For this week’s blog, we have the privilege of introducing you to one of our alumni teen moms. We asked Wendy Morales a few questions, and she so sweetly wrote her replies to us. (You’re going to love her!)

Wendy, please tell us a little bit about yourself.

I have two boys. My oldest boy is four years old and my youngest boy is two years old. My husband’s name is Miguel Gonzalez and we have been together for six years now. We both graduated from high school in 2015. Currently I’m a stay home mom, taking care of my kids. Miguel works as a security guard.

How has YoungLives impacted you and your family? 

YoungLives helped my husband and I when we didn’t have support. They welcomed us with open arms. They showed us love that I’ll never forget. YoungLives opened my eyes and showed me that I wasn’t alone. They showed me that with God in my life, nothing was impossible to do. YoungLives made me a better mom. They taught me things about my kids and myself that I never would have realized myself. My sons can’t wait to go to club every month to play with their friend, Aleah!

Why do you think it’s important for teen moms to be part of YoungLives?

So they can see that they’re not alone. To hear other mom’s testimonies that God is real. To feel God’s love. To give them support and help when they need it. To guide them to the correct path for themselves and their kids. Being able to talk to other girls that may have similar problems and being able to help each other. A chance to make new friends and change old habits.

Anything else you’d like to share?

Being in YoungLives made my connection with God stronger than ever! Now in my church, I’m the leader in the Children’s Ministry. I’m taking care of little ones 0-3 years old and showing other moms the love that YoungLives showed me and my sons. YoungLives changed my life and my son’s lives and I’m never forgetting the amazing things these people do. How grateful I am to be involved in YoungLives!

Today’s writer is Kelsey Mendez, who along with her husband Eddie lead the program portion of Huntington Beach Club. She and Eddie both have invested time and love into the teens over the past few years. You’ll hear her heart by her writing.

Club is always the highlight of my month because I get to witness special moments between teen parents & their babies, selfless volunteers and, I get to serve with my own family.

At this month’s Huntington Beach Club the parents were greeted by Colleen and Cristen and upon entering the room, there was a very long table with lots of baby items, for them to chose from. This always blesses me because random people donate to this ministry and have no idea how it helps so many parents and their babies.

Once everyone was settled, Eddie prayed for our meal. This month we were served a yummy pasta stroganoff with two yummy side salads to choose from with garlic bread, and a slice of pumpkin pie for dessert. The parents enjoyed their meal and got to talk with friends while volunteers loved on and held their babies.

Once all the babies went into childcare, all the teens got an opportunity to have some fun with a new game. This month’s game was called “Traffic Yam Race,” in which the player had to use a plastic spoon to get the yam to the taped center on the floor and back to their partner and once they had both finished they would win. We had two teen moms, Natalie & Jayanna on one team and then a first timer mother and daughter duo on the other team. It was fun to watch them laugh and cheer each other on in excitement.

After the game, we had the beautiful singer, Kyah, sing some songs. She sang Shake It Off by Taylor Swift, Don’t Stop Believing by Journey, and Beautiful Things by Gungor. The audience cheered loudly for her not just because of her beautiful voice but her personality is so sweet, as well.

The message was given by my husband, Eddie Mendez, who spoke of the time when Jesus calmed the storm. Eddie tied a story of his own life, when Jesus rescued him and calmed a storm in his own life, with the exact text. It was a great message for everyone to be reminded of, especially for teen parents that have so much going on around them, that Jesus is for them and that He himself has already faced temptations and did not give in because He is Almighty God. Eddie also reminded us of the humanity of God, that He was hungry, and tired, like us but most importantly that He is God and He is with us through the storms of our life and that we just need toturn to Him and call out to Him. Eddie left us with two questions to think about and to discuss:

1. In times of trouble who do you go to?
2. What are some storms you are currently going through?

Eddie ended by encouraging the teen parents to talk to himself or other volunteers to receive Jesus in their own hearts, or to pray, or simply to talk. His message was well spoken and well received by all. I noticed so many engaging in deep conversations.

During craft time, Tracy had stations set up for the girls to makebeautiful mini Christmas wreaths. As I listened around the room, I heard many volunteers asking the girls the questions Eddie asked us.  One young mom shared, “In times of trouble, I turn to God, because no one else can handle what I’m going through.” I smiled as I heard this because she got it and she knows who to turn to!

While the girls were enjoying craft time, the guys gathered together in a circle talking about life. The guys talked for a long time this month and it was sweet to see them all laughing and engaging with each other.

YoungLives is a great ministry and such a blessing to be a part of as so many lives are changed just by the simple act of being present and allowing the Lord to do the work in their hearts.

As one of the Guy Leaders and Program Leaders (along with his wife Cheryl), Joey Wagner shares his Club experience.  

What a night we had spending the evening with the teen moms and dads at our November club in Santa Ana! This is the first year my wife and I have had the opportunity to be a part of YoungLives and it’s been amazing to see the work that God has been doing in the teen moms and dads already. We’ve seen joy in the teens lives just from the simplicity of the volunteers showing up, being consistent, having fun, and loving them without judgement. Being a mom and dad isn’t an easy job and to see these teens do it so well and to see how much they love their kids has been a blessing to me and I couldn’t be any more proud every time I come to club and see what great parents these teens are in the face of adversity and challenges of balancing work, school, family, and caring for their kids.

The November club was extra special as one of the volunteers shared a tough message on dealing with a tragedy in her life and questioning why something like her experience could happen to her and her family. After her sharing we broke into small groups and everyone was given a chance to share something that they had dealt with in the past or were dealing with currently. It was so awesome to watch some of the teens open up and be vulnerable. The amount of trust they had with the volunteers was amazing and you could see God working in their lives. They shared some tough things and it gave the volunteers a chance to pray and love on the teens even more. Even when things for them may seem so desperate and they may feel alone they always have God on their side to be their rock and place of comfort.

I had a chance to spend time with the teen dads and we talked about prayer and spending time each day talking with God. It dawned on me that maybe some of these teens have never prayed before. Maybe they felt embarrassed to pray or frankly didn’t know how to pray. I was able to share with them the simplicity that prayer could be and that there was no right or wrong way to pray. No special words or fancy method but that God just wants us to talk to Him. Just like their kids would talk to them, God is excited to hear from us no matter what. If we fumble our words, if some days we only talk to Him for a minute, other days we talk to Him for an hour, God is always there willing to listen and happy to hear from his children. He will always be our Father and does not judge us and will never abandon us.

~Joey Wagner

Admiration – A feeling of RESPECT and approval.

That’s what I feel for every teen parent I come into contact with through YoungLives… admiration. It’s not easy to be young and parenting. Having had a baby pretty early on in life, I know this from experience. They are taking on so many responsibilities at once.

This year, I was blessed with the opportunity to teach parenting lessons at Valley Vista High School. I have been able to get an even closer look at the responsibilities these teen parents have on their plates. Every day they are making it happen for themselves and for their kids. They are going to school, dealing with family issues, raising children, worrying about grades, trying to maintain a social life, attempting to make time for themselves and SO much more. And yet, somehow, the teen moms and dads make it look so easy!

The first time I taught a lesson to the students, I was really nervous. My nervousness surprised me because I work in Education for a cosmetics company, so being in front of people teaching (sometimes for 8 hours at a time!) is kind of my thing. The lesson was only 45 minutes long. The first of a 2 part series on Stress.

I realized that my nervousness was stemming from two things.

1. I wanted my lessons to make a positive impact, even if it is only on one of the students.
2. Sometimes when people initially talk to me, they think I have it all together. However, my story is really messy and I can relate to a lot more than what shows on the surface. I didn’t want the students to think… “Oh, here’s this lady with this fancy job, beautiful family, and everything going right… she doesn’t get me.”

To overcome this anxiety, I knew what I had to do. I prayed about it. Every day. For over a week. Ultimately, God revealed himself to me to let me know that he would work on it; I’m just the messenger.

The first lesson went off without a hitch. The students were engaged! Two weeks later, I went back to do the 2^nd part of the series and while following up, learned that someone actually used the techniques we talked about and thought it was helpful! Praise God!

I’m so appreciative of being able to be a part ofYoungLives in this way! If you are on the fence about getting involved in any way, please know that these experience will only make you feel more fulfilled! The school year is moving along and things are going really well. I can’t wait to see what else God has in store for our group this year!!

-Amber Matos

If you’ve ever spent time with Yousef Bittar, one of our YoungLives Committee members, ever present volunteer, and Myrna’s husband, you know what a golden heart he has. Today, he shares about the experience he had a couple weeks back in taking some teens to the Chargers football game. Enjoy!

A couple weeks ago Russell Okung, an offensive line backer for the LA Chargers donated 10 tickets to YoungLives. So I had the opportunity to take some teen dads, a teen mom and her boyfriend, and a 9 year old boy who is the son of one of the YL alumni and has been in our lives for about 6 years now.

Three dads that came were teen dads when we met them and now they are men. They are strong men that are living their lives caring for their children and girlfriends. The impact in their lives is not only when they are teen dads and moms, but the impact of Christ’s love resonates with them their entire lives. See, when Jesus shows his love, it changes things in the heart and mind of the one who experiences it. I walked beside these men over two or three years ago when I got to know them at YoungLives Club. Nevertheless, year in and year out, they are still a big part of our lives, God does not forget them and my family nor will I ever forget them. Seeing them drive to my house with their own cars, having their own jobs, thriving in their lives for their kids, and working hard brings tears to my eyes. These are the teens that we invited into our lives, and they are here to stay in our lives forever, because basically they became a part of our family. If God invited us to become His children and loved us for no other reason than Him being good to us, then who am I to not love as many as I can and invite them in to my family? How else they will know they are loved if they are not allowed to become family? Do you see what I am trying to say? Keep your house door open for these kids, throw as many burgers needed on a BBQ and tell them to come. Call them weekly, bug them as much as you can, tease them, joke with them, love them as you would love your own child, your own sibling, love them and never stop loving them for one second. Never judge them, just love them, never put them down, instead just love them, never push them away, just keep loving them.

Allow a transformation to happen in their lives, allow them to become your friends, best friends, and the ones that you would ask for help from. Allow them to become leaders, trust in them and let them be the children that God created them to be. That is it!

Forever I will owe it to these teenagers and their babies, for changing my life and opening my eyes to a greater love that Jesus called me to love and live. I encourage you to step in and reach out to anyone in your life that you see needing a loving heart. That can be you! A life changer!

Humbled by a greater love, Yousef Bittar.

This week we welcome mentor, Alise Salcido sharing about Santa Ana’s October Club night.

From the moment I walked through the doors on Tuesday night, I felt like I was the one being ministered to not the other way around. The love and care were obvious and evident throughout the entire night. Connecting with the amazing moms and hearing about their month is such a sweet time. The night flowed so well. Beginning with asking the moms about items they had picked out at the donations table, sharing a delicious home cooked meal, playing a game, hearing from a speaker, and chatting over a craft, there were many opportunities to chat and hear from the moms.

Hearing the girls’ stories is my favorite thing. Throughout the night, over dinner and later during crafts the girls will share little snapshots about themselves, their child, and their lives. Some are funny, some are sad, and some are relatable. Last week one of the girls talked about how much she loves soccer. She shared a story about how she ditched practice one day and her dad caught her getting food with her friends. She described how she lost her dad’s trust and how she had to rebuild that trust. It was great to be able to see that this mom had made a personal connection with Sarah’s message from earlier that night about how decisions we make can damage our relationships with others but that there is grace, love, and freedom. Being present and asking questions that encourage the moms to reflect and make connections with Jesus is so special.

As a wife, high school teacher, and a mom to a toddler, I thought about how I could support young moms. However, it has been humbling to see the moms be such good parents. They love on their babies while juggling the craziness of being a teenager. Often without the support of a partner, they balance being a student, getting babies to daycare, doing homework, holding down a job, being a daughter, helping with siblings, chores, caring for their own child, and so, so much more.

Being a mentor has provided me with a glimpse into the lives the moms lead. They have huge responsibilities and my goal is to gently direct them to Jesus because He is the ultimate source of strength and support. There are so many ways to be involved throughout the night. From giving rides to holding a baby while a mom eats her dinner (maybe the first time in a month she’s gotten to do that). Personally, I have the opportunity to pick up one of the moms on my way to club. The first month I thought it might be a a little awkward, but then last Tuesday was so nice because we got to catch up and I had legit follow up questions. We were able to follow up on a previous conversation and I got to see that she actually valued and listened to what I said the previous month. I think that’s the greatest takeaway: they are listening. So sow those little seeds!

Hi everyone! My name is Ellen and I’ve been a volunteer with Younglives for about 3 years now. It has been so amazing to see how God has breathed life onto this ministry over the years. I have seen Jesus meet with both teen moms and teen dads, and it has brought me so much joy to witness the redemption and restoration of lives.

Last Friday my husband and I had the pleasure of attending the Bi-Annual Giving Gala at the Chuck Jones Center for Creativity in Costa Mesa, which not only was a fun date night for us, but also was such a testament to God’s faithfulness and heart for this ministry! When we walked in, I first noticed the stunning decor (great job ladies!!), and I then looked around and was so encouraged to see the room full of both new and familiar faces. I was in awe to see the significant number of people compelled by the heart of YoungLives. The night began with a silent auction, which included so many fun items and trips! I was constantly blown away by the generosity in that room from the moment we walked in to the moment we left. After the silent auction ended, Myrna shared about how she and Yousef stepped into YoungLives and the powerful ways they’ve seen God move. I have the greatest respect for Myrna and Yousef, and it’s amazing to see the ways their hearts beat for teen moms and dads.
We then watched a testimony from one of the teen moms who found the Lord and a new life through YoungLives. Her story was so powerful, and I am so thankful that she has come to know that she is not only loved deeply by the YoungLives community, but she is also unconditionally loved by her Father in Heaven. After her testimony, we had an incredible dinner from 24 Carrots Catering (my table couldn’t stop talking about how tasty both dinner and dessert were), and we heard from speaker and author Paul Gibbs. He captivated everyone with a message centered around Young Life’s motto: “You were made for this”. He shared how through the love of Jesus we are compelled to action. We are each created with gifts and talents, and God’s heart is that we would live out the calling He has placed on our lives. There is abundant life in and through Jesus. This was such a good reminder!

The main thing I will remember from this night would be the amount of people there
who came to support this ministry, whether they’ve been involved for a few years or if they recently just learned about it. In my view, this wasn’t just a fundraiser, it was also a beautiful celebration of everything God has done, and a declaration of everything God will do in the years to come.

Thank you to all who came and all who made it possible!

It’s always an exciting time heading into the first Club night of the new school year…meeting new teen moms and dads, renewing friendships with returning ones and of course, the babies! We had a three week old and a four week old at Huntington Beach Club this past week. And over the course of summer break, the babies that have turned into walking toddlers, and the walking toddlers that have turned into talking toddlers – lol! All of this reminds me that we have more than just a fun night happening here…we are impacting TWO generations through this ministry. We are showing them Jesus in all aspects of Club. We have the most amazing crew of volunteers that show up with a home cooked meal, cotton balls and pudding for a game, a bag of craft supplies, fresh flowers for the tables, open arms to care for the babies. Volunteers that take off work early to be able to drive teens and babies to club. Volunteers with smiles, hugs, high fives. All of them showing up to share Jesus through their own gifts and sacrifices. All of them showing up and impacting two generations. I wonder how many of them really know the imprint they’re having on these YoungLives. ~ Colleen (North OC YoungLives Office Admin)