| My Father is a pastor. In 1975, He had | | | | started in the thirties expanded further with |
| accepted an invitation to be the dean of | | | | the millions of soldiers and sailors encamped |
| students for a private Christian prep | | | | in cities around the country. In 1944 many of |
| school. He was thrilled with the prospect of | | | | the Church and Christian youth leaders who |
| a new and very different challenge. But | | | | were leading independent youth rallies and |
| before the moving van was packed, but after | | | | clubs met at Lake Winona , Indiana for an |
| the church said its warm good-bye, the school | | | | annual Bible conference. There these men |
| had some form of difficulty and removed the | | | | prayerfully deliberated how to best |
| job offer. Therefore, my father was not only | | | | coordinate this evangelical effort to young |
| deeply disappointed, he was unemployed. It | | | | people. They agreed to cooperate in this |
| was a very low point in my Dad's life. | | | | great movement of the Spirit. Later that |
| | | | year, at in meeting in Detroit , Torrey |
| The job search ended in Lancaster California | | | | Johnson, a Chicago area Pastor was elected |
| where he because the senior pastor of a great | | | | Chairman of a temporary organization to |
| church. I was a freshman in college. That | | | | oversee the work. Torrey had been the |
| summer I went to my new home in Lancaster | | | | organizer of the Chicago Youth Jubilees ably |
| forvacation. It was there that I was quite | | | | aided by many including a dynamic, recent |
| taken by the beautiful church pianist who was | | | | Wheaton graduate and Chicago radio |
| a senior in high school. A couple years of | | | | evangelist, Billy Graham. (A complete copy of |
| friendship with Kay turned into courtship and | | | | Warren Christie's work can be found at |
| later marriage. I had never connected the | | | | |
| dots until I recently was talking to my dad | | | | Little did anyone who was at that meeting, |
| about that difficult time of unemployment. My | | | | dream that this would be the birth of Youth |
| kids were in the room. You would not believe | | | | for Christ which has contributed to or |
| the look on their faces as we suddenly | | | | birthed countless other ministries like Dr. |
| realized that if that school had not removed | | | | Graham's ministry and even Long Island Youth |
| the job offer, they would not be here. | | | | Mentoring. It was just one meeting. 'Anyone |
| | | | can count the seeds in an apple, but only God |
| In 1978, after recieving his MBA, my brother | | | | can count the apples in a seed.' |
| David was working for a small and rapidly | | | | |
| growing software company in the Seattle area | | | | One day Ed came home from church and told his |
| -- yes, it was Microsoft. The owner called | | | | wife he had signed up to be a mentor to a |
| him (guess who) to let him go. He quickly | | | | fatherless boy. Fifteen years later, that boy |
| landed a job with Exxon in Houston Texas. As | | | | is a policeman keeping order in the aftermath |
| he was preparing for the move, David's wife | | | | of 9-11. He is also a sixth grade Sunday |
| Vivian was given the news that she had | | | | school teacher and now a mentor to a boy with |
| cervical cancer that needed to be removed as | | | | a story very much like his own. |
| soon as possible. They chose to postpone the | | | | |
| treatments until they settled in Texas. A few | | | | It was just a decision made at church. He |
| days later, they were at a specialist's | | | | volunteered to get together with a boy for |
| office in Texas who said; "I do not know | | | | two hours a week. |
| anything about cancer, but I do know that you | | | | |
| are pregnant." The 'cancer' that was to be | | | | What God will do with that pebble of faith |
| removed by the Seattle doctor is named | | | | that was thrown obediently into the pool of |
| Gregory. He recently graduated from UCLA with | | | | the will of God will reverberate for |
| a double major, married and moved to Japan to | | | | generations and onto eternity. |
| spend his first year of marriage teaching | | | | |
| english. God works all things together for | | | | Please know that we rest only in the very |
| good for those who love Him and are called | | | | capable hands of Almighty God. The God who |
| according to His name. | | | | can use a lost job to enable me to meet my |
| | | | Kay and to be blessed with our three |
| As we celebrate the 25th anniversary of this | | | | children, and who blessed my brother with his |
| ministry we have looked at our history. There | | | | first born son, is quite capable to lead and |
| were countless events that happened, that | | | | provide for Long Island Youth Mentoring ( |
| from our earthly eyes, were absolutely | | | | that He loves so much. Our question is only |
| necessary precursors to the start of this | | | | to know His call of what we should do, |
| ministry. I will share just one of those | | | | weather seemingly large or small and to know |
| event as told my Warren Christie, who is | | | | that the Lord of the universe has chosen to |
| writing our history: | | | | bless us by enabling us to be apart of His |
| | | | blessing work. |
| The movement of Christian youth rallies that | | | | |