In 2008, God
breathed in me a desire to reach out to our youth, particularly in the
inner-city, in a new way, welcoming rather than shunning the kids “unwanted” by
other programs due to their difficult emotional, behavioral, and sometimes
legal histories. At that time I was already working therapeutically with a
large group of such kids in my profession, so gaining entrance into that
population was as easy as earning their trust…and fortunately a few key teens
had already come to trust me through their exposure to me in my work, and
willingly vouched for me in the community. I will always be grateful to those
few “founding members” of Arms Wide Open, who were at one time on the Youth
Advisory Board and helped spawn ideas as well as bring in new members. One such
member attended AWO events and camps until he graduated high school and went on
to join the Navy.
In the eight years that have passed since
its inception, Arms Wide Open Ministries, Inc., has mentored and discipled around
three hundred adolescents and teens. From the beginning the only restrictions on
our reach were transportation and funding….we stretched every penny as far as
we could and crammed as many kids as we could in every available vehicle for
field trips, events, and summer camps. We never turned a child away as long as
we had room. Unfortunately, sometimes life can interfere with ministry. A
little over three years ago I realized my marriage was over and started the
long and extremely painful process of divorce, forcing my focus from outreach ministry
to my PRIMARY ministry, my children and home. Two years ago we became a
single-parent household, and it has taken a great deal of my energy (and almost
all of my financial resources) to just survive. In spite of this, I continued
ministering as much as God made a way for me to. On the weekends my kids were
with their dad, I took the AWO kids to church, conducted Bible studies, and fellowshipped
with them. I still held summer camp, even in the absence of volunteers or
funds. You see, many people that previously supported AWO withdrew because of
the divorce. I understand that they did not know the circumstances…no one does,
really, because I have chosen not to share the details openly…and
may have felt I was “disqualified” to minister due to the breach of covenant. I
never breached my covenant with my Father, though, and His call on me to
minister to the teens He has chosen to send me has never wavered. I could not
abandon the relationships I have worked to build for the last eight years, and
I will not. I have done all that I could do without neglecting my own family
during this time. However, I have sensed that the dynamics and calling on AWO
has been shifting. I have been seeking the Lord on this for quite some time.
Over the last year someone new has stepped
in alongside me in ministry, quietly…without ever being asked…only by His
directive. Andy Dow started helping chaperone AWO events when he was able, and
he began building relationship with some of our kids. He also was led to teach
the Purple Book Bible study last year and met with the AWO teens bi-weekly to do
so. At the end of that time, he also helped chaperone the summer camp this past
June in Helen, Georgia. At the summer camp God spoke that this shift is to
one-on-one discipleship. Intimate study of the Word. AWO will no longer host
summer camps, although we will still have occasional events or outreach
activities. I am currently discipling several of our teen girls, who are now in
the last years of high school or their first years of college, and Andy (who
also disciples full-time with The Fishermen, Inc. of Valdosta, GA) is discipling several of our boys as well. Our
focus has narrowed in on the last remaining kids of the group, about 10-15
kids, who are on the verge of adulthood. The other kids we mentored over the
years have either moved away, or have grown up and gone out into the world. We
have a couple of college graduates, one military member, and even a
world-traveler working in international studies. I keep in touch with almost
all of the kids, and they still lean on me for support in trying times. I
consider them spiritual children, so I hope they always will!
In the meantime, God has moved my biological children
and I into a NEW SEASON, and even a new home. When we arrived here we found
that He had a ministry prepared here for us before we ever knew the home
existed! The day we moved in I prayed over the house and asked God to fill it
so full of His love that the love would seep out the doors and windows into the
neighborhood and draw others in. And HE DID!!! Since our first day here we have
had children from the neighborhood at our house that have become another
generation of spiritual children to me. We have totally unchurched children
from non-believing households practically living with us! Two of the children have
been allowed to accompany us to church a few times and we are hoping for the
opportunity to take the rest! There are around 10 kids but they are increasing
in number. What I’m seeing is that God wants me to show them what a Christian
family looks like…teach them who He is, help them come to an understanding that
they are LOVED, and hopefully bring them into relationship with Him. We have
dispelled quite a few misconceptions of who God and Jesus are already…some make
us laugh, others make us cry. We are conducting Bible studies with them here in
my home, having them for family meals (which apparently none have ever
experienced before), teaching them how to pray, and letting His love pour
through us. One thing is for certain, Arms Wide Open has been relocated from
the inner-city into the outskirts…and the need is just as great. Our elder AWO
teens/adults will be coming alongside us and partnering with us in this new ministry
and will be adopting “little brothers” and “little sisters” among this younger
generation of AWO kids. God is truly creating a “family” in this ministry. I’m
excited for this new journey and where God is taking us!
I thank all of you for
your prayer support through the last few transitional years, and I ask for your
continued prayer coverage as we ever seek to share His love with children who
have not yet encountered Him. May His blessings overflow on all of you!!
