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Letter from Earnest – June 2017

Today as I write to you I want to share a letter from a former resident of our Kinloch Price Boys Ranch Residential Home. If you are on the sidelines watching as we serve at-risk children you could very quickly become discouraged when you realize how many kids initially reject what you are offering, and how ungrateful and extremely angry they are.  Sometimes you are tempted to just throw up your hands and walk away.  But after almost 40 years of serving kids I realize that you have to be in it for the long haul. You sow the seeds today and invest all that you can in them while they are listening. After they’ve gone their way you pray for the day when they will reconsider what you had to say.

The following letter came to me three years after this child was carried away in a police car denouncing God, us, and everything that is true. But all is not lost – read his letter and then pray for him as he is ready to hear from God.

“Dear Mr. Earnest,  

            When I saw that I had a letter from you, I was brought to tears. I had honestly thought that Youth Horizons had forgotten about me.  This experience has honestly made me a better person overall. I am not going to sit here and lie to you; I have strayed so far off the path of God it’s just pitiful. I am still a believer. I just feel that after what I did to end up here at KJCC, that I am not worthy of God. I never go to church anymore, I go to Bible study for the food, and I just feel terrible about it, but I can’t help it sometimes. I know I am just feeding into the devil’s negativity and that’s not good. I just need prayer. I need someone like yourself to just listen to my ranting and raving. Right now it seems that my life is one big lie. I keep telling people (my family) that I go to church and Bible study, but it’s all lies. I hate it, but I don’t want to look like a bad person. I look at you and I see one of the best, most respectable people I know, and you make it look so easy.  Help me get back on the path of God please. I need some “Jesus in my life.”  I will try my best to be courageous and kind, I will keep you in my prayers.”

You have my gratitude,

Your brother in Christ,                                                                                                      

Earnest Alexander