To read or not to read?....

Summer is fast approaching us...this means many teens have the opportunity to turn their brains off with no school and veg for three months solid.  Is this ideal?  NO! 

Reading is a beautiful thing.  A necessary thing.  A life thing...  And sometimes there needs to be some motivation to do so. 

Would you challenge your mentee to read books this summer?  

This list of books below are highly recommended by Reading teachers in West Dallas and will allow you to interact with your mentee about real issues and plots.  Maybe one book you could go to the library or Half Price Books and pick out a book together that interest your mentee... Ex. animals, cars, Asia, etc 

Maybe come up with a little reward system to affirm their reading?!   Here are a few ideas:

Reward System:

Book 1 - $5 card to Sonic or another restaurant

Book 2 - Nice Dinner and Movie

Book 3 - Day trip, maybe tubing

Book 4 - $40 cash

We would REALLY encourage you to suggest to your mentee to start out reading an easier book so he/she doesn't get frustrated. 

Easy

*Chronicles of Narnia

Carry on Mr. Bowditch

The Giver

Kairo

*Bridge to Terabithia

Tears of a Tiger

Moderate

The Glass Castle

Monster

*Hunger Games (3 books series)

*Gifted Hands

Do Hard Things

Run Baby Run

Difficult

Unbroken (great for boys)

Joker One (great for boys)

Redeeming Love (great for girls)

*Kite Runner

*Count of Monte Cristo 

*The Hiding Place

Uncle Toms Cabin

*** asterisk means there is a movie to watch after the book is read! *** 

HAPPY READING!

Summer CAMP Application Due May 18th....

If your mentee has never been to camp before PLEASE take responsibility & make sure he/she has the incredible opportunity to attend.  Please help him/her get the application in on time ... just print it off & get the parent or guardian to fill it out right then and there as you wait.

Summer Camp 2012 - August 12-17 

Once again, Mercy Street is blessed beyond measure in our partnership with Pine Cove Christian Camps!  We're excited to be going to Pine Cove Outback located in Columbus, Texas from Sunday, August 12th to Friday, August 17th.  

The total cost per student is $30.00.  

*Please CLICK and read the below document titled Application Introduction, it has all details.  

Camp Requirements
1) May 18th - Applications Due (click below) with $30.00 application fee will hold the spot for your student.  Mentor Coordinators have will inform you by June 1st if your student has been selected to attend.
2) Work Days - If your student is attending camp, they will need to complete two work days in the month of June.  These dates will be communicated to you closer to the time.
3) Behavior - there are behavioral expectations (discussed in application below) that all campers must obey before applying, during the application process and while at camp.  If your student has a difficult time adhering by these expectations, they will not receive the opportunity to attend camp.
4) Eighth Grader - If your mentee is in the 8th grade and desires to go please contact Garrett or Jill.  The spots are more limited and the selection process is more intense.  Thanks!

Introduction

6th and 7th Grade Application

Mooooooooooooore Questions?

Middle school kids want to be honest and want to be known… ask authentic questions and you’ll get authentic answers... they are old enough to process the truth... so give it to them… ask away… please YOU be ready to be answer the questions authentically as well!

·        Where were you born?

·        If you could have anything, what would you wish for?

·        When, Lord willing, you are a Mom/Dad what will you do different than what your mom is going now?  Be more, what?  Do more, what?

·        What would your dream vacation be?  Why?

·        What is the most sick or injured you have ever been? 

·        Tell me a story about one of your scars?

·        If you had $50 how would you spend it?

·        What has been the happiest moment of your life?

·        What has been the scariest moment?

·        Do you think God is real?

·        If you could be REALLY good at one thing- what would it be?

·        What percentage of the time do you think you tell the truth?  Why do you sometimes lie?

·        Do you know any stories in the Bible?  What do you think is a cool story?

·        What qualities do you look for in a friend?

·        What in life brings you the most joy?

·        Do you have a favorite song?

·        Are your grandparents living?  How do they show you they love you?

·        Why do you think people get married- do you know anyone that's married- what do you think about it?  Will you get married you think?

·        If you could change one thing about the way you look what would you change?

·        Do you like a boy/girl?  What is his/her name?  Why do you like him/her? 

Why Wait Well? and How?

Possible New Year’s resolutions for the GLORY of God….

Commit to pray for your mentee EVERY day

Take a look in the back of your mentor handbook and choose one thing each quarter to do NEW with your mentee

Share the gospel

Make a point to meet with your mentor coordinator to brainstorm

Create your own New Year's resolution...

Take your mentee’s guardian out to lunch or sit in the house for an extended period of time to get to know him/her better

Be at the mentor training Jan 14. “It takes a Village” – with the guardian - 9am to noon

Read a book off the Mercy Street recommended reading list

Visit your mentee’s school for lunch or to meet teachers

Surrender your plan for your mentee's life for His plan...  

Garrett and Jill would like to say THANK YOU for....

• challenging us in our personal walks with Christ!
• taking time to value the comradery with the staff at Mercy Street
• loving the whole family of your mentee
• seeing your mentorship as not "just another volunteer opportunity", but an important part of your life to which you give your full devotion
• your consistency week after week
• being willing to step up to take the challenge to mentor
• a "whatever it takes" attitude to help
• your generosity with your own money to help Mercy Street
• being creative and thinking diligently on ways you can love, serve, and challenge your mentee
• the ways you include your mentee in your other personal relationships
• the way you invite others to be a part of what God is doing in West Dallas
• your determination to have lasted this long... to weather the storms you have faced
• being flexible
• the ways you are available to help in any way at Mercy Street
• the times we have showed up to an event in the community and you are already there supporting a cheering on your mentee
• volunteering to help lead bible study each week
• collaborating with others at mentor trainings
• spreading the word about Mercy Street
• the seriousness you take to live a life that screams to your mentee... follow me as I follow Christ...
• surrendering your own plan for your mentee's life... for HIS plan!

Connecting the dots... choices I make today (good & bad) affect my personal and career future!

At the beginning of October, many middle schoolers along with their mentors gathered at Mercy Street to hear from eight loving and passionate adults to learn about different career options.  It was incredible to watch how engaged the students were in listening to the adults share their testimony of what they do on a daily basis in their job, the course of schooling they took to be successful in their career, and what they intentionally denied their flesh with the things of this world, in order to achieve their dreams in their occupation.

Euraiya and Staci in front of Mercy Street



Garrett giving a charge to think beyond today



John brought his fireman uniform for others to try on

Peter, current teacher in West Dallas, discussing with some possible future teachers



Ex pro football player, Derrick (on right), who graduated from Edison Middle School, with Ike and mentee Keith