This song has been my theme song this past week and all I can do is sing it over and over again. It’s been quite a journey everyone. All I can say is in times like these God only proves to me time and time AND TIME again that He is real, He is good, and He answers prayers! No lie, He really answers prayers. This season of life has had its ups and downs but I can tell you that what has made it so much better is that my JOY is in the Lord! Yes…I have days of doubts, yes I have days of fear, yes I have days of anxiousness, but He has been my strength, my stronghold, my support. When I cry out I know He hears me. He is close, He is near, and I am loved. He loves me as His daughter! Isn’t it amazing to know that God calls us His children! Making us pure and blameless as we walk toward Him. This past week I have seen the church move and act as the church should move and act like in the book of Acts. It makes me so thankful for my church, imago Dei.
I wanted to let everyone know that the reason I am telling you all these things is because of my friend…you know the one I told you about in my last blog post. Well I think everyone knows this friend of mine, her name is Summer. And she has given me permission to share her story. First off let me give you a glimpse into this journey. After I Summer and I filled out her application for Teen Challenge, at this point it was just a waiting process. For Summer the waiting was really hard as she was still out in the streets tempted by all her surroundings. She wanted to run from temptation and didn’t know how and so instead she felt frustrated and ran to the only thing she knew when her thoughts went dark. She went to the psychiatric hospital. When I heard this I was not happy at first; thinking she was reverting and giving up. But her going ended up working in our favor and being a huge blessing. They agreed with her to help detox her off her medications and would do all the testing needed for her to enter into teen challenge and write the doctor consent form that she would be mentally stable enough to go to teen challenge. I was there every night either physically or a on the phone to talk to her, to listen, to encourage, and help her to remember the hope she has in Christ. She made it through the detox, and she was released from the hospital. God has been definitely been reminding me how little control I have and how much He is the master and His timing is perfect. She was going to be back on the streets and I had such little trust that she would remain clean after being out there for a couple nights. God only proved to me that He was working in her heart in such a way and helping her with the temptations when she got out. I was so upset though looking for help from my church family to get her off the streets until she got to teen challenge. So a friend, neighbor, and fellow church member of mine, was given a bonus check…and I cried and leapt with joy when she told me she was willing and able to help by using it to get her into a hotel for a couple days. Not only that she went above and beyond and wrote such an encouraging note and had a “goodie bag” for my friend when she arrived at the hotel. On top of all that I also had to work that weekend and another couple from my church was willing to pick her up and take her to the hotel. On TOP of THAT another couple from the church came to visit and encourage her while she was there and made her some food. After her stay in the hotel she came to stay with my roommates and I for a couple more nights before I could get her to teen challenge. This was also a process and Monday wasn’t easy…as the slush came and kept us all cooped up inside. I only heard more of Summer’s pains and hurts from her life as she continued to open up to me more and more…and I truly realized only God can heal her, I can’t even begin to imagine or handle the pain she has had to go through. I feel like I tried to feel what she felt and I couldn’t handle it and I broke down and just cried out to God to heal her and help me because I am SOOOOO incapable. I don’t know what its like to not have a mom…or a dad that does not love me or protect me. I don’t know what its like to feel completely abandoned or abused. I don’t know what its like to lose everything. Just when I didn’t know if I could handle it anymore when I talked with teen challenge they said everything was a go for Wednesday. I was so excited! Also I then was able to get in touch with the leaders from my church and they were willing to meet up with Summer to see how serious she was about this commitment to teen challenge, and they helped pay the rest of the application/down payment fee she needed upon arrival. Also I had a Growth Group from my church willing to help me out as I had to work that Tuesday night to have her hang out with them and enjoy company with them until I could come pick her up. So after that night we figured all the last minute details, went to bed, and woke up for our road trip to Elizabeth City. It ended up being about a 3 hour drive but we got there in plenty of time. I met one of the women leaders in teen challenge and as soon as I met her I felt overwhelmed with peace, and joy. As we entered into the home I only felt more joy as it just felt like…well a home.
I felt so comforted by the structure and everything they do at teen challenge and knew I was leaving Summer in safe hands. Summers day will kind of look like this:
Wake up at 6am, devotions, breakfast, group bible study, chapel, lunch, choir/music practice, service or other projects, dinner, free time, and bedtime. This will very from day to day and week to week but most of the time stays the same. They have mentors, counselors, and prayer partners. Their program is a three-phase program where they are first introduced to get used to living situations, get used to the way of life there, and small tasks and assignments to complete. Phase two will help them carry more responsibility as they make grocery list and shopping, chores, and other work projects and other responsibilities. Phase three will re-introduce them to the living world by putting them into a house apartment next door owned by teen challenge once they have a job and they will then pay rent to live in the house/apartment still under supervision of teen challenge but definitely teaching them to budget their money and finances and helping them to become completely independent. From there they can decide to stay in Elizabeth city and continue to work and find their own place or go back to school and “be sent off” into the world.
I was able to meet some of the other ladies that are in the teen challenge program and they were so loving and excited as they had only expressed how God had used this program to change their lives and some of them now working jobs going back to school and all these good things. I prayed over Summer and said my goodbyes and left knowing she was in good hands. The battle is not over yet though as there are still some loose financial strands that need to be tied up. But most important this needs to be soaked in prayer. Summer was really excited but she too was also very nervous and anxious. She will need lots and lots of prayer and hopefully this will finally be the changing point in her life where she will be a “new creation” and the old will be gone and the new will come.
Honestly if I could I could probably write all night about all that God has been doing in my life recently…I mean these are just one of the many things blessing that has been going on in my life and though its not been a piece of cake its been joyful because it all has made me rely on the Lord. I’m also so thankful for my family who have also been a major part in making all these things possible and for their financial and prayer support.
Thank you EVERYONE!!!
(if anyone feels led to help financially let me know, and fill out the form below, has info below)
Pledge Support
Monthly Support List
Name:__________________________________________________________________
Address: _______________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
Relationship: ______________________________________
Phone: __________________________
Amount pledged: $_______________ (Circle) One Time Monthly
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
-Cut off top of form and
mail in with check to
Albemarle Teen Challenge
P.O. Box 2894
Elizabeth City, NC
27906
-A total of $600 a month is required to cover the living
expenses along with the extra curricular Teen Challenge has.
-Summer is officially entered into teen challenge but still
needs $400 for the month of March as quickly as possible and those willing to
commit monthly
-All checks can be made payable to Albemarle
Teen Challenge, and noted (bottom left of check) with attendants first and last
name: Summer Halsey (In the newsletter there is an address you can send the
check directly to Teen Challenge)
-All funds will be put into a
specific account for Summer, used by the facility to pay for living expenses.
She can access her account only with special requested privileges from staff
for needed items.
