A PLOUFFE REPORT

I hope this letter finds you all well, as it has been several months since I have written to you. The past eight months I have been in Saskatchewan finishing up my third year at Briercrest Bible College, working towards my BA in Christian Ministry. It has been such a remarkable year full of times of challenge, refreshment, refinement and growth. God has been teaching me so much through my classes and my personal time with Him about surrender and dying to myself and seeking Him with an open and soft heart towards His guidance in where He would lead me each day, and more recently where He’d lead me for the summer. I wish I could go out for coffee with all of you and tell you in detail what the Lord has been doing in my heart and my life this year but unfortunately I’m rather far away to do that. However, I would like to tell you briefly about what God is calling me to this summer.

A GROWING BURDEN
One aspect of my journey with God this year has been that He has been developing a burden, a passion and a call to work with the youth in Moose Jaw this summer. Since September, I have been volunteering at a local youth drop in centre that is located in downtown Moose Jaw, called Joe’s Place. The drop in centre is open Friday and Saturday nights as a safe place for youth to go that is alcohol and drug free, and where they can connect and develop friendships with Christian college age students. The majority of the youth that come to Joe’s Place are youth who come from broken and abusive homes. Many of our youth have turned to drugs, alcohol, sex, violence, crime and self-injury as a way to feel fulfillment in their lives. Joe’s Place exists in order to provide hope to youth whose lives are broken and in need of people to show them the love of Christ. This semester I have been studying in depth Isaiah 55 where God calls people who are trying to satisfy their souls with things that are only temporary and calls them to find their satisfaction in Him who can freely pardon their sins. God revealed to me the other day that this is what He is calling me to do this summer. To call out to our youth and help them realize that the things they are trying to satisfy their souls are only leaving them more broken and hurt and that God is the only One who can satisfy their souls forever.

A CALLING CONFIRMED
Ever since I was in high school God has given me Jeremiah 1 as my life verse. The other day, God redirected me to this passage and reminded me of His call on my life. Part of this passage reads,
‘Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart, I appointed you as a prophet to the nations…’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you."

The other day when God brought me to this verse I was like “Moose Jaw is not another nation God, it’s pretty much right down the road”. God reminded me that the youth that I work with in Moose Jaw however are just as much a different culture as the youth I ministered to the past two summers in Hong Kong. These youth have been raised in a completely different social culture then I have (i.e. the way they’ve been raised, their life experiences, their worldviews, the music they listen to, the activities they participate in, the language they speak). However, one thing God taught me in Hong Kong and has been continually reminding me through the youth I connect with weekly at Joe’s Place, is that there is one language that every culture and subculture speaks and that is one of love.

ENTERING THEIR WORLD
Although these youth are rough and tough on the outside, are desperately longing and crying out for someone to genuinely love them, and love them unconditionally. The majority of the youth that we have regular contact with each week have never experienced unconditional love from a father or from anyone else. God has blessed me with an amazing family and friends in Ontario who have loved and supported me my whole life. God is calling me this summer to leave my safe and comfortable world of living and working in Haliburton and to enter the world of the youth of Moose Jaw and live a life that proclaims and points these youth to the love of God by free falling amongst them.

FREE FALLING

Free Falling was the theme of a youth retreat that we took 40 of our youth to in February. Over the weekend God revealed himself to many of our youth and they made commitments to surrender their lives to God and free fall into His hands. The idea behind the theme is that it is a hard choice to surrender ones life to God. However, when we choose to jump into following after God we are not doing it alone and it’s a life we will never regret jumping out in faith. The logo for weekend was a picture of three people bungee jumping into God’s hands. At the end of the weekend God explicitly told me this is what He was calling me to do this summer. I too had to choose to free-fall into God’s plan for my life by accepting His call to stay in Moose Jaw for the summer. I know God has amazing plans to use me in the lives of the youth in Moose this summer and I just need to continue to trust Him in every step of the way.

THE WORK

I now have the opportunity to join the full time summer team and help mentor these youth as they embark on the journey of seeking God and growing into Christ like maturity. God has been powerfully working in the lives of our youth as we have seen such a transformation over the past four months as God has been softening and opening their hearts to Him. I can see God’s hand in preparing me for this summer since October and I am so excited to see God move in the lives of the youth and their families here in Moose Jaw.

GOD IS AT WORK HERE AND THE KINGDOM IS GROWING
Friends and Family, I’ve shared all this with you because I would like to ask you to partner with me in supporting me this summer. God has given me His heart for the youth here in Moose Jaw and God is at work in their lives. However, I am in need of your prayers and support just as much this summer as I did for the past two in going to Hong Kong. Although I am not travelling to the other side of the world these youth are just as unreached as the youth in Asia. If it wasn’t for Joe’s Place these youth would not know who Jesus is anymore than youth in Asia because they would never on their own darken the doorway of a church or pick up a Bible or talk about spiritual matters. However, through the ministry of Joe’s Place these youth are discussing issues of faith, life and God with our volunteers at Joe’s Place, making commitments to Christ and making positive life choices. Moose Jaw is a very lost city and I truly believe Satan is loosing ground because we are claiming youth for Christ.

HOW CAN YOU HELP?

Would you please partner with me over the next four months as I follow God’s leading by living amongst our youth and helping them becoming mature disciples of Jesus. Please pray for me in the following areas this summer 1) Spiritual and physical protection 2) Emotional support and encouragement 3) Softened hearts and a hunger for truth in the lives of the youth 4) Sensitivity to the leading of the Holy Spirit 5) Financial Support to come in. Joe’s Place is a non-profit organization and therefore I need to raise my own support. I would like to ask you to prayerfully consider supporting me this summer, as I need to raise $1000 a month to meet my expenses.
Thank you all for your continued love and support. I thank God for you all often as you are always a great encouragement to me. May you experience the blessing of God as you partner with me in furthering His kingdom.

Choosing to Free Fall,
Leanne Plouffe