From a church

“My study window at the church looks out on a busy street. Throughout the day, I will hear horns honking and folks waving at me as they drive past. It always brings a smile to my face and a challenge to match the passing car with the person greeting me.

Last month, I had a different experience. There was a tentative knock on that same window. I looked up to see one of the biggest smiles to ever grace a little guy’s face. There stood Gerald; one foot planted back on the sidewalk, the other sunk deep into the pile of snow. ‘What’s up?’ I asked. ‘Are you one of the KIDS HOPE USA mentors?’ Well, that got me outside to invite Gerald to come in out of the cold.

After phoning Gerald’s mom to tell her where he was, we talked. Gerald isn’t one of the students we mentor. His cousin is. And Gerald wants a mentor. Since we met, I’ve learned that Gerald is the youngest in his family, which includes his mother, a year-older sister, and a half-brother who is serving time in one of our state’s prisons. Gerald is an average student. He loves math; tolerates reading…and it shows. He can struggle through the words, but by the time he gets through a paragraph he can’t tell you the big idea of what he’s read. He knows he’s in trouble. He realizes that he’s been passed from grade to grade without making the progress that will help him when he enters middle school next year. ‘I’ve asked and asked my teacher for a mentor and she tells me she’s trying, but I don’t have one yet. My cousin told me that his mentor comes from this church. Are you the pastor here? Can you get me a mentor?’

My congregation is strongly committed to KIDS HOPE USA. Dozens of mentors walk the halls of our partner school each week. But Gerald is number 36 on the list of nearly 100 students whose teachers have asked for a mentor. And I’m haunted not only by the growing need for one adult committed to spending one hour with one child, I’m also haunted by the words of Jesus: “Whoever welcomes one child in my name, welcomes me.”

Quite honestly, Gerald won’t be assigned a KIDS HOPE USA mentor this year. And next year, he’ll be off to middle school. He knocks on my study window whenever he walks past the church. We talk often. With his mother’s permission, we have [been] doing some reading together or finish[ing] a homework assignment before he walks on down the street. Last week he gave me a gift: ‘I guess you’re the next best thing to having a mentor.’ I’m so grateful to be the ‘next best thing to a KIDS HOPE USA mentor’ in Gerald’s life. I pray that more members of my church will welcome a child into their lives next year.”

From a Mentor

“I first met my ‘Little Guy’ three years ago when he was in the third grade. One of his teachers said, ‘He needs more self-confidence. He needs to feel more comfortable socializing with others.’ He was very shy and subdued. Very early in our sessions it became evident that he liked to draw, and he was good at it. So, at the beginning of our period if he seemed ‘down in the dumps,’ we would start off with drawing. Doing this made him come alive. I have kept 37 of his drawings.

During our time together, we studied reading, writing, spelling, math, composition, checkers, and cards. Keeping in mind his ‘lack of confidence,’ I tried to help him improve his self-esteem by using such phrases as: ‘you are improving; that was great; you have come a long way and I think you can now do anything you want to do.’ Over a period of time, he came to realize that I really meant what I was saying and he began to improve. We went from hardly speaking to giving each other ‘high fives,’ grinning, and smiling. Just recently, I received two unexpected hugs.

I felt we were making some progress but I wondered what the ‘Little Guy’ thought. So I said, ‘I am going to write a short story about our time together. Would you like to write something for me to use in the story?’ He said he would. However, when he came to our next meeting, he said he had not written anything, but had memorized what he wanted to say. So he spoke and I wrote: ‘Three years ago, I really needed help in math, and when Mr. M came along, he helped me with math. If he had not come I would have failed. I’m really glad he showed up. He helped me improve over the last two years….Although he’s been teaching me math, he also helped me bring a smile.’”  

About a child

The teacher had been reluctant to even refer Zack to a KIDS HOPE USA mentor. As with so many children, it was a “no way-only way” situation. No way, because this problem child might overwhelm a mentor; but the only way this kid would make it was if a caring adult, especially a man, came into his life. The KHUSA director matched Zack with Mr. Green.

Mr. Green expected the challenge, and he was not disappointed. More often than not, one step forward was matched by two steps back as this troubled young boy tested his authority and dared him to quit the relationship. It was tough, and as the year ended, Mr. Green wondered if he had made any difference at all in the life of this child.

That is when Zack handed the following note to his teacher and asked her to share it with Mr. Green.

Dear Mr. Green,

I love you for a dad. We did fun things, but I couldn’t do one little thing wrong. You could have walked out the door. But you didn’t. Thank you for all you did. I will be at Lincoln for nine more days. [Then] I will be in middle school. I hope you can visit an old pal.

Your Pal,
Zack