“And the King will answer them, “Truly I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.” Matthew 25:40
Friends,
As you consider your end-of-the-year gifts during this season would you please remember LifeQuest? Despite all of the insanity of 2020 we have continued to show God’s amazing love and grace to the at-risk and incarcerated youth throughout New Mexico. We’ve become more creative in how we do that and that has created amazing new opportunities for 2021.
Our mentoring relationships with young men and women has always driven all that we strive to do. Throughout 2020 staff and volunteers have mentored over 20 different youth. We have continued doing Bible studies and Character Development classes in juvenile facilities even though in March we had to shift from in-person studies to video studies. Mentor meetings have become mentor phone calls.
Though not able to enter the juvenile facilities for Christmas Care Kit parties we have still made sure every incarcerated youth will receive a Christmas Care Kit and we are still providing Dion’s pizza, Christmas cookies, and sodas at Camino Nuevo, YDDC, John Paul Taylor Center, and the Bernalillo County Youth Service Center so that staff and youth may celebrate Christmas together.
The major change we’ve seen over the last 12 months has been an increased number of youth that are being mentored that are no longer incarcerated. LifeQuest has helped with food, rental assistance, car repair, clothes, hygiene needs, travel, and medical help. We meet in person, through Facebook Messenger, through text, and phone calls. So many are doing well in spite of the insanity of this year.
2021 promises to be even MORE exciting. In the Spring we are launching “The 4:13 Journey,” an adventure-based leadership program for at-risk youth that will include hiking, ropes courses, and other character building events. Each 12 week program will culminate in a capstone even, a Grand Canyon hike. We had our first meeting of “The NET,” in December in hopes of seeing church youth leaders and youth pastors and anyone else working with at-risk youth throughout the Albuquerque area come together to begin the process of discussing how we might better serve at-risk young men and women TOGETHER. And let’s be honest….what young person is NOT at risk today?
These things are just a small percentage of all that LifeQuest has done in 2020 and will continue to do in 2021. But we need your help. As you can imagine it’s been a tough year. God has been incredibly faithful in providing for LifeQuest during these difficult times through your gifts and prayers. Would you please consider a one-time special gift as we wrap up 2020? You can send a check or donate online at https://lifequestusa.org/donate/ We can only do what we do because of you.Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! We thank God for each of you
Serving Together,
John D. Jones