It’s a new year, and as I look into it, I see a year full of exciting changes and opportunities. One of these changes is my transition out of communications completely and into full-time youth work in Langley. I’ve mentioned this a few times since last summer, and now that some of the plans have been finalized, I’d like to share them with you and ask for your help in this exciting transition.
In the fall, I sat down with my various supervisors and came up with a transition plan, and now that plan is underway. Part of this process included setting out monthly support goals. As many of you know, as a missionary with Youth for Christ, I am required to raise my own support. Basically what that means is that, similar to many overseas missionaries, part of my job is to share what I’m doing and my vision with others and give them the opportunity to get involved by supporting my work financially. The money that is raised goes into my staff account at Youth for Christ, and out of that comes my salary, ministry expenses, benefits, and other related staff costs. My salary is set by the organization, so if I raise more than I need, I don’t get more, and if I don’t raise enough, I don’t get a full pay cheque.
In my position as Communications Officer I work three days a week and am responsible to raise 50% of my salary— the other 50% is subsidized by the organization because my work in communications serves to benefit the whole organization. As a full-time youth worker, I will be responsible to raise 100% of my salary for five days a week, plus ministry expenses, benefits, and other staff costs. This means a substantial increase in the amount of money that I am responsible for raising— a daunting task for someone who finds this part of my job difficult already! But with the help of my supervisors, I’ve come up with a few goal dates that I’d like to share with you.
February 1, 2007:
One full day in Langley= $760/mo.
June 1, 2007:
Two full days in Langley= $1500/mo.
September 1, 2007:
Three full days in Langley= $2300/mo.
As you can see, that first goal date is coming up pretty fast. The good news is that I only need another $175/mo. to reach my goal! That means just 7 people
giving $25/mo. would cover it.
I’m very excited about my work in Langley and I’m encouraged that I’m so close to reaching my goal. Please join with me in praying that I am able to follow through on these proposed dates.
As always, if you have any questions, or would like to chat with me more about this letter or my work, please contact me.
If you want to help me meet these goals, please click here to donate online, or email me at laura_solberg@telus.net for other methods of giving.
A Package
After Art Club this week, I was sorting through the permission forms that had been turned in that week, a discovered a little package tucked in between the sheets. It was a plain sheet of lined paper, folded and taped into a little packet, addressed “To: The Art Club and Bus Staff.” I carefully opened the package and found inside a note, and four other sheets of paper. I would like to share the note and other contents with you, in hopes that it will encourage you as it did me. It read:
“Dear Bus Crew and Art Club Staff,
Thank you so much for teaching me all the different types of being respectful. With this note I have attached four other papers all talking about the ways of being respectful. Thank you.”
One of the other sheets of paper had an essay that the young girl had written on respect. Imagine-- an eleven year old, writing an essay that no one had asked her too! In it she spoke about the importance of respecting yourself and others; how you don’t have to dress provocatively to be pretty or get noticed; that you shouldn’t talk down about yourself or others, in order to make people think about you in a certain way; and how everyone is different and special in their own way.
She also included three pictures that she had drawn, each representing respect in some way.
I’ve also heard from two other parents since we started up again for 2007 that the art club is the highlight of their child’s week. It was so great to hear that! And what an encouragement that little present amongst the permission forms was to the whole team. It’s things like that package that let us know despite how sometimes the kids are a bit unruly and it’s hard to tell if they are hearing anything that we are saying, something is getting through!
If you want to help financially with my work in Langley,
please click here.
please click here.
