NEWSLETTER: FEBRUARY, 2002

Hundreds of kids attend Spectrum's club programs. Even on very cold nights, usually sixty or seventy kids come for the games, singing, teaching and fun. As director, I have to ask myself the hard questions. In all of this activity, enthusiasm and excitement called "Club", is anything really being done to change these lives? We know God cares for each of these little kids, but does the "Club" go all the way home?

Yesterday, in the late afternoon, I drove down the canyon and up the other side to visit Jorge and Claudia and their large family. Claudia was already at our building waiting for club to start. It was an hour early and very cold, but there they stood. She and her little brother, bundled up in whatever they could wear, were still shivering from the cold. The little boy was wearing muddy shoes, twice his size and without socks. Claudia didn't look anything like the clean, well-dressed girls her age, just ten minutes north of here in the US.

At my invitation they jumped in the Volkswagen van and we drove the dirt road to within about a block of their house and stopped. The rest of the way we would walk. I followed the two down the muddy road, across, around and through the junk. We finally arrived at the small gateway that led down to their little house. Her brother, thirteen-year-old Jorge, was working somewhere; mom didn't know exactly where or when he would be home. An older sister had worked at a factory, and brought home money for the family, but a few months back she was attacked as she came out of the factory in the early morning, brutally raped, shot, killed and dumped alongside the road. This not only tragically ended her life, but ended their income as well. Little Jorge is the man of the family now.

"Claudia", I asked, "Do you have your club book and is it all filled out?" She said, "Yes", and disappeared into the dark little house. Soon she reappeared and proudly showed me her book. I looked it over. It was dirty and very used, but had every page filled out, verses memorized and all. Unfortunately, Jorge wasn't there to show us his book. I smiled, encouraged her and said good-by, then walked back to my van. Claudia and Jorge are very faithful to our club in that area and I rather expected they would have their books. I was sitting in the van ready to pull away when Claudia opened the van door, grabbed me around the neck, and gave me a kiss on my cheek. Now that I didn't expect!

I guess my question was answered. Our club does go home and it is making a difference in lives. (Not only that, I got a kiss to prove it!)

Part of your gift goes to support our club program. We appreciate your faithful help in making it possible. THANK YOU!

P.S. Some of you have asked for a progress report on my knee. It's doing well. I must admit I would prefer the original equipment. It does hurt a little sometimes, like yesterday, at the end of a cold day. Thanks for your prayers.