It has been exciting to partner with the Salvation Army Church located beside Laurier High School. Every first and third Tuesday we together serve a free lunch to students who come during their lunch hour. The students are very appreciative and at first couldn’t believe that we would do this at no cost to them. Many sit down within the church foyer and enjoy their lunch and we often then have the opportunity to chat and connect with various students. This past week, Leah my co-worker, sat at a table and made some inroads with some students. I sat with a young gal who seemed to be a loner as no one else joined the table where she and I sat. She shared some of her story. Issues such as drugs and bullying are very real and present in these young lives. The pains of loneliness, rejection and loss of a loved one are similar experiences to what all of as can relate to. Throughout the conversation I was able to sprinkle concepts of hope in the messiness of life.

Later in the day at the end of a cooking class, which is held at YFC building, the Lord gave me opportunity to encourage a young man who was distraught about the Roblox predators and how evil this world is.

Another young student spoke to me and was also commenting on the horrible culture and that it seemed pointless to stand and be of use in this generation. I shared with her how my grandparents could have felt that way- born in a time when world war 2 was happening. I suggested to her that every generation born could be hopeless but that she was born in THIS generation “for such a time as this.” I continued to share with her that she as a Christian has an opportunity to show Christ in a dark world and that she could bring hope and joy. “Don’t be discouraged but rather view this dark world as a place where God has put you to shine His love and joy. You need to find that joy as a Christian yourself to be able to face this world in all its darkness and find the beauty of knowing Christ in it.”

Pray with for us at YFC that these young people will go away with a renewed hope in their Saviour and that others who do not know him as Saviour will see the beautiful love of Christ in us as we care for them through deeds and words.

Carolyn Bagnall, Youth Worker, YFC London