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| Cathy Reyna |
I was introduced to CareNet in 2005 when my daughter completed the first Pearls class, the initial mentoring program began by Candy Gibbs. That 10 weeks of study and focus for my child impacted our entire family. We were a Christian family but we were struggling…a blended household, stepchildren, both parents working full-time stressful jobs and the busyness of sports, academic and teen social activities of our kids. It seems in all that chaos that 24 hours could hold we were losing true vision of what was actually valuable in our lives. The Pearls class and the banquet that followed centered us once again on His vision for us, His plan and His power to change chaos into calm.
Colossians 3: 15 “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.”
We were indeed thankful and in turn I looked for a way to share that with others. As you continue to read on in Colossians 3:16 the answer was obvious, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom…” It was time to pass on what Christ had done for us to other teens, other families; I could not walk on and not look back to help others as they struggled.
That’s how I became a mentor. I had seen what was possible through God and through this program at CareNet. I wanted to see it continue and grow; to reach lives and encourage young people to see Jesus and His plan for them. Titus 2: 3-5 tells me to “teach what is good and train younger women to love their husbands and children, to be pure, self-controlled and kind.” Through the mentoring programs we can bring these principles to life and become a part of these kids’ everyday existence at school, with friends and at home. God’s Word is not just something read at church or on special occasions, but a tool to be used daily to guide and to comfort. Satan’s temptations are everywhere, crying out for satisfaction and heard in every situation; we as Christians should be right there toe-to-toe speaking God’s truth and instilling in young people the “bread of life” spoken about in John 6.
As years went by I continued to mentor with the Pearls program and even to ask God if He had a bigger plan growing in that direction. I am an RN and have loved serving both patients and coworkers in that capacity. But as time went by I continued to feel the call of Jesus pulling me towards serving Him and an even bigger commitment of my time and energy. Last January I stepped out in faith and joined the CareNet staff as fulltime Abstinence Director. I now see the path that the Lord has laid before me through the years of education, experience and “mothering” to serve in a new capacity. It is full of challenges, joy and growth.
The very best part of mentoring however has everything to do with the relationships you make. Seeing the future unfold in the lives of these you’ve invested time and prayer over; hearing the joy in a mom’s voice as she calls out to you at the store that her daughter is doing great and leading a Bible study for her peers. Watching young mentors you work along-side have their own families and develop new ideas to encourage and reach out to those they teach. It is a rich reward of seed planted and getting to see the harvest that the Lord brings forth. It spurs us on to continue working! Join us in the adventure. It is never boring!
Thankfully the mentoring programs for kids ages 8-19 are continuing to grow at CareNet. Men teach 8-12 year old boys at SQUIRES what their purpose in the Lord is and how they can serve Him; always encouraging dads to participate. The girls class, CHOSEN, is for preteen girls and currently has the largest group of participants. They joyfully worship, make new friends and study God’s Word every spring and fall over a six-week time period with Mom’s serving as mentors. The teen boys have three opportunities a year to join in on active weekend retreats with Christian men at BRAVEHEARTS to examine what a man of God looks like and how to grow into that; making unforgettable memories alongside their fathers.
PEARLS continues to reach out to teen girls and enrich Godly relationships in their lives and discover what true purity is. Both PEARLS and BRAVEHEARTS who have completed classes meet also monthly to encourage spiritual growth and friendships among believing students. Our latest endeavor is to offer an apologetics course, TRUE-U, for older high school students and college-age to strengthen them for the confrontational style of college professors who may not share their faith.
Let me encourage you as readers to step out of your comfort zone and join us on the front lines of spiritual battle. Put Your life experience,
Your loving heart and Your Godly wisdom into action as a mentor in CareNet’s youth outreach!
Cathy Reyna, RN, Abstinence Director
CareNet
