An End-of-Year Hodge Podge

It's so quiet around here that when one of our "frequent knockers" came to the door this afternoon, I welcomed the intrusion.  Her first question was, "When is Kari coming back?"  I'm quite sure she knows that Kari has moved away, but perhaps she is holding out hope that it really isn't so.  When interns leave, they certainly leave a large hole in many a heart they have touched.

 

At the final Teen Night in December, Caleb interviewed Colby and Kari; some questions were quite humorous and others more serious.  While most interns spend 12 months with Aim Right, they spent 16 months here.  Many of the new faces at Teen Night and Kids Club are results of connections they made and relationships they built.

 

 

In the midst of a sea of mobile devices...

...we thank God for Dutch Blitz!  Teens still find that good old fashioned games and puzzles, along with basketball, pool, and volleyball, can be much more entertaining than a phone.

 

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Since we interact with immigrants' families on a weekly (or even daily) basis, this was a nice Christmas present for many of the teens and young adults we know who meet DACA requirements:  to be able to get a driver's license.  If you aren't familiar with all that DACA entails, this video offers a good summary of the eligibility requirements and the process necessary for these immigrants to legally work and drive.

 



 

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Finally, whether you make resolutions or goals or try the new trend of choosing a single word to focus on during the year, this is a great post from Desiring God on how our reading of the Bible should affect how we live every day of the year.  The author reflects on his young daughter's doodling in the pages of his Bible:  "I love Dad," and is thankful for those words because:

 

...it reminds me that I read the Bible not only for myself, but for those around me. Her note, simple as it is (and sweet), presses home for me that the goal of Christian maturity is not merely that I might get along better in life, but that I might, being glad in the glory of Jesus, love more like Jesus did. The aim behind Bible-reading, after all, is not some kind of black-hole holiness — that theoretical moralism that envisions character in isolation from others — but rather, that we might learn how to roll up our sleeves for the people God has placed in our lives. In other words, we don’t just read the Bible to read, we read it to walk.  [bold emphasis mine]

Merry Christmas!

"Through the tender mercy of our God...

the Dayspring from on high

has visited us,

to give light to them

that sit in darkness and in

the shadow of death,

to guide our feet into

the way of peace."

Luke 1:78-79

Teen Christmas Party

Chicken petting?  Check. 

Horse riding?  Check.

 

 

Aim Right's (2nd Annual) Teen Christmas Party at the Purdue Ranch in Buckeye, Arizona, was a fun-filled day of enjoying country life!  The Purdues were such gracious hosts who radiated Jesus' love in so many tangible ways.  Although Mrs. Purdue was still suffering from a foot injury, and this was their second Saturday in a row of hosting kids at their ranch, they treated our group with such kindness.

 

 

A good old-fashioned game of checkers!

Aim Right North 12.19.14

Aim Right North's final Community Night of the year was December 19th.

 

 

The basketball court and the fire pit were favorite gathering spots as the guests waited for the food to be served.

 

Aim Right North has an amazing group of Friday volunteers who used to be involved with Prodigal's Home, the ministry we purchased the property from earlier this year.  These volunteers love to prepare and serve food.  Steve grilled the tortillas for the tacos (not pictured, because apparently I was either too busy serving nachos or eating a delicious taco!).  

 

A.J. had prepared a Christmas quiz with questions from the Bible and shared about the true meaning of Christmas before the food was served.

Face painting!

 

S'more's with giant marshmallows!

 

The evening ended with several game stations.  Participants won tickets for successfully completing a game.

Ticket numbers were then called, and several kids were the happy winners of McDonald's gift cards!

An Inspiring Story

A pastor in New Jersey uses a unique approach to address poverty in his community and help young people.  NBC Nightly News featured this story about the Eagle Flight Squadron in one of their "Making a Difference" segments recently.

Eagle Flight reports that 19 graduates have gone on to Air Force academies, 37 are commercial pilots, 190 have attended aviation schools, and 259 are working in aviation related positions.  A student who completes Eagle Flight's program graduates from high school with a private or recreational pilot certificate.

Give Hope Continues!

Great news!  Check out the latest Progress Report for the Give Hope Campaign:

 

First of all, THANK YOU for your generous giving that has enabled us to fully meet two goals of the campaign.  The final goal to met--Electronic Gifts--is eligible for a $10,800 matching grant from the Mission Increase Foundation once it is met. 

If you aren't already supporting Aim Right on a monthly basis, would you sign up to give an electronic gift of $30 per month for one year?  Your gift will then be doubled by the grant.  Only 25 donors giving $30 per month are still needed to secure the full grant amount.  Would you help us to finish strong? 

Setting up a recurring gift is a simple process:
1.  Visit our Network for Good page.
2.  Indicate you'd like to give $30 and make your Donation Preference a recurring monthly gift.
3.  Click Add to Giving Cart and complete your personal and credit card information on the next screen.

In other news...did you hear about the big snow we received in Phoenix last weekend?

 

The snow arrived just in time for a Christmas party for at least one hundred underprivileged kids on Saturday (if you live in a cold climate and don't fully appreciate your snow, realize that you have to pay for it to appear here!).

 

The ultimate party surprise, though?  Each child attending received a brand-new bicycle.

 

The food and famous characters were a big hit, too.

Our group of 10 children included both Aim Right North'ers and Aim Right'ers.

 

Special thanks goes to Jimmy Walker's Bicycles for Kids for organizing this party for so many children in the Valley.  Each family also received Bibles, a food box, and a frozen turkey.