DAVE'S STORY
When I look back, these new people in my life really did care and wanted to help and make a difference in my life. As time went by and my trust grew stronger, I started to let these people in. I could finally open up and when that happened I felt myself letting go of some of the anger I had toward authorities and the world. Throughout that year I started asking questions about God and what it all meant. I needed answers to questions about my life, what it meant and most of all where I was headed. I started going to church with the lead tenants over a period of time, and felt the void in my life being filled. I became a Christian shortly after and still to this day I'm proud to say so.

If it weren't for YFC and their support, which is still ongoing today, I don't know where I'd be, to be honest I wouldn't like to imagine. I'm getting baptized soon and I hope I can share it with them as they played a major role in where I am today.

MICHELLE'S STORY
Michelle who is spending a term in a residential centre committed her life to God. Despite her background of homelessness, prostitution and drug addiction Michelle is growing in her new faith. This is her update in her own words.

I am now three months into my 21-month sentence, 10 months in which I will serve in a youth residential centre. Before starting my sentence I had been heroin-free for two months, but was battling abuse of chrome and marijuana due to the death of my boyfriend. I had issues around having suicidal thoughts, even though it had been a little while since I had self-harmed.

Now I'm into my sentence, I'm healthy, settled and am able to devote my time to my Father, our Lord. I have Bible Studies with my worker Monika once a week and we also pray together and for each other. Since meeting Monika, who appears to be a guardian angel, knight in shining armour or whatever you'd like to call this special young woman, I've changed just as much spiritually as I have from my old ways.

I'm enrolled into General Education for Adults and am producing "high standards of work". I have already passed my certificate in computers and am moving up to the advanced level. It's safe to say I'm liked by most staff and peers here, and hear positive feedback more than negative. But this doesn't compare to how much God loves me or how wonderful our special friendship is.

KIM’S STORY
Before I did YFC I was introduced to God through a neighbour but before we could get down to the nit and grit of things she fell sick and died within four years and so I was on my own again and scared. When I was in year 10 my friend introduced me to Pete and his crew from YFC. It gave me the chance to ask questions I thought would never be answered and learnt the most amazing things about God. Amazingly they miraculously were able to answer any questions I threw at them. I’ve learnt God is never ending and so full of information and emotions, he is always there even when we see there is only one set of footprints in the sand. Those prints belong to God who is carrying us along in our hard times when we think we are all alone.

BEN’S STORY
After participating in a ‘No Limits’ class, Ben said his grades went from C to B and now he was getting As. He also said he learnt the importance of treating others the way he would like to be treated. Before this he regularly gave Andrew (another guy in the class) a hard time but when he decided to change his attitude toward him, they became good friends.

The teacher later told me that Andrew had in fact started helping Ben with his school work, hence the increase in his grades. A simple example of how living God’s values – leads us to living life more abundantly.

A LEAD TENANT’S STORY
When Bec de Jager first saw a Youth for Christ ad for “Lead Tenants” she could not have known the journey it would take her on. Despite her experience as a church youth leader, sharing her life in this type of supported accommodation was a big step in Bec’s life. It also had an impact in the lives of the girls she befriended. The position proved to be challenging but immensely rewarding. “Often girls don’t move out under good circumstances”, says Bec, “they don’t like confrontation… if there is a blow up it’s easier for them to pack their stuff and just go”. But when a girl left expressing her appreciation for all the things they shared including “love and laughter”, the effort became immensely worthwhile.

Looking back at the completion of a fifteen-month term Bec describes her Lead Tenant experience as “fantastic!” despite its trials. “Small acts of generosity do count for girls that no one has cared for.”