Spring Update/Prayer letter!!

Hello Friends! This is my Spring update letter!!  I send out a letter out, every four months along with some other YFC stuff to everyone who signs up to receive it! I decided for now that because there are alot of you who follow this blog but aren't yet signed up for this letter that I will post it here! 

Also if you would like to sign up to receive my YFC letters please email me your name, address including postal code, phone number and email to

ryan.russell@yfccanada.org 

thanks for reading!

“Would you like to go for a coffee sometime?”

With the sounds of the Halo video game going on, I have to lean in to hear this youth’s name. “My name is John” but I barley have enough time to remember his name before he yells triumphantly “BOOM HEADSHOT!“ my momentary lack of focus earns my character a quick death. “You’re pretty good at this”’ I say, and then I throw out a casual would you like to go for a coffee sometime? I’ll pay”

 “Would you like to go for a coffee sometime?” This sentence is so simple but the implications are amazing, this simple phase changed my life!

Almost three years ago I was a youth, broken and in pain feeling empty and lost until God placed a youth worker in my life who asked this very question, a person who showed me that I have potential, and purpose in this world. This person met with me weekly for coffee building into my life, this person was a role model and someone who made a positive impact in my life because of that, I discovered a relationship with Jesus! I now want nothing less than what God has for me, to reach out to the street entrenched youth in Calgary, while proudly hoisting the banner of Love and Salvation Christ has given us to those who so desperately need it. You see the tables have turned and things have changed! It’s my turn to be that person, a youth outreach worker! I want nothing more than to intentionally impact young adults. By showing the youth that they have worth, that they can have dreams and that they can claim the life God has for them! I want to Impact a youth the same way that youth worker impacted me. And all this is possible because of God placing that youth worker in my life! With all that said I just want to say how surreal that it has been as I have been getting to know “John” though our coffee dates.
“John” is different than a lot of the youth I meet at StreetLight. He has a really good paying job, doing asbestos removal, because of that he is a really hard working youth. He is very intelligent very easy going, physically active, and funny as well; a good kid. The only thing is that John is addicted to gambling and also drinking. He takes a lot of the money he makes straight to the poker table, usually for a loss. So obviously because of this he doesn’t have money for a place to call his own He is currently couch hopping as well as staying in the shelters but is in a program for housing which is great! What I find interesting is how John grew up knowing about God, going to church and youth group, he even gave his life to God when he was younger. But for some reason he walked away from God, I believe like many others making a commitment he didn’t understand. Though the really cool thing is that whenever we have a conversation we are lead back to the subject of God and what John believes!

“Welcome Back.”

When you think of the Calgary tower, you don’t think of an ideal location to have a coffee with someone but that’s where I chose to take John for our fourth coffee date, for something to remember. A cool thing happened during this coffee date that I would like to share; John and I were talking about God and if he was real or not so I asked John if he believed if hypothetically God could speak, would he? And he replied something along the lines of “If God was God then yes He could” So then I told him I was going to try something different with him that might be weird and then proceeded to asked him if he wanted to try, and he said yes with a sceptical but curious look on his face. So I proceeded to do a listening prayer with him. Without going too much into to it listening prayer is wear you invite God to meet you in a place while you are praying and talk with God. While I do listening prayer with someone I like to give them to ask them questions to God or just listen to Him. “John If God was to speak to you right  now what would he say. I waited for probably ten seconds when John said quietly “He said welcome back; and bask in my Glory”. I don’t think John quite understood the magnitude of what God said, and to be honest I must have been thinking about it for a week. Two words. That’s all God needed to say to convey His Love, Welcome back. God didn’t say anything, like why haven’t you been going to church or why do you keep sinning, rather in two words said “I love you John” no matter what you have done, I love you and you can always come back to me. Our God is so amazing, His grace He pours out over us so undeserved, but He loves us…
                                                      

Luke 15:11-32

Thank you for reading this letter (it’s a long one I know!) and please keep “John” in your prayers, as well as our relationship that we are continuing to building, I see so much potential in John and I am sure God has absolutely amazing things planed for him! I have been continued to be encouraged by everyone that has been supporting me, whether you are the person who came up to me and said “Ryan you are in my prayers” or have been sending me financial support it absolutely means so much! I am blessed by everyone that God continues to surrounds me with; YOU guys make my dream possible! Thank you so much!

Love In Christ
Ryan Russell-Timbrell