Give the Gift of Mercy

Over the last few years we suggested to our donors and mentors that instead of buying the small gifts we traditionally give to our close friends, they would consider making a donation to Mercy Street in honor of their friends.  

And, it’s back by popular demand.

Give the gift of mercy by making a donation to Mercy Street in honor of those special friends on your list.  Rather than fight the hustle and bustle at the mall or sweat over the hot stove, just email emily@mercystreetdallas.org with a list of names and addresses of those you want to recognize in this way.  You can mail your donation to the address below or give through our online giving and we will send them a special Christmas card acknowledging the gift.  

By giving the gift of Mercy, you are helping us meet our needs and exposing your friends to the work God is doing in West Dallas through Mercy Street while freeing up some more time to spend with those friends and family. 

Praying your Christmas season is filled with Jesus,

The Mercy Street Family

Mentees & The Marriage Supper of The Lamb

by Sarah Flores

As we all know, being involved in mutually transforming relationships with students can sometimes be challenging.  There are seasons when we may wonder what in the world we are doing and if any real change is occurring.   It can be hard and discouraging.  But then the Lord in his goodness and grace, often gives of glimpses of the beautiful ways He’s at work, not only in students’ lives but in our own lives.

Several weeks ago, Sam and I had the privilege of traveling to Atlanta, Georgia for a dear friend’s wedding.  And if getting to go to a wedding isn’t enough to make a girl happy, well just add in the fact that we got to take the groom’s mentee with us…talk about a fun adventure!!  We have known Wilmer for years as Sam and I mentor his brother Eric and sister Amy, so it was our great joy to have him as our traveling partner.  Although I must confess, I did have a few concerns about how Wilmer would respond to so many new things like flying on an airplane, wearing a tux, and interacting with lots of people he did not know.  

Well, let me just say that I was humbled and amazed with Wilmer’s maturity and obvious love for his mentor and the Lord.  We arrived in Atlanta for the wedding, and immediately he jumped right in and had a blast.  Highlights of the weekend included skeet shooting and golf cart driving on the property as well as hanging out with his mentor’s family before the wedding.  But I would say our highlight of having Wilmer with us was seeing him volunteer to get up and share at the rehearsal dinner.  He was nervous.  Who isn’t nervous when getting up to speak at a special occasion?  But he wanted to, and Sam went up to the front with him.  Wilmer took the microphone, introduced himself and thanked his mentor.  He thanked him for being like the father he never had.  And in raw, manly transparency, he cried…and it was beautiful!  Many were so touched by Wilmer’s words and emotions.  

I was so grateful to see this 15-year-old young man share his heart, and then I felt so thankful for the impact that Mercy Street is making in the lives of young people in West Dallas.  I was thankful that the Lord has provided mentors, Bible study leaders, and amazing leadership and staff that are committed to many students just like Wilmer.  And the Lord is working.  He’s teaching them about what it means to be a godly man or woman.  He’s teaching them respect for others and how to communicate it.  He’s teaching them about His great love for them.  And on our last day in Atlanta, after a beautiful wedding of two believers, we got to talk about the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, and my heart was joyful and thankful because I know that one day I will get to be at the grandest celebration of all, and Wilmer will be there too!  

Pine Cove Reflections by mentor, Jesse Dax

The sound of tires crunching over the gravel as the bus pulled up into the camp mixed with the yelling, cheering, stomping, pounding of the Pine Cove counselors.  Right then I instantly knew this was going to be an amazing week for the kids of West Dallas.

Summer camp at Pine Cove Outback was an intensive time of encouragement and accomplishment for our West Dallas campers with everything wrapped in the Gospel.  The Pine Cove Staff served with such encouraging hearts throughout the entire week, where it was a balmy 97 degrees everyday!  Nevertheless from the time we arrived on the bus to the time we left, the counselors were yelling cheers, giving words of encouragement, and even shedding tears with them.  Energy levels were kept high all day long boosted by counselors leading cheers before meals and performing skits and stories at lunch. 

All the campers had a chance to participate in engaging activities like basketball, dodgeball, swimming, archery, ziplines, rock-climbing, and more.  For some campers, just seeing how many stars were in the night sky was something new and worth taking the time to stop and look at.

A pivotal element of camp was the daily time of worship and bible study.  While the high schoolers woke up early for an extra bible study in the morning, all campers had a time of bible study after lunch with additional worship and bible study every night.  The Mercy Street staff delivered several outstanding messages of what it means to follow God, what Christ has done for us, and how to be a servant leader.  By the end of camp, it was inspiring to see how these kids had changed.  What stuck with me the most was seeing them drop their guard a bit, singing during worship with arms wrapped around the shoulders of the person next to them.

On the night before we left, the high school students stayed up late to have s’mores around a campfire.  This was a time of spontaneous song and fun -- definitely with no shortage of songs!  At the end of the night, there was a time of reflection with the campers and many heartfelt words poured out.  “I have learned how truly selfish I am.” “Mercy Street is a great place and is helping us change West Dallas.”  “I have been mad at God for the last two years for taking away my friend” followed by tears then hugs from others to show support.

Before we left, all campers had a chance to share what they learned throughout the week and again so many wonderful comments. “I know that God has a plan for me.” “I know better what it looks like to be a leader.” “I learned that God is in control of my life.”

I wish I could say that when we got back to Mercy Street all the kids’ parents were there, excited to see them again, telling them how much they missed them and asking them all about camp.  But in reality that was not the case for all of them.  Many family members were there to take the kids home, but for some nobody was there.  Those that had noone show up all made it home by Mercy Street staff or walked if they were close enough.  But it hurt my heart to see two brothers from the dorm I was partnered with have nobody show up for them after they were gone an entire week. They had to abruptly reenter the life they were able to put on pause while at camp.  The older brother, only in middle school, helped his younger brother gather their luggage as they started walking a couple of blocks home to their apartment.  Watching this, I wished camp could go on forever for many of them, as some wanted, but I thank God for Mercy Street and Pine Cove and how He is using them to show His love.  The next time you see your mentee ask them, How was archery? What was your counselor like? What did you do during free time? What did you learn?  You may be the only one that does.

Reading & Play Camp

by Sarah Troop

The kids arrived in the van, signed in, found a book or two and made their way to a comfortable reading spot.  A bright eight-year old named Ronald caught my eye and he agreed to sit and read with me.  He chose to tackle Dr. Seuss and did a phenomenal job!  Ronald covered every base: the author’s name, who illustrated the book, and every word of the story.  I was impressed. 

After they read a book or two, they filled out a sheet noting the title, author, and how many pages. Ronald was so excited to document his accomplishments. He was also excited to jump rope and hang out when he finished.  

Looking around the yard of Mercy Street, seeing kids in the middle of summer engaging in reading, was encouraging.  Instead of sitting in front of a television, not using their brain, they were actively using their brain and improving their little minds.

I am a strong advocate of reading and education. Education is the key to success and facilitator of choice.  Sixty-six children had an opportunity to exercise their reading skills. There were many different levels of reading ability. Thanks to Mercy Street, those sixty-six children each took a step toward a higher level. Mercy Street Reading Camp provided a fun place to have intentional reading time with people who care. I hope when I come back next year, there will be more kids wanting to read.

Oaks of Righteousness

by Julie Rodgers

Gold and black balloons floated above every table at Mercy Street, and large banners hung from the rafters, saying: “Congratulations Mercy Street Graduates!” On May 12th, we celebrated the first class of seniors that had made the 8 year journey with their mentors—all the way from their scrawny little 4th grade days to the proud moment when they walked across the stage to receive their high school diplomas.

To an innocent bystander, it looked like a group of typical high school kids: fun-loving, care-free jokesters who are on a roller coaster catapulting them into college campuses and careers. But to Catherine Richards, Nathaniel Eubanks, Terese Stevenson, Alan Morrison, and a slew of other mentors, it was a group of young heroes who have persevered through countless obstacles during the past 8 years to arrive at this milestone—high school graduation.

Trey Hill challenged the students to remain planted in fertile soil, so they might grow into oaks of righteousness like those described in Isaiah 61. He said that in order for a tree to be successfully transplanted, it’s essential for some of the soil in which it was originally planted to be carried with the tree into its new environment. In the same way, our seniors will need to remain rooted in the rich soil that’s enabled them to flourish into the men and women they are today: their families, mentors, positive friendships, and (most importantly) their relationship with the Lord. He encouraged them to continue nurturing these relationships as they enter into the next phase of their lives, rather than cutting old ties and creating a whole new identity.

The students wrapped up the celebration with reports about where they will be going as they enter into the next phase of their lives. Most of them are college-bound, with some attending four year universities like UTA or TWU, and some phasing in slowly at El Centro or Mountain View Community College. Each one of them is thinking critically about the future, however, and each is grateful for those who have been beside them when the future didn’t look near as promising as it does today. We saw a glimpse of the dream of Mercy Street taking root at the graduation celebration, signs of a new generation of leaders slowly growing into oaks of
righteousness that will point our community toward a mighty Savior!

Graduating Senior Q & A Spotlight: Xaiver & Brent

by Brent Baker

1. What was your first impression of Xavier?

My first impression of Xavier was a big, quiet middle school boy (I looked “up” to him almost from day one…) who didn’t know how to interact well with strangers. And I could tell almost immediately I was perceived as a stranger. Though many of Xavier’s friends were involved in the mentor program, I could still tell it felt strange for him to have a mentor. Xavier didn’t reject me by any means, but he was slow to enjoy my company, questions, and role in his life.
Consequentially, one of my first goals as a mentor was to find out what role (1) Xavier wanted me to play in his life and (2) what role I needed to play in his life.

2. What is one of your favorite memories with each other?

One of my favorite memories with Xavier before his graduation weekend was the day we drove together to a campsite at a lake where Mercy Street was hosting an event. It was the first time
we spent an entire day together instead of a period of a few hours. I think Xavier was surprised I had decent taste in music and I learned that day that it was possible for an individual to have
a 12-dollar meal at McDonald’s (Xavier ordered four cheeseburgers and a milkshake and fries). Though that was a couple years into the mentorship program, it was truly the first time I sensed that Xavier actually enjoyed spending time with me. Though a friendship-relationship is not absolutely essential to a mentoring relationship, it sure does help build trust and secures the longevity of the relationship. If you can enjoy one another you can stick together much longer.

3. What has been most difficult about this relationship?

I work in with high school students as a major part of my job/career, so I am familiar with the age-barrier in mentoring relationships. But when you consider not only age-barriers,
but cultural-social barriers, it creates a more difficult situation. The cultural-social side is the tougher part because it means at no point in my life can I relate to some of Xavier’s everyday
circumstances. It’s one thing to say, “When I was your age I experienced that” and sense rolling eyes from a teenager. But it’s another thing to say, “At no point in my life have I known
what that is like” and sense rolling eyes from a teenager. Breaking through that cultural-social barrier has been more difficult. The teenager isn’t mature enough to know that you do not have to share common circumstances to relate to one another’s stories. So building that understanding and trust takes time, questions, and the mentor seeking to understand the mentee without necessarily receiving anything in return.

4. How has the Lord transformed you in this relationship?

I am convinced that whatever role I feel called to and find myself in, God is just as interested in what he is doing in my life as in the life of the person or group I am trying to reach and serve. I am no less God’s child than Xavier, and the care God has for him is no more or less than the care he has for me. So though this program may seem beneficial for the “recipient” and solely an act of service from the “donor”, the truth is much different. Giving away your life is just as important as gaining it from Someone else. And we are never more transformed to the image of Christ than when we offer our life for someone else. When we do that, it changes us.
Specifically speaking, I have seen myself become more patient in pursuing others through my relationship with Xavier. Many say you care about someone as you share things in common, and there is truth in that. But I personally have learned to care for someone with whom I have little in common. And it reminds me of the patient pursuit and love of God for me. Xavier, in this sense, has been my mentor.

5. Favorite thing to do together?

Xavier and I love to eat hamburgers and fries, go to Best Buy, talk about football, and even dream about what his future might look like (though I probably enjoyed that aspect more than he did).  Continue Reading...

Texas Motor Speedway & Math

Through Mercy Street and the teachers at Carr Elementary, I had learned that Kevin was proficient in reading, but was struggling in math and science.  This is something I had been encouraging him to get excited about, but was unsure of how much progress was being made.

Recently, I offered him “the deal”.  If he would give me 3 strong weeks in these classes, I would take him to a NASCAR race.  He had never been to NASCAR, and had not followed it, but he appeared to be very excited about entering “the deal”.

After a week into “the deal”, I called him and asked how his part of the bargain was coming.  He was excited to tell me he had made a 100 on his math test the day before.  I called him the following week, which was race week and asked how the week had been going.  He reported he had made an 81 on his science test.  Needless to say, I was very excited about this.  Kevin demonstrated the capacity to make strides in subjects that are not his natural strength, thus we BOTH got to go to the NASCAR race!  I asked about how he pulled it off and he said he had studied for the test.  Yea!

             

Kevin & His New Buddy

I told him I would keep my end of the deal and would pick him up after school on Friday and we would head out to the race.  He seemed genuinely excited.  We stopped along the way and got some cokes and snacks.  When we got to Texas Motor Speedway, we toured through the vendor area.  Kevin met an interesting character along the way (see pic).    He also locked in on the Juan Pablo Montoya merchandise trailer.  He saw a t-shirt he really liked so we made another deal.  I told him I would give him so many bills and he had to tell me the change he would receive based on the price of the t-shirt.  After careful thought, he figured it out by thinking it out, no paper.  He got the shirt!

            

We went inside the track, where he learned to program a race scanner.  We were able to dial into race teams and hear their radio transmissions throughout the race.  When the cars came around to take the first green flag of the race, Kevin learned what “NASCAR Thunder” means.  The noise was deafening, as our chests vibrated from the horsepower.  I looked down and saw the biggest smile and the widest eyes I have seen on Kevin’s face.  It reminded me of my excitement, when I heard of his improved grades.

             

A NASCAR fan may have been born that night; and maybe even an engineer one day!

Uncle Bill is a Good Find

 A recent young lady, LaKeisha James, an SMU Sports Management major, spent some time down at Mercy Street and here were her findings...

            Broddrion Hatcher was, by his own admission, a troubled and angry child.  His mother was in and out of jail and his father left when he was very young. He was taken in by a friend of the family.

            For Hatcher, the oldest of five children, a hard life became even harder. 

 “When I was ten, the lady neglected me and I would go weeks without eating or a change of clothes,” said Hatcher.

            Hatcher searched for help and guidance and found it at a program called Vision Kids, which is run by the West Dallas-based non-profit community organization Mercy Street.  The program pairs a child in need with a loving mentor.

            It was there that he met Bill Farrell, known to all as Uncle Bill.

            The two were from very different backgrounds.  Hatcher was poor and from a troubled family.  Farrell grew up in Highland Park and was a successful businessman.  The teenager is black. The mentor is white.

            “I was kind of scared and uncomfortable because I didn’t know what to expect” said Broddrion Hatcher.   

             Hatcher described Bill Farrell as a cool person who he saw as a father figure.  In the beginning Hatcher didn’t want Farrell to get too close.  He had a hard time trusting people, in part because of his troubled past.

            “I would run the streets and rob people,” Hatcher said.

            Over time Farrell has had the biggest impact on his life, the teenager said.

            “It was him who told me life is to short for foolishness. Violence is not key when you have a family to take care for,” said Hatcher. 

             Farrell said that Hatcher didn’t see color and his mother was excited to have someone from the outside who cared for her son. 

            Farrell, was born in raised in Highland Park, where he has live his whole life in Texas.  His father was a lawyer and his mother was a homemaker.  He attended Southern Methodist University, where he majored in business.

            In his senior year, he was the student body president and co-captain of SMU’s swimming  team, which won the Southwest Conference Championships.  He graduated in 1953. 

            Following college, Farrell spent 52 years in the life insurance business as an agent for Provident Mutual Life.  He started out as a supervisor and then became a manager of a start up agency in Dallas.

            Uncle Bill worked with the STEP Foundation (Strategies to Elevate People) in Dallas.  He was later responsible for bringing the “I have a Dream” Foundation to Dallas.  The foundation was created to offer a college education to those who graduated high school and qualified but wasn’t finically able to pay for college.

            Uncle Bill along continued to keep his focus on the inner city and helped direct the founding of Mercy Street with the help of his church Park Cities Presbyterian Church.

            Mercy Street , is a social service agency in West Dallas. One of the goals of the Christian based mentoring program is to allow the students to learn the value of education, to graduate from high school and continue their studies. The program also encourages students to give back to their community.

            Farrell said he was drawn to Mercy Street because of its mission.

            “My conviction that the children were the best entrée into the people of the inner city,  and the best intervention into their lives was by a person who cared for them,” said Uncle Bill.  This is what urged him to be apart of Mercy Street. 

            By mentoring Hatcher and another young man name Larry, Uncle Bill has learned much.

            “It has meant that I have two young high school graduates who are pursuing a career and are two of my best friends,” Farrell said.  He described his relationship with them as mutually transforming. 

            He said he is as close to the two boys as he is to his own three sons.  

             “ I don’t think I would be where I am in my life it weren’t for them, and I pray that they are far ahead of where they would have been had I not been a part of it, said Farrell. 

            Hatcher now 19, is working at Wal-Mart.  He plans to go to a community college and then transfer to a larger  university in Texas. Giving back to his own community in West Dallas and reaching out and helping South Dallas is important to him. And every chance he gets he attends Bible study for the young men at Mercy Street.

            “I believe that change happens only through relationships and mentoring involves responsibility on the part of each party which is the healthiest, most successful agent of change, “said Uncle Bill.

           

            

God Don't Give No Junk

by Jacob Mann Jones

How excited you must be that God has given you the perfect mentee!

You’re probably thinking I’m crazy right now. Yup, probably have to be a little loony to invest in lives in West Dallas. Well they thought Jesus was a little out there as well in His day, so at least I’m not alone in that department.

Being a mentor can be a struggle. It’s tough building into the lives of your own kids, much less a kid from a radically different background. It takes away your time and energy; it tests your patience and resolve; it can drain you mentally, emotionally, physically, spiritually. Yet it is all worth it. I often wondered early on if I was making a difference, or if this was a mistake. Will touching one kid really make an impact in West Dallas? Then I’m reminded how Jesus rejoiced over one lost sheep in Matthew 18:13. Yup, it’s worth every last bit of all I’ve got, of all you’ve got!

Recently I’ve been challenged to see my mentee not through my own eyes, but through God’s eyes. After all your mentee has been presented holy and blameless before God (Ephesians 1:14; Colossians 1:22). Markeist has been a gift from God to me, and God don’t give no junk! When God looks at Markeist He sees the finished product and rejoices! What do you see when you cast your eyes upon your mentee? Jack Taylor once said, “When there is receiving there is liberty and light.” Have you received your mentee as the great gift from God that they are?

I’ve been blessed the last couple of years to share life with Markeist. He has taught me that LOVE is spelled T-I-M-E. He has taught me how to truly listen. I’m more excited about the many years to come. I get to watch this kid with buckets of energy grow into the man that God has called him to be, to watch him live out Psalm 101. I leave you with a picture of Markeist, modeled after 1 Corinthians 16:13-14…

“Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love.”

Tough Conversations...

I recently had a very rich experience with my mentee, Algie, who is now a junior in high school, and wanted to encourage you that while we may not always get to see it, God is definitely at work in our mentees' lives!

Prior to having lunch with my mentee last week, I prayed that God would give me strength to discuss the difficult, and potentially uncomfortable topic, of sex.  As Algie and I were talking about his girlfriend and the recent bible study he attended at Mercy Street where sex was discussed, God opened the door for me to discuss with Algie God's design for sex.  Not knowing where it would lead, I asked him directly whether he and his girlfriend had had sex.  By God's grace, what ensued was a very fruitful discussion and a series of questions from Algie that gave me the opportunity to share with him God's design for sex between a man and a woman in the context of marriage.

The good news is that Algie has not had sex with his girlfriend, but he admitted to me how difficult it is when all of his friends around him are having sex and questioning why he would not.  I believe that it is God's work through Mercy Street and Algie's exposure to biblical truths that he has made this decision.  However, his admission of the peer pressure he faces was a reminder that the challenge for our mentees to be salt and light is great and the need for us to continue to pray for them and encourage them with the truth of the Word of God is paramount.  While at times I have felt as though the words I speak to Algie have fallen on deaf ears, this is a clear testimony to me that God's word does not return empty (Isaiah 55:11).

So, I write this as an encouragement (and a reminder to myself!) that the Kingdom work we are doing as mentors is not in vain and even as much of our time as mentors is spent one-on-one with our mentees we are not working alone.  As Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 3, we are all co-workers in God's service and while Mercy Street and we as mentors are planting and watering seeds of righteousness in our mentees hearts it is ultimately God who makes these seeds grow.

They Are Listening...

I was teaching Daniel and the Lion’s Den and the Spirit lead me to speak something I wasn’t even planning to say...

I read the verse out loud Daniel 6:24  “At the king’s command, the men who had falsely accused Daniel were brought in and thrown into the lions’ den (at this several of the girl’s snickered and laughed as to say… that’s what you get), (I proceeded to read) along with their wives and children”. (Immediately it was silent and then a few girls groaned, uhhhhh.)  I went on to share with them that it is VERY important who you choose as your husband.  He will be the head of your house because that is how God designed it and he will be the leader of your family.  He will be making decisions for you and your children, you’ll follow, and then have to face the consequences or joys of those decisions he makes etc.  

Colleen, who often has an attitude, challenged me and said, “Nuh uh, Miss Jill…. The man is NOT the head of the family.. I will be the head…. He will not tell me what to do.”  I left bible study that night with my heart heavy that she didn’t want to believe the truth… but then quickly remembered she had never seen that truth modeled in her home or any of her friend’s homes…  SO THEN…. a couple nights into my time of vacation I got a call from a phone number I didn’t recognize… I answered it… it was extremely loud in the background with people talking… “Miss Jill, uh Miss Jill, Miss Jill where does it say in the Bible that the men are the head of the family?”   “Colleen, is that you?” (she had never called me before)  “Yeah, they don’t believe me (grown men voices were in the background)… get me a Bible, get me a Bible… where does it say it Miss Jill?”  I shared. Delight.  

The VERY girl that questioned and bucked… was now teaching OTHERS!  God is faithful to draw ALL men to Himself.  

be encouraged... they ARE listening to truth... plant seeds, plant 'em