Adventure is an important part of life. That is so true for me, for my family, and for my mentees. Much of what the world offers up is distractions to numb us or smaller stories for us to live in (as opposed to God's Story, which is full of adventure, risk, joy, suffering, and purpose). I am learning to embrace the adventure of life that God has me on, and I spend a lot of time helping my family and my mentees to see life as an adventure that God has in store for us all.
Last night, a boy in the LAMP program stopped by to visit us at our house in Homewood so that he could have some help with his math homework. He was just in time to have dinner with us, so we all shared a meal together. Then, after dinner I said, "If we're going to do your math homework, then let's have an adventure and go some place for inspiration!" So we drove to Oakland and went to the Cathedral of Learning at the University of Pittsburgh to do his homework. We studied in the tallest school building in this hemisphere of the world. We rode the elevator to the top floor and I helped him dream about what he wanted to do with his life some day. We talked about how life was an adventure, and the homework that he was supposed to do in this his seventh grade year was just a part of the adventure. It all adds up to something... God's purposes for his life.
People often ask me if my wife and daughters feel safe in Homewood. I always tell people that I have not set out to lead my wife and daughters into a life of safety, far removed from the adventures that God has planned for us. Instead, I plan to go where God is leading and embrace the risk of adventure that is the central theme to the Christian life. God does not want us to play it safe. I don't think God is that interested in the American Dream, including how safe our neighborhood is, or how big our cars and house are, or how much money we responsibly saved up for retirement. God intends for our lives to be an adventure... and as a parent, I should not be sheltering my children from that adventure for them to suddenly try to discover it some day once they are adults. There is no reason why they cannot be living out the adventure of God's purposes right now, at a young age. My children experience the adventure with their mom and dad, and they are learning how to navigate cities and complex circumstances. They are learning how to serve others. Adventure is not meant to be talked about... it is meant to be lived. God is on a mission to redeem the world. He does not want us to play it safe.
One of my mentors, Dr. Randy White, raised his family in the Lowell Neighborhood of Fresno, California, which is a neighborhood with the highest levels of concentrated poverty in the United States. In describing why he chose to raise his family there, he wrote "The American family today is in great need of adventure, and I don't mean more trips to Disneyland. Our vision of life is so small that we are instantly dissatisfied when we attain it. W are in need of an overarching purpose for the family - a purpose bigger than the family itself. Moving to the Lowell Neighborhood has been the most focusing experience in my family's life. First it scrambled our values, and then it created a wonderful new center. The city has been an able teacher in leadership and outreach, a skilled provider of positive and negative role models, a jarring tutor in conflict resolution and a deliberate trainer in courage. There have been countless other areas of growth for us all. God has been faithful to lead the whole family, not just the dad, into an exciting journey which is helping us all to mature in Christ. What I see happening in our family gives me hope that the powerful and pervasive cultural pressures that are exerted on a family - that try to twist and conform it to an impotent shallowness - cannot compete with the adventure that God is leading us through. The things God is producing in our lives are well worth the risks of the environment." - Journey to the Center of the City
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
A Difficult Day
Yesterday was a difficult day. I spent the day at the Allegheny County courthouse with three boys from my neighborhood in Homewood. I know all three boys pretty well, as they have each visited my house a lot since I moved to Homewood. I've shared many meals with them, and we've talked and dreamed about their futures. We've talked a lot about making good choices and avoiding the temptations for young men in Homewood. I have tried for nearly two years to find LAMP mentors for each of them, but that effort has been unsuccessful. So, even though I've been able to speak into their lives a little bit, they have not had a consistent mentor of their own to meet with them regularly. And that's why yesterday was so difficult. I watched as my young friends were convicted of felonies and sent to the local youth detention center. I did my best to support them and their families, but what could I possibly say? It hurts. It stinks. They have so much life ahead of them, and they are starting their young lives out with criminal records.
I am not dismissing what they did to get them into that situation. Their actions were wrong. Period. And they hurt someone from their neighborhood pretty bad. I feel so bad about that, and they are receiving their consequences. Still, I feel bad that they did not have mentors. They waited, and nobody came. Mentoring is not a guarantee that kids will not get into any trouble, but my experience (and a great deal of data on mentoring) supports the fact that high risk youth with mentors get into much less trouble than high risk youth who lack positive adult role models in their lives. I am not simply speaking about a bunch of numbers on somebody's fact sheet about at-risk youth. I know a lot of kids in Homewood, and the kids that have LAMP mentors are really doing well in school, with their families, and in their lives in general. I could tell stories all day about the differences I have seen in my own mentees. That's what made my day yesterday so heartbreaking. Could a mentor have disrupted the destructive path my young neighbors took? I guess I'll never know.
There are around 15 million at-risk children in the United States who want or need a mentor. Homewood is just one of many neighborhoods who could really benefit from more mentors. Mentoring really does work! My hope is that my neighbors will be released from their youth detention facilities before they are aged out of the LAMP program at the end of this year so that they can be matched with a mentor. And my hope is that at-risk youth living all over the world will have the opportunity to see what it's like to have a mentor invest in them in a positive relationship over time. My particular passion within that context is to see churches invest in their cities by mentoring vulnerable young people, whether it's in their local schools, in their houses, in the streets, or in the churches. Where ever mentoring happens, it can be effective. Let's work together to find mentors for all children in need... in Homewood, across the nation, and around the world!
I am not dismissing what they did to get them into that situation. Their actions were wrong. Period. And they hurt someone from their neighborhood pretty bad. I feel so bad about that, and they are receiving their consequences. Still, I feel bad that they did not have mentors. They waited, and nobody came. Mentoring is not a guarantee that kids will not get into any trouble, but my experience (and a great deal of data on mentoring) supports the fact that high risk youth with mentors get into much less trouble than high risk youth who lack positive adult role models in their lives. I am not simply speaking about a bunch of numbers on somebody's fact sheet about at-risk youth. I know a lot of kids in Homewood, and the kids that have LAMP mentors are really doing well in school, with their families, and in their lives in general. I could tell stories all day about the differences I have seen in my own mentees. That's what made my day yesterday so heartbreaking. Could a mentor have disrupted the destructive path my young neighbors took? I guess I'll never know.
There are around 15 million at-risk children in the United States who want or need a mentor. Homewood is just one of many neighborhoods who could really benefit from more mentors. Mentoring really does work! My hope is that my neighbors will be released from their youth detention facilities before they are aged out of the LAMP program at the end of this year so that they can be matched with a mentor. And my hope is that at-risk youth living all over the world will have the opportunity to see what it's like to have a mentor invest in them in a positive relationship over time. My particular passion within that context is to see churches invest in their cities by mentoring vulnerable young people, whether it's in their local schools, in their houses, in the streets, or in the churches. Where ever mentoring happens, it can be effective. Let's work together to find mentors for all children in need... in Homewood, across the nation, and around the world!
Monday, January 24, 2011
New Journeymen
My good friends, Steve and Tony, and I have started recording Journeymen podcasts once again. If you are interested in the masculine journey of following Christ from a humorous perspective, including such topics as technology, urban ministry, church leadership, parenting, and marriage, then click on the Journeymen link on this blog to go to the website and subscribe to our podcast on ITunes.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Signs of Hope: Fences and Construction Vehicles
A few days ago I walked out my front door and was surprised by what I saw... a fence was being installed around the empty lots across the street from my house. My first thought was, "Yes! A sign of hope!" The initial signs of construction were under way. I excitedly informed Julie about the new progress in our neighborhood. The lots across the street from us had become overwhelmed by weeds and trash. People have dumped all kinds of things there... bottles, bags, old mattresses, bicycles, appliances, and other items representing the illegal underground economy that exists in the streets around my house. Yesterday, I was awoken early by the sounds of large construction machines being delivered to the vacant area. They immediately started clearing the lots by pushing all of the dirt, weeds, and trash into a huge pile to be hauled away. Just like that, months of frustration about the appearance and activity that goes on in the lots across from us was squashed by the transformation provided in just two days by a fence and a huge pile of dirt.
Transformation is a process. It is not a destination that we ever arrive at. That is true with physical places, and that is true with people. God wants to work through each of us to support the process of transformation in both people and places. The forces of transformation are at work in Homewood. Yes, my home is surrounded by boarded up homes, drug houses, dealers, homeless people who push shopping carts around, addicts, prostitutes, public schools that struggle to meet the needs of their students, a general lack of legitimate businesses, and many more signs of need. But my neighborhood also has many assets. New houses are going up, good neighbors are raising their families here, organizations and churches are working toward transformation and reconciliation here, and one thing I know for sure is that young people are being mentored in this community.
When I look out my window in Homewood, I can choose to focus on the signs of need or the signs of hope. This past week was a good week in terms of seeing signs of hope. Many people choose to leave when things get tough, but one of my hopes is that I will continue to engage and work toward the transformation of Homewood. I'm not giving up. There are too many good things going on here. There will be setbacks and challenges, but we will persevere. We will continue to work with as many young people as we can. We will continue to recruit mentors from churches. We will build relationships with kids in Homewood. We will see people and places involved in the process of transformation over time. And we will continue to be encouraged. God is moving in my neighborhood. It's an exciting thing to be a part of.
Transformation is a process. It is not a destination that we ever arrive at. That is true with physical places, and that is true with people. God wants to work through each of us to support the process of transformation in both people and places. The forces of transformation are at work in Homewood. Yes, my home is surrounded by boarded up homes, drug houses, dealers, homeless people who push shopping carts around, addicts, prostitutes, public schools that struggle to meet the needs of their students, a general lack of legitimate businesses, and many more signs of need. But my neighborhood also has many assets. New houses are going up, good neighbors are raising their families here, organizations and churches are working toward transformation and reconciliation here, and one thing I know for sure is that young people are being mentored in this community.
When I look out my window in Homewood, I can choose to focus on the signs of need or the signs of hope. This past week was a good week in terms of seeing signs of hope. Many people choose to leave when things get tough, but one of my hopes is that I will continue to engage and work toward the transformation of Homewood. I'm not giving up. There are too many good things going on here. There will be setbacks and challenges, but we will persevere. We will continue to work with as many young people as we can. We will continue to recruit mentors from churches. We will build relationships with kids in Homewood. We will see people and places involved in the process of transformation over time. And we will continue to be encouraged. God is moving in my neighborhood. It's an exciting thing to be a part of.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Missional Church
One of the things I love about LAMP is that the mentors are people from churches who are living out their faith in tangible ways throughout the week, at all kinds of different hours in the day and night, in places where a lot of people from Pittsburgh are afraid or unwilling to go, with at-risk kids that the world has written off. LAMP is a good example of the missional church. Church is not a what. It is not a building on the corner with lots of programs where people gather on Sunday mornings. The church is a who. It is people living out their faith in relationship to God, with one another, and with people in the world who are not Christians. God did not design the church for us to build church silos for ourselves where we have our own "Christian clubs." Followers of Christ should be spread out throughout society, in all sectors, on a daily basis, whenever and where ever possible... especially in places that may not appear to be very "churchy."
Reggie McNeal writes, "Church as who fulfills the covenant that God first made with Abraham when God created a people to partner with him in his redemptive mission in the world. That covenant indicates that we have been blessed to bless. Simply put, we are the blessing people. That is both our distinct privilege and our distinct responsibility. In our blessing of the world, we live out the passion that God has to bless all people so that they know this about him and are drawn to him. It means that the church does not have a mission; the mission has a church. The mission is God's. It is redemptive, addressing everything that sin marred across the entire bandwidth of the human condition. It is a mission being played out in the world beyond just God's people. In this biblical understanding of the church, we grasp that the church is not the point; the mission is the point. We have been created to be boots-on-the-ground partners. On a macro scale, this view of church means that every community should be better if the church gets the mission right. The scorecard can no longer be about how well our individual congregations are doing. The condition of our communities is the scorecard for how well the church is doing at being the people of God." - To Transform a City
Reggie McNeal writes, "Church as who fulfills the covenant that God first made with Abraham when God created a people to partner with him in his redemptive mission in the world. That covenant indicates that we have been blessed to bless. Simply put, we are the blessing people. That is both our distinct privilege and our distinct responsibility. In our blessing of the world, we live out the passion that God has to bless all people so that they know this about him and are drawn to him. It means that the church does not have a mission; the mission has a church. The mission is God's. It is redemptive, addressing everything that sin marred across the entire bandwidth of the human condition. It is a mission being played out in the world beyond just God's people. In this biblical understanding of the church, we grasp that the church is not the point; the mission is the point. We have been created to be boots-on-the-ground partners. On a macro scale, this view of church means that every community should be better if the church gets the mission right. The scorecard can no longer be about how well our individual congregations are doing. The condition of our communities is the scorecard for how well the church is doing at being the people of God." - To Transform a City
Friday, January 14, 2011
Frankie's Poem
The guest blogger today is a 12 year old boy in the LAMP program named Frankie. He wrote this poem for a school project:
Ode to the Days of my Life
Ode to waking up for the first time.
Opening my eyes seeing a fresh warm smile
And feeling warm hands on my back.
Someone holding me.
Ode to being small.
A toddler asking questions.
Running around.
Energetic. Fun.
Ode to the first day of school.
Meeting new kids.
My first best friend, Alonzo,
Sparking up my funny streak.
Ode to my grandma.
A very wise person who helped me in a time of anger and confusion.
The feeling of love and support.
Ode to losing two people important to me.
My close cousin, Alesha,
My laugh-hearty Aunt Anni Boo Boo.
Ode to my brother, Tyran,
For helping me for guidance and love.
Ode to being here in this class room
With friends all of you.
Ode to the Days of my Life
Ode to waking up for the first time.
Opening my eyes seeing a fresh warm smile
And feeling warm hands on my back.
Someone holding me.
Ode to being small.
A toddler asking questions.
Running around.
Energetic. Fun.
Ode to the first day of school.
Meeting new kids.
My first best friend, Alonzo,
Sparking up my funny streak.
Ode to my grandma.
A very wise person who helped me in a time of anger and confusion.
The feeling of love and support.
Ode to losing two people important to me.
My close cousin, Alesha,
My laugh-hearty Aunt Anni Boo Boo.
Ode to my brother, Tyran,
For helping me for guidance and love.
Ode to being here in this class room
With friends all of you.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Justice
Many Christians are confused about the issue of social justice. There are many different perspectives on the complex subject, and there is a lot of baggage attached to the phrase "social justice." As much as I can, I have started to simply use the word "justice" when describing God's plan for followers of Jesus to be actively engaged in serving others who may be in need.
People often ask me why I am so passionate about justice, and I usually say it is because I want to be an imitator of Christ. Jesus was (and is) passionate about justice. Justice is closely tied to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Christians who are on mission should be supporting justice. It is not an option. Unfortunately, Christians often fall short in the process of being stewards of power and influence to root out institutional injustices that keep mass numbers of people living in cycles of suffering. Individual compassion is the low hanging fruit for Christians, and we get stuck there when we could be acting justly on behalf of others. Nehemiah's leadership is a good example of God's transforming power working through leaders to help large numbers of people to be freed from opression. Of course, the concept of acting powerfully to supposedly release the masses from opression has been horrifically abused in the past by some communists and socialists. It's why Christian leaders must be so careful so as not to do harm to people while trying to help... especially when it comes to justice. Again, I think Jesus is the best example for leaders to follow.
Another reason why the social justice issue confuses many modern Christians is because we live in such an individualistic society. Culturally speaking, when we think that it's all about me, then it becomes a foreign concept to think about how our actions might impact others. The world's message is that it's all about me, but that's also the message that a lot of American Christian churches are lining up to offer people... "it's all about you. You can have it all if you just do the right Christian things, and God will bless you. Your relationship with God is strictly personal." I really think the heresy in the prosperity doctrine and self-help gospel confuses folks about how they could be giving themselves away to others in need in our own cities and around the globe when we die to our selves and gain Christ.
People often ask me why I am so passionate about justice, and I usually say it is because I want to be an imitator of Christ. Jesus was (and is) passionate about justice. Justice is closely tied to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Christians who are on mission should be supporting justice. It is not an option. Unfortunately, Christians often fall short in the process of being stewards of power and influence to root out institutional injustices that keep mass numbers of people living in cycles of suffering. Individual compassion is the low hanging fruit for Christians, and we get stuck there when we could be acting justly on behalf of others. Nehemiah's leadership is a good example of God's transforming power working through leaders to help large numbers of people to be freed from opression. Of course, the concept of acting powerfully to supposedly release the masses from opression has been horrifically abused in the past by some communists and socialists. It's why Christian leaders must be so careful so as not to do harm to people while trying to help... especially when it comes to justice. Again, I think Jesus is the best example for leaders to follow.
Another reason why the social justice issue confuses many modern Christians is because we live in such an individualistic society. Culturally speaking, when we think that it's all about me, then it becomes a foreign concept to think about how our actions might impact others. The world's message is that it's all about me, but that's also the message that a lot of American Christian churches are lining up to offer people... "it's all about you. You can have it all if you just do the right Christian things, and God will bless you. Your relationship with God is strictly personal." I really think the heresy in the prosperity doctrine and self-help gospel confuses folks about how they could be giving themselves away to others in need in our own cities and around the globe when we die to our selves and gain Christ.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
The Journey of Life
I was involved in a great conversation tonight with my church small group about purpose in life, desires, passions, and heaven. It was so much fun! I think it is so important to slow down and reflect as much as possible about our hearts and the many different ways that God has designed each of us. Reflections about the meaning of life... the ups and downs... the joys and the sorrows... the desires of our hearts... are best done in authentic community. If our lives are a journey, then we need to have other people along with us on that journey.
I have had many people come along side me during my journey, and I experience great joy in investing in the lives of the kids I am mentoring, as well. My mentees have plenty of adults in their lives who tell them about all of their needs, all of their shortcomings, and all of their problems. But, as a mentor, I serve the function of being an adult who builds them up, helps them dream, and encourages them to pursue the journey of life with all of their hearts.
And so there are two basic perspectives to live by in this blog post. First, God has designed each of us to live a passionate life of adventure in real community with people who are dedicated to lifting us up. And, second, we all have a responsibility to invest in the next generation of young people by helping them to live from their hearts in a passionate, adventure-filled journey in relationship with God and one another.
I have had many people come along side me during my journey, and I experience great joy in investing in the lives of the kids I am mentoring, as well. My mentees have plenty of adults in their lives who tell them about all of their needs, all of their shortcomings, and all of their problems. But, as a mentor, I serve the function of being an adult who builds them up, helps them dream, and encourages them to pursue the journey of life with all of their hearts.
And so there are two basic perspectives to live by in this blog post. First, God has designed each of us to live a passionate life of adventure in real community with people who are dedicated to lifting us up. And, second, we all have a responsibility to invest in the next generation of young people by helping them to live from their hearts in a passionate, adventure-filled journey in relationship with God and one another.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
A Restored Relationship
I have shared in blog posts in recent months about a rough stretch that a boy from Homewood has been going through lately. He had been a frequent visitor to our house for about a year, and he was good friends with several boys in the LAMP program. His behavior was crazy when we first met him, but over time he really turned things around and he was a joy to be around. We kept telling him what a huge difference we had seen in him. He asked for a LAMP mentor, and I had actually found a mentor to match with him but his parent would not allow his son to be in the program. My friend was very disappointed that he could not have a LAMP mentor, but we were still able to spend time with him pretty frequently. Then, about two months ago he was expelled from his school in Homewood for discipline problems. He stopped by to visit Julie and I the day after he was expelled, and for some reason he threw rocks at my neighbors house and my neighbor caught him and gave him a stern reprimand. He stopped visiting us after that. In that same week, he was arrested for jumping someone in Homewood with one of his friends. After that, his relationships with his friends in the LAMP program broke down and things were very tense between them for a long time. I spent a lot of time trying to sort all of those issues out. It was so hard to watch this kid go through almost a total meltdown at the age of 13. Julie and I prayed for him a lot during that time. We know God still has a purpose and plan for his life, and we have felt so sad about losing the influence that God had given us in his life.
So... last night Julie was shocked when she pulled her car in front of our house to unload groceries and she heard, "Ms. Julie!!!" She couldn't see the face in the distance, but she knew that voice well. It was our long lost friend. He came strolling up to our house with one of the LAMP boys... one of the relationships that we knew had been previously strained. When we asked them what they were doing together, they said, "Oh... we worked it out. We're cool now." And, just like that, this kid was back in our lives again. The boys came in to our house and we fed them. I got to spend some good time with my long lost friend. It was a joyful reunion. We talked a little bit about where he had been and the trouble that he had been in, but we focused more on the community service he was doing and the ways that he intended to get things turned around. That stuff didn't matter to me, really. I'm glad he is back on track, but we all make mistakes (especially at a young age) and the important thing to me was that our friendship was restored.
My friend has a long path ahead of him, but I know without a doubt that God has a plan for all of the at-risk youth that we work with in Homewood. I know most people in American society probably want to avoid the kids that we work with at all costs, but most people don't see the kids as I see them. I see great potential. I see great hope. And, most of all, I see Jesus in them when I look at them. I know God loves them so much! And so, as a follower of Christ, I should see hope for a future in the eyes of the kids in Homewood instead of a future of death or incarceration. God wants to work through all of us, as Christians, to reach people who are on a path to destruction. It does not matter how nice our American Dream is... our good jobs, our nice houses and cars, our never ending need for more stuff and more success... if we stand by and watch people suffering and hurting when we could be a part of the solution to people's pain. We may not all be called to work with troubled youth in Homewood, but all Christians are called to be deeply engaged in the work of transformation in the lives of people who are hurting in our own cities and around the world.
So... last night Julie was shocked when she pulled her car in front of our house to unload groceries and she heard, "Ms. Julie!!!" She couldn't see the face in the distance, but she knew that voice well. It was our long lost friend. He came strolling up to our house with one of the LAMP boys... one of the relationships that we knew had been previously strained. When we asked them what they were doing together, they said, "Oh... we worked it out. We're cool now." And, just like that, this kid was back in our lives again. The boys came in to our house and we fed them. I got to spend some good time with my long lost friend. It was a joyful reunion. We talked a little bit about where he had been and the trouble that he had been in, but we focused more on the community service he was doing and the ways that he intended to get things turned around. That stuff didn't matter to me, really. I'm glad he is back on track, but we all make mistakes (especially at a young age) and the important thing to me was that our friendship was restored.
My friend has a long path ahead of him, but I know without a doubt that God has a plan for all of the at-risk youth that we work with in Homewood. I know most people in American society probably want to avoid the kids that we work with at all costs, but most people don't see the kids as I see them. I see great potential. I see great hope. And, most of all, I see Jesus in them when I look at them. I know God loves them so much! And so, as a follower of Christ, I should see hope for a future in the eyes of the kids in Homewood instead of a future of death or incarceration. God wants to work through all of us, as Christians, to reach people who are on a path to destruction. It does not matter how nice our American Dream is... our good jobs, our nice houses and cars, our never ending need for more stuff and more success... if we stand by and watch people suffering and hurting when we could be a part of the solution to people's pain. We may not all be called to work with troubled youth in Homewood, but all Christians are called to be deeply engaged in the work of transformation in the lives of people who are hurting in our own cities and around the world.
Monday, January 3, 2011
Mentoring: Transforming the Lives of Children in Homewood
This weekend at North Way Wexford a LAMP mentor shared her story during the sermon in front of a couple thousand people. The message this weekend was about life change stories from 2010. Her mentee, an eighth grade girl at the Faison Intermediate School in Homewood, showed some remarkable progress this past year. This is their third year of being matched in a mentoring relationship. During the first two years together her mentee had fifteen suspensions, and she received mostly D's on her report card. This past year, her mentee has made the honor roll with mostly B's, and she has not been suspended once during the entire year! Last month, this mentee received the Most Improved Student Award recognizing her amazing improvement at school.
I have experienced similar results with several of my mentees. One of my LAMP mentees, who I have been with for almost five years, had a lot of trouble during his first couple of years at Faison Intermediate School in Homewood. During our first year together he was suspended nine times and he was nearly held back because his grades were so bad. During our second year together, he was again suspended for nine days and his grades were terrible. In our third year together, he was only suspended for one day and his grades improved. Last year, he graduated eighth grade with good grades and he has not been suspended in over a year. He has made a great adjustment to high school this year... I'm very proud of him.
These stories are just two examples of the hundreds of young people in Homewood who have been impacted by LAMP mentoring over the past five years. Kids' lives are being impacted by the relationships they have built with mentors from churches in Pittsburgh. I am looking forward to an amazing year of transformation in the lives of the LAMP kids in 2011, and even over the next five years as churches in Pittsburgh collectively live up to our long term commitment to the children in Homewood through the Learning and Mentoring Partnership.
I have experienced similar results with several of my mentees. One of my LAMP mentees, who I have been with for almost five years, had a lot of trouble during his first couple of years at Faison Intermediate School in Homewood. During our first year together he was suspended nine times and he was nearly held back because his grades were so bad. During our second year together, he was again suspended for nine days and his grades were terrible. In our third year together, he was only suspended for one day and his grades improved. Last year, he graduated eighth grade with good grades and he has not been suspended in over a year. He has made a great adjustment to high school this year... I'm very proud of him.
These stories are just two examples of the hundreds of young people in Homewood who have been impacted by LAMP mentoring over the past five years. Kids' lives are being impacted by the relationships they have built with mentors from churches in Pittsburgh. I am looking forward to an amazing year of transformation in the lives of the LAMP kids in 2011, and even over the next five years as churches in Pittsburgh collectively live up to our long term commitment to the children in Homewood through the Learning and Mentoring Partnership.
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