Saturday we had to attend a First Aid and CPR training course as soon-to-be foster/adoptive parents. Only one of us had to be certified but neither of us wanted to offer to go solo to practice bandaging open wounds and kissing CPR dummies. So we went and crossed off another to-do item on our licensing list.
It's hard to believe that we started on this process 8 months ago. Since then we've had 11 weeks of classes, multiple home-studies, pages and pages of written applications, multiple background checks, and now First Aid and CPR training. All the while it's seemed like the end date is way off in the future but we're one Missouri Child Abuse and Neglect screening away from a license and the reality is setting in that we are about to be parents. We're about to put all these certifications and licenses to the test and somehow they feel as thin as a tissue paper shield between us and what's to come.
The waiting has gone from an active wait, in which we were able to check things off our to-do list, to waiting that is filled with helpless...waiting. That's frustrating for someone like me who wants to set a goal and accomplish it. But, I am trying to trust that God's timing is perfect. I read a quote somewhere that "God is never late, but He passes up a few good opportunities to be early." It's in the waiting that our faith is built and in the exactness of His timing that it is affirmed. Yet during the waiting is when the worries hit. I worry about whether we will know which placement to take, I worry that we can't have our kids' room completed because we don't know any specifics about a child, I worry about school if we get a school-aged child.
But even more than the worry, I am anxious to get going. I tend to put off making a decision until I absolutely have to, but once I make a decision I want it to happen immediately...I'm not super patient. In the mean time I've tried to embrace every opportunity and resource that we've been offered (or forced into) to make us Certified Parents! Or is that certifiable? I guess we'll soon find out! But whatever happens you can rest assured that we are now endorsed by The Red Cross to be valuable in a crisis! We're anxiously awaiting the impact this is sure to have on our social life.
I prayed for this child, and the LORD granted my request. 1 Samuel 1:27
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
October Update
In case you hadn't heard...
I (Adria) both love and hate the way that God often works so unexpectedly in our lives. The result is always beautiful but the process, especially for a planner like myself, can be excruciatingly uncomfortable. I suppose that is because at the heart of the matter I think that my plans are better than God’s, but they never are.
God has been writing many unexpected plot twists into our story this year, which has been thrilling and exhausting and often life-changing. Probably the most life-changing plot twist involves God leading us into the world of foster care and adoption. Adoption is not a new desire for us but the timing has most certainly been unexpected. To be honest, we always planned to look into adoption after having started a family; however, early this year God made it very clear to us that He wanted us to start a family through adoption.
In February of this year we attended an event where we were shocked by a statistic shared by a local ministry that recruits families to participate in foster care and adoption. In St. Louis, they said, there are about 800 children waiting to be adopted and there are over 800 Baptist churches alone. If one family from each church adopted a child there would be a waiting list to adopt children rather than a waiting list full of children. We felt a call to be a small part of the solution to this problem. In June we started our foster and adoption training and home studies, concluding the licensing process in September.
God has blown us away with the process this year. Not only did He bless us with wonderful, Godly trainers and a great Licensing Worker, He stretched us far outside our comfort zones and began to redefine our understanding of family in light of His family. Part of that process came through reading Adopted for Life by Russell Moore. This book examines our own adoption into the Kingdom of God and what should be true about the church as a result. This is not a book only for people interested in adoption, but it has also been a remarkable resource for us as we begin to see adoption in our family as a manifestation of our adoption into God’s family.
God also opened our hearts to the foster care process, as well as the concept of a more “open” family. Because we feel the best fit for our family right now would be a child under the age of six we have had to open ourselves to the process of foster care as a route by which God might bring about an adoption (many of the younger children have yet to have their parental rights terminated). God has also used our current ministry as confirmation of this pursuit, as we feel that He has already tuned our hearts to see and understand many of the challenges children in foster care face as we have served here in the city.
Currently we are waiting. The planner in me likes to point out all the uncertainties ahead. We do not know whether we will be fostering or adopting or both, whether we will get a two-year-old or a six-year-old, a boy or a girl, or even if we will have one or two children! But, God has continued to be faithful and give us peace as we wait. We would ask that you join us in praying for this process: for our child or children, for us as first-time parents, and for the many beautiful challenges ahead for our family. We are so excited to continue to share with each of you the journey God has us on, and we thank Him for each one of you!
For His Glory, Andrew & Adria Medlen
I (Adria) both love and hate the way that God often works so unexpectedly in our lives. The result is always beautiful but the process, especially for a planner like myself, can be excruciatingly uncomfortable. I suppose that is because at the heart of the matter I think that my plans are better than God’s, but they never are.
God has been writing many unexpected plot twists into our story this year, which has been thrilling and exhausting and often life-changing. Probably the most life-changing plot twist involves God leading us into the world of foster care and adoption. Adoption is not a new desire for us but the timing has most certainly been unexpected. To be honest, we always planned to look into adoption after having started a family; however, early this year God made it very clear to us that He wanted us to start a family through adoption.
In February of this year we attended an event where we were shocked by a statistic shared by a local ministry that recruits families to participate in foster care and adoption. In St. Louis, they said, there are about 800 children waiting to be adopted and there are over 800 Baptist churches alone. If one family from each church adopted a child there would be a waiting list to adopt children rather than a waiting list full of children. We felt a call to be a small part of the solution to this problem. In June we started our foster and adoption training and home studies, concluding the licensing process in September.
God has blown us away with the process this year. Not only did He bless us with wonderful, Godly trainers and a great Licensing Worker, He stretched us far outside our comfort zones and began to redefine our understanding of family in light of His family. Part of that process came through reading Adopted for Life by Russell Moore. This book examines our own adoption into the Kingdom of God and what should be true about the church as a result. This is not a book only for people interested in adoption, but it has also been a remarkable resource for us as we begin to see adoption in our family as a manifestation of our adoption into God’s family.
God also opened our hearts to the foster care process, as well as the concept of a more “open” family. Because we feel the best fit for our family right now would be a child under the age of six we have had to open ourselves to the process of foster care as a route by which God might bring about an adoption (many of the younger children have yet to have their parental rights terminated). God has also used our current ministry as confirmation of this pursuit, as we feel that He has already tuned our hearts to see and understand many of the challenges children in foster care face as we have served here in the city.
Currently we are waiting. The planner in me likes to point out all the uncertainties ahead. We do not know whether we will be fostering or adopting or both, whether we will get a two-year-old or a six-year-old, a boy or a girl, or even if we will have one or two children! But, God has continued to be faithful and give us peace as we wait. We would ask that you join us in praying for this process: for our child or children, for us as first-time parents, and for the many beautiful challenges ahead for our family. We are so excited to continue to share with each of you the journey God has us on, and we thank Him for each one of you!
For His Glory, Andrew & Adria Medlen
September Update
September 1, 2010
Dear Family and Friends,
Greetings in the mighty name of Jesus Christ! I (Andrew) am writing this letter to you with much excitement as I share this great camp story with you. A few weeks ago one of our summer staff named Rob and I took three junior high guys to camp in Florence, Kansas. The camp at World Impact’s Morning Star Ranch is a yearly highlight for our kids, as many have never been out of the city of St. Louis.
Throughout all of the activities and chapel times, God was working in these young men’s lives. Being around other Christians and away from your daily pressures can really help someone start to let their guard down. One of the guys that I have been working to get to know all summer long is a guy by the name of Darren. He is athletic and handsome, and quite popular with the kids in our program. Early in the summer I doubted whether or not he would come all summer because he tended to give the impression that he was “too cool.”
At the end of the week I asked him this same question again. He said he was interested but still was not ready to give his life to Christ just yet. Yes, I was disappointed but knowing Darren’s reserved nature, made me impressed with his honesty. He was not just taking this decision lightly and was not going to say yes just to impress me.
Camp wore the three boys out and the slept most of the seven hours home, but after we stopped for dinner they were wide awake and I put on some worship music in the car. About ten minutes before we got home, a song came on that they learned during the week of camp. The song is called “Inside Out.” You may have sung this song at Church at some point, but I guarantee you have never heard it like I did that day in our car. These three young, inner-city youth were singing these words at the top of their lungs: “Everlasting, Your light will shine when all else fades, Never ending, Your glory goes beyond all fame, and the cry of my heart is to bring You praise, from the inside out, O my soul cries out!”
Those five minutes during that song were the highlight of my entire camp trip. These three guys singing this amazing song encouraged and reminded me that God is at work in a mighty way in our youth. Thank you for your continued prayer and financial support! Please keep praying for Darren and the other families that we work with. Truly His light will shine when all else fades and His glory goes beyond all fame!
Grace & Peace, Andrew & Adria Medlen
Dear Family and Friends,
Greetings in the mighty name of Jesus Christ! I (Andrew) am writing this letter to you with much excitement as I share this great camp story with you. A few weeks ago one of our summer staff named Rob and I took three junior high guys to camp in Florence, Kansas. The camp at World Impact’s Morning Star Ranch is a yearly highlight for our kids, as many have never been out of the city of St. Louis.
Throughout all of the activities and chapel times, God was working in these young men’s lives. Being around other Christians and away from your daily pressures can really help someone start to let their guard down. One of the guys that I have been working to get to know all summer long is a guy by the name of Darren. He is athletic and handsome, and quite popular with the kids in our program. Early in the summer I doubted whether or not he would come all summer because he tended to give the impression that he was “too cool.”
But, the week of Junior High camp came and Darren had actually earned his way! Camp is a reward trip that the youth are able to earn by attendance, good behavior, and by saying a weekly memory verse. Darren, to my surprise, did these three things and he earned a spot to
go to camp. While at camp, I witnessed Darren’s whole demeanor change. He started hanging out with youth from other cities and was developing friends very quickly. In chapel times, he would sometimes sing and I could tell he was listening to the Pastor. After one of the chapel times, I asked Darren if he was a Christian. He said that he was really thinking about it and he seemed very interested. I told him to pray about this very important decision and I told him that I would be praying for him too.At the end of the week I asked him this same question again. He said he was interested but still was not ready to give his life to Christ just yet. Yes, I was disappointed but knowing Darren’s reserved nature, made me impressed with his honesty. He was not just taking this decision lightly and was not going to say yes just to impress me.
Camp wore the three boys out and the slept most of the seven hours home, but after we stopped for dinner they were wide awake and I put on some worship music in the car. About ten minutes before we got home, a song came on that they learned during the week of camp. The song is called “Inside Out.” You may have sung this song at Church at some point, but I guarantee you have never heard it like I did that day in our car. These three young, inner-city youth were singing these words at the top of their lungs: “Everlasting, Your light will shine when all else fades, Never ending, Your glory goes beyond all fame, and the cry of my heart is to bring You praise, from the inside out, O my soul cries out!”
Those five minutes during that song were the highlight of my entire camp trip. These three guys singing this amazing song encouraged and reminded me that God is at work in a mighty way in our youth. Thank you for your continued prayer and financial support! Please keep praying for Darren and the other families that we work with. Truly His light will shine when all else fades and His glory goes beyond all fame!
Grace & Peace, Andrew & Adria Medlen
August Update
August 1, 2010
Dear Family and Friends,
Sometimes in ministry it feels like we can go days and weeks, even months, without anyone we have invested in showing signs of growth. Too often we have to watch with tears and prayers as people we love repeatedly make decisions that can only end in disaster. But then, occasionally, God allows us a glimpse of the work He is doing on the inside of that person and there is great hope in those moments.
Andrew has known James for a long time and has shared some of his story in previous letters. Having been involved with World Impact since he was a young teen, James, now 24, accepted Christ over a year ago. As Andrew’s wife it has been great to be able to participate in their relationship. Many days he will walk up to the Ministry Center and make his first stop at Andrew’s office and then head downstairs to sit in my office and talk about life and writing. We connected over our love of writing and he occasionally brings in pieces he is working on for my feedback. He knows that along with my literary feedback come my opinions about his relationships and life decisions.
Since James accepted Christ he has struggled with giving his life fully to the Lord. Despite our attempts to draw him in to a Christian body, he has spent much of the last year tentatively stepping back and forth between his old life and a life in pursuit of God. Lately, Jason Watson, a Christian rapper who grew up here in North St. Louis and our fellow staff member, has also taken James under his wing. James’ poor opinion of Christian rap began to change when he got to be an extra in one of Jason’s newest music videos and seeing godly men who share his passion for words and music has seemed to spark a deeper interest in James.
One afternoon recently James made his way down to my office to talk. He shared about a possible job opportunity several hours away. This led to a discussion about his future, and about his past, and about the fact that he was tired of the aimless pattern of his life. I asked him what he would like to see himself doing. “Become a lawyer” was his answer; “but no one takes me seriously when I say that.” We talked about what it would take to pursue a degree in law, but mostly I talked to him about a life wasted when it is not in pursuit of the plan God has for us. Two days later he returned for my edits on his latest poem and told us that he had just signed up for Fall classes at a local college (I tried to act proud in a cool and reserved way instead of gushing with excitement like I wanted to do).
We are encouraging him to begin walking out on faith and to prayerfully consider the direction God has for him. My hope is that with each step James will gain confidence in the gifts and talents God has given him and that he will become more and more burdened to use them for God’s Kingdom. Please pray for James. Because of his life experiences it is difficult for him to trust people and to push through the hardest times. Pray that James finds excitement about what his future may hold and that God would give him the wisdom and strength to make each decision along the way. Pray for the financial resources and the educational support that will be needed for him to pursue his education. And most importantly, pray that James will fully commit to living in the encouragement and accountability of Christian community. As always, thank you for your continued support and prayers!
For His Kingdom,
Andrew and Adria Medlen
Dear Family and Friends,
Sometimes in ministry it feels like we can go days and weeks, even months, without anyone we have invested in showing signs of growth. Too often we have to watch with tears and prayers as people we love repeatedly make decisions that can only end in disaster. But then, occasionally, God allows us a glimpse of the work He is doing on the inside of that person and there is great hope in those moments.
Andrew has known James for a long time and has shared some of his story in previous letters. Having been involved with World Impact since he was a young teen, James, now 24, accepted Christ over a year ago. As Andrew’s wife it has been great to be able to participate in their relationship. Many days he will walk up to the Ministry Center and make his first stop at Andrew’s office and then head downstairs to sit in my office and talk about life and writing. We connected over our love of writing and he occasionally brings in pieces he is working on for my feedback. He knows that along with my literary feedback come my opinions about his relationships and life decisions.
Since James accepted Christ he has struggled with giving his life fully to the Lord. Despite our attempts to draw him in to a Christian body, he has spent much of the last year tentatively stepping back and forth between his old life and a life in pursuit of God. Lately, Jason Watson, a Christian rapper who grew up here in North St. Louis and our fellow staff member, has also taken James under his wing. James’ poor opinion of Christian rap began to change when he got to be an extra in one of Jason’s newest music videos and seeing godly men who share his passion for words and music has seemed to spark a deeper interest in James.
One afternoon recently James made his way down to my office to talk. He shared about a possible job opportunity several hours away. This led to a discussion about his future, and about his past, and about the fact that he was tired of the aimless pattern of his life. I asked him what he would like to see himself doing. “Become a lawyer” was his answer; “but no one takes me seriously when I say that.” We talked about what it would take to pursue a degree in law, but mostly I talked to him about a life wasted when it is not in pursuit of the plan God has for us. Two days later he returned for my edits on his latest poem and told us that he had just signed up for Fall classes at a local college (I tried to act proud in a cool and reserved way instead of gushing with excitement like I wanted to do).
We are encouraging him to begin walking out on faith and to prayerfully consider the direction God has for him. My hope is that with each step James will gain confidence in the gifts and talents God has given him and that he will become more and more burdened to use them for God’s Kingdom. Please pray for James. Because of his life experiences it is difficult for him to trust people and to push through the hardest times. Pray that James finds excitement about what his future may hold and that God would give him the wisdom and strength to make each decision along the way. Pray for the financial resources and the educational support that will be needed for him to pursue his education. And most importantly, pray that James will fully commit to living in the encouragement and accountability of Christian community. As always, thank you for your continued support and prayers!
For His Kingdom,
Andrew and Adria Medlen
Monday, July 5, 2010
July Update
July 1, 2010
Dear Team,
Hello from St. Louis! This has been a busy time for Adria and me. Summer is always a time where many great things happen. The warmer weather brings some wonderful opportunities but can also bring extra challenges.
Currently we are right in the middle of our Children’s Summer Program. We have five summer staff who have chosen to serve with us at World Impact and are assisting us in running our six-week program with the first-through-eighth-grade students. Their service has been an answer to prayer during a time when our full-time staff is limited. Our Summer Program is full of opportunities to build relationships and present the Gospel. Please continue to pray that we represent Christ in a way that is pure and attractive. We have had many good conversations with children and youth in the program, and we are continuing to develop stronger relationships with our neighbors. Times when we have had them over for a meal or to hang out on our porch to talk have really given us a sense of belonging in our neighborhood. More and more we are no longer considered guests that might leave--we are neighbors!
However, I (Andrew) was recently reminded that it is still important that we live our commitment to these neighbors on a daily basis. During a recent Adult Basketball Outreach, one of our interns made the announcement that his time with us was coming to an end and that he would be leaving. Right away the guy sitting next to me said, “What is the deal? Does everyone leave?” He looked at me to hear my response, waiting to see if I was to be the next to leave. I reassured him that we did not have plans to leave.
One thing that Adria and I feel very sure of is the calling that God has given us. We always say that we are here in St. Louis until and unless God calls us elsewhere. It is difficult to see the amount of staff and interns who have come and gone during our time here, and I know that takes its toll on our neighbors; but we also know that God is sovereign. It is pretty amazing to think that I am starting my tenth year with World Impact, and Adria her fourth. It is even more amazing to think that some of you have been partnering with me since the very beginning. You have sent Adria and me to be the hands and feet of Jesus right here in North St. Louis.
Please pray for us. We need an outpouring of the Holy Spirit in our community. We want the call of salvation to be fleshed out. Please pray for God to send us long-term missionaries. Thank you for your love, your prayers, and your financial support. May the Lord richly encourage you and bless you!
Grace and Peace to you, Andrew and Adria Medlen
Dear Team,
Hello from St. Louis! This has been a busy time for Adria and me. Summer is always a time where many great things happen. The warmer weather brings some wonderful opportunities but can also bring extra challenges.
Currently we are right in the middle of our Children’s Summer Program. We have five summer staff who have chosen to serve with us at World Impact and are assisting us in running our six-week program with the first-through-eighth-grade students. Their service has been an answer to prayer during a time when our full-time staff is limited. Our Summer Program is full of opportunities to build relationships and present the Gospel. Please continue to pray that we represent Christ in a way that is pure and attractive. We have had many good conversations with children and youth in the program, and we are continuing to develop stronger relationships with our neighbors. Times when we have had them over for a meal or to hang out on our porch to talk have really given us a sense of belonging in our neighborhood. More and more we are no longer considered guests that might leave--we are neighbors!
However, I (Andrew) was recently reminded that it is still important that we live our commitment to these neighbors on a daily basis. During a recent Adult Basketball Outreach, one of our interns made the announcement that his time with us was coming to an end and that he would be leaving. Right away the guy sitting next to me said, “What is the deal? Does everyone leave?” He looked at me to hear my response, waiting to see if I was to be the next to leave. I reassured him that we did not have plans to leave.
One thing that Adria and I feel very sure of is the calling that God has given us. We always say that we are here in St. Louis until and unless God calls us elsewhere. It is difficult to see the amount of staff and interns who have come and gone during our time here, and I know that takes its toll on our neighbors; but we also know that God is sovereign. It is pretty amazing to think that I am starting my tenth year with World Impact, and Adria her fourth. It is even more amazing to think that some of you have been partnering with me since the very beginning. You have sent Adria and me to be the hands and feet of Jesus right here in North St. Louis.
Please pray for us. We need an outpouring of the Holy Spirit in our community. We want the call of salvation to be fleshed out. Please pray for God to send us long-term missionaries. Thank you for your love, your prayers, and your financial support. May the Lord richly encourage you and bless you!
Grace and Peace to you, Andrew and Adria Medlen
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
A Little Way You Can Make a Difference...
I'm excited to announce that we have launched a NEW online store at Cafe Press in an effort to help raise funds for our ministry! We now carry World Impact St. Louis t-shirts, mugs, stickers, buttons, and more with really unique urban designs!
A portion of the purchase price is donated to our ministry! So, in a very real way, when you order "A Heart For The City" t-shirt for you and a friend you are helping us share the love of Christ with people like James, who recently came to know Jesus and is steadily learning to turn away from the drugs and violence that dominated his life and cling to the future that God has for him!
Thank you for impacting our city by visiting our online store at www.cafepress.com/worldimpactstl!
A portion of the purchase price is donated to our ministry! So, in a very real way, when you order "A Heart For The City" t-shirt for you and a friend you are helping us share the love of Christ with people like James, who recently came to know Jesus and is steadily learning to turn away from the drugs and violence that dominated his life and cling to the future that God has for him!
Thank you for impacting our city by visiting our online store at www.cafepress.com/worldimpactstl!
June Update
Dear Family and Friends,
With each year that goes by I (Adria) find myself squinting a little bit more, trying to make the dancing blur of letters sit down on the page. The fine lines around my eyes are becoming not so fine in my strain to make street signs be forthright with their names. It might be time for glasses.
Physically, age makes it more difficult to see things. I am finding, however, that the opposite is true spiritually. And, I am also finding how vital this is to our lives as missionaries. Pastor Rob Bell said that “being a good missionary means having really good eyesight. You see God where others don’t and then you point him out.” Now, before you go thinking that we have super-spiritual missionary eyes I will tell you that often we have to spend time pointing God out to ourselves too! It is not always easy in such a fallen world to see the gentle workings of God—the large and miraculous ones, yeah, but the subtle weaving of the larger tapestry is a lot more difficult to see. Yet each thread purposefully weaved is a stunning victory. It is these victories that carry us through and that draw hearts to God!
Several weeks ago a tall, broad-shouldered young man walked through the doors during our adult basketball program to use the restroom. His face looked more like a man’s than a boy’s but still reassuringly familiar. I could hardly suppress my joy as I asked him, “Is that you, Jamond?”
For several years I have thought of him and prayed for him and worried that he might be in a juvenile detention center or worse. Much like many of the people we work with, Jamond used to live in our neighborhood and occasionally participated in our programs and then one day he was gone. He had moved, but we did not know to where. His story has troubled me for years. Even at thirteen he was mostly on his own, hardened to the world and submitting himself to the company of men who would not mentor him in godly activities. Destructive behavior was chief among his known attributes. Even still, all I could ever see when I looked at him was a scared and scarred boy beating back the terrifying world that threatened to snuff him out. He had held us at arms length and then he was gone.
Yet here he was, standing in the lobby of World Impact! Since that night I have only seen him twice, but he is in the area and had remembered World Impact as a place he could enter and he now knows that we remember him by name. His reappearance is seemingly insignificant, but for those of us who know the loving hand of God weaving together His plans and purposes, there is joy and hope in it. Recently God has sent us several of these reuniting moments with youth and young adults we thought had slipped away from us. I see the Lord reminding me that not all doors I think are closed and bolted shut will remain that way. I think He must lovingly shake His head and say to me, “Do you think that you are the only one who remembers them by name?” And so, I will fervently pray that the Lord give us these young souls and ask the Spirit to sharpen my eyesight so that I may be ready to see God work and to point it out to others!
Prayerfully, with hope and vigilance,
Andrew and Adria Medlen
With each year that goes by I (Adria) find myself squinting a little bit more, trying to make the dancing blur of letters sit down on the page. The fine lines around my eyes are becoming not so fine in my strain to make street signs be forthright with their names. It might be time for glasses.
Physically, age makes it more difficult to see things. I am finding, however, that the opposite is true spiritually. And, I am also finding how vital this is to our lives as missionaries. Pastor Rob Bell said that “being a good missionary means having really good eyesight. You see God where others don’t and then you point him out.” Now, before you go thinking that we have super-spiritual missionary eyes I will tell you that often we have to spend time pointing God out to ourselves too! It is not always easy in such a fallen world to see the gentle workings of God—the large and miraculous ones, yeah, but the subtle weaving of the larger tapestry is a lot more difficult to see. Yet each thread purposefully weaved is a stunning victory. It is these victories that carry us through and that draw hearts to God!
Several weeks ago a tall, broad-shouldered young man walked through the doors during our adult basketball program to use the restroom. His face looked more like a man’s than a boy’s but still reassuringly familiar. I could hardly suppress my joy as I asked him, “Is that you, Jamond?”
For several years I have thought of him and prayed for him and worried that he might be in a juvenile detention center or worse. Much like many of the people we work with, Jamond used to live in our neighborhood and occasionally participated in our programs and then one day he was gone. He had moved, but we did not know to where. His story has troubled me for years. Even at thirteen he was mostly on his own, hardened to the world and submitting himself to the company of men who would not mentor him in godly activities. Destructive behavior was chief among his known attributes. Even still, all I could ever see when I looked at him was a scared and scarred boy beating back the terrifying world that threatened to snuff him out. He had held us at arms length and then he was gone.
Yet here he was, standing in the lobby of World Impact! Since that night I have only seen him twice, but he is in the area and had remembered World Impact as a place he could enter and he now knows that we remember him by name. His reappearance is seemingly insignificant, but for those of us who know the loving hand of God weaving together His plans and purposes, there is joy and hope in it. Recently God has sent us several of these reuniting moments with youth and young adults we thought had slipped away from us. I see the Lord reminding me that not all doors I think are closed and bolted shut will remain that way. I think He must lovingly shake His head and say to me, “Do you think that you are the only one who remembers them by name?” And so, I will fervently pray that the Lord give us these young souls and ask the Spirit to sharpen my eyesight so that I may be ready to see God work and to point it out to others!
Prayerfully, with hope and vigilance,
Andrew and Adria Medlen
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