I have been a youth worker for over a decade and on staff with Youth For Christ for almost six years. One situation that commonly plays itself out is that families will seek out guidance or help when they are in tough situations. 

Enter: Desiree and her family. A single mother, with two pre-teen middle school students, Alexis and Christopher, living out of their car where they had all their belongings. Recently evicted, they were renting out motel rooms, staying with family members, and couch-surfing at friend’s homes. They showed up at the Tillicum City Life Center late in the afternoon in mid-December of 2019, sharing their story of heartbreak and need. 

Volunteers chatted and prepared dinner for the kids, while I talked with Desiree about the options for staying in a safe place for the night to begin finding something more reliable. Most shelters and programs were full.  Family and friends weren’t an option for the evening. After we all ate food together and cleaned up, I drove with her to a motel in Lakewood where she was able to barter a deal to exchange cleaning for one night’s stay with the manager at the front desk. 

For nearly a week, Desiree and her children were calling programs and shelters to get a more permanent situation and still bouncing between friends and family, all while trying to get Alexis and Christopher to Woodbrook Middle School on time every day to attend classes and eat the two meals per day that were served at school. 

Meanwhile, in the background, God was working in the hearts of our volunteer team and some friends from a local church to put together a Christmas celebration for Desiree and her family. On Christmas Eve my wife Rachel and I cooked and served their family dinner with food and gifts provided by others at the Center (our apartment wasn’t big enough for all of us). After dinner, we all went to Christmas Eve service to hear the story of Jesus’ birth and sing hymns. Afterward, through another couple’s generosity, we presented them with the opportunity of a 3-night stay at a local hotel so they could celebrate Christmas together. 

After about a month of building a relationship, Alexis and Christopher participating in City Life programs, and praying intently for their family, they got a more permanent housing situation. Eventually, Desiree stopped answering texts and her kids were enrolled in a middle school closer to their apartment. I was thankful we got to be the hands and feet of Jesus in that moment, but still prayed for them when it came to my mind. 

About a month ago, Alexis and Christopher were staying with some friends in Tillicum that they used to attend school with. These same friends were also youth we had developed relationships with through City Life, but were now attending church with my wife and me at Tillicum Baptist Church. Alexis and Christopher came to church with their friends, not just once, but twice. 

The second time I happened to be preaching on Jesus’ words in Matthew 28:19-20, when he said, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” After the service, in which Alexis and Christopher both slept through the first half of my sermon, Christopher approached me and asked what he needed to do to get baptized. I explained that baptism is a declaration a person makes after they have received Christ as their Lord and Savior. I shared the Gospel with him and explained what receiving salvation meant. He gave his life to Jesus.

Before he left I gave him a new Bible. Now myself and other adults in our church are spending some time with him and reaching out to his mother to begin discipleship and talk about baptism. While it has been a long process to get to this point, I am so amazed and thankful for how Jesus pursued Christopher and allowed me to be a part of sharing the Gospel with him to receive salvation. 

Without the volunteers who shared Christ’s love and the generous financial partners involved with Tacoma Youth For Christ, Christopher’s family and story may look a lot different than it does today. I cannot wait to see how God continues working in Christopher’s life.