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Dear Friends,

Have you ever had a “case of the Mondays?” You know…those days when nothing seems to go right and you’re just in a bad mood?
 

A few weeks ago, in mid-July, I had a serious case of the Mondays. (And it actually was a Monday.) It was the first day of our summer basketball camp, and the Leverage Ministries staff was up early to get things ready.
 

The day started going downhill fast when the two vans we had reserved weren’t ready for us. In the weeks prior, I called three different times to confirm the van rentals. But when we showed up at 9 AM to get them, there were none on the lot, and the staff at the rental place acted like they had no idea what I was talking about. It took quite a while to sort out the mess, and the entire time, I was frustrated and ready to cancel camp.
 

They finally found two vans at a different location, but things just continued to go wrong after that. Roadblock after roadblock kept popping up before we had even picked the boys up for camp. I couldn’t keep the frustration and discouragement from putting me in a bad mood. I definitely didn’t feel prepared to direct 30 middle school and high school boys in basketball camp or share Christ with hurting these teens.
 

But on that Monday morning before the camp officially kicked off — when I was so discouraged and ready to quit — I received a call from the mom of one of the boys. She shared with me about how much her son’s life had changed since he got involved with Leverage Ministries. 
 

She said, “Pastor Scott, he’s a different kid. His behavior has changed. He’s stopped cussing, and he’s respectful. I just wanted to call you and thank you for all you’ve done for my son. Please don’t ever stop doing what you’re doing. It saved my son. What you’re doing is making a difference.”
 

This teenager had accepted Christ earlier this year, and I had watched him change. It was exciting to hear that he was living this out at home as well. His dad is in prison for life, his 13-year-old sister just had a baby and his mom is doing the best she can to provide for her family. Knowing that our work had made a difference was a much-needed reminder from God.
 

I walked into the gym with a new attitude, and we went on to have a great week of camp.
 

Ministry can be really hard, but calls like that make it all worth it. Seeing Jesus change the lives of these at-risk teenagers is worth it.
 

Thank you for your prayers and continued financial support. We couldn’t do what we do without you.
 

We have some exciting things coming up this fall, so be watching your email and the Leverage Ministries social media for announcements about upcoming events. 
 

We appreciate you!

Scott Hirdes, on behalf of Leverage Ministries 

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Dear Ministry Partners,

Thank you all so much for all of your prayers and financial support for our first-ever Leverage Ministries Summer Camp.

Remember that old Toys ‘R Us commercial jingle, “Where a kid can be a kid!”? That’s what camp is really all about—for the boys to get a few days away from all of the mess and experience God. Each one of these boys at camp is dealing with so many issues at home and in their lives. It’s hard for many of us to grasp what they have to shoulder at such a young age.

You can see from the video that it was an awesome week in the Ocala National Forest. The boys were able to swim, fish, play games, and enjoy several other activities throughout the week.

But the most important activity that we did throughout the week was to build relationships with these hurting teens and gain the right to be heard. Our goal is to introduce each young person to Jesus and to let the boys know that He desires to have a personal relationship with each of them. 

A young man named Luke was with us at camp. He was the very last kid to sign up, and I almost did not take him because we were full.  But it is hard for me to say no when a kid wants to be part of our ministry, so I called Luke on the Monday morning we were scheduled to leave and said, “Pack your stuff because you are going to camp. We will make room.”  

I am so glad that I made the decision to bring Luke with us because he is one who said "yes" to Jesus during the week. I had the opportunity to talk to Luke one evening, and he shared with me that his dad was in prison for first-degree murder. When his dad was sent to prison, Luke’s mom joined the Army and left him to stay with an aunt. He hasn’t seen or spoken with his dad since he went to prison, and he has not seen or spoken to his mom in more than five years.  

As we were talking that evening, Luke told me that he trusted Jesus and that he knew Jesus would be the first person in his life who wouldn’t leave.

Please continue to pray for Luke as he learns more about Christ but also as he struggles every day with the feelings of abandonment from his parents. I am so grateful that God prompted me to take Luke to camp, even if we were “full.”  I’m thankful for all the boys who went and that many of them said “yes” to Jesus for the first time.  

Your support of Leverage Ministries is crucial in allowing us to reach the abused, abandoned and arrested youth of Central Florida.  Please continue to pray for each of these young men and our follow up ministry with each of them.

In His Service,

Scott Hirdes
Executive Director

School’s out and summer break is officially underway!  For the Leverage Ministries staff, that means it’s time for our annual summer camp.

On Monday morning, we will load up 30 at-risk teenage boys, along with 10 staff members and volunteers, and head to the Ocala National Forest. For many of the kids, this will be their first experience away from home, and we want to make it a great week for them.

Home life isn’t easy for these boys, and the worries they have to shoulder at a young age are ones that many of us can’t imagine.

…Will there be enough food? 

…Will the power be turned off because the bill wasn’t paid? 

…Will they be evicted? 

…Will they be abused or watch as a brother or sister is abused?

Would you pray specifically for each one of these teenagers—that they will be free from the stresses of what they deal with at home so that they can enjoy just being kids for the week? 

We strive to fill the week with fun activities, including swimming in a lake, fishing, hiking and going to the beach. A lot of these boys have never done any of these things before. 

They also get three meals a day, and sadly, even this is a luxury for many of them. 

But the most important thing we do is share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with these kids. In order to do this, we have to build relationships with them so that we gain the right to be heard. It can be hard for them to trust adults. So please pray that our group of 10 staff members and volunteers will be patient with the boys and have the opportunity to spend time with them, talking one-on-one and earning their respect and trust so that we can share Christ. 

In addition, pray for the health and safety of the entire group throughout the week. 

Thank you all so much for your part in making this week of camp possible. Whether you have sponsored campers, participated in our golf tournament, made donations towards camp or committed yourself to prayer, we appreciate every one of you.

YOU are making a difference in the lives of these teenagers, and I can’t wait to send a follow-up email that shares all of the amazing things that God did during our week of camp.

In Him,

Scott Hirdes

P.S. There are still opportunities to sponsor campers. Click here to give to the Leverage Ministries Summer Camp Scholarship Fund.