2010 God called me to leave my paying teaching job of 3yrs, sell my car, leave my apartment by the beach, leave my family & friends & my home country & take a leap of faith & fundraise over $16,000 to travel overseas for 11months on a backpacking mission trip called the World Race w/Adventures In Missions! I said "YES LORD" & went on the biggest faith challenge of my life....so far. It grew me dramatically on so many levels & prepared me in many ways for my NEXT big leap of faith......
2011 God called me to leave the COMFORT & SECURITY of a PAYING fulltime job to come on staff with the Chaplains as a FULLTIME local Orange County missionary with Pacific Youth Correctional Ministries! This solid Christian ministry has been reaching out to troubled youth for 30yrs strong & has a legacy! I'm honored to serve on a faithful team of passionate, Godly people!
2004 I started volunteering w/Pacific Youth & teaching weekly Bible studies. That is how i discovered the highly forgotten population of incarcerated youth & God WRECKED my heart for them. LITERALLY.
So here i am. Sunday- Saturday. Day in and day out, reaching out to troubled youth & their families on the gang populated streets of Orange County & behind the walls of the various Juvenile Hall correctional facilities (Youth Guidance Center, Juvenile Hall, Joplin Youth Center, Youth Leadership Academy). I DO NOT get paid for what i do FULLTIME. Yet it IS a fulltime job. And like everyone else, i have living expenses that need to be paid: gas, health insurance bills, phone bills, food, clothing, car mechanic bills, taxes etc) example: i've had my health insurance bill sitting on my desk at home the last week because i don't have $$$ to pay it yet :( i spent almost $500 on car mechanic bills this month which left me at 0 for my account for the rest of this month, which means i'm now using CREDIT to pay for gas for ministry daily this week.
So what does Michelle's week REALLY look like?
I feel like i pretty much LIVE at Juvenile Hall during the week!!! I have actually had Probation Staff ask me if i sleep there hahaha!!!
*** I drive back and forth there several days a week
*** I'm there in the afternoons & evenings teaching Bible studies on week nights
*** Discipling teens (one hour sessions w/teen: helping them walk with the Lord in everyday situations, go through packets/assignments together & teaching them His Word through Biblical counseling)
*** Delivering Bibles to youth who have personally requested them/sharing Gospel/prayer needs
***Meeting up one-on-one to follow up with Religious Request forms that the youth fill out when they have questions/want direction/help w/spiritual needs
***assist with administrative duties in the office
*** Helping teach both Sunday services at the Hall & YGC (each service is about an hour & half)
***Like any teacher, we need preparation time to prepare lessons & study! So i spend hours making lessons/studying how to BEST reach our troubled youth population the most EFFECTIVELY!
***Gang Intervention on the streets for several hours on Saturday evenings each month with Lives Worth Saving ministries which is under the umbrella of Pacific Youth. Sharing the Gospel, praying for gang members & their families/needs, providing resources for schooling, jobs/other needs.
***Mandatory bi-annual training sessions with Pacific Youth in order to stay sharpened in our ministries & be united.
***Bi-monthly conference room 2hour Chaplain staff meetings held on Wednesdays to come together & work as a team.
***Wednesday evening home bible studies that i co-lead in inner city Santa Ana on a notorious gang street. These studies take time/thought/preparation. God has also called me many times to help them out financially w/certain needs of the family when they come up. That money comes out of my own pocket from the donations i live off of.
***Helping serve at Pacific Youth Special Events throughout the year at different Juvenile facilities.
***FUNDRAISING FULLTIME is another job role! haha It takes time to communicate w/supporters & to do the "footwork" of fundraising.
***Inner city events/outreaches/evangelism w/other missionaries/pastors
***FOLLOW UP CARE/continuing care for Juvenile Hall teens who get released back into society & do not have much support or Godly guidance. God's been using me as a mentor to take teens to church services/meet up to catch up with life & walk life with them through their struggles.
***There is not a day that goes by that i am not actively preparing studies or ministering in some way!!***
^^^ (YGC Girls' Event) ^^^
RIGHT NOW I AM ABOUT ONLY 40% FUNDED. IN ORDER TO CONTINUE TO DO THESE DAILY IMPORTANT MINISTRIES I NEED TO BE 100% FULLY FUNDED!! I AM ASKING YOU TO THINK ABOUT PARTNERING UP WITH ME FINANCIALLY ON A MONTHLY BASIS! I'M ALSO TRYING TO MOVE TO SANTA ANA SOON, BUT NEED MORE MONTHLY SUPPORT IN ORDER TO PAY RENT!
WOULD YOU CONSIDER A $10,$25, $50, $75, $100 MONTHLY GIFT FOR 2013?
IF I DO NOT RECEIVE FUNDS TO PAY LIVING EXPENSES, I WILL NEED TO STOP DOING THESE CRUCIAL LIFE CHANGING MINISTRIES!
GIVING OPTIONS: GIFTS ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE!
GIVE ONLINE:
www.PYCM.org (click on donate & then click on "Para-Chaplain Michelle Smith")
GIVE BY CHECK: (PLEASE NOTE ON ENVELOPE OR CHECK "ACCOUNT #041" & make payable to "Pacific Youth Correctional Ministries")
Pacific Youth Correctional Ministries
P.O. Box 8875
Redlands, CA 92375
IF YOU HAVEN'T SUBSCRIBED TO MY BLOG, PLEASE DO SO YOU CAN STAY UPDATED!
PRAYER TEAM: if you'd like to receive a weekly email about ministry prayer updates/requests & specific names/requests from my Mon night Bible study w/Juve Hall boys, please let me know!!! Or if you know of a church group who would be interested in partnering up to help the troubled youth!
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT, PRAYERS & ENCOURAGEMENT.
His servant,
Para-Chaplain Michelle Smith (another blog soon to come on recent Easter events w/teens!)
