Peter was interviewing *Donna, an eleven-year-old girl, to determine her interests before matching her with a Christian mentor. The gangly pre-adolescent child sat with wide eyes when told of the fun things she could do with her own adult friend. “What I really like to do is play kickball.”
Meanwhile, I was in the kitchen speaking with Donna’s mom. Tears ran down her face as she recounted the events that led to our involvement with her family. “It made me sick when I read the police report and learned that my baby had been with the neighborhood men.”
While most eleven-year-olds were playing games like kick ball, Donna and her twelve- year-old friend were being sold by a twenty-one-year-old prostitute to support her own crack habit. If we do not find a mentor for some of these children, the streets will find a different kind of mentor.
The sickness of this world is raining down on thousands of children on Long Island. Neglected, abused and lost children are the mission field of Youth Mentoring.
Of course, most of the children involved with Youth Mentoring do not face situations like those of Donna and her family. Many of the children simply have few caring, responsible adult role models in their lives. Many of their single mothers or guardians are so occupied just trying to keep a roof over their family’s heads that they could deeply benefit from a Christian mentor in the lives of their children.
If God has called you, He is asking you to cover one assigned child or mother with the supportive umbrella of your love, attention and friendship. Your weekly meetings will be used by God to introduce His love into that boy’s, girl’s, or mother’s darkened life, and eventually enable him or her to begin an abiding relationship with Himself.
Most of us feel a little afraid and usually inadequate when we sense God’s call to the mission field. Even Moses asked, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh?” But if God wants you in this ministry, He promises just what He promised to Moses: “I will be with you.” Could we possibly ask for more?
