The Wanderer

Leah Archer’s reflections on the importance of Youth Night (Find this story and others in our 2009 Annual Report.):

Almost every Friday night he wanders into Youth Night.  This young man has been involved in our programs since he was a boy and is now falling victim to the streets.  He will be the first to run with the wrong crowd and then the first to stop by during the week to say hi to me as he’s passing by. 

One night as we were closing up Youth Night, he called me over to his computer to show me something. 

He handed me the headphones as he played a video on YouTube.  He was watching videos of our opening assembly during Camp Heaven that he used to be involved with as a boy. Then he showed me a video that a previous staff member had posted of him when he was younger.  They were dropping off the kids after programs but he refused to get off the van.  He never wanted to go home because he loved being involved in our programs.  At that moment I looked at him out of the corner of my eye.  There was such a peaceful spirit upon this young man as he sat and watched these videos.  I asked him how he found these.  He turned and looked me straight in the eye and said with a slight smile: I watch them all the time. 

It was at that moment that my heart broke for this young man.  I began to see the struggle he wrestles with outside of these walls and the battle that is taking place within his soul.  Each Friday when he comes to Youth Night he leaves his way of life at the door and is able to escape for a brief moment.  It’s during this time I pray he would truly experience God’s love for himself.

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