HOW ONE WEEKEND CHANGED EVERYTHING
My name is Rosalind and my husband and I have been in love with Teen Leadership Foundation from the moment we learned about its mission.
We originally heard about an opportunity to volunteer at a camp for foster kids through our church and decided to participate for the weekend. How bad can one weekend be? We thought we could do our “serve day” duty and move on with our lives. We didn’t expect to be changed forever.
My husband and I were paired with two brothers and their sister who all looked older than their stated ages. They looked a little mean and had already isolated themselves in the corner of the game room—my husband and I remember thinking that it would be a long weekend. At first they were timid and did not want to interact much; but as the day went on, it was obvious we were going to have a memorable weekend.
By the second day, they shared their stories with us, stories from being in foster care, their fears and frustrations, and, by the last day, they had broken down almost all their walls. My heart melted, and I saw God’s plan unravel before my very eyes.
We have been their mentors ever since. We have watched them grow from troubled teens to amazing adults—we have been there through their high school graduations, go to college, to becoming working adults; one brother is a team leader in the military, and the other two siblings have recently become great parents who provide unconditional love to their own children.
We just had our annual “Fancy Christmas Dinner” where we use real, porcelain plates and serve-ware, and eat some of their favorite foods—Korean BBQ and Hawaiian Katsu Chicken. The house was full of our kids, their kids, and rings of laughter.
We thought we could do our “serve day” duty and move on with our lives. We didn’t expect to be changed forever.
God called us to serve with TLF because, though we have volunteered and donated to many causes over the years, we saw the direct affect TLF had on our foster teen community. God has shown us that every child can be saved, and that every child deserves to feel God’s love and kindness. In my experience, some of these teens were experiencing that love and kindness for the first time at Teen Leadership Camp.
Many of the teens in the foster care community are highly prone to homelessness, teen pregnancy, drug addiction, the list goes on. But having a stable adult in their life to assist them and mentor them can literally change their path.
We have watched them grow from troubled teens to amazing adults—we have been there through their high school graduations, go to college, to becoming working adults…
We have seen TLF go from a few camps each summer to being an influence to the child welfare system across the nation. We have seen Lisa lead and dream big for God’s kingdom…and 10 years later, Lisa is speaking to pastors and community leaders about the difference we can make in foster and emancipating teens’ lives. Teen Leadership Foundation is providing mentorship, housing, jobs, scholarships, and all sorts of resources to the foster teen community, but what they have provided to thousands of teens in the past 10 years is far more important: God’s love.
TLF has changed our lives. We know that it can change yours.