We recently sent out our year end newsletter and it highlighted the story of Jazmine one of the first teen moms we met when we started YoungLives in Huntington Beach a little over a year and half ago.   This video starts out talking about YoungLives in whole and ends with Jazmine sharing about how YoungLives changed her life forever.

I want to share with you one of my favorite situations that happened through Young Life this year…

It was her senior year of high school when she got pregnant. Jazmine was 17 years old, attending Oceanview in Huntington Beach.

She was quiet as a mouse, didn’t believe in herself and spent most of her free time taking care of her younger siblings.  Her mom worked outside the home, leaving Jazmine with the responsibility of raising two kids.  Jazmine’s mom and dad never got married. Her dad was living out of state.  In Jazmine’s eyes, no one was really cared about her except her boyfriend Adrian.

When she found out she was going to have a baby, Jazmine transferred to Valley Vista High School.  She was 4 months behind the other kids in her grade. If she had any hope of graduating on time, she would need to get some tutoring.  My friend Myrna, a local YoungLives leader, met Jazmine a couple months after she had her baby. Myrna was doing contact work at Valley Vista and volunteering as a tutor.  Myrna told me “Jazmine was sitting at the back of the classroom and I could tell she needed help but was too shy to ask. So, I went back and talked to her. ”

Myrna continued to meet with and tutor Jazmine for three months. With Myrna’s help, Jazmine graduated and got a job! This was a huge step for her.  She started coming out of her shell.   Jazmine came to YoungLives Club for six months and decided to go to a Young Life weekend camp where she accepted Christ! She was no longer the shy and quiet girl in the back of the room. After camp, Jazmine joined a Campaigners Bible study for other teen moms.

I started to see Jazmine and her baby coming to church with Myrna. Then, Adrian, her boyfriend started coming to church too! They were both reading the bible and growing in their faith. It was awesome to watch. Then one day, Jazmine and Adrian decided they wanted to get married!

Many people in our church had gotten to know Jazmine, Adrian and their baby, Wyatt. They even got baptized during our services on the beach. Everyone in the church was so excited and wanted to help make the wedding possible.  Our church and the YoungLives leaders basically put together the entire wedding. I even volunteered as the MC and DJ for the reception! It was an incredible day that meant so much to me.

Jazmine’s road to Christ is similar for so many of us. We go through tough circumstances that cause us to reach out for help and to reach out for adults who care.  Today, Jazmine and Adrian are starting a strong family of their own and reaching out to kids and sharing God’s love with them. Myrna would not have gone into Valley Vista if it wasn’t for the unique opportunity and doors opened through the relational ministry and caring adults of Young Life. Will you consider supporting Young Life Surf City this holiday season? It might just be one more donation on your list or one more check you write, but your gift is opening big doors for people like Jazmine.