YUBlog

Enter into their Midst

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 17:39:00 -0600

Liz Chan of Langley, is a youth member of the Elevation Project trip to Rwanda, departing on July 7th. The following blog wrestles with some of her thoughts and emotions prior to the trip:

The dock rocks lethargically to a nautical lullaby and the wooden railing creaks as if to protest under the weight of two cups of cold coffee. My friend Kylie and I gaze into the cosmic canvas which is seeping through with the black ink of a sleepy evening. The coastal shore, at night, as seen from the White Rock pier, is something beautiful as the sun sets, a ribbon at a time, stealing away with our yesterdays and propelling us into that which has never been known. With the star-stricken horizon masquerading as my muse, I ponder a propitious idea: “Do not be frightened of the unknown, for the unknown befriends hope.”

I suppose I am not afraid of Africa. I am so of me. For it is not the unknown that bares its teeth at my sense of adventure. But rather what is absolutely certain detains me. It is, indeed, the acknowledgment that I am so tragically bound to my shortcomings that foremost frightens me. Because it is a broken soul that traverses the distance to be greeted upon the streets of Kigali, where children swarm in a corporate attempt to extend their most innocent welcome. Yet they owe me naught their gratitude nor excitement. They owe me naught but a stern reprimand to maintain my humility. For as Esther Havens says, “Umukyo ubamurikira” – the light shines upon them. I agree so greatly. Howbeit, I pray that they are not expectant of me, heralding me as the dark horse, for this is what I fear. That I may be the manifest of very great disappointment.

But perhaps this is what God intended. That though it may appear that I was commissioned to rise as relief and deliverance for the beautiful people of Rwanda, it is they who are liberating me, humbling me, loving me, and in so doing revealing Him. And, “to me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given,” to enter into their midst, bare feet, bare heart, ready to partake in stories of “the unsearchable riches of Christ” (Eph. 3:8).

To follow the trip, and read more of what a group of Canadian young people are doing to change the world in Africa this summer and how Africa is changing them, visit www.YouthUnlimited.com/ElevateRwandaBlog

Rwanda Update

Fri, 07 May 2010 16:20:00 -0600

Rwanda update

When we started The Rwanda Elevation Project in 2007 we had no idea what kind of an impact it would have. Well now we do!!! Please take the time to check the following video and be inspired! If you want to change a life in a REAL way, our biggest need is for more sponsors, so please go to www.elevate-rwanda.com and click on Sponsor A Child.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8i5Z8oakuHY

21st Annual Golf Tournament

Fri, 30 Apr 2010 13:59:00 -0600

Click here for more information

Youth Unlimited Vancouver Flower & Plant Sale

Tue, 20 Apr 2010 12:33:00 -0600

Now is the time to stock up on some beautiful annuals for your home and garden. We have teamed up with Grootendort’s Flowerland Nursery to bring you some wonderful plants and displays, and create some smiles!

Proceeds from this plant sale will help support our work with youth in Vancouver, to keep our passenger van on the road, to help get kids to summer camp, to provide supplies for our weekly programs, and to support our full time youth workers.

We love what we do, and we see hope and potential in EVERY young person that we meet. Your support will help us to encourage these young people to live amazing lives. Thank you.

Click here to download an editable order form.

For more information email vancouver@youthunlimited.com or call 604.723.1973.

Stepping Stones Fundraiser

Tue, 20 Apr 2010 12:19:00 -0600

Show and Buffet Dinner - $59
+ Door Prizes, Live & Silent Auctions

At the Newlands Country Club, 21025-48th Ave, Langley

For tickets call: (Karen) 604-531-8932 or email Karen.SteppingStones@yahoo.ca

The Elevation Project 2010 Trailer

Mon, 12 Apr 2010 15:18:00 -0600

Click here to check out the new Elevation Project Trailer.For more information on The Elevation Project, visit www.Elevate-Rwanda.com

Coffee Cup Stories

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 16:53:00 -0600

Hope

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 14:00:00 -0700

A while ago, Loraine Apley wrote in the music journal Rolling Stone that “Hope is something you use to get you through the hopelessness of life.” It’s a pretty dark statement and it’s one I don’t believe.

Instead, I believe in hope.

Here at YFC/Youth Unlimited we see the hope and potential in every young person. Because of that, we believe it is worth giving every iota of our being as youth workers to help them develop that potential. Put quite simply, there are no lost causes as far as we are concerned.

That’s because so many of us have ourselves experienced the turn around in life that comes in meeting God and
finding out that we count, that we are special, that He loved us enough to send His son to die for us. And that means everything!

Hebrews 6:19 tells us that we have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. That’s why when we see a
hurting kid who hates himself, a teen mom who is at the end of her rope, or a young person struggling to find their own identity and making all the mistakes we made, we don’t just see the mess. We see a life that is beautiful and can be turned around to become a transcendent thing, because we have this hope.

You see, I have hope. I hope you do, too.

Andy Harrington,
Executive Director

What to Say?

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 10:30:00 -0700

What do you say to the kid that wants money for food at lunch time, everyday, for the past 6 years?

What do you say to the girl who just found out about her boyfriend’s sexual past and is crushed?

What do you say to the supporter on the phone who asks how the ministry is going?

What do you say to the kids who make up stupid drama for attention?

What do you say to the healthy kids who have good parents when they get in a fight with them?

What do you say to the girl who's friend is now working as an escort?

There is hope.

Bowlathon '10

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 14:30:00 -0700

We held our first annual Bowlathon on 23rd January, and it was a huge success! There were many laughs, and some great bowling to be had.

Thank you so much to everyone that came out and supported us and making it the success that it was!

To see photos of the night, click here to go the media section.

The Fridge...

Thu, 21 Jan 2010 23:13:00 -0700

Welcome to The Fridge drop-in center in Richmond...

click here to play video

Annual Appeal

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 12:56:00 -0700

Please allow me to pose three questions to you, followed by a special fourth one.

1] What would you do if you came across a group of skateboarders one night who looked pretty threatening to you?

2] What would you say to a teen-aged mother who is crying out for help after being abused by her boyfriend and abandoned by her parents?

3] How would you demonstrate the love of God in places like Rwanda, an orphange in Mexico or on an isolated First Nations Reserve?

Well....

You would dive into the lives of the skateboarders and be out there rain or shine, building relationships. You would take 150 of them on a crazy trip around the province and you would watch God break into their lives to such an extent that they would start telling their friends about him.

You would comfort the teen mom and tell her that she is loved by you and by God. Then you would invite her to Thrive, a 10 week life skills program that will get her back on her feet and show the love of God in the most practical of ways.

And you would gather groups of teens who want to make a difference and take them to Rwanda to help rebuild a school, to Mexico to come alongside abandoned orphans and a First Nations Reserve to show our brothers and sisters there that they are not alone. While you are at it you would change these kids' lives.....as well as thousands of others.

How do I know the answers to these questions? Because that is just a snapshot of what our team has done this last year.

We've touched the lives of thousands of kids, allowing them to see and hear the love of God in their own realities. In schools and clubs, at events and camps, through social justice projects and evangelistic events, our team has helped bring a shining beam of God's love into the lives of a new generation.

But we haven't done it alone. We've had partners who have stood with us in every activity, been there every night. They have been an invisible part of every conversation and the resource behind every gift of love.

And so, my fourth question. Will you stand with us to make a difference in the lives of these kids this Christmas?

After a very tough financial year, we need to raise an extra $150,000 to cover our annual deficit and maintain this wonderful work. That amounts to a gift of $360 from everyone who is receiving this letter, or even better for our planning, a monthly donation of $30.

In other words , for less than the price of two of Starbucks' finest a week, you can see a teen moms' life transformed, a playground built in Rwanda this summer, help run a drop- in night in Richmond or Abbotsford, or send a kid to a wonderful week of activity at one of our summer camps.

Perhaps you cannot give that much. Perhaps you can give more. Whatever you can do, it will help, so please would you send back the enclosed form with your gift to change a young life.

There is a lost and lonely generation out there, but between us, we can help turn that around. So please, join us in our goal of transforming that generation from the inside out.

You make a difference!!

Wishing you a wonderful and Christ-filled Christmas,

Andy Harrington,
Executive Director,
Greater Vancouver YFC/Youth Unlimited.

To Be Continued...

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 13:50:00 -0700

I have hope.
I see potential.
I wish for them.
I even dream for them to be.

But...

They have to make a choice.
They have to believe.
They have to dare to dream.
They have to see

And So...

I pray
I wait
I watch

But...

They stumble
They hurt
They fall

Therefore...

I reach
I help

But...

They pull away
They close their ears

Therfore...

I stop

And

They go

God goes with them.

I smile as I weep...

What will happen?

I'll have to wait and see.

Tales of a Night Rider

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 13:57:00 -0600

"Her phone rings. After a few minutes of speaking to the caller she hangs up. She becomes distressed. The volunteers ask what's wrong. She tells the volunteers that there is a warrent for her arrest and she doesn't know what to do. The volunteers offer advice. Within minutes they arrive at her destination.

Across the street is a parked police car. The volunteers inquire if she wants to turn herself in. She agrees. One volunteer taps on the police car's driver side window, distracting the officer from his paper work. The officer rolls down the window and asks them how he might help. The teenager girls says she would like to turn herself in because there is a warrant for her arrest. She thanks the volunteer for his help as she steps into the back seat of the police cruiser. The SafeRide van continues on as the police car rolls away."

- Excerpt from "Tales of a Night Rider" a monthly 'diary' based on real SafeRide stories.

An Invitation to Elevate Rwanda

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 17:47:00 -0600

Following on from the success of our large trip out to support the Elevation project in Rwanda in 2008,Greater Vancouver Youth Unlimited is currently planning for our next large trip in July of 2010.

Our aim is to see lives changed both for those who join the team and for those in Rwanda that we work with.

Among other things, during the trip we will be:
•    Running two youth camps
•    Undertaking school renovations
•    Building a high end play park [ n conjunction with a team from Newline Skateparks]
•    Being involved in local communities.

We are looking for youth and young adults who not only want to be part of this life changing adventure, but who are committed to having an ongoing involvement back in Canada, including raising awareness, helping raise child sponsorships, special events, presentations and more.

Our Canadian team will also be accompanied by a group of experienced youth workers from Greater Vancouver Youth Unlimited and will be taught the skills they need in order to do a great job. The team will be partnered with a similar group of Rwandan young people and we will show that together, we can bring hope to one of the poorest places imaginable. You can expect to be stretched and transformed as you have your life changed by this incredible experience. It’s certainly not something for the faint hearted!

Approximate dates are July 7th to 29th. The cost expected to be between $3500-$3700 depending on numbers and flight details.

If you think you might like to be part of this project, we would like to invite you to join us for an information night at 7pm on Tuesday December 8th at the YU office 115-12975, 84th Avenue in Surrey.

For more information contact Gloria at the Youth Unlimited office – 604.590.3759.

Come and help us change the world!

The Elevate Rwanda team
www.elevate-rwanda.com

Mission Accomplished!

Fri, 02 Oct 2009 22:07:00 -0600

What do you get if you add 8 flat tires, thousands of biting flies, 6 hot spring tubs, 50 kilometers of dusty roads, a broken down playground, a couple of miracles and 32 willing hearts (and pairs of hands)? When we added it up this summer we had one of the most amazing weeks of our lives...

A team of youth and leaders from Mission Youth Unlimited and others from The Cross Current Church and the Mission Friendship Centre spent a week in August (16-22) in the remote, First Nations village of Skatin (North of Harrison Lake). In one incredible, work and fun filled week we were able to tear down the old playground and build a new one, renovate and paint the community hall, clean and repair most of the woodstoves and furnaces in the town and do many other odd jobs. We also built friendships with many of the locals, bonded as a team, ate amazing meals (including fresh salmon), soaked for hours in the hot springs, learned some first nation dances and got invited back next year. We are already planning our return trip next summer and have about 50 people wanting to go and a number of jobs lined up!

P.S. A video of the trip is available for viewing at http://vimeo.com/6289085

Richmond Mexico Trip - Summer 09

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 12:59:00 -0600

We set out on the three-day drive to Rancho El Milagro in Ensanada ready for whatever service projects lay ahead of us. We've been doing these trips since 1987 and arriving at the orphanage just feels like home for me. The work we did was much like past years including craft and activity time with the children; painting and tiling; chapel each night followed by fireside with our own kids and the teenagers from the Ranch. It was fantastic to see our team come together and help out in all the things we did. The highlight for me was when two of the teens talked with me about how this trip has changed their lives.

The first was a boy who started attending our programs one year ago. He has grown in his walk with God over the year as he came to a couple of our retreats and also began to attend church on Sundays. One evening after a Mexico campfire, he came to me and said "I've started praying to God and I feel that I'm getting closer to Him since doing this. I really feel He is listening to me." He went on to tell me that he had enjoyed a super phone call with his mom since he was praying for a better relationship with her. His growth during the trip was so evident. Pray that this will continue for him as he continues to pray and listen for God's response.

The second was a girl who I first met four years ago when she came to my mini volleyball program. Then I met her again when I helped my teacher friend coach a basketball team at his school last year and she was on the team. We presented the Mexico trip opportunity to the team members and a number of them came to an organization meeting. Although she didn't originally realize it was a Christian trip, this girl wanted to come. On the trip she was fantastic and was so open to everything that was happening. She especially love the singing and talks we had at the campfire. One night we presented 'how to say yes to Jesus' and she was moved. On the way home she had so many questions and she spent time reading a bible to learn more about all she was experiencing.

While I hope that the stories of these two teens is inspiring for you, they are only a representation of how the hearts of our team members were moved as they opened themselves to hear God's message.

Thanks so much for standing with us as we seek to serve teens and their families in Richmond!

- Eric Ens

It Takes Time

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 13:45:00 -0600

This afternoon I was watching mentoring in action just outside my house. There were three young men working away, installing a car stereo. One is working with me for the summer, and was patiently teaching the others what to do as they eagerly learn this ‘guy stuff.’

T. is one of these young men. He has never had a father in his life, and so has been soaking up these moments since we first met him. I ran into his mother at Starbucks the other day and she was so grateful for the time that we have been spending with her son.

Time.

It takes time to model, time to teach, time to spend walking on a journey to truly show what it means to live with God as a Christian. It’s more than leading them through some steps…that’s the easy part. The hard part is the time consuming process of maturing and journeying with them to regenerate their faith. Before hanging out with us, T. had never had any contact with God. He has been rebuffed as he shares his faith with friends at school and even his family, but he has chosen to be a follower of Jesus and was baptized earlier this year. Thanks for your prayers for these three young men as they continue to journey together.

YFC/Youth Unlimited presents: Click

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 16:51:00 -0600

For more information and to reserve tickets, click here or call (604) 590 3759

Skateboarding Does a 180

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 12:43:00 -0600

Check out this video shot for 100 Huntley Street, featuring GVYFC/Youth Unlimited team member Mark Koop and his work with skateboarders.