What’s been happening at Gresham YOKE over the past year? Glad you asked! Check this out- –
“I’ve been at Gresham for 2 years as a leader and I have absolutely loved it!!” says Yeni Martinez. “Our kids are always so full of energy and hyped every Tuesday, which makes our Tuesday night great; especially on tough days when we are overwhelmed with school and work!!
My favorite memory from this past school year was at a kid time activity- we invited 10 girls to spend the night at Johnson University!! That night the girls had the time of their lives and they loved that they could hang out and be a “college kid” for the night!!
Another great memory at Gresham this past year was during cabin time at camp when our girls talked about where they were in life; and some even talked about what God has done in their lives. I had one girl ask me to step out to talk with her and she accepted Jesus into her heart that night!!!(BEST FEELING EVER FOR HER AND ME!!)
The best part about being a leader at Gresham is that I am from that area…so I get to stay connected with my girls as they move on to high school and help them through their transition into high school and see how God continues to use them!!”
Another YOKE Folk, Maura Woodhull shares “One of my favorite things this past year was that every other Monday this year 8 girls in the 7th grade would meet up for a breakfast bible study before school. We had a great time of talking, learning, and hanging out at the Chick fila before school. This same group of girls did a scavenger hunt with me in Target one night. It was a blast…and they nicknamed me Sprinkles that night. 🙂 Another highlight for me in YOKE was during Fall Camp two girls really opened up to me about their lives and they renewed their faith and their commitment to Christ that night!”
Yoke Folk Tyler Atkins said “we had some crazy clubs, like when we played steal the bacon with a rubber chicken…accidently ripped it’s head off, then accidently ripped it in half! We tried to tape it back together…but that didn’t work! Cabin time was always my favorite time of camp…I love hearing what the guys are going through and being there for them.
“Neon club was awesome!” said Austin, another Gresham Yoke Folk. “There were 4 kids chasing me all night because I had a red glow stick and they had blue…they said I was the Sith and they were Jedi. It was hilarious. But my favorite memory this year came at camp one of my boys woke me up at 2 am and wanted to talk about his granddad and his parents; he spilled his life to me. There are few times I can remember the Spirit move that much between me and another person.”
Gresham’s Team Leader Astrid Martinez sums it all up…. “I’ve been a leader at Gresham for a while now and I absolutely love it! This community means so much to me since this is where I grew up and giving back is the least I could do. Being part of these kids’ lives every week and watching them grow is an awesome feeling. This past year was probably my favorite, from messy club to cabin time a camp. I love being there for them not just as a leader but as a friend too.”
So if you go to Gresham Middle…you do NOT want to miss out on all the fun this year! Clubs will be starting soon!!!
How can you support Gresham’s Team as they minister?
* Pray for the leaders as they return to Gresham this year to serve
* Pray that new kids will join club and make friendships that will impact their lives for Christ
* Sponsor kids to go to Fall Camp in November by giving a camper scholarship
* Pray for new leaders to join in the YOKE Ministry and serve this year!
For more information on Gresham’s YOKE Club contact Brandin-lea Stevens at the YOKE Office at 522-6907 or email her at brandin-lea@yokeyouth.com
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