A Summer of Transformation
Thanks to a discipleship-based summer program for our community youth, I witnessed an amazing transformation in one of the students from our neighborhood. I have been blessed to serve with both the Mission Centers of Houston’s Joy and Gano Kids Clubs for the past 5 years.
Each child is a gift from God, but I must admit that some can be a little more challenging than others. Carlos* happened to be one of the more challenging kids. For 5 years, Carlos seemed to thrive on anything he could do to go against the flow. He was always louder than the others, acted out to get attention, and rarely followed the rules. Though I cared deeply about Carlos, I was concerned about his behavior and how he would fare when he graduated from Kids Club into the Youth Club over the summer. On the other hand, I have to say that I felt a tiny bit of relief that he would be moving up to the youth program, and I continued to pray for him.
Carlos graduated into our youth program in May, and I was amazed to see him commit to our youth leadership program which lasted for 3 consecutive weeks, including several 8-hour days each week. I was concerned that he would either quit the program or be asked to leave after a day or two.
In this program, our summer college interns and the Mission Centers of Houston staff pour into our community middle and high schoolers. Their days include a daily group Bible study, hard physical labor lifting heavy boxes of food and yard work in the Houston summer heat, intense cleaning, as well as assisting in all our age-graded programs. It is a grueling schedule and doesn’t include time or tolerance for shenanigans! Serving our communities with excellence is expected.
As I dropped by the center on the second day of the program, I was amazed to see a meekness that I had never seen in Carlos. Every day, he seemed to be more and more interested in doing his best. The same children that he was distracting the previous month, he was now taking the time to listen to and help in any way that he could. Within a few days, I was shocked to see him in front of the room leading recreation and the children’s praise and worship time!
By the end of the 3-week program, Carlos, by the grace of God, had matured so much. In fact, he wanted to continue serving his community in the fall. When he started middle school, he even asked his coach if he could miss some practices to help at the center! I was very blessed to introduce a young man who is now assisting me with my small group in the kids’ club, and guess what? His name is CARLOS!!!
I praise the Lord that He has allowed me to see an amazing transformation in this Carlo’s life after 5 years of working with this young man. I am so thankful that the Lord never gives up on us. We shouldn’t give up on others, either! Through this intensive summer discipleship program, Carlos has grown in his faith while serving in his own neighborhood. I can’t wait to see all that God has in store for him!
*Names have been changed for privacy.
Cheryl Chadwick has served as Director of Missionary Training, Kids, and Volunteer Ministries at Mission Centers of Houston (MCH) since January 2017. Prior to that, she served as Director of Children’s Ministries in various churches for more than 20 years and as the State Children’s Ministry Strategist with the SBC of Virginia. In her position at MCH, she helps her husband, Jeff, with the overall management of MCH—particularly overseeing and coordinating volunteer engagement, directing the children’s ministry programs, and coordinating and supervising MCH’s missionary intern programs.