Baja Mexico! THIS IS INCREDIBLE! They are never allowed to even cross state lines, but a missions trip in service to others, is shaking up the foster community and DCFS in a big way! God is opening up doors that have been closed and forgotten!
* Marie has a 3.0 GPA and has been accepted to the school/program in Arizona! Although she'll be leaving us soon, this is a fantastic opportunity for her in her growth!
* Angel has moved in with his mother in Redlands. He is gone, but in moving into his birth-mother's home, reminds us that this is truly our goal! That our youth would be with their families at home!
* Josh passed his driver's test!
* On Saturday, I left the beach early with Mody, Brenton and Kennedy to see Anton and Jamal's football game. One of the most touching scenes was watching Anton hit the QB big time, and seeing Mody beaming with pride and smiling ear to ear as he turned towards the cheering crowds yelling "Man... that's MY brother! Wow... that's my bro, man!"
* That same night, due to grades, the coaches benched Anton and Jamal. They weren't told until the coaches blind-sided them and literally started cussing them out at half time. The two boys, embarassed and hurt and feeling betrayed, came off the field and after explaining to us the situation, immediately started laughing with us about the times when they were playing, and totally disregarded what had happened, ignoring the times they didn't play. They simply couldn't be shaken, and didn't let the tough situation bring them down. For Anton in particular, this is a dramatic and huge difference in attitude. He mentioned to me that he just didn't feel the same way about "bad things happening, because I feel like I always have hope". WOW...
* There are many more individual moments/news that are very special. Don't ever be afraid to share them, or feel like nobody cares. If only one of you actually reads this, it will be worth the time I spent on it! Be encouraged and full of joy, because the relationships that are growing and happening and flourishing are what it is all about.

Between you and I, team... I believe that we do see a lot of the fruits... Although I understand my friend's point, I am reminded that we often look for "BIG" things and forget the little things, that mean so much. Miracles come in all shapes and sizes... and as Anton says, we always have hope! For as we love these youth, we know this very simple fact. Love never fails... (1 Corinthians 13:8). So how can we ever lose hope?

By the way, be sure to stay close to us with the missions trip! Check out the flyer with details at www.youthjourney.org, along with some events we're throwing to raise money and for team building. Please join us as a partner in prayer or even participation! Be part of the joy! If you're into it, I'll be speaking at Journey Covenant Church on Sunday, November 9th at 9am and 10:45am and having some of the Denker Boys teach the congregation a song! Good times... =)

Have a blessed week! I'm sorry to miss you on Thursday. I will see you in November!

Chris

Praise Reports!

Wow... things are really happening! Check out these praise reports from our youth!

1. Mary has a 3.0 grade point average and has been accepted to the school in Phoenix!
2. Tina has a 3.1 grade point average and still going strong!
3. Jamal has asked if he can be baptized!
4. Derrick is now on his way to join us on the mission's trip! I'm meeting with DCFS today to have an additional livescan performed as the leader of the trip on behalf of Derrick!
5. Angel is now moving in with his birth mother permanently! Although he moves away from us, this is a very special moment in his life, and one that all of us hope and pray for in regards to all these foster youth!
6. Jay, Kodi and Kennedy are coming to Justin's SBPC Younglife of SouthBay event this week and should meet more great friends in a growing community of Christian youth, that is all around us!
7. SBPC is sending several youths and one big family to join us on the mission's trip! From their congregation, Justin is joining us for sure now, and one of his members offered to donate the purchse of all the house materials!

Miracles, miracles, miracles... share the joy and love these moments!

ELF partners up!

ELF is now partnering with several other organizations and ministries to make things happen!

Take a look at our new official partnerships:
1. Youth Journey - www.YouthJourney.org is the youth ministry of Journey Covenant Church (www.JourneyCovenant.org) in Redondo Beach and we team up for events and ongoing mentorships as we grow and reach out to the communities in faith!

2. Younglife of South Bay - We're making things happen and teaming up with Younglife to bring youth together and raise up leaders throughout the communities of LA as we share in events, camps, programming and so much more!

More details are coming soon, but do NOT hesitate to check out the ELF Events Calendar to see the schedule of events that publicly include all three youth programs!!!

Foster Youth on the Missions Trip to Baja, Mexico!

Wow... all of a sudden the Foster Community is being shaken up!

When we presented the Missions Trip to Baja Mexico, we thought we might get some teens interested in going on this journey to build a home for a homeless family of 14 (11 children). But when we did this, everyone kept telling us the odds were against us! We were told about all the obstacles a foster youth face and how difficult it could be to take them on this trip! We also learned that foster youth had to go through multiple lines of authority, starting with their legal guardians, then to their real life parents (if applicable), their social worker, their attorney and finally, the court where a judge would make the final decision. The odds were definitely stacked against each foster youth that wanted to go!

Behold the miracle that is hope, beyond hope. A miracle that goes beyond our normal understanding and the truth that good will overcomes.

The door has opened for two foster youth already, both under the age of 15 who are now legally eligible to join us on the journey, successfully passing through all of the above barriers! And momentum is picking up!

Stay tuned for updates because a lot is happening, and word is spreading!