Over the summer, our Parent Life leaders and young moms got together frequently to have play dates, eat, and be together outside in the sun. 

After one of the hangouts, Anabelle, our Parent Life Coordinator, texted and asked a young mom, who is not yet following Jesus, “What would you like to see more of at Parent Life?”

She answered, “I want to learn more about the life Jesus lived on earth and I want to go to the beach.”

So that’s exactly what they did. Three teen mothers, Anabelle, and volunteer Emily hopped into a car and drove to Ocean Shores for the day. All the moms were able to leave kids with trusted adults back at home and for two hours each way the conversations just flowed. They talked about life, friendship, work, aspirations, stresses, and they encouraged each other to keep seeking personal growth. For all of our young moms, this was their first time getting away with friends on their own. Emily and Anabelle got to hear more about what the young moms were thinking about, were asked questions about their own lives, and just had a blast.

At the beach they had lunch, got ice cream, and spent some time in individual self reflection. Everyone on the trip, both leaders and students, realized that they all should make more time at home to become more self aware and avoid the traps of living life on autopilot. Anabelle says, “…over time, if we don’t self reflect, we become the habits and tendencies of those around us or what we see in the media, and that’s not always how we want to live. Reflecting on how we’re doing, where we’re at, and where we want to go can help us be more intentional about the trajectory of our lives. I saw that all of our young moms desire to move toward God and not away from Him.”

“I believe that by asking open-ended questions, we can discover a lot about what a person has experienced in life, how they’ve formed their ways of thinking and living, and what path they want to take moving forward. This day trip was so good for me because I fall into autopilot way too easily when I don’t take time to reflect. Being present with God on the beach was so refreshing!”

Your support can help open doors for Anabelle and the Parent Life team to create safe, supportive communities where young people can ask questions, openly express their needs, and help each other meet them. Through loving relationships and open, authentic conversations, Jesus is drawing these young women to Himself. 

For more information on how you can get involved in the work God is doing through Parent Life, click below.