Water Street Life

Baby and a Manger

maria.rosas@waterstreetministries.org — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 09:50:22 GMT

I got a call from our girls program director. She asked if we could set up a manger in our chapel for the Christmas girls week end. My first thought was straw and carpet is not a good combination. It's Christmas, why be a Scrooge?

I set out Monday and asked the Lord, "Where do I find baby Jesus and a manger?" He led me to a local second hand store. I walked in and asked the lady, "Can you tell me where I can find Jesus?" she looked at me and said, "OK!" I cleared my throat and said, "No, I'm looking for baby Jesus." She looked at me and said, "Just a minute, I'll be right back."
When she finally came out she was holding in her arms a life size manger with a life size looking baby boy doll wrapped in a white baby blanket.
She said, "We got this last week and I just didn't know what to do with it." I told her of my specify need and she smiled. "You knew right where to come to find Jesus." She responded.

As I was walking out, several folks in the store that witnessed this whole episode grinned and commented as I carried Jesus out the front door. As I walked out I said to the lady, "If you really want to find Jesus, you just need to look in the right place."
She smiled and said, "Amen, Merry Christmas."

Our kids, this Christmas season, will be welcomed to their chapel with baby Jesus right there in His manger with a straw setting. Our kids come to Teen Haven, not to see a baby in a manger, but to learn about the one who will forever change their lives. To receive an eternal gift.
The Lord is so good!

Vinny Mikusow- Camp Director, Brogue PA

When You Give Extra, Extraordinary Things Happen

maria.schaszberger@waterstreetministries.org — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 09:56:16 GMT

By Maria Schaszberger, Director of Communications

Six-hundred lives. That's how many people you help to impact every day through the various ministries of Water Street. And your impact is extraordinary, really.

After a 30-year drug addiction, Randy has been clean and sober for 18 months. He graduated from the Mission's LifeRecovery Program in November, and he was so thankful this Thanksgiving to have restored his relationships with his daughters.

Daija spent the first few hours at Teen Haven's camp weeping to go home. The staff, experienced with this kind of reaction, loved and encouraged her. Daija looks forward to following in the footsteps of campers before her who now lead and disciple the next generation of campers.

Tiny Maria struggled to learn simple preschool lessons. Teachers worked with her over several days, but Maria still couldn't remember names of different shapes. The highly skilled and sensitive teachers at Wonder Club handed her wooden shaped blocks. Suddenly it clicked! Holding the blocks in her hand, the names of each shape gushed out of Maria's smile.

Jack, embarrassed by his unemployment and struggling with high blood pressure of 220/180, needed medical services. He visited Water Street Health Services and got the attention he needed. Jack avoided in-patient care elsewhere and felt the kindness and support of the doctors and nurses on staff.

Let's continue to make extraordinary impact in the lives of people like Randy, Daija, Maria and Jack. On Friday, November 30th - tomorrow! - you can help make extraordinary happen. We invite you to donate to Water Street Ministries at ExtraGive.org, and your dollars will be s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-d by $250,000 from the Lancaster County Community Foundation. In other words, a portion of your donation will be matched!

Please pray for Water Street Ministries, and consider making your most generous donation tomorrow at ExtraGive.org. Thanks in advance.

That's Crazy!

maria.rosas@waterstreetministries.org — Mon, 05 Nov 2012 14:11:24 GMT

We were taking a boy home from church last night and he has been doing so well in his classes memorizing scripture. It was awesome to see him enjoy doing it!

When we're at camp, he's been in my cabin quite often. As we were driving him home, Alex asked him "Are you saved?" He happily said "Yes! It was in Mr.Steve's cabin on October 15,2010 when I accepted Jesus." I was like whoa! That's crazy! He remembers that detail? It was amazing how he remembered the exact date from 2 years ago.

Most of the time we think or doubt a kid will remember such an event with Christ, but i'll be the first to tell you to never think that!

God works in mysterious ways every minute of the day. Sometimes we'll forget whose business we're about, but at the end it is Christ whose business we ought to be about.

God wants us to invest in everyone! You will never know who you will touch until you make an attempt to reach others in a way that is so bizarre to us, but perfect to God!

Steve- York Intern

Café Nights!!!!

maria.rosas@waterstreetministries.org — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 09:56:43 GMT

The Lord gave us an amazing night! It was fun and interactive and just a great way to kick off the café nights! I just hope we can keep the energy up throughout the rest of the nights.

We had a total of 15 girls and Ms Nikki. So including Nikki and myself it was 17 people tonight! 7 girls were leaders, and 8 girls were not. Some who haven’t been here for a while came back today, it was a great night! It's always a blessing to see some faces I have not seen in a while.

It was great to cut it back to 1.5 hours instead of 2 hours. We cleaned up together and got out right on time. All the girls were eager to help in whatever we needed to do.

So on the 4th Thursday of every month, I would like to have a sport night where we’ll use the gym. We start with some free time, then do Volley ball and Basketball and a group game of some kind. It's so awesome to see the hunger of the girls. We can have a wonderful time and still spread the Love of Christ during out time together. I pray more and more girls come out to Café nights! I am excited to see what God has in store for our young ladies!!

Nina Maldonado- Girls Coordinator, Lancaster

The Building

maria.rosas@waterstreetministries.org — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 08:31:06 GMT

When I first arrived at the Teen Haven building in York, I was quite surprised, having come from the Lancaster center which has a gym, game room and bible study area I was very shocked to see such humble surroundings for an organization that has blessed my life. Thankfully the Spirit of God is not limited to space and luxury and the girls program grew! More girls were getting involved and seeds were being planted in good soil! Out of the program 5 girls were selected to be a part of the leadership program. With their help we are transforming the building and creating a more youth friendly environment. We still have a way to go but a year and a half later the building is not the same and neither are we; the place and the lives that are being impacted in it are as vibrant as the paint we have chosen!

As the walls are freshly painted, our minds are being renewed, as the building is transformed so are our hearts. The old look of the building very much reflected all our hearts in a sense, a big space with a lot of potential and not being put to use to its fullest capacity! Through the leadership development program, called restore, we are equipping the girls to be leaders in their society! I have seen them going from being lazy to ready servants, shy and fearful to overcomers. They are taking ownership of their building and their position in Him! We haven’t arrived but we have come a long way, it is amazing to see God’s truth paint new pictures in us, making us into His perfect masterpiece!

God is truly changing the hearts of these girls and they are pouring out their efforts in Him coming alongside of me and making changes, the building is just a manifestation of the change taking place on the inside!

Teen Haven York, changing one wall and heart at a time!

Diana Serrano, Teen Haven York Girls Program Coordinator

Showing Love

maria.schaszberger@waterstreetministries.org — Mon, 13 Aug 2012 09:35:00 GMT

By Jean Benedict, Nurse Administrator, Water Street Health Services

For the past two years at Water Street Health Services, Kathy had been receiving medical, dental, behavioral health and physical therapy services. Just like all of our patients, Kathy had been receiving this care at no charge to her. She had become a very familiar face and a friend who had often spoken boldly of her faith, even in her difficulties.

Because she had recently found health insurance, Kathy would be transitioning out of WSHS and into a new doctor’s office. I called her to be sure she understood the process and to see if there were ways we could assist in the transition.

As I spoke with her, she began to pour out her gratefulness for what she had received at WSHS. “I sure appreciate all you did for me,” Kathy said. “Not only were you the doctors but also the Christians, helping me emotionally and spiritually. It was a hard time for me, but you made a difference in my life. I’m doing so much better now. I will miss every person, even the people at the window. They treated me so well even when I wasn’t doing well.”

Please pray for God to provide for us and sustain us as we show His love to patients like Kathy. Pray her health will continue to improve and that she will continue to stand strong spiritually.

Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.” I John 4: 11-12

Vanishing Tears

maria.schaszberger@waterstreetministries.org — Thu, 09 Aug 2012 15:04:00 GMT

By Seth Miller, creative writing intern

Reba came to the Teen Haven Camp in tears. Even before she got on the bus she wanted to go home. She was surrounded by other weeklong campers and leaders she didn’t know. It was a new place filled with new people, something we’ve all experience before, but Reba wanted nothing to do with it.

Reba’s tears dried quickly, though. Still reluctant to be at camp, Reba laid down in her cabin for a short nap in the middle of the day. When she woke up she felt like she was home, a feeling that did not fade even when she realized she was still in her cabin and not back in Lancaster. She realized that camp was, in a sense, another home for her; it had a kitchen, a dining hall, and a cabin to keep her warm at night.

Even though her mom and dad weren’t at camp with her, there were people there that cared about her. She met Nina, one of her leaders who immediately gave her kind words. She was able to laugh and joke with Nina, and also tell her how she was feeling about camp.

In just a few days, It was Nina who Reba told that she wanted to stay for two weeks instead of just one. That’s two whole weeks longer than she wanted to stay in the first place!

How a camper can go from tears to almost refusing to leave is beyond the understanding of counselors, and even Reba herself. Reba’s change of heart shows that there is something more at work at the Teen Haven Camp, and he can dry tears better than any tissue.

Life After Graduation

maria.schaszberger@waterstreetministries.org — Tue, 07 Aug 2012 08:41:00 GMT

By Jim Stanton, Program Counselor, Water Street Mission

Thank you for your prayers for God to change lives here at Water Street. Ray came to one of our ministries, the Mission, from prison. He had once been a very industrious man, with a job, career, and hopes. A drunken ordeal ended all of that.

Here at the Mission, this man fully embraced life change in Christ and graduated from our LifeRecovery Program. Ray got a job, saved his money, paid off all of his debts, bought a car, and moved out of our campus nearly a year ago. Keeping in contact with staff at the Mission has been an integral part of his independent life, and he and I spent an enjoyable day out together recently. I have visited Ray at his workplace, and he seems thrilled to be living a different life far away from alcohol, doing what people who love God do: serve others. PTL!

Patience

maria.schaszberger@waterstreetministries.org — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 08:50:00 GMT

By Seth Miller, creative writing intern

Scott Larson’s book, At Risk: Bringing Hope to Hurting Teens, talks about the many challenges that come with working with troubled teenagers and the best ways to approach these difficult relationships. Larson recalls one instance when a friend of his went to a young boy’s house to take him to a weekly youth event, only to sit in an idling car to wait for a boy who didn't show up. After the seventh time waiting outside the kid’s house, the boy ran after him as he was leaving. It turned out the boy had watched Larson’s friend from the window every time he waited in his car. He wanted to go to the youth event, but he first wanted to test that Larson’s friend would actually come back.

Had this man not had the patience to wait for the boy, the man never would have got the boy to come. But the fact that the boy finally came running out to the car shows that every child has the potential to change, even if they seem reluctant at first.

Jason McKinney, Boys Coordinator of Teen Haven Lancaster, finds this to be one of the most important traits when working with teenagers. Jason may understand this better than most people, because he himself didn’t find God until years after spending time with Teen Haven as a teen. Even though Teen Haven did not change him immediately, he was still able to find God years later. He eventually found his way back to a job at Teen Haven, where he now shares the same patience with young people that God shared with him.

I am Loved

maria.schaszberger@waterstreetministries.org — Fri, 03 Aug 2012 16:39:00 GMT

Here in this blog, Dan shares with you his graduation speech from when he completed the Mission's LifeRecovery Program this Spring. His story represents just one of the 600 lives that friends like you help to impact every day! Enjoy.

It is with great appreciation and humble thanksgiving that I greet you this morning. My journey to recovery and wholeness began in March of 2011. Before that, in October of 2008, the friend that I had been living with for over 8 years passed away, and his wife moved in with her sister. This left me with nowhere to live, and because of my drug addiction, I found myself moving from one place to another setting me up for a future of homelessness. As my life spun out of control, I knew I needed help. I found the address of a friend who lived in Reamstown. This turned out to be only a temporary resting place. A friend then told me about the Christian Life program at the Mission and helped me get enrolled here.

I was given a counselor, Jim Stanton. He helped me in many ways, especially working through my false beliefs. One of these was that I saw myself as a victim, but Jim helped me to understand that I didn’t need to view myself that way but instead to see that I have a kind heart.

One thing I struggled with was being patient. I wasn’t used to standing in line waiting for things such as food or for laundry to be done. Another thing I struggled with was how to trust others. The 12 Steps class at the Mission taught me that I can trust other people. Sharing in the small groups helped me to open up and be honest with myself and with other members of the group.

One good thing that has happened while being here is that my confidence has increased. This happened because I had cataract surgery on one of my eyes which helped to greatly improve my vision.

This past year has truly changed my life. I know peace, contentment and most of all the love of God. I know that I am loved and that in return, I can love also. I wouldn’t trade this time for anything.

I would like to thank Jim Stanton, my counselor for all his help. I would also like to thank my mentor, John Heffley. His words of encouragement helped me to stick to it when I felt like giving up, especially when I was in the Learning Center. I would also like to thank Wayne Johnson who told me about Water Street. In closing I would like to thank everyone for praying for me and for encouraging and supporting me. May God bless you.

The Different Shapes of a Father

maria.schaszberger@waterstreetministries.org — Thu, 02 Aug 2012 08:45:00 GMT

By Seth Miller, creative writing intern

The relationships with our fathers are some of the most important but can also be the most complicated. For these reasons, the lack of a healthy fatherly relationship is often detrimental to a person’s development, for without a strong guiding force in their lives kids often follow the many negative forces that swarm around them. Drugs, alcohol, and gangs are some things kids try to use to replace their fathers, things that instead of an upbringing lead to a seemingly endless downward spiral.

Many of the kids that Teen Haven serves lack a supportive father figure, so often it is Teen Haven that becomes the most like a father to these kids. Several of Teen Haven’s leaders even consider their campers their unofficial sons and daughters. Often, it is not a conscious choice but an inevitable outcome of the relationships Teen Haven’s leaders have with these teens. To every kid that steps through Teen Haven’s door, the leaders try to show some sort of fatherly love, be it to listen, support or even discipline.

While it is earthly fathers that Teen Haven’s staff often becomes, it is our Heavenly Father that they are trying to emulate. Teen Haven’s leaders try to show the love of God by loving their teens the best they can. Their focus is so strongly placed on God because they firmly believe that only through him can someone be saved.

Kid of the King

maria.schaszberger@waterstreetministries.org — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 08:42:00 GMT

By Seth Miller, creative writing intern

Wednesday night at Teen Haven's camp is campfire night, where campers are given the opportunity to share what they learned that week at camp or anything else that God has put on their hearts. It is a great time to hear how Teen Haven and God has affected the lives of the kids, and just a good way to wrap up the week.

Many of the campers shared how they came to camp or how they got to know the Lord, but one camper, Troy, stood up in front of everyone and rapped. It was titled “Kid of the King,” and he told everyone that he wrote it in church. Throughout the campfire, he went up three more times to tell everyone about why he wrote it and to sing more songs. Troy was using his passion for song and music to convey to everyone his passion for God. By sharing his songs, Troy showed how God could be brought into a major part of his life: music.

From the encouragement he got from those who heard his songs, hopefully Troy learns to use his love of God to reach out to other people, instead of just sharing it around Wednesday night campfires. If there were any place that would teach a kid that, though, it would be Teen Haven.

Listening

maria.schaszberger@waterstreetministries.org — Tue, 31 Jul 2012 08:41:18 GMT

By Seth Miller, creative writing intern

During boys’ camp, about 40 young teen and preteen boys leave the city and descend upon the Teen Haven Camp in York. During my first week at boys’ camp, I immediately saw a difference from girl’s camp. For one, it seemed much harder to get the campers to quiet down at meal time, chapel, and many other activities. Sometimes it seemed that they were just not interested in Mr. Vinny’s (camp director) prayer or what that day’s chapel speaker had to say. Even as the chapel speaker continued there were many side conversations, which made me think that they didn’t want to listen or understand what was being said to them.

As Brady (Director of Teen Haven Philadelphia) spoke, however, I began to see several hands being raised with questions about what Brady was preaching about. They weren’t goofy questions, like “Why does Satan have horns?” but questions that were much more difficult to answer, like “Is it true that when you commit suicide you go to Hell?” Even though there were whispers of side conversations, it was obvious that these campers heard what Brady was saying and were interested enough to ask important questions. Even after Brady was done speaking, nearly a dozen campers followed him to ask more questions, turning down a campfire to learn more about what they had just heard about God.

I was glad to see that Brady welcomed these questions, telling everyone that they could stay the whole night and ask questions if they wanted to. While it may often be difficult to get some teens to listen when you want them to, Teen Haven knows that it is also just as important to listen to them.

2012 Spring Recovery Graduates

jsmith — Tue, 17 Jul 2012 16:48:13 GMT

Swimming Support Team

maria.schaszberger@waterstreetministries.org — Fri, 13 Jul 2012 10:14:00 GMT

By Seth Miller – Creative Writing Intern

Swimming seems to be one of the favorite activities at Teen Haven's summer camp, especially after spending hours running around in the summer heat. As I watched some of the campers swim, I saw that simply swimming wouldn’t always be satisfying, as many of the girls would yell to their counselors to watch them dive or brag about how far they could swim under water. Many were also excited to take the swim test, to prove that they were indeed skilled enough to swim in the deep end of six feet of water.

As each camper got a chance to swim one lap of the pool for the test, it was clear that the campers were not only interested in how well they themselves could swim. Whenever one girl took the swimming test, that section of the pool did not just contain her swimming a lap but also a crowd of her friends cheering her on as she attempted to make it from one side of the pool to the other. After she passed the test, shouts of “Eloise passed the test!” or “Mariah passed!” would splash across the pool, the campers’ excitement for their peer clearly very strong.

Even in a simple swimming test, the campers’ understand the importance of supporting one another. It is a lesson all too important when facing the real world, and the campers learned it without any camp director or counselor teaching it to them. Even in times where no lesson is scheduled, what the campers learn is invaluable.

This summer, Teen Haven is celebrating its 45th season of summer camp. Thank God with us for the opportunity to impact thousands of lives over the years, and ask God to prepare the hearts of the 600 campers we hope to serve this summer.