March 2010 SafetyNet Update: SafetyNet Academy is a long-term treatment facility designed to serve emotionally or behaviorally disturbed children ages 10-18.
God has really laid it on our hearts that we have an opportunity to be reflections of God's love to these kids at Safetynet who so desperately need it. So each month, a group of men and women from Westwood and other churches take a Saturday to spend with the kids at Safetynet, playing games, spending time with them and just being Godly men and women who care about them enough to spend the day with them. These kids don't get that a lot, and they haven't gotten that in the past, so the power of someone just caring enough to spend a day with them, in God's hands, is incredible.
The March trip to Safetynet was awesome. God continues to completely blow me away with the impact He is having on both the kids and staff at Safetynet, as well as the Men and women who are sacrificing their time and resources, to live on mission, right here in Alabama. The kids are starting to open up a little more and are looking forward to us coming down each month. More kids are starting to share with the counselors, they are starting to feel that there is love for them and even the staff is starting to look forward to our visits. Brent (the pastor at SafetyNet) shared some of what God is doing there with the kids and how the culture is changing drastically, and I wanted to share it so that more and more people can see what God is doing through those men and women who are continuing to live on mission at Safetynet..
I wanted to send you an update to share with folks in preparation of their trip here this Saturday. A lot of things have changed in the past month and all for the good.
The boys have started expecting you all and asking when you are coming back. It is so refreshing to see them light up and get excited about anything. I see you bringing hope and light to many who often only exhibit darkness and despair. You do not realize the change you are making in their lives by consistently showing up and going above and beyond to love them and show them the love of Christ.
God is moving within the lives of these boys and you are part of it. Some of them are starting to see that God is not just a figment of our religious imaginations but that he is real and he is GOOD. They are starting to find that God’s love is bigger and better than anything else out there and you are helping with that. So please keep coming, keep serving, keep praying, and keep loving, you are making a difference.
In Christ,
Brent Smith
For this months trip, Brent organized a campus wide scavenger hunt for the kids, he called the "Amazing Race". The children were grouped into teams, and competed in a race across campus to find clues, solve puzzles and complete challenges. The kids really came together and worked as teams to overcome the obstacles and try to win the race, which had a nice first place prize, dinner and a movie off campus for the winning team. The race truly was Amazing, and the kids had a great day.
We also have such an amazing opportunity to be intercessors and lift up the kids and staff in prayer. We prayed as a group before we started, for God to quiet the chaos and prayed over all the kids and the event. So many people washed the kids and the day in the Word. Then, we gathered together after it was over, in a group on a hillside, and shared individual stories from the day. We prayed specifically for kids that God laid on our heart throughout the day. That was powerful. To hear person after person pray for kids by name, and what God had laid on their hearts was so powerful, and such a blessing.
Also, as we have gotten more involved, we are learning more and more that these kids don't have many of the things we take for granted. Little things, where just a little investment of our time, can make such a big impact on the kids. Like getting a birthday cake. But this month, thanks to the hard work of several people who are really investing in these kids lives and trying to show them Christ's love, we began taking down birthday cakes to celebrate the birthdays of all the kids with a birthday that month. Seeing the smiles on the kids faces as everyone sang "Happy Birthday", and then dug into cake, was awesome. God continues to do such great things, with so very little. And I can't wait to see what God has planned for the next trip. Hopefully, as we share our testimonies, more and more people will make the small sacrifice to go each month, and be a part of what God is doing in the lives of these kids at Safetynet.
