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Rest. Celebration. Training.
For the youth and youth home workers in Chiang Mai with whom Prosperous Youth Foundation (PYF) works, these important components to a healthy life are not always (if ever) present.
One of our core values at YouthHOPE is “Relationships.” We live out this value by forming partnerships with other people, ministries and organizations. We’re excited to share an update with you about our relationships with PYF and Ends Cycling!
This year, PYF will continue a program focusing on providing a
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day of rest for staff of youth homes who rarely, if ever, get one. Through this tangible service, these workers are reminded that someone is there supporting what they do.
Also in the works for 2016 are 2 new programs funded in part by the KWBR*. First, as youth complete their secondary education, PYF will create an event celebrating that accomplishment and marking it as an important time of transition. Second, PYF plans on creating a discipleship and training program to reach out to youth who have made a commitment to ministry in order to help them develop as servant leaders.
Rest. Celebration. Training. We all need them. Would you commit to praying this week for PYF, their team, their ministry, and the youth homes with which they partner? With your prayerful support, these youth homes will become a place where God’s Spirit is welcome and active, transforming lives of youth in Chiang Mai, and ultimately, transforming Thailand.
*Visit endscycling.com for more information about this ministry and event.
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“When you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the Lord…”and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.”
Each year, as a team, we choose a word to focus on; a word that will set the stage for why and how we do ministry for the year. This year we are intentionally focusing on the word exile. This word appears in Jeremiah 29, almost directly after the YouthHOPE verse (Jeremiah 29:11). We believe too many global youth live in exile, and that God has given us the calling and ability to reach them and bring them back to Him, for Him. The Evening of |
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| Hope 2016 also focused on youth in exile. This year, we offered participants a chance to “Experience a Day in the Life of a Global Youth.” Through a 45 minute walking tour, each participant was able to see the challenges global youth face, and how we at YouthHOPE come along side them to share the gospel and train leaders to invest in their lives. In one particular booth during the tour, a Hope banner hung on the wall with the pictures of each participant; symbolizing how they too could be a part of global youth’s story of hope and life transformation. At the end of the walking tour, each person was offered the chance to make a difference in the life of a global youth through; prayer, partnership, or a chance to go on a short-term or internship project. We want to offer you the same opportunity! It costs around $62.50 to train one global youth leader. You can partner with us by sponsoring one or more youth leaders to attend one of our trainings in 2016/2017. Just one trained youth leader can reach more than 100 youth with the word of God that promises a “hope and a future!” |
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| A New Endeavor – Grant Writing
Over the course of the last several month’s members the YouthHOPE team have been working with a local grant writing agency for the purpose of communicating the message of global youth and global youth ministry to organizations and foundations in pursuit of grants that have the ability to fund projects in 2016. It has been challenging in some regards because this is a new avenue for us. However, we have been incredibly encouraged by our grant writer Matt. He has bought into our mission and has become an advocate for global youth ministry. He was able to experience how YouthHOPE seeks to accomplish our mission by attending our recent Evening of Hope event. |
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| We have currently applied to 4 different foundations seeking financial support for global youth ministry training and development. We have also submitted letters of inquiry to 23 local Kiwanis and Rotary Clubs to pursue speaking engagements in hopes that this will generate some needed finances for some local projects we are working on.
Please begin praying for the Lord to allow these applications and submissions to fall into the proper hands and that He will use them to help fund Youth Ministry Leadership Training in 2016 and beyond! |
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Prayer for the Faundez
Three of my favorite people in the world have been absent from the YouthHOPE offices since September. Miguel (Director of Training for YouthHOPE), Paulina (super lawyer mom) and Benjamin (one of the cutest kids on earth) are waiting for the approval of their permanent residence which would allow their return to the YouthHOPE home base in Fort Myers. Please pray for them and the process that they can return soon. Miguel continues to serve remotely, but we like to have him around more! Visit their facebook to see pics of Benja!
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Have you ever planned an event and really prayed that people would show up? Most of our youth ministry leadership training (YMLT) events end up having less people attend than our host projects. Part of that is due to optimism and also we are introducing a brand new concept in some of the places we go. We just experienced the opposite in North India. We were hoping for about 50 to attend and our host informed us that it would be more like 60 plus. What we didn’t know was that the plus would be another 70 people. Now you may be thinking, “That’s awesome!” or “Praise God!”, but the truth is that it made it a very
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| challenging training. During the closing ceremony, we gave out over 100 certificates to leaders from 3 countries (India, Nepal and Bhutan) from more than 30 churches. One leader, named Zunjamo from Nagaland told us, “I have been a youth pastor for 3 years and have a theological education, but I have never received practical training in youth ministry like this. Now I am able to better understand the needs of the youth with whom I work.” Feedback like that made all the effort and unexpected obstacles worthwhile. We are even planning a future training in Nagaland with the 40 churches that Zunjamo supervises and believe that he will be a future youth ministry trainer in his own country. Please pray for Zunjamo and consider giving $62.50 to train a global youth worker. |
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| KWBR 2016: Riding and Running for the Youth of East Africa
This year we celebrated Ends of the Earth Cycling’s 5th year with the annual Key West Bike Ride and Run! This year we ran and rode for ministry partners in East Africa. We focused on two ministries specifically, the Banda’s in Malawi and the Lufiyele’s in Zimbabwe. This year was special in the fact that we had Daniel Lufiyele join us for the week in Florida! Daniel was able to explain the struggles and potential to participants in such a tangible and powerful way. Daniel had nothing but good things to say about the week and left encouraged and reenergized heading back to Zimbabwe. |
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| ” YouthHOPE for me has been a partner and they have given me the kind of fellowship that inspires me to do more.”
– Daniel Lufiyele |
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