May 2018 Newsletter

The month of May. Usually this time of year brings all kinds of hype, excitement, slacking in school

Amy and I with Laney who was another student

we got to work alongside at Fort Stewart and 

graduated from Leavenworth High School.

and plans being made in the minds of teens for a summer right around the corner when school ends. It's the usual time of year where efforts are being made to get information from friends to connect outside of school in the neighborhood or whatever in the summer time and keep the 'squad' together somehow. Graduations, graduation parties and celebrations academic successes during special banquets regularly occur. Vacation plans are shared and yearbooks are being signed along with year-end 'selfies' are taken with beloved friends. The hopes for that final grade to come through as prepared for also come to mind when our students experience another month of May.

The McKinney family during LTC McKinney's

recent promotion ceremony. 

As we have had the wonderful opportunity to serve our military youth at Patton Junior High and in the Harrold Youth Center at Fort Leavenworth, we are reminded the month of May doesn't bring the same feelings for our military's teens. The month of May for our military youth reminds them that PCS (moving) season is not too far away. The moving trucks take over the town at this time of year. At Fort Leavenworth, many of our military families are moved here for the staff college which is only about 10-12 months at best. This means a whirlwind of activity in the spring when teens get out of school and then are swiftly preparing for their next location with the armed forces. Even when a student might know they aren't getting orders to move this year, they are unpacking in their heads how they are having to say goodbye to so many friends whose parents are receiving their orders.

While we were helping in the lunch room, many of the staff people who we've built relationships with continued to comment early in the month that a lot of students had been coming unglued and unsettled emotionally earlier than usual. I chose to share with the folks about how these teens might have been told their next duty station in the military and/or they have started to come to grips with their pending move. Regardless of what might have been going on in their heads, we were noticing a shift in their moods and actions. Perhaps they were just checking out on pending hurts and challenges. It was truly a place where we share our insight that we earn when we come alongside our military youth and what they endure in all of the seasons of being a military teen.

Us with Mackenzie who was a student of

ours at Fort Stewart and graduated from

Leavenworth High School.

Some students whom I've begun to know at the lunchroom shared they were literally moving right as school got out. One whom I have known for awhile shared how he's headed to Fort Bliss, in El Paso, Texas. I asked him what he felt about the whole moving process this time and honestly he shared that he just goes with it and doesn't think much about it anymore. His hopes are to get onto the high school soccer team when he arrives. The final day of school is on 24 May, the exact day this young man's family is headed to Texas. He even shared they were in a hotel since their household goods had been packed up a few days ago. Another student, Ezra and his family shared they are headed to Fort Hood, Texas. His hopes include getting on the football team and playing linebacker, but even while throwing the football around with him during the lunch hour he admitted he'll play anywhere the coach puts him. Another student shared earlier this week that his family is headed to Fort Stewart, Georgia, exactly where Amy and I moved from almost two years ago. Finally, it blew my mind working alongside a son of one of our chaplains on post. He shared with me they've moved over 12 times and were headed to Fort Bragg, NC. Yet again, another story shared where we can learn how to understand their world and where they share from with us when we get the moment.

The view as we got to help serve Patton Jr.

High students during lunch outings.

It was really cool to engage each of these teens and give them some heartfelt insight about other families we have farewelled to those installation locations and share hope with them about their pending new home. Being that we really like to engage all the pieces of the military family's life while they are on the ground with us, it helps us understand where they are coming from and where they are eventually headed and possibly connect them with like-minded friends and ministry leaders when they arrive. Truly it's a family that's incredibly connected in such an intimate way. Ultimately it's listening to their story, their hearts and their feelings about the life they are involved. It's been such an honor to get to know our teens in the places we are permitted on Fort Leavenworth this past school year and love them in the eyes of Christ, "just where they are."

Join us in praying for all our military families who are moving right now to their next duty stations, whether in the U.S. or overseas. Pray for their teens who are coming to grips with saying farewell to friends again and preparing emotionally for that 'new student' introduction wherever they call home again. Please pray for the people they leave behind in our area throughout Leavenworth County, that they open their hearts and minds to welcome new people when they arrive for the next military staff college season in late-summer.
_____________________________________________________________________
Shifting gears...Affiliate Update: 

We also wanted to share with you all that we have had an incredible year serving in many places throughout Leavenworth County. Specifically, we have had the pleasure serving as mentors with the Basehor-Linwood CareCat program, assisting with Passport to Manhood at the Harrold Youth Center on Fort Leavenworth, providing adult oversight in common spaces and in lunchroom time at Patton Junior High on Fort Leavenworth, partnering with Unity in the Community movement throughout the city of Leavenworth, helping with Lansing Middle School's Challenge Day efforts, assist fellow churches with special events for their teens during the year, prepare and participate on staff with summer camp at Awaken Camp and partnering with the Leavenworth Salvation Army in an ongoing basketball ministry effort each week.

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

It's been quite the year! We are SO thankful for all the people who partner with us in prayer, financial support and anything in between. We can NOT do it without you! It's because of people who believe in our calling to reach the lost and disenfranchised teens in Leavenworth County right where they are and regardless of where they have been.

Please join us in praying as we are moving into the season of prayer and discernment of what God is asking us to do in the next school year. We also ask you to prayerfully consider partnering with us as we are needing new partners financially in the Affiliate mission with additional demands on our budget in the coming year with our presence in so many places. The vision and mission will continue, but will grow even further with any and all additional help folks may provide.

This photo and illustration is the life our military teens only know.
This is why we serve them. 

We are also developing plans for our Affiliate updated brochure and upcoming partner development calendar. We want to celebrate with you that Taco John's of Lansing, Kansas, has become our first corporate partner and are so thankful for them! They are offering 15% of their receipts to YFC Leavenworth County on the last Sunday of each month to us during a specified time.

Finally - be on the lookout for upcoming See the Story/Be the Story events where folks are invited into the opportunity to see, pray for, join into and partner with our mission all over Leavenworth County, Kansas.

We thank you all for keeping us on God's mission!
~YFC Leavenworth County
(Phil, Amy, Parker and Allison)

If you would like to make a tax-deductible gift contribution toward the mission, you can do it directly on this link here: https://yfc.givingfuel.com/30631