May 31, 2012 Newsletter

May 31, 2012

Dear Friends,

We hope this letter finds you doing well. The month of May has been quite a blur with all the activities and events that took place. June, July and August will go by just as fast as we begin preparations for the 2012-2013 school year. I’m sure some of the urgency we feel comes from knowing it will be Duaine’s “Senior Year”!

In spite of our desire to be prepared, we don’t always get the results we think we want to see. Case in point was my most recent trip to Topeka to minister at the Kansas Juvenile Correctional Complex. The first time of Bible study was spent with the “Segregation Unit”, which is used for the girls who are just arriving at the facility or those who have been “naughty”. Of the eight girls in that unit, three were eligible to come. Of those three, two attended the study and the third opted not to attend. The other five girls were either on medical isolation (which is typical for the new arrivals) or on some other “segregation” status. Of those five girls, I was able to stand at the door to visit and pray with four. So far, pretty much the normal for this unit.

As the Bible study began in this unit, one of my girls told me that the other unit was going to have a “Movie & Popcorn” night. Oops! This was news to me – not so welcome news. I guess it never dawned on the staff that a person who drives two hours one way every Tuesday – and has done so since the girls were moved from Beloit to Topeka back in 2009 – might not want the “competition”. I went ahead and had a very good Bible study with the two girls I had at that moment then headed over to the other unit. As expected, I found most of the girls glued to their movie. I did visit with two girls who were restricted to their rooms in that unit, prayed with them and then headed to my car.

Was I a little frustrated? Of course, I won’t lie to you. Over four and a half hours on the road and a total of eleven hours away from home for a lukewarm turn out can be bit discouraging. The flip side is that the Word of God was shared very well with two young ladies and six others had someone express genuine care and pray with them. At my usual stop at a convenience store for Iced Tea, I even had the chance to pray with a store clerk who had received some bad medical news and gave another clerk some counter cult materials she had requested a week earlier before I left Topeka.

Saturday, June 16th – 7:00 p.m.
The Baptist Church – Concordia, KS

Consider this your Personal Invitation to a night that you won’t forget! Whether you are 6 or 96!

As I headed home earlier than normal, I started thinking about the same “Movie & Popcorn” nights we face in north central Kansas. Our two TFC Bible Clubs run into to the same type of conflicts. Our monthly TFC Rallies seem to be expendable to many people even when we bring in some awesome programming. Seems that many feel that if they miss this month, there will always be next month.

One person told me that if I would only bring in their favorite singer, they would come again. (That same singer is usually on an 18 month appearance rotation at the TFC Rallies). After our program on teenage sexuality back in March, one mother told me that it was unnecessary for her daughter to attend because she doesn’t do things like that. I wondered to myself about how many of her daughter’s friends could have benefited from the Closing The Gate event. Another parent told me that they could just rent the movie that we showed at one TFC Rally anytime to show their child. I was a good boy and didn’t ask if they had watched it yet.

Please, don’t think I am bitter at this point. (Just a little frustrated) I share this with you because this is one of the major battles we face as a ministry here in north central Kansas. I share this with you because I want to urge you to pray that we lift up the name of Jesus Christ effectively to teenagers and their families throughout the region. Please pray that we remember we are “Seed Distributors for Jesus”. (Check out Matthew 13:18-23.) We realize that Jesus is “The Lord of the Harvest” and the results are His. Finally, pray that we ALL not allow ourselves to get distracted from the things of God by “Movie and Popcorn” nights!

Thank you for the time you have spent reading this letter. As you pray for us during the month of June, we want you to know that you are a huge part in the sowing of God’s Word in the lives of teenagers! Thank You does not begin to express our gratitude! Take care and have a great month in the Lord!

Yours For Youth!
Kent & Lisa Otott
Micah 6:8