December 2017 Newsletter

What an amazing and incredible 2017 it's been! We feel sometimes we don't tell y'all enough about what God has been up to with the ministry to military teens and their friends throughout Leavenworth County, Kansas, so we'll give it our best with more detail shared on the stories of students' we've served. We hope and pray we do justice in sharing what Christ's been doing in and through us this year. 

Brandon (on far left) with our guys helping raise funds for

the Salvation Army kettle campaign this year. 

Brandon is a young man that has been attending the basketball ministry at the Salvation Army since its inception, and before that I got to know him through the basketball ministry at the local church we were partnering with. As I have gotten to know more of his story through our time spent together, I learned that his dad is a Navy veteran. He didn't even realize he was a military kid since his dad wasn't currently serving. Many of the kids that we work with are military kids, but because their parents are retired, they aren't moving around all of the time, changing schools, or any of the other things on the long list of what military kids have to endure. Recently, a local church in our area had to make the hard decision to close its doors. I have known the pastor for many years, and worked with his kids in club when I previously lived and served in Leavenworth before moving to Georgia. He wanted to bless the ministry with all of the sound and audio/visual equipment from his church since it was no longer needed, as well as the local youth center with the chairs from their worship center. I showed up to help them transport the chairs to the youth center and load up the sound equipment one Saturday morning. I checked with a few students to see if they wanted to help, and Brandon stepped up and came out to help me. As we were moving stacks of chairs, he started to tell me a story of how he had been reading in the book of Revelation. Wow, I thought, that's awesome! This news came as a bit of a shock to me, as we haven't really shared much of God's story with the students attending on Thursdays as we are still working to learn their stories and build the relationship to a place where we can share God's story with them. As the conversation continued, God continued to blow my mind and this is an amazing opening of a door toward gaining that access to having more faith conversations with these students. He shared with me how he had been watching a movie that mentioned Revelation, so he decided to look into it a little more by pulling out his Bible and doing some reading. His reading led to some questions, so we talked a little more about what he had read. As the conversation went on, he shared how he would be interested in getting some friends together to start exploring more of God's Word! He was even excited to share that one of the Christmas gifts he received was a Jesus Calling devotional book. We're praying that the Lord continues to penetrate his heart as he digs deeper.

Brandon (in back left) with a group of teens

helping with bell ringing for the local Salvation

Army fundraiser this season.

Some of our students that aren't military kids, are experiencing a lot of what military kids have to endure in that they are moving all of the time due to poverty. Some of these students are moving a lot more than military kids have to in a lifetime. This has really opened my eyes to a whole new demographic as I previously have never really worked this closely with this population. Leavenworth County is a very affluent county in Kansas with so many military households, which boarders Wyandotte County, which is the one of the poorest counties in Kansas. Sadly the need of our students and their families in Leavenworth County who do not have their basic needs met are typically ignored or pushed out. Some of our students come out on a Thursday night, and by the next week, they've already switched schools and changed addresses. Many of our students are couch surfing, and one day they may be staying with friends while still able to attend their current school, but the next day, they may end up staying with relatives in a different area of the greater KC area, where they have to switch schools, only to return to Leavenworth in a few weeks and have to transition all over again. A big piece of what our leader team is learning is that these students are struggling to have their most basic needs bet. When they are struggling to figure out where or when their next meal will be, whether or not they have clothes to wear for school, or a place to lay their head at night, it's so much more difficult for them to believe in a God that loves them, because after all, why would a loving God allow such pain, misery, and hardship? As we love these kids and are becoming the only consistent piece of their lives, they are learning that they can lean on us and look forward to our time together. As we continue to work with them, we hope to build the bridge to point them toward Christ and His constant love for us, regardless of the circumstances we face, and teach them that the trials we endure in this life are so much easier to handle when we're walking with Jesus. 

As one can see, the gym gets packed on a 

Thursday night. Showing that our teens 

talk with their friends about a space and

place they are welcome and safe to hoop.

In the mean time, we continue to show up and love these kids right where they are, and partner with others in the community that are doing the same thing. Jesus loves us in the middle of our mess, and we do the same for these kids. They are noticing our love for them. Oftentimes throughout the day, students will text me and ask for a ride to the community center or to or from school. I'm not always available, but they reach out to me because I have become a trusted person in their lives that they know they can reach out to. Even when I have to tell them no, they know that I'm still here for them and love them and they can always reach me. 

As I have been parenting my own son for the last couple of months, my eyes have been really opened to what exactly these kids are lacking when they grow up without a father in their lives. Some of our students have fathers that are in prison, others have fathers that they have never known because they walked out before they were born. Others have fathers that have been killed or have died of cancer. I know that I can never replace the father that they lost, but I can walk alongside them and point them to a relationship they can have with an eternal Father that will never leave them or abandon them. 

Simple sandwiches and mozzarella sticks

with marinara sauce mean the world to 

these teens who might not get much to eat 

from day-to-day.

It is through these stories we can see that Christ is working in and through the relationships we are building with these students. Our prayer is that God will continue to grow these relationships, bring us more students to engage with, grow our leader team so we can reach more students throughout the county, and continue blessing the work that He is doing through us. 

Our family together at Kansas City's Union Station during their annual 
Christmas display.

As most of you know, I had to pick up part-time work in July in order to offset the financial deficit we had due to the loss of the government contract in 2016. I have been working part-time for our local church as the operations director. It is with an extremely joyous and grateful heart that I am excited to share with you that we have raised the additional monthly support amount needed to offset the deficit so that we can return to a full-time ministry status with Youth for Christ. In less than 4 weeks, we went from a $1500 per month deficit, to being fully funded again. With this additional funding accounted for, we can now focus on raising funds to get the affiliate fully funded and growing the ministry throughout the county as God leads. 

As 2017 comes to a close, if you would like to make any year-end gifts, feel free to follow the link to make your charitable contribution that will continue to fund the work we're doing here in Leavenworth County. We pray that you all had a very Merry Christmas and that your new year is filled to overflowing with God's blessings. 

~Phil, Amy and Parker

**To join our team in any way you feel led in prayer, financial partnership, spreading the word and anything in between you can reach us at pparsons@yfcmail.org or contribute online at https://yfc.givingfuel.com/30631**

November 2017 Newsletter

The group of guys who lovingly cleaned up

the whole Salvation Army facility one

Saturday afternoon.

As we flip to this time of year on the calendar, we enter a season of thankfulness. This season, we have so much to be grateful for. We try to live each day with an attitude of gratitude, but lately, God is blowing our minds in many different ways. Some days all we can do is pick up our jaws off the floor and marvel in His unending goodness of all that He is doing within the ministry here in Leavenworth County.

  

Our prayer for a while now has been to establish a relationship within the gates at Fort Leavenworth through the school system. I recently had the opportunity to sit down with the principal at Patton Jr. High School, which serves grades 7-9 on post. He is an amazing Christ follower and has many faculty that are also believers. In our time together, I simply listened to some of the needs he has for adult volunteers within his school. While our hope is to eventually offer a program to where we can build relationships and share Jesus with the students at Patton, our current plan is to step in and serve in a capacity that helps meet the current need. Principal Wiebe gave us the green light to start serving in his school, serving as those needed extra adults to simply be present with students. This will look like additional help in the morning as students arrive to be a bright, smiling face that greets them and gets their day off to a positive start. It will also look like having adults available during the lunch period to eat with students and build relationships with them, striking up conversations with topics like how school is going, after school activities, and being available to listen to their hurts and struggles that they may have being a military teen. We hope to start serving at Patton after the first of the year as students return from Christmas break, with a presence in the school 2-3 days per week.

Another reason to be thankful is for the continued partnership with the Harrold Youth Center on post. They offer many programs for the military youth at Fort Leavenworth through their joint partnership with The Boys and Girls Club, including a program for teenage boys called Passport to Manhood. Through this program, they are able to teach these youths how to bridge the gap from childhood into adulthood by adequately equipping them to face challenges ahead of them. In this program, they are taught basic life skills like money management, hygiene, respect in relationships, and many other topics. Through this program we are able to build relationships with them with the hopes of sharing our story, listening to their stories, and pointing them in the direction of Jesus.

Phil, Amy & Parker together ringing bells
for the localSalvation Army. 

As if that isn’t enough reasons to celebrate and be grateful, there’s still more! Since initially vision casting for the affiliate as we began serving in Leavenworth County, our hope was to eventually have a presence in all of the 6 school districts that serve the county. This was a long-term goal and our hope was to accomplish that within 10 years. Since our inception, we have been praying and have been seeking opportunities to meet with faculty, athletics, and other organizations within the schools to begin building these relationships. God has been busy paving the way providing opportunities. As we have been obediently following, we now have relationships with key stakeholders in 4 of the 6 school districts. God is good! We hope to continue growing these relationships as we seek to serve as God allows, loving on these teens in our community.

Allison, our additional staff member of the YFC affiliate, has been gaining a lot of ground in the Southern part of the county as she serves at Basehor-Linwood Middle School. She has been building relationships through the mentoring program they offer. She serves twice a week in the theater class and has befriended many girls and has also been spending time with them outside of the classroom. They have gotten groups together and played volleyball, among other activities. Allison recently had the opportunity to sit down with one of the student’s mothers to brainstorm how they could form a girls small group and begin sharing Jesus as they grow their relationships.

Our wonderful adults serving

the teens their Italian food.

Phil's table of guys sharing

during the meal.

Then, shifting gears toward our leaders, we couldn’t be more thankful for each of them as they passionately serve our teens right when and where they show up. For instance, Al chose to go to the beginning scrimmage of the first basketball events at Leavenworth High School, specifically where two of our young men, Caleb and Jacob were playing for the freshman team. Yet if all of this isn’t enough to show God amazing thanks, our leaders continued to love our teens in our end-of-semester Thanksgiving Italian feast. The adults chose to serve them an all out food smorgasbord on their final basketball evening of the semester, in a family-style sit-down meal, to include tons of pies, cake and other desserts. Multiple students complimented and thanked the adults for showing them so much love in a meal they’d haven’t experienced before or in a long time together with their ‘family.’ In Phil’s table, he asked students he was sitting with specifically what they were thankful for and multiple comments flew out that students were thankful for their ‘family away from home on Thursdays.’ Impact beyond any belief being made in and

through our servant leaders!

Finally, we wouldn’t be where we are if it weren’t for opening our hearts and listening to our brothers and sisters already doing Kingdom work throughout our area, hence building

The huge group of volunteers for the Thanksgiving meal.

relationships with folks we’ve mentioned in previous newsletters. Specifically, our ongoing partnership with the Salvation Army in Leavenworth has been nothing short of God’s miracle to our obedience to support and show up to help out in a new program not offered in such a long time. Throughout our inception in June of this year to end of November, we have reached over 620 total headcount of teens who have come into contact with us via the program and beyond it with serving opportunities, flag football events and other moments spent with our teens. Also, our other amazing partner who does phenomenal Kingdom work in the community, Unity in the Community Movement, yet again offered for us to partner and serve the people physically and spiritually. We got to gather a couple of our teens to help out with a turkey and clothing giveaway at their church location and also had the pleasure of helping serve in their annual Thanksgiving dinner to the community event. It is truly God’s best when we seek to partner where folks are already on His mission to serve as we have with our UIC brothers and sisters to impact our teens and their families for His glory.

Phil chose to serve UIC dressed as a clown
during a recent Turkey & coat giveaway.

So, there you all have it – God’s been SO good and we have tons to share! We are thankful for each of you who pray, partner financially and care for us as we work diligently as God leads us to work with the teens we encounter all throughout Leavenworth County. Pray for more hands for the harvest as we have shared that we’re getting new permissions and there will be a huge need for more hands to the work!

Thankful for each one of you!

Phil, Amy & Parker

October 2017 Newsletter

What a roller coaster of an October we've had! If you all didn't know, as soon as the calendar flipped to October, we knew it was only going to be a few short weeks until the arrival of our baby boy, Parker Landry. Little did we know God had other plans in his entrance into this world. After the doctor told Amy and I to be at the hospital on Sunday, the 8th to be induced, our minds were already spinning in getting our stuff in order the weekend ahead of heading to the hospital. They wanted to reduce any complications due to diabetic need and blood pressure figures, so we were so thankful for the knowledge of the professionals and how they cared for us even before his birth.

All of us back in the room after his arrival.

After nearly two days in the hospital with little action, the doctor chose to move things along with more assistance and before we knew it, Amy was starting to move toward having our son on Tuesday. What we didn't know was how her blood pressure would continue to rise and the medical protocols the hospital had would force us to make a decision we didn't think we'd have to make. Rather than have Amy in pain but also provide some relief for her blood pressure for her and the baby, we chose the option to help that quickly and safely. Before we knew it, her pain was under control, the blood pressure dropped and it seemed like we were on the way for her to continue the birth plan from the doctor earlier. One thing the doctor noticed was how quick her blood pressure dropped and then the baby's heart rate dropped with it. They were concerned so much that she said that we'll be having a birthday party soon if it doesn't rise. Literally less than 15 minutes later, I was in the operating room watching my son being shown to us from the whirlwind of activity that happened to bring him safely into the world along with keeping Amy healthy and safe as well.

Amy and I with Parker moments

after his arrival.

So, there it was, on October 10th, at 1:13pm, Parker Landry Parsons came into the world. Although we had a birthing plan together for how we hoped to see things unfold, I (Phil) was very open and relaxed as things kept climbing for us to notice the demand of changing options and keeping mom and baby healthy. It was a Jesus teaching moment right from the start - not all goes as planned and He'll make sure we're taken care of regardless of our own intuitions. The full on range of emotions hit me while I was holding my son while the doctors and medical staff were tending to Amy to finish up the procedure was unreal. We were both elated but also filled with tears of joy that God had brought us our son, which we never knew would happen.

Then, after almost 5 days in the hospital, they released our new family of three into the world, ready

Parker in his initial days 'photo shoot.'

to go home and settle into this new journey of being parents to a newborn son. So many of our friends warned us on this moment that would grip us when we were heading out of the hospital...they're going to let us take this human with us, and expect us to take care of him!?! Once we arrived home, it was nice and tranquil around the home getting settled into the surroundings with the extra person alongside us that we were responsible for. One thing we didn't foresee was how our dog would welcome us back home...

A bit of a back story with our dear dog, Neicy. She'd been with Phil dating all the way back to 2005, where he'd adopted her and she was rescued from a no-kill shelter. She continued to be by his side throughout some of the toughest and darkest moments of what he'd been going through, including the transition into following Jesus all the way back in 2007-08. Loyal to a fault, this dog was everything hoped for and resilient beyond belief as she even moved nearly as many times as some military teens we've met in the years. She'd lived in Kansas, Nebraska, Georgia and back to Kansas again. Many friends throughout the years had helped watch her whenever Phil or both Phil and Amy would have an event out of town and dear friends would let her stay over or they would go take care of her at our home.

Neicy enjoying the warmth outdoors.

What welcomed us back to the house after a 5-day hiatus was a fragile and weak posterior of our dog when we saw her. Her back legs had deteriorated even beyond what we knew, literally where her front would go straight and the back would pivot sideways, trying to keep up. If this wasn't enough, the poor baby girl was having trouble holding her potty, where she would unknowingly urinate on the floor here and there in the home. It broke our hearts as she was highly interested in our son's arrival, literally going over to his carrier or us as we were holding him. Neicy would come sniff him and even lay her head on his covers just to be part of the process of Parker's being home.

Our sweet dog, Neicy as she was laying on our laps.

What we ended up doing was the toughest decision we've ever made being married. Neicy's life was at a point where it was not any type of quality at all. She was struggling just to survive in the time we noticed her decline. The day we were celebrating our son's one week being here, we were struggling to hold it together on the final day of our dog's life. Phil spent literally almost all day with Neicy, petting and cuddling her and even going outdoors and laying outside in the sunshine and enjoying it with her, just stealing moments together with a best friend. The time set in our minds was iron-clad, 4:40pm as we knew that time would come too soon at the vet. Getting her into the car and on the way to the vet was the toughest and longest ten minute drive of our lives. Even when we feel we're doing something humane for our pets, it's true agony when we do it due to their impact on our lives.

Neicy sunbathing outside on her last day. 

Neicy and I together in the warmth of the day.

Then came the moment to watch our dog come to the end of her life. To say that anyone could be ready and make that choice for a pet, is literally so hard. I had done that before for a friend who lost her husband and she needed help in putting the dog down that was her late-husband's dog, but this pain was way beyond that. To see our pet, a dear loved friend who was loyal to a fault, not be around anymore still brings us to tears as we remember that hard afternoon decision.

Neicy in the back of the car 

as we took her to the vet.

The best part about any and all of these moments this month is that God still remains sovereign even in the toughest and most joyful opportunities. I personally got the chance to share twice with groups of teens on what exactly God has been teaching us throughout this time. He is waiting on us, just like our pets as they are loyal to a fault and nearly will lie at our feet, waiting on our every move. It's just as I shared with our teens on Thursday nights and at our church to consider; what if we treated Jesus the same way our pets acted toward us?!

The month of October was a roller coaster for sure emotionally for us and continues to be that way as we remember our furry friend and loved pet, plus learning some kind of 'normal' with our son in the home. As we head into another month of creating spaces and places with phenomenal adults who love teens just as they are when they show up, please be praying for us. Pray for our family. Pray for each teen that comes through the doors wherever we get to high-five or hug them. Pray for each of our adult leaders who are spending incredible amounts of time loving our teens with the time they could be using elsewhere.

Us with our newborn son, Parker.

In essence, we can't do this without you all praying and taking care of us as we are hoping to go where God calls us and directs our ways. We love you all and pray for each of you often.
~Phil, Amy & Parker

**To join our team in any way you feel led in prayer, financial partnership, spreading the word and anything in between you can reach us at pparsons@yfcmail.org or contribute online at https://yfc.givingfuel.com/30631**

Daddy and son in their photo shoot in the room. 

Showing off his early grip from his hands.

September 2017 Newsletter

Shepherding in new seasons...

For the month of September, we all saw our summer come to a close on the calendar, thus bringing in the new season of Fall - or at least what the calendar said regardless to what temperatures we may have seen locally. This past month has been nothing short of seeing God show up in so many ways where we have worked alongside some incredible students all over Leavenworth County.

Last year, we shared how we were developing relationships via the movement in the Lansing Middle School named 'Challenge Day.' This year the school again invested into this opportunity and brought it to the 8th grade class and I got the chance to participate and be a leader during all 3 days' events, which reached every 8th grader in the school. Being my 7th year assisting in these events, knowing all how the day would unfold does help quite a bit, but God had some other plans in store for what I would encounter in those 3 days. Never before in my life had I experienced a group that was more willing to jump into the days' events and be mentally, physically and emotionally all-in.

The 'iceberg method' explained to the kids on the
far right side.

Each day unfolded the same as the one ahead of it; playing plenty of ice breaker games and bringing up the energy level to a point where our kids felt safe together as a group and then putting students and adults together in smaller 'family groups' to share with one another during the day's events and then later in the day - moments to get truly real and 'drop the water line' with one another. The premise of the day is to open up opportunities for these teens to really understand what is going on underneath what they see day-to-day in the hallways with their peers. They use the 'iceberg method' of explaining that people only see about 10% of a persons' life and who they are and 90% and even more could be hidden underneath, like an iceberg in the ocean. Then, after trust is established in their program, they build energy and opportunity to have the whole audience participate in the most effective way of sharing a personal 'story' I have ever seen; it is called Cross the Line. All of the people in the room are encouraged to participate in complete silence and allow one another the opportunity to physically walk across a line if the statement which is being read out loud applies to their own personal life or what they have experienced. This also allows students to see their closest friends and peers in what they have had to deal with and also the chance for the students to see adults which work with them or are community leaders in what they personally have gone through. Their campaign and efforts to the students and the staff utterly opens their eyes to what they're dealing with beyond the usual 'head nod, handshake, side-hug or the like' while in school.

Allison, myself and Howie Lucas (from Basehor FBC) after

serving together at Challenge Day.

I have had the wonderful opportunity to share the impact, trust and integrity we have built by serving in this manner for this school when they provide Challenge Day to many ministry leaders in Leavenworth County. Although there isn't any mention of Christ or faith from an in-depth standpoint, to be able to walk alongside these students and those who work alongside them at school and see their personal stories unfold like this is unprecedented and an absolute honor from our standpoint. It is truly one of the biggest pieces of our vision of coming alongside moments like this that are already in motion in our schools and putting our hands on the wheel to impact teens 'right where they are.' I can personally say that relationships continue throughout the year even from the event happening once in the 8th graders' life. I might be on a visit to the school for something and I will see a student which remembered seeing me at Challenge Day and there soon will be a short dialogue and catching up with one another. Last year, I helped in the lunch room and many students remembered me directly from my participation in Challenge Day at the school.

One other momentum shift we have had in our mission of reaching teens in our county includes the permission granted in the Basehor-Linwood Public Schools' mentoring program. I have started working at the high school in mentoring and doing homework assistance for two guys who need help in their subjects and already I can tell this is directly what God has planned for us in working with great partners in our area. The director loves our hearts to serve and is excited to connect myself and our other staff person, Allison, with students who have need for help in areas we have done well with in school ourselves. One young man, who is a freshman, I have been partnered with has been struggling with sciences, Spanish and Algebra. I noticed quickly I wasn't going to be the best help for Algebra, but still can help with the areas he's struggling. The other student which I have been paired up with is a senior and he is struggling in business, which is a key strong point of my own knowledge and understanding. Even though the mentor relationships are relatively new, the young man who is a senior asked if I would be willing to spend the whole class time with him which I was very encouraged by his energy by the request.

As most of you all know, we've been providing an ongoing basketball outreach ministry

Part of our record crew playing ball.

partnered with the Salvation Army since the start of June. It has blown our minds seeing how much God has provided opportunities for us to work with these teens on a regular basis each week and outside of Thursday nights, sharing life and hanging out with them. Little did we know that from the 1st week of having 6 teens show up, we reached a new record of 40 teens in late-September in our gymnasium! Kids are continually sharing with their friends and bringing them each week and just loving the place and space we're providing them to play basketball but even more than that with our 'huddle' and building relationships on the sidelines as they patiently wait to play.

Due to the fact that we offered an event named "See the Story" for folks who want to know more about what we were 'up to locally' in our area in late-August, God blessed this as well. After sharing about our calling, vision, mission and local strategic plan was for reaching our 19,000+ teens throughout the county, two ladies shared how they felt led to help provide food for our teens on Thursday regularly. Ever since this moment, our crowd continued to grow and the attitudes of our teens has drastically shifted. Even greater than this, the Salvation Army has come alongside this movement of feeding the teens weekly by providing the ladies a surplus of paper goods and food so that we don't have to come out of pocket each week, but only on a limited basis. GOD IS SO GOOD!

All the lasagna lined up on the counter

ready for the teens to enjoy, cooked 

by our awesome ladies and provided

generously via the Salvation Army.

Therefore, join us in praying: 
A. More hands for the harvest, as the workers are few and we hope to reach many more in our area. 
B. We steward all what God has given us well and beyond what we can even fathom imaginable. 
C. We are awaiting our son's arrival in October, around the 21st! 
D. Pray for our leaders to continue to deepen relationships with our students who show up wherever we do ministry and life together. 
E. We are still financially short each month by about $1,100 per month in partner support. If you know anyone looking to partner with folks who are reaching the lost/disenfranchised military teens and their friends, would you consider sharing our information with them? The giving link is here: https://yfc.givingfuel.com/30631

We are deeply humbled and honored to be SENT on His mission to glorify Jesus to our teens in this area by each of you. 

~Phil, Amy & (soon to be Parker) Parsons 

August 2017 Newsletter

The groundwork continues...

Back in February this year, we shared how it will be pivotal to build opportunities in putting our hands to work alongside folks already doing great Kingdom work and spending intentional time with adults who want to see teens impacted all over our county-wide area. It has become evident that patience and perseverance throughout how God has called us to work to reach teens in this area will be key to our long-term success. We aren't just planning for a one or three-year plan, but for decades to exist in making impacts upon teens in Leavenworth County.  

It can be easy to think you’ve accomplished all of your groundwork as eagerness builds to begin laying the foundation. However, as we kicked off ministry at the Salvation Army, we quickly saw the need to slow down and keep tilling the soil. In building relationships with these teens that are regularly attending on Thursday nights, we’ve learned that many of them are lacking their most basic needs like shelter, food, and clothing. Back to school

Dakota and I hanging out
on the sidelines one
Thursday night during bball.

season just passed and most students are now back in classes. Many students look forward to the start of a new school year and all the preparing that goes into purchasing supplies, and back to school clothes. These students we’re working with though, didn’t get those shopping sprees or new wardrobes. Through learning their stories as we spend time with them, we’re finding that many of them live in extreme poverty with one-income households earning minimum wages, or may have a parent on full-time disability. One student in particular, we learned is couch surfing with his family at another student’s home because they don’t currently have a place to live.

These stories are heartbreaking and gut-wrenching and we’d love to be able to help each student we reach and provide for their most basic needs. We may not have the resources to be able to help each student we encounter, but we can still help them. By building these important relationships, these students are learning that we care about them. In working with this demographic of students, the groundwork phase is longer than we anticipated. We’re finding that students don’t want to learn about Jesus when they don’t even have their most basic needs met. Many of them question how could a loving God even exist when they don’t have food or shelter. You may be wondering what our hopes are for introducing these students to a relationship with Jesus. Eventually, that is our hope to plant seeds that will be cultivated and lead to them developing a personal relationship with Christ, but we are beginning to understand that with this group of students, that may be a long process. 

We continue to be consistent with our team and show up every Thursday evening and love

KeShawn with Al and April
after winning the 3 on 3
tournament one week. 

on these teens, because right now, that’s what they need. They simply need to know that someone cares. Many of these students are regular drug users and participate in high-risk behaviors. Although, we don’t condone what they’re doing, we understand why they may resort to such activities. If we can provide an alternative to where they feel safe and loved, our hope is that those high-risk behaviors decrease and more positive behaviors increase. 

In addition to our large group gathering on the basketball courts on Thursday nights, we try

to create as many opportunities as possible throughout the week in order to gain momentum to continue building relationships with these students. Since it’s not uncommon for these students to go without meals, we work to connect with them throughout the week and see if they’re available to grab a meal at the local Taco Bell or Wendy’s. They get the opportunity to fill their belly, and we get some solid one on one time to listen to the things that they feel they might not be able to share with others, as well as speak some truth into their lives. Following a recent trip to Taco Bell, Phil was hanging out with a student he has been

building a relationship with and as they wrapped up their meal and conversation, he said, “thanks for letting me get some things off my chest”. That might not seem like a huge deal, but it appears that the foundation is being poured in that young man’s life. 

Another of our leaders, Al, is also busy trying to connect with students outside of Thursday nights in hopes to continue the groundwork, to eventually build on at some point. Specifically, he recently chose to take a couple of the guys from Thursday nights to the Kansas City Chiefs training camp with his own son as well. They enjoyed the time together plus played some basketball on post and then finished with some food. His continued energy to try to reach our teens in a way that relates to them is an incredible blessing. Recently, he has chosen to take it upon himself to invest in a 4-week study Tim Tebow has put together and work it into a way the teens might show some interest. Another blessing

These are the materials which Al purchased for an
        upcoming study with our teens. 

has been the involvement of his wife, April, into the mix as well, being that she also hopes to connect to the female students and create those places to invest into the teens in a way during the regular tempo of life. April recently commented with Al about inviting the students they are getting to know regularly to their home for meals and just to ‘hang out.’ This IS how relational Kingdom work is done.

Additional groundwork for building opportunities has begun in reaching teens in the southern part of the county, specifically through a school mentorship program. Specifically, our dear friend Howie Lucas of First Baptist Church of Basehor told me about the program where the school allows adults to come into Basehor-Linwood middle or high school and mentor students who might need help in a certain subject where they need that extra ‘boost.’ He said that the program director is always open to new adults coming to help out. It didn’t take too long to receive the email from the director, Tammy Potts. Tammy is literally a living and breathing testament of what we embody in everything we do with our teens on a regular basis in building relationships and pouring into their lives when we receive permission. Allison and I got the chance to tour the high school, hear about the history of the mentor program and hear the needs they currently have and how we can be part of their amazing movement. This opportunity is something we never imagined happening for us especially we had been praying for connectivity to our teens in the southern region of the county. God’s timing and plans are SO perfect!

The logo and banner for the mentor program at the Basehor-Linwood school district. 

Finally, if all of that isn’t enough, God has put it on our hearts to start plowing the fields locally to invite folks to an upcoming event where we will share what God has us doing locally and also hear about our mission, vision and strategic plan on reaching the over 19,000 teens in our county in 6 school districts. Specifically it will be called “See the Story.” The adults we will invite will get the chance to come in on a Thursday evening when we are working with our teens with the basketball ministry at the Salvation Army and watch how it unfolds for a little while and also get a tour of the facility where we’ve garnered a partnership and amazing relationship of servitude. The other part of the one hour event will include how folks can prayerfully consider being part of the movement God has us doing in our area to reach these great military teens and their friends. Should you find yourself in our area sometime in the end of each month, we’d love to have you join us for this amazing opportunity to see the ministry in action.

The event we attended and assisted with our dear Young Life friends
in the southern part of the county.

So, there you have it – God is really moving BIG. We are so thankful for each of you who pray for us as we are moving diligently but obediently where God leads us to build relationships for the long haul and that we seek His glory and not our own.

We thank you and pray for each of you who have been alongside us in this journey.

~Phil, Amy & (Soon to be Parker)

July 2017 Newsletter

"It's not about me." These famous penned words were taken from the book, Purpose Driven Life, which was written by Rick Warren. Although it's been a long while since I've read this book, the quote has resonated with me as of late in what God is providing for us.

In working in my previous job position at the bank in Leavenworth and Lansing, it specifically was my job to 'know others and be known' for the purpose of selling our products. Sadly it was all about building a relationship as a means to an end to sell something to someone, rather than just care about them. A lot of this mentality overflowed into the ministry we were providing and I had to learn and readjust my reasoning for getting to know people and so forth. Thankfully, God provided me Amy to help me in and through those adjustments because habits are tough to change. 

That brings us to the past weeks' of ministry here in Leavenworth County. It's been phenomenal to say the least. God has opened opportunities we have had with other Kingdom-building folks and our hands have been put to work regularly. One thing all of us who serve with our Leavenworth YFC Affiliate have noticed is that we do not need to bring our own 'brand, name, recognition or notification' whenever we show up to serve. All we need to do is be present, love others and put our hands to the plow to build Kingdom opportunities wherever the chance arises. 

We've joined our good friends in the southern part of the county at their church to help out whenever the chance arises and the relationship is amazing. Our friends Howie and Ruth

Howie and Ruth Lucas from FBC Basehor

are responsible for the youth ministry of First Baptist Church of Basehor and they do an incredible job of reaching the lost and their friends by creating spaces and places where all teens feel welcome. Regularly on Sunday evenings, Phil will attend their youth ministry night where they'll gather and just have fun together and enjoy some food and he'll jump in and help out with whatever is needed each evening. Recently, they opened their home for a monthly cookout and hangout time at their home for students to come and go as they please and play yard games of many sorts, ranging from volleyball to ladder toss and even some corn hole. Just as stated before, we don't look to do self-promotion of any type, but just to show up and be part of what God is providing anywhere He allows us to build relationships with our friends all over the county. 

The best part about being able to help out Howie and Ruth comes in the form of a true relationship and friendship with this great couple. We get to know them personally and also how we can be praying for them and their own lives in what they need as they shepherd the teens in their backyards. It goes much deeper than serving together, but truly building a foundation together in grace, love and faith. Beyond that, we get to share some of our deeper struggles with one another and know that we have a couple who are in the trenches with us as we are doing like-minded Kingdom work and need that from others who are doing what we are called. 

Another wonderful Kingdom partner includes someone we've mentioned in the past about our collaborative efforts, and again we got the chance to serve alongside our brother

Jermaine and his ministry named Unity in the Community Movement. Late in the month of June, I reached to him to find out if he had any upcoming events where we can put our hands to work and he shared his vision to have the annual "Bridging the gap basketball game with the Leavenworth Police Department." The event is held to bring unity between the Leavenworth people and the local police and they hold a basketball game where the officers play against teens for about an hour. They also provide a softball game where adults play against teens to build camaraderie and goodwill in the area. If that isn't enough, they provide enough food for up to 200+ people to enjoy throughout the event with hot dogs, burgers and chicken to anyone who shows up.

The adults and a few students mixed into the final huddle of the softball game.

The group of teens with the Leavenworth Police Department.

A panoramic view of the event's early unfolding and set-up for the day's events. 

Being that Jermaine was looking for people to help come early and set up and arrange things ahead of the event unfolding, Allison and I decided to come and get the whole strategic layout together mentally and on paper so we knew what we were working with and what they envisioned. This allowed us to come the day of the event and set all things in motion early enough to have it unfold successfully. God brought tons of people alongside the event to see it go so well and all we chose to do was show up and love on the people and serve the movement. It was an honor to be asked to help referee the basketball game along with play in the softball game against the teens. But then again, it wasn't about us, YFC or anything else but serving people who matter for the Kingdom's cause. 

If that weren't enough, Amy and I got the chance to yet again come alongside our friends who do youth ministry to military teens and their friends right in town. Caleb was having a parking lot party and needed a grill person and we kindly accepted the invite and also chose to bring out our corn hole set for the students to use during the evening. It was all about making ourselves available to our great folks who are already doing Kingdom work, placing our own initiatives aside for God's greater initiative. Allison also got to join into the fun of things as we shared the need of adult help and she put her hands to work in being part of the evening's activities. We also got to help transport a group of teens when the youth ministry was having an opportunity to go play at the local video arcade and event center. All we did was provide information that we had vehicles to transport teens and Caleb's point person reached us and soon enough, our van was filled with teens ready to go. 

And wrapping up the ways we've been helping out didn't just end with us doing the leg work, but a group of teens helped me set up the church's final family fun fest after the final day of VBS. Four teenaged boys piled into my van and said they'd be willing to help set up some air blown jump houses along with setting up tables and chairs for folks enjoying the event and eating outdoors.

The whole spread of the fun fest where the boys helped set up the left side of the parking lot which included two inflatable jump houses and all the tables and chairs. 

Keshawn having fun after setting up.

Caleb heading up the obstacle course.

AJ heading down the slide after helping set up the items for the finale.

Goodness, God has been on the move lately, and we feel it's because we're checking our priority of sharing what 'we do' and just coming alongside those who are already doing it locally. Building relationships with adults and teens has become pivotal as we are seeing so much opportunity to love our military teens and their friends all over the county.

We ask you all to pray for us as we continue to foundationally build the initial stages of serving our local area in such a great way. 

Humbled to be on mission, 

~Phil, Amy, & Soon to be Parker 

**To join our team in any way you feel led in prayer, financial partnership, spreading the word and anything in between you can reach us at pparsons@yfcmail.org or contribute online at https://yfc.givingfuel.com/30631**