"I'm going home today!" says one of the youth at the Detention Center. I hear that a lot as a chaplain, they say that with such hope in their voice and eyes. They head out of the facility with the best intentions to stay out of the negative relationships and behavior that got them in trouble in the first place. Today, I believe this student...his faith in Christ has changed him, he has a good plan, and he has a good family. I met with this youth on the "outs" this week. He has committed to asking Christ to live through him every day, he has my phone number to call when he feels like he is slipping. As I talk with him, I see a physical change in him, Christ's power has freed him from his addictions! I thank my God everyday that He is still in the business of doing miracles. I'm thankful that He allows me to be involved with what He is doing here in Denver.

My heart aches everytime I drive away from the Denver Youth Services building I am a volunteer chaplain at. As I drive home to my comfortable suburban home I remember all of the youth I had conversations with that day. One youth, we'll call him Clint, says he has no one...his dad died a year ago and his mom is in jail. He says all he has is his gang to go back to and that is the reason he is in this facility in the first place. He is broken and empty, nothing matters to him anymore. That is a scary combination on the outside when you don't have a care in the world. I'm thinking about how God has called me to the "fatherless" and how He can heal and mend broken hearts and spirits. I ask him how much he talks to God and he say not enough. I share with him that God is there when it seems like no one else is there for him. "People will always let you down," I tell him. "But God will never let you down or give you more than you can handle." He has a court date coming up soon and he is asking to get into a placement [a house for youth seeking emancipation]. Every day I will speak hope into these student's lives and know that God is working on their heart! I am called to youth and will follow that call with purpose and intentionality!

I sat across from a student the other day as he shared how his life has been stripped from him. I have heard so many stories from students in my past and I thought I have been shock proof, but nothing prepared me for what unfolded in our conversation. He was almost mechanical as he shared it, emotion was void from his voice. It was almost like he slipped into a different part of his brain as to keep his emotions from colliding with the reality of his situation. I can not share the details of this student's situation, but he is now states away from his home, his family has disowned him, and he hates his best friend who he blames for taking his life, as he knew it, away from him. I don't have much time, but to communicate to him a love that goes above all situations that happen here on earth. And a God who has a design for him and Hope for him. This student is still very angry and extremely lost, but I believe in a relationship that can restore his life and bring "real truth" into his chaotic situation!

One of the things we do at WEM is create opportunities for ministries that focus on youth to have experiences that can change their lives. These experiences are created through rock climbing and asking questions from the experience that relate to their spiritual lives. The topic of trust came up in this one day rock climbing trip. How do you trust God when bad things happen? One student on this trip had been let down in a previous rock climbing experience and it hurt him and damaged that trust. Another student had a good friend that believed in Christ and sacrificed a lot to follow Him that had died in a drowning. How does rock climbing relate to this?

A student has to trust the rope set up and the person belaying the climber [keeping them from falling]. When a student goes through this experience 30 feet of the ground it tends to affect them more than just sitting around a circle and talking about trust. On the field or in this case on a rock they hit those emotions and a heightened mental thought process and they are opened up to so much more transformation. God works in incredible ways when we are focused on learning from Him and growing in Him!

Three days, two nights, four lakes, thirteen miles, one million mosquitos later we are back at the vechile legs aching, back sweating, scratching our bites, and thankful for an incredible weekend. It was WEM's first unofficial trip with at-risk students. At-risk defined are youth that have been in the juvenile justice system, have had drug use, or dependency/behavioral problems, or have a broken family or a parent that is incarcerated. We learned a lot on this trip while hiking, sitting by the lake eating our "just add water" meals. Our pasts were talked about and how that affects are future, goals were set...like no more dirty UA's [urine analysis with drugs or alcohol in it].

God was the topic of discussion especiallly with some of the scenery that we were experiencing. How could all of this just have happened? WEM is about speaking hope into student's lives and believing in them because of Christ who lives through them. Our spiritual life is a journey as we continue to walk with Christ and work on our relationship with Him. So many at-risk youth are on a continuing process with their faith and figuring out what life is really about. Our goals were met, getting away from the routine of life, dedicating our thoughts to making choices that will have a positive influence, and changing our negative behavior into leadership skills that will produce positive behavior.

WEM is continuing to pursue official recognition from the juvinile justice system and will continue to be a safe place for youth to feel like they belong and are believed in.