Lori Neufeld

2011-02-23T11:11:00.002-06:00

Hello! While there are still a few hick-ups to work through in the new drop-in at ICYA, we've had a great few weeks in our new space and I pleased to tell you that I'm writing this blog from the comfort of a leather couch in the loft of the drop-in! Let's hope I don't relax too much and fall asleep! The youth are starting to settle in to building and make it theirs. It's been really exciting to watch. The volunteers are also having a great time serving youth from behind the new counter area and not having to clean-up paper towels from the washrooms (yes, folks, we've got hand dryers!) God has blessed us so much and we want to be good servants of His in this place. Please pray for our staff, volunteers, and young people as we meet God here!

2011-02-03T10:35:00.002-06:00

Our new drop-in is open! On January 20th, ICYA had it's grand opening for the much anticipated new facility. Parents, kids, and teenagers came through the building, ate supper, played games, and checked out every detail of the new space. It was awesome to hear their excitement. Teen drop-in has moved over to the new part of the building and we've had many new and old faces come out and enjoy a game of floor hockey and hang out in the loft. There's still of few things left to be done in the drop-in, but we're loving the new place already.

A few weeks ago I had the opportunity of taking 2 girls and their infants on an overnight trip outside of the city. A couple living near Bird's Hill Park have converted their old barn into a church/meeting space and they've welcomed us there on a number of occasions. I took these two girls to the barn last year, while they were both pregnant and they had been begging me to go back there. But this time was a little different, bringing 2 babies along. We laughed at how much more stuff we had to pack in the van. It was an exceptionally cold night, but the barn was nice and toasty and we had a great evening making snacks, watching movies, and talking. I love doing overnight trips with youth. Sure, they're exhausting and it takes me 3 days to recuperate, but I really enjoy them and I see God working in unique ways on those nights.

I spent most of January back in the routines of drop-in, Running & Reading Club, our after school leadership group, and the usual meetings and planning for upcoming events. But working with youth can't be a consistent routine and late night coffee runs, last minute lunches, and rides to school always found their way into my day. Despite the bitterly cold temperatures, January was a great month!

Have a great day and God Bless!

Lori

2011-01-12T10:09:00.003-06:00

Happy New Year! Some of you already know this, but I had the opportunity of paddling through the Grand Canyon in December. It came up kind of last minute, but was a trip of a lifetime that I couldn't pass up. So, using every bit of holiday time that I had left, I flew to Phoenix on November 29th with 2 friends of mine, we drove to the rim of the Canyon, hiked down to the bottom, and met up with 11 others who were already on the river. The scenery was breath-taking. For the next 14 days, I kayaked, learned to oar a raft, hiked the many side canyons and got to know some amazing people. The weather averaged around 15 degrees, with lows just above zero. The water was freezing, but we were dressed for it. I felt so privileged to be able to do this in so many ways. From Dan giving me the thumbs up to go, to the actual invite from some highly skilled and experienced kayakers, to the help and advice I received while making my way down the river, so many people gave to me so I could receive this adventure. The prayers our group received from family and friends were evident in so many ways and our safety, group dynamics, and all our other needs were always met. God revealed himself to me in a way that I had never experienced and I grew in faith everyday throughout the trip. I was excited to come home and see Dan and my family, but I missed the river and my new friends terribly. The memories will last forever, though.

Coming back to work over the Christmas holidays was a little strange for me. There was almost no one around. But there was a note on my desk, folded into a little square with my name on it. It was from one of the youth that I work with. She told me what had all gone on in the last month while I was away and the tough stuff that she was dealing with. She said that she was happy that I got to go on the trip, but wished I would have been here for her. When I finally got to see this girl a couple days later, we hugged for a long time. It's funny, because I didn't think anything I ever said or did with this girl ever made a difference. She generally comes over and sends text messages the entire time. We rarely have a 5 minute conversation, in fact, that note said more than I had heard from her in a long time. But I was missed by her, and I felt honoured to have the effect in her life.

Drop-in was closed throughout the holidays, but now we're back up and running. The final touches are being put in the new drop-in and we're moving everything over in a couple weeks! Last night we had "Starbucks" night with the teens. We had lamps set up, Jazz music playing, and the Espresso machine was running all night. The youth seemed to love the dark, laid-back night and we had no issues at all. They even sat around the "fireplace" (a tv playing a movie of a fireplace) and talked for hours. It was a great evening.

Please pray for the upcoming year, the many changes that are going to be happening, the staff that are fundraising to come on, and the kids that will come through the ICYA programs. There have already been a few tough situations that we've experienced in 2011, and we need God to carry us through the many things that are to come.

God Bless!

Lori