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

Outstanding Partnership in Education - Won Again!

Last year, Mercy Street won Outstanding Partnership in Education for our work with Edison Middle School.  This year, the Lord saw fit, to award us again, but this time, at Carver Elementary.  Please read below the note from Carver... 

October 28, 2011

This award for Outstanding Partnership in Education is being presented to Mercy Street for their continued devotion to serve the students at George Washington Carver Creative Arts Center.  Year after year Mercy Street has proven to be a reliable partner in education and has always been thoughtful and concerned enough to consider the needs of our school as well as our community. Mercy Street continues to provide mentors, volunteers, and incentives to the students at George W. Carver in an effort to promote higher student achievement and better student citizenship. Overall Mercy Street and its mentors encourage students to display excellent behavior in and out of school time. Carver’s staff considers Mercy Street to be a tremendous asset towards the success that our students continue to exemplify each year. Our utmost gratitude goes out to Mercy Street for their outstanding efforts. Mercy Street is most deserving of this award.

Michael A. Hicks,

Community Liaison

Making History

by Garrett Smith

Oscar & Bobo are two from the Westside who have decided to surrender.  Jesus uses the word "repent" which in modern language means to stop and to turn in a new direction.  Or in the words of Christian rapper Flame, to "throw out your white flag." To give up on trying to control life and have things your way and do as you wish.  In other words, to walk away from always caring about yourself and turning towards something bigger than you.  

These boys were in Northern Ireland for 17 days this summer (9 of which I was able to join them) and they came back walking in a different direction.  God used dozens of His Irish followers to powerfully impact them and convict them of their sin, leaving an eternal mark on them.

We had an amazing time on the other side of the world! We sat and watched breathtaking sunsets with Irish cliff's falling off into the ocean on the horizon.  We spent 5 days with the craziest Christian summer camp imagineable.  We wore soccer and rugby jerseys and ate french fries smothered in vinegar.  We laughed and cried and struggled to understand the slang.

But what I want you to hear is how two boys came home changed; two boys who know of no one in their family who has ever submitted their life to Jesus Christ; two boys who have chosen to go against the entire flow of everything they have ever known.  

They have made history.

A type of history that has the potential to impact their family and their neighborhood and beyond for all of eternity.

This trip made history in so many ways.  But, just one more must be mentioned.  In the weeks that have followed Oscar has been a different man.  He has been sharing the gospel with people who come into our home and studying the scriptures with a sense of urgency.  This has drawn the attention of his mother, who Oscar has not been fond of in the past.  He has watched her make poor decisions but not really felt for her tough circumstances.  Well, Oscar started to love her and his mother questioned what had happened in Oscar's life.  She wants what she sees in her son.

Email From a New Mentor

Hi Annie!

I hope you're doing great!  I have been so blessed by mentoring Jiliya.  She is a fantastic little lady!  We've done some really fun things together already - she has come to work with me, she came to a fitting of my wedding dress (got to meet my family and bridesmaids), we've made cupcakes, gone school shopping and much more.  Jiliya has gotten to know my then fiancé, now husband and we are really setting an example for her about a healthy marriage and relationship.  I love that I have had the opportunity to pour in to her and her family.

With love,
Mentor

For As Long As You Need Me

Check out this awesome article!

Graduation Luncheon 2011

         Mentors and Students who attended our Graduation Luncheon May 21^st 2011

Over the past eight years, Mercy Street has grown from a vision to a reality that is just beginning to concretely transform the neighborhood of West Dallas.  We thought you might be interested in our progress!  Mercy Street:

·      Has recruited, trained, and supervised over 550 active mentors from 31 Dallas churches to match with a West Dallas Public School student.

·      Experienced a reversal in the drop-out rate from 70% to less than 30%.  36 of the first 44 who were mentored graduated in the spring of 2011.

·      Built a staff with capabilities of bringing mentors to every West Dallas Public School child, increasing our budget from $250,000 to $1,400,000 and raising it each year.

·      Raised the money and built a $550,000 baseball field with room left to build soccer, football, lacrosse, softball, and t-ball fields.  We are in positive conversation with the Texas Rangers Baseball club to build the balance of the sports complex ($2,500,000)

·      Established a “Pathways Program” to teach children how to fix bicycles, keep our headquarters and ball fields cut and trimmed, plant and grow vegetables—along with the skills of filling out a resume’, interviewing for a job, and working on an hourly basis for an income (or a bicycle),

·      Established very active Bible studies and summer camp for every age group (8-10, 11-14, and 15-18) and including the mothers of our students.

·      Built long term relationships between mentors and students, coaches and students, Mercy Street staff and students including the families of both mentors and students.

·      Our next five years will be better as we see our maturing young people take leadership roles in West Dallas