Regional Post: Eastern Region

All of our sites are split up into four different region teams that work year round developing relationships in communities and working out the details for the summer. This month we will be featuring all of the regions! Regional Director Drew Powell and Area Directors Lauren Bouchard and Scott Hicks comprise the Eastern Region. This post comes to us from Scott.

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As a new Area Director at YouthWorks my main goal this fall has been visiting all the sites I’m responsible for setting up. This has a been a blast, traveling around the northeast U.S. meeting new people, hearing stories, seeing new places, and eating a lot of really good food. I’ve had the opportunity to return to Niagara Falls where I was site director this last summer. I have also had the opportunity to not just visit West Virginia for the first time, but to become immersed in the six YouthWorks sites we have there. Then just a few weeks ago, I made it to the last of my sites, Steubenville Ohio.

 

Prior to this fall I had a very small picture of what Steubenville was. Before my trip, I did some research, and I learned that if you put Steubenville into a google search, it will suggest two things for you. First, “Steubenville rape case” and then “Steubenville murals.” And that was about as extensive as my Steubenville knowledge was. Last year I had heard about Steubenville for the first time when it was all over the news with the rape case. Then at RAMP (our pre-summer staff training) I heard someone talking about Steubenville as the city of murals, how downtown Steubenville has over 25 murals depicting the life and history of Steubenville. That was the extent of my knowledge when I was assigned to set up the site for summer 2014, so I had a lot to learn this fall.

 

Over the next few months I learned that in many ways communities are like these murals that Steubenville is famous for. By reading notes from our summer staff I began to see the broader picture of Steubenville. Through the eyes of our staff who spent 11 weeks learning to love this community, its people, and all that it has to offer, I learned of a new perspective that paints a completely different picture than what you can read about in Steubenville online or in the news.

 

 

During this process of researching I encountered some of the larger problems facing this Ohio town, beyond just what has been in the news. I learned about the systems at play and the challenges that the residents face. More importantly, I began to read about the people of Steubenville. I read about Ms. Candy for example, who rides along to pick up many of our Kid’s club kids, who our staff described as the “Mama of the south end kids.”

 

Then late in late November I took a trip of my own to Steubenville and got to see even broader strokes of what makes up Steubenville. I began my first full day by having breakfast with Pastor Jason, the pastor of First Westminster Presbyterian Church where we house during the summer. Now, I had heard stories about his love for his community and his excitement at bringing YouthWorks into the picture. As we began to talk I was not disappointed. His passion to find new and exciting ways for his community and our participants to experience the love of Christ together was tangible. Over my two day span in Steubenville I continued to meet more of the people in the community, including people like Katie Gesto at Mama Nita’s, who make what we do at YouthWorks possible and worthwhile.

 

Through the tours, the laughs, and the stories I began to see a Steubenville that was bigger than what any news headline or Google search can show. There may be some dark or rough brush strokes that first draw your attention. But rather than staring at the big dark blue spot in front of them, these community developers are contrasting with bright yellow around it. They are continuing to paint a new picture as they seek redemption and healing rather than definition by any one thing. And this is what makes me excited to be working in this community. To be there as this community continues to paint, change, and redefine the beautiful picture that is their community.

 

 

So I invite you to join us in prayer for this community and even to consider coming to serve in Steubenville this summer. Even if we can only offer a few small brush strokes to add to their mural each summer, it is a beautiful thing to share in Christ’s love with the people of Steubenville.