Throughout the Old Testament, God reminds His people to look back and remember the things He has done. In fact, written across the door of our scrapbook ministry closet is this verse from Psalms:
“We will tell the next generation the praise-worthy deeds of the Lord, His powers and the wonders He has done.”
In one of my favorite Bible stories, God tells Joshua to erect a monument of stones to mark the spot where He stopped the flow of the Jordan River for the Isreaelites to cross. After Joshua instructs one man from each of the twelve tribes to carry a stone from the middle of the river, he says, “When your children ask you, ‘What are these stones to you?’ you’ll say, ‘The flow of the Jordan was stopped in front of the Chest of the Covenant of God as it crossed the Jordan—stopped in its tracks. These stones are a permanent memorial for the People of Israel.’” (Joshua 4:7) Verse 9 of the same chapter says that the stones are still there today. Later, after Joshua erects the monument, he again emphasizes the purpose: “In the days to come, when your children ask their fathers, ‘What are these stones doing here?’ tell your children this: ‘Israel crossed over this Jordan on dry ground.’ Yes, God, your God, dried up the Jordan’s waters for you until you had crossed, just as God, your God, did at the Red Sea, which had dried up before us until we had crossed. This was so that everybody on earth would recognize how strong God’s rescuing hand is and so that you would hold God in solemn reverence always.”
God wants us to look back and remember how strong His rescuing hand is. He wants our children to ask, why? He wants us to pass on the praise-worthy deeds of the Lord.
At our year-end staff meeting, we did just that. The eight of us reflected on the last year and offered praise for the ways we’ve witnessed God at work at Fortress. Here on this blog, we’re laying the stones… in words …a monument of sorts. Please sit in on our meeting and join us as we glorify God for the great things He has done!
Michael - This year, I was blessed by the commitment in some of the kids to strive to know Christ. James really stepped up - it was exciting to see his journey, the transformation in his life, his renewed focus in school, his determination to be a positive leader. Rosa and Jose have a tough home life - constantly moving - yet they’re always happy to be here, eager to please, easy to love. God shields them from their own circumstances so much that they’ve become a beacon of light to us!
Terri - Building Blocks has had amazing support. From the initial brainstorming to the reality of it happening, it’s been an amazing thing to see. At the last minute, things just fell into place - furniture that was exactly what we needed, teachers who were retiring who just happened to hear about us and wanted to help, etc.
Ms. D - The twins have changed so much since they first came; their language has improved. Another child came out of her shell a lot. We were in doubt that we’d have enough kids [in the Building Blocks program]. Now look at us; we have enough and more!
Kristen - I think it’s great that our [kids'] parents feel comfortable enough to contact us and share some pretty personal info [regarding finances and other confidential details, making it easier for us to minister to the kids]. This past year, Destiny was encouraged to say she’s beautiful and believe it. JC’s principal says he hasn’t been in trouble in three weeks! His aunt called to say thank you because he’s changed so much since coming to Fortress. His mentor has played a big part in that.
Ramon - I’m blessed by the staff accountability here - the trust and comfort we have with each other. It’s awesome to be part of a team that cares enough about the mission and each other to hold each other to higher standards.
Robert - I thank God that it’s been such an enjoyable experience. Watching the kids’ improvements in just one semester has been amazing. And the staff is like family - loose and fun, open and easy to talk to, but responsible at the same time, giving back. [A mentor once told me,] “The older you get, the less your life is about you.” That’s sorta become my motto, and it’s so true here.
Kristen - You really do have to be called to work here. There’s a level of commitment that… you just have to be called to do it. The staff commitment is awesome.
Kathleen - I struggled at first, wondering if I was making an impact. But so many things have happened that make me see that I DO make a difference.
Stacy - God is faithful to remind us why we’re here. I’ve shared this story before, about my stolen cell phone. I had a feeling when I couldn’t find it that one of the kids had taken it. When I asked if anyone had seen it and all the boys dog-piled on the floor - at first I thought they were just looking for it. But in reality, they were wrestling it away from the boy who had it. Up to that point, it was just a stolen phone. But in that moment, it became MY phone, and they had my back. They got it back to me. I knew then that my being here is just as much a blessing to ME as it is to THEM. It’s about the relationships.
Michael - It’s awesome to be a part of something that’s eternal and real.
Thank you, faithful Father, for gathering us here at Fortress to work with these kids, to be blessed by them, to share Your love. Thank you for working so boldly and actively in their lives, and in ours. Continue to use us for your Kingdom in this neighborhood and beyond. May all that we do bring glory to You. In the name of Your Son and our Saviour we pray. Amen.
Mr. P and his wife are both battling stomach flu. Please pray for a quick and full recovery so Mr. P can come back to work and so they can both resume their busy schedules.
Pray for all staff during this busy holiday season - for blessing and protection over their families.
Staff members by name: Michael (Executive Director), Kristen (Director of Programs), Ramon (Youth Coordinator), Robert, aka Mr. P (FLC staff), Kathleen (FLC staff), Terri (Director of Finance and Administration), Ms. D (Kitchen Oversight), and Stacy (Director of Communications/PR).
Pray blessings for the volunteers who come every week/month, even during the busy holiday season. We give thanks for our dedicated volunteers!
Pray for next summer’s interns, whoever they are, that God starts preparing them for a great work, that he makes clear to them that this is where He wants them. Pray also for us - especially Ramon - as we begin earnest preparation for the summer program. May God prepare us to minister to them and prepare them to minister to our kids.
Pray for Michael and Kristen as they fill a part-time position in the after-school program - for God to send the right person for the job and for the transition to be smooth and easy.
Pray for our future Education Specialist - an important staff position that will be a big piece of the academic puzzle here at Fortress. Pray for God to provide the salary for this position, and also the perfect person for the job.
And finally, pray for our students. Each day, between 60-75 kids enter the doors of our building. May we be a light in their lives, a soft place to fall, a steady comfort, an encouraging friend. May we truly ignite hope in them, by loving them as God loves us.