STEPPING UP

This Past Month

I had a conversation the other day with a young dad who suffered many challanges, and setbacks in his life while growing up! The dark and perverse things he shared about his childhood were extreme and overwhelming to hear. As I sat and talked to this young dad the same familiar story began to unfold, the same story many other young dads have shared with me about their terrible past. Sharing the stories of dysfunction and abuse they experience while growing up! He shared his deep pain, openly and freely, he shared the R rated version of his life. It deeply disturbed me and I found myself still processing our conversation for a long time after! Running it over and over again in my mind, asking myself ‘What does this young dad need to help him process all the junk he has been through in his life’? Then I thought ‘What do all of these young fathers need as a whole to help them deal with their past hurts’?

It took me a while to wrestle and pray through this question, but the answer came to me clearly. Young dads need relationships! They desire some form of deeper connection with others in a way that doesn’t leave them feeling like they are some kind of daunting statistic of teen pregnancy or another number on a graph sheet or just another project to fix! It came to me that they need and want meaningful friendships! It is actually part of the human condition to desire closeness, and the dads we reach out to are no different. It seemed the answer was always there, staring me in the face! I know that relationships are important, but it wasn’t until God showed me exactly how important they really are that it registered on the richter scale, if you know what I mean? People, I believe, were made to have not only meaningful relationships with one another but also with God the Father too! He is the only one who shows us loving caring perfection in a world that is broken and lonely!

Fortunately, Stepping Up is not the only place these dads can turn to for practical help in our community. They also have Government assisted agencies where practical help and valuable resources are available, such as personal and family counselling. However deep down inside, practical help in itself is not going to bring true healing....it’s relationships in each of these young father’s lives. The missing link in truly helping them overcome their past and live victorious in the future is by just by being there for them with authentic love, and demonstrating for them that the most meaningful relationship they would ever forge is one with God! Why have I not seen it quite like this before? It’s amazing how Godcan turn the light switch on just like that when we need him to do it the most! At Stepping Up we are really good at building relationships with these young dads but I am convinced that the true source of intimacy in relationship can only come from God the Father. The love and grace of God is the answer to true transformation in our land and the lives of young dads!

Thank you for your continued prayers for all our dads and their families! Pray that we would extend true meaningful relationships to each of those we work with, but mostly pray that they would find relationship with God.

Our Need

I have an amazing report to share! Last month we received 2 more monthly supporters and now our goal of $500.00 more a month has been decreased to $375.00 yet to come in. This $375.00 will help us reach our monthly full time budget that each staff is required to raise at YFC. Would you consider being our next monthly supporter?

To all who are giving to Stepping Up, Shaina and I cannot express enough our gratitude for your monthly support. Mother Theresa said this “if the money is not there then God was never in it anyways”. This statement has defined our faith journey at YFC for the past two years. We believe God holds all the resources for us in everything we do! He has blessed us so generously so far through your continued financial support, so thank you again for laying down your lives and giving so generously to this ministry and us! In His love, David and Shaina!

Dave and Shainaʼs Update

We are very pleased to announce that there will be another addition to the Morgan family, so now there will be five of us! We are all doing well, Shaina is a little tired with the pregnancy but we are both looking forward to spending some much needed R&R at Shuswap Lake in the middle of August! The boys are doing well too and keep us on our toes. We trust all of you are having a great summer! Blessings for now, Dave and Shaina!