Participants:
Series Code: TDY
Program Code: TDY017099A
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00:02 I want to spend my life
00:08 Mending broken people 00:13 I want to spend my life 00:19 Removing pain 00:24 Lord, let my words 00:30 Heal a heart that hurts 00:35 I want to spend my life 00:40 Mending broken people 00:46 I want to spend my life 00:51 Mending broken people 01:10 Hello and welcome once again to 3ABN Today. 01:13 My name is CA Murray. 01:14 And allow me to thank you once again 01:16 for sharing just a little of your day with us, 01:18 to thank you for your love, your prayers, your support 01:20 of Three Angels Broadcasting Network. 01:22 As together, we seek to tell the world 01:25 that Jesus is coming soon and to prepare them 01:28 for that grand and glorious day. 01:30 I'm excited today 01:31 because of the subject matter and my guest. 01:34 Sometimes you just meet people, 01:36 and as you meet them, you just kind of like them. 01:38 They just kind of got a cool way about themselves. 01:41 Such is the case with my guest who is Chuck Hagele. 01:44 I want to get that right, 01:46 because I've heard some intonations of that name. 01:49 Hagele who is the executive director 01:51 of Project Patch. 01:53 This is not his first time here. 01:54 You may have heard that name before 01:56 or it may be new to you. 01:57 We're gonna talk about that, 01:59 that name where it came from in a little bit 02:00 and talk about the unique ministry 02:02 that Project Patch performs, 02:05 and it performs a very, very vital role. 02:08 So sit back, and you may want to even take notes, 02:10 because you may find yourself having need for the services 02:14 that are supplied by Project Patch, 02:16 or you may know someone 02:17 who can take advantage of those self, same services. 02:21 Chuck, good to have you here, man. 02:22 It's great to be here today. Yeah. 02:23 Now, we need to get a little history on you, 02:25 because you have a fairly eclectic background, 02:28 dare I say, born where? 02:31 I was actually born in Colorado and quickly moved to Japan. 02:35 And so I grew up in Japan, 02:37 and then was pulled out of that country, 02:39 and then ended up growing up in the Midwest in Nebraska. 02:41 I see, so obviously you speak fluent Japanese. 02:44 I would love to, did I at one point. 02:47 I still love Japanese food but my tongue is tied. 02:51 So you've pretty much forgotten it. 02:53 You know, I have. 02:54 I think it's back there at some place, 02:56 but you don't get a whole lot of chance to speak Japanese 02:58 when you grow up in Lincoln, Nebraska. 03:00 Indeed. 03:01 If you were plopped down for some reason 03:02 in the middle of Japan, 03:04 do you think it would hit your ear, 03:06 you could get it back, 03:07 or is it so far removed that you probably just have lost it. 03:10 I'd love to think that it would. 03:12 Trips in Europe, 03:13 occasionally a word would spit out, 03:15 and we've adopted all three of our kids from China, 03:17 and so I spend some time in China 03:19 and occasionally a Japanese word 03:20 would come through. 03:22 I think I'll have to deal with Google Translate 03:24 to help me if I was in Japan at this point. 03:27 So missionary child, have brothers and sisters? 03:30 I have two older brothers. 03:32 You're the baby. 03:33 I am the baby. Indeed. 03:36 You know, they have many interesting things 03:37 to say about the baby of the family, 03:39 particularly, when you got three or more siblings. 03:42 The old one tends to be a little authoritarian 03:44 because he's usually in charge. 03:46 And then the middle one can go in any direction, 03:48 and then the baby is the baby. 03:50 You know, what I think is funny is Project Patch 03:52 and I personally am adoptive father, 03:54 and my two older brothers were adopted. 03:56 And so I'd like to think 03:57 that I've got the disposition of a lastborn 03:59 and the genetics of a firstborn. 04:01 Of a firstborn. 04:03 We'll go with that. We'll go with that. 04:04 Praise the Lord. 04:05 It is one thing, Chuck, 04:07 to be born in an Adventist home, 04:08 to be born even in a missionary home. 04:10 It is another to be surrounded 04:13 with the accouterments of Adventism 04:15 but to accept Christ for yourself. 04:17 At what point in your life 04:18 would you say that happened for you? 04:19 You know, that's a fascinating thing, 04:21 because I look at my history is, 04:24 I grew up loving God but being very fearful of God. 04:29 Doing the right things 04:31 but not necessarily doing it out of a motivation. 04:33 My fear was, I want a reward which is heaven, 04:35 and I want to avoid pain, 04:37 but really the love of God wasn't there. 04:39 I'll be blunt with that. 04:41 Love going to church, love learning about God, 04:43 but there is this part of it that it wasn't inside of me. 04:47 And I think in high school at one point, 04:49 I had finally got into probably a senior in high school, 04:51 attended Adventist schools all the way through, 04:54 and heard a presentation there 04:55 that I finally started to get a sliver 05:00 that God loves me in a powerful way. 05:04 Not when I clean up everything 05:05 but He loves me in that powerful way. 05:08 I will say it took me years and years, 05:09 and I'm still on that journey, 05:11 I'm just appreciating that there's a God 05:13 that pursues my heart, 05:15 and that I can love Him fully and trust Him fully. 05:17 And so my motivations changed over the years. 05:20 I've grown into a deeper relationship with God. 05:24 And what's interesting is, as I've entered into ministry, 05:27 and I was trained as a pastor, 05:29 but as I've continued to go into ministry 05:31 and to the point of Project Patch 05:33 where we can't do it without God. 05:36 There is no possible way that we could exist as a ministry, 05:39 and there is no possible way 05:40 that we could change kids' lives without His power. 05:44 And so the dependence on God 05:45 and just the reality that He's willing to do 05:47 so much more than I ever dreamed 05:50 possible as a little kid. 05:52 So it's been a great journey, 05:53 and I'd say that I'm still on it. 05:55 Praise the Lord. 05:56 Even this morning, I'm still on that process of realizing 05:58 that God is so good. 06:00 Amen, amen, amen. 06:02 I think that realization is the fact 06:04 that He loves you unconditionally, 06:06 and that He is willing to move mountains for you 06:08 is the first step along the road to salvation 06:11 that our God is gonna seek you, 06:13 and stay with you, and never let you go. 06:16 Your educational resume is kind of fits you 06:20 for what you're doing now, 06:22 theology degree, psychology, and business. 06:26 Correct. Yeah. Not bad. 06:27 You know, it's so funny how... 06:29 There's been times in my life where I thought, 06:30 "God, why did I do this, why did I do that? 06:32 Why did you place these?" 06:33 And it really is for a time as this. 06:37 I believe that God has given me a platform now 06:42 that pulls all these things 06:43 that didn't make sense in my life together, 06:46 and He's still planning more things 06:47 that I'm terrified about. 06:49 But it's exciting to see that, you know, there is people... 06:53 I thought there was a path, 06:55 especially when I was in college 06:57 that I'm gonna follow this path 06:58 and everything will seem to make sense. 06:59 And what I've discovered especially in this job, 07:02 now that I've been at Project Patch 07:03 since 2005 full time, 2003, 07:06 I did some chaplaincy for them, 07:08 is that everyday there is new possibilities. 07:09 Yeah. 07:10 And it's been really exciting that way to see my education, 07:13 and see my passions, and see my speaking, 07:15 and all these things gonna come together in ways 07:16 that I never thought were possible. 07:18 Yeah. 07:19 If you were looking for a resume 07:20 that would sort of suit one 07:22 for youth ministry, 07:27 independent ministry, and when I say independent, 07:29 separate from the church 07:30 but certainly supporting the church, 07:32 theology, psychology, business, 07:35 I don't know, if you could pick a better three. 07:37 You know, and one that I'll add to that and walk with a limp. 07:41 You know, and by a limp, 07:43 I mean that dependent on God on these things. 07:45 Yeah, yeah. 07:47 Because I've realized that even as I become more educated, 07:51 that because of my history, because of my pain, 07:53 my dependence on God is what pulls it together. 07:57 You know, and so for my resume, 07:58 it's really my story that I love to tell 08:00 is that it's not my success 08:02 that's put me in a place with Project Patch 08:05 that I can really minister. 08:06 It's the fact that God's brought me through so much, 08:08 through my pain, through my recovery, 08:10 and that I do walk with a limp. 08:12 Yeah, yeah. 08:13 And I say praise God for that limp 08:15 because that's been so much more valuable in my education. 08:17 Yeah. 08:18 I like using that term walk with a limp. 08:21 And I want to explore that, before we go to the music, 08:23 just a couple of things. 08:25 When and where did you meet your wife? 08:26 Oh, great story. 08:28 I met her as I was doing 08:29 an internship partway through college, 08:31 and we were in the Oregon Conference office, 08:34 and she was just graduated from college, 08:36 and I was partway through. 08:38 And I met her, and we slowly fell in love. 08:40 I won't say that we were quick, instant love, 08:43 but we slowly fell in love. 08:44 And ironically she's Tom Sanford's daughter, 08:46 the founder of Project Patch. 08:48 And so we've been donors, we married in 1994. 08:50 You married your boss' daughter. 08:52 I married. 08:53 Well, I wasn't planning on working for them, 08:54 I mean that, like once again, that was not my intention. 08:57 But it's amazing how God works in mysterious ways. 09:01 But, yeah, it's been years now 09:03 that we've been involved with Project Patch 09:05 because of marrying the boss' daughter. 09:07 Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. 09:08 Now you say you adopted three children? 09:10 Yeah. All from China. 09:12 All from China, so we've got a ten year old, 09:13 a nine year old, and an eight year old. 09:15 Wow. And we're very blessed. 09:18 Was that something intentional, 09:19 that it kind of just occurred to you? 09:21 How did you get into that? 09:22 My wife and I went through really difficult marriage time. 09:25 Year seven of our marriage was a challenge. 09:27 And coming out of that counseling, 09:29 and prayer, and support from people, 09:31 we really felt blessed 09:33 that we are at a place in our marriage 09:36 and in our lifestyle that could be a blessing to children. 09:39 And at that point, we both loved adoption. 09:41 We both believed in the power of adoption, 09:43 and so we pursued adoption as our first choice, 09:46 and it's been an amazing, amazing journey. 09:48 And what's fun is my work at Project Patch now, 09:50 it's been a lot of supporting foster and adoptive parents. 09:54 Realizing that there are so many, 09:55 the spiritual mandate is to help the orphans. 09:58 And so it's been a privilege as a dad 10:00 and as an employee to be able to go out, 10:02 and really be in this adoption foster space, 10:05 and do what we can do in order to follow the Word of God. 10:08 Yeah. 10:09 Your reference, limping, 10:11 was that the reference to the time in your marriage 10:13 when you struggled a little bit 10:14 or was that something personal for you? 10:16 You know, I think it even goes before 10:17 that is that growing up in a church 10:19 with all the benefits of the church, 10:22 I still, in the midst of this, John 10:10, 10:25 "The thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy." 10:27 And I was part of that. 10:29 I was wrapped up as a kid in a transition time in my life 10:32 that pulled my friends toward some really negative things. 10:36 I mean, you're looking at pornography, 10:37 and pornography starts to take a hold in my life. 10:39 You're looking at... 10:41 Luckily my brothers threatened me, 10:43 but at one point I was again pulled into smoking 10:45 and some of those kind of things, 10:46 but I was being pulled one direction. 10:49 And really that's where because of the grace of God, 10:53 because of mentors, 10:54 because of different circumstances, 10:56 I was able to get away from those things. 10:58 Praise the Lord. 11:00 But, yeah, from even a starting age, 11:01 I felt in my life that there is that challenge of, 11:04 "Satan is coming to destroy." 11:06 But at the same time, God's got such an abundance, 11:09 and realizing what that abundance means for me 11:11 personally in recovery from those things, 11:14 and also that there is such a hope that I have. 11:18 You know, that there are so many people right now 11:20 that are worried, 11:21 that are looking at the circumstances 11:23 of this world, 11:24 that are looking at the kids that they are raising, 11:25 and what I'm having to say is that 11:28 there is more hope than ever before. 11:30 God is at work right now. 11:32 Satan, sure, he's at work 11:34 but God is at work freeing lives, 11:36 setting people free from addictions. 11:38 And to me, that's a testimony that's personal in my life 11:41 as well as in my work, 11:42 I've been able to see it in other people's lives 11:44 as freedom is given... 11:45 Fabulous. 11:47 So what the Lord has done for you 11:49 is given you a testimony, 11:51 because obviously the line to where you are now 11:53 has not been a straight line. 11:54 No. 11:56 You've had some wilderness years. 11:57 And not that that's necessary for ministry, 12:00 but it does give your ministry a certain texture 12:02 that you wouldn't have 12:04 if you did not have those experiences. 12:05 Correct. 12:06 And I think there is just a sense 12:08 when I talk to a child that's hurting 12:10 or when I talk to a parent that's confused. 12:14 I can hold that space with them. 12:15 Yeah, yeah. 12:17 It's difficult world that we have. 12:18 And to me, that's the joy of ministry 12:20 is sitting with people. 12:21 Yeah, yeah, yeah. 12:23 In New York, we call that street cred. 12:24 You know, because they know, been there, done that. 12:29 So I can tell you that you can overcome, 12:30 you can recover. 12:32 So praise the Lord. Yeah, good deal, good deal. 12:34 Give me the ages of the kids again? 12:36 I've got a... 12:37 My youngest is eight, and then the nine-year-old, 12:39 and a ten-year-old. 12:40 My girls are actually five months apart. 12:41 Okay. So boy, girl, girl? 12:43 Girl, girl, boy, okay. 12:45 So the youngest is a little boy. 12:46 All right. Good deal. 12:47 Your house is supposed to be an exciting place. 12:49 It is a lot of fun. Praise the Lord. 12:52 I want to go to our music just now, and then come back, 12:55 and we'll sort of move into and through Project Patch. 12:59 You can understand, you can see where we're going. 13:00 This is ministry to youth who are in trouble, 13:04 and you may want to give a good ear, 13:08 because you may hear something 13:10 that will help you with a young person of your own, 13:12 and the fact that the leader of this ministry has been there 13:15 and come back. 13:17 It should fortify in your mind the idea, 13:19 the notion that you can go, 13:21 but you can recover 13:23 if you put your hand in the hand of the Lord. 13:24 So we've got a lot to talk about. 13:26 We're gonna go to Jaime Jorge now, 13:27 who is going to be playing for us, 13:29 "A Mighty Fortress is our God". 17:04 Amen and amen. 17:06 Jaime Jorge, "A Mighty Fortress is our God". 17:08 I remember telling him once that, 17:10 he plays the violin almost like he wants to saw it in half. 17:14 And he said, "Sometimes, I feel like I wish I would. 17:17 I wish I could saw it in half." 17:18 But an excellent person, excellent musician, 17:22 and a good Christian brother and friend. 17:24 You say, he's done some work for Patch. 17:26 Yeah, he's helped us raise money for the kids 17:28 that we serve by doing some concerts in Portland area. 17:31 Praise the Lord. 17:32 So in painting with the broadest brush, Chuck, 17:36 Project Patch is a ministry for, that does what? 17:39 Yeah, so the heart of what we do is 17:42 help hopeless teens, 17:43 and so we've done that since 1984. 17:46 And so the idea is that there are teens out there 17:48 that once a teen loses hope, 17:50 they start doing future destructive 17:52 behaviors, relationship destructive behaviors, 17:54 self destructive behavior. 17:55 And so we work with kids that are at that point 17:58 that they are not safe at home anymore. 17:59 They'll spend... 18:01 For the boys, it's gonna be about six months to a year. 18:04 And for the girls, it's gonna be a minimum of a year 18:06 that they spend at our 18:07 residential therapeutic program in Idaho. 18:09 So it's counseling, it's school, 18:11 it's this process of really building relationships 18:14 to try to get kids off that track that they are on 18:17 and get them on to that positive future track. 18:20 And so that's the heart of what we do. 18:22 So the youth program and so the hopeless teens, 18:25 but the recognition that we had years ago 18:27 was that if the kids are hopeless, 18:29 what does the family look like? 18:31 And a lot of times, what we discovered is that 18:33 there is these amazing parents that love their kids deeply, 18:36 but they lack the tools 18:38 to be able to communicate with the kids, 18:40 they lack the tools to pull the family together. 18:42 And we see a time right now 18:43 in which families are being torn apart. 18:45 And so we had this dream of what would it be like 18:47 if Project Patch wasn't just helping the kids, 18:49 but what would it look like 18:51 if we found a way to help families be stronger? 18:53 Not just the kids that are going through Project Patch 18:55 but in general, I mean, if you look 18:57 around your church or community, 18:58 every single family is being pulled apart. 19:00 What would it look like if we had a ministry 19:02 that reached out to them? 19:03 So we, now through the grace of God, 19:05 have this family center in Central Washington, 19:08 and so it's called the family experience, 19:10 and it's a four day program, kind of like a retreat setting. 19:14 We do a bunch of teaching 19:15 as well as ropes course type activities, 19:17 and it's all about pulling the family together 19:19 in this world that's destroying families. 19:21 And the final part of our ministry 19:23 is really recognizing that there is a sense of fear 19:26 in our churches, 19:28 there is a sense of deep care for kids and families, 19:31 but a lot more hand-wringing 19:32 and frustration than actual positive things happening, 19:35 and so as a minister, 19:37 we've really devoted ourselves to equipping the church, 19:39 equipping the community 19:40 to be this place that helps kids 19:42 and families thrive. 19:43 And so teaching on pornography, video game addition, 19:46 social media, teaching on how to launch kids... 19:49 Well, this last week, 19:50 I was even doing a pathfinder seminar 19:52 on how do you help pathfinder leaders 19:53 be more effective, 19:55 working with our summer camps 19:56 so they can do abuse prevention, 19:58 working with some of these kids that are hurting. 20:00 So our ministry in ways 20:01 has expanded from this heart of kids 20:05 to really recognizing that if our churches are strong, 20:08 if our homes are strong, and our kids are strong, 20:11 that's a system that glorifies God 20:13 and really fits His idea. 20:14 Yeah. 20:15 So, Chuck, you're kind of following the Al-Anon model 20:17 that if a young person is in trouble, 20:19 the family is in trouble. 20:21 I mean, it's not an isolated kind of thing. 20:23 Now I'm hurting everybody who loves me is hurting also. 20:25 Now am I understanding, you have two campuses? 20:27 Yeah, so Idaho campus is a youth campus 20:30 about 170 acres there, beautiful property in Idaho. 20:34 Now we're about an hour out of Boise, Idaho. 20:35 So amazing tranquil place. 20:37 Southern Idaho, river front property. 20:39 God's really blessed us. 20:41 There's elk on our property, there is bears on our property 20:43 which kind of helps once in a while to scare the kids 20:45 to keep in the dorm. 20:47 So that's our Idaho property, 20:48 and then we have 500 acres in Central Washington 20:50 about two hours from Portland, Oregon. 20:52 Okay, and that's where the family... 20:54 That's where the family retreat is. 20:55 Excellent. Excellent. 20:57 What did your father-in-law see 20:59 that drove him to begin this ministry? 21:01 What was the animus for starting Patch initially, 21:04 and where did the name come from? 21:06 Well, it's interesting because Tom as a pastor, 21:10 pastor of a small church, 21:12 he was getting calls from people. 21:13 He was getting calls from church members, 21:15 he was getting people from other churches 21:17 he had pastored, 21:18 conference as well as the town that he lived in. 21:20 As a pastor, he was well connected 21:22 with different juvenile justice type things. 21:25 They kept calling and saying, 21:26 "Tom, can you help us find someone?" 21:28 And Tom took out a rolodex, you remember the rolodex? 21:30 Oh, yes. 21:32 And his goal is to make it someone else's problem. 21:34 And he went through his rolodex 21:36 to try to identify other ministries, 21:37 other people that he could send the kids to, 21:39 and he came up empty. 21:41 And at that point, really that, 21:43 you know, when you look at Matthew, 21:44 the story of feeding 5,000 as Jesus said, 21:46 "You give them something to eat." 21:48 Yes. 21:49 You know, and that preceded the miracle, didn't it? 21:51 And so Tom stepped into that that, 21:53 "Okay, God, you want me to do something about it." 21:55 Tom started the ministry on a fairly small basis. 21:59 The conference gave him two years off, 22:01 two years off to solve all these kid problem, 22:04 and that was in 1984, and Tom is retired now. 22:07 But his miracle of stepping into obedience 22:10 with these kids continues. 22:12 You know, and the joy about it now 22:14 is that I've been able to step into it. 22:15 We have a staff of close to 50. 22:17 And so it's a large group of people 22:19 that have joined Tom in this idea of reclaiming kids, 22:23 but it all started with people calling. 22:25 What's funny is, you asked about the name, 22:27 Project Patch. 22:28 It also has that temporary feeling, 22:30 and originally it has this acronym 22:31 that stood for planned assistance 22:33 for troubled children. 22:34 We don't use that acronym anymore, 22:36 because we're not sure what it means 22:38 other than to say that that, you know, all of us... 22:43 You take a look at any kid, any parent, any family, 22:48 there is no normal. 22:49 We're all hurting nowadays. 22:51 Agreed. 22:52 You know, and so as a ministry, 22:53 maybe the idea is that we're doing what we can, 22:56 we put a patch on it, God does the healing. 22:59 You know, and God does the transforming, 23:01 and that's been the fun thing about our ministry 23:03 is that now that we've been at it for these many years, 23:06 there is people that Patch has helped 23:08 that are older than I am. 23:09 I'm only 46 years old. 23:10 But you look at the generations that have been changed, 23:14 because Tom stepped out in obedience to the call. 23:16 Praise the Lord. Praise God. 23:18 You know, it's interesting, 23:19 and 3ABN has the same history of someone saying, 23:22 "Okay, Lord, why isn't there somebody to do such and such." 23:26 And the Lord says, 23:28 "Pick up a mirror because you are a somebody." 23:30 In fact, you are the somebody. 23:32 So you do it, you be the hands. You heal. 23:34 And so that's how it began. 23:36 Let's look at the terrain, Chuck, 23:40 now in its broadest sense, 23:43 because one of the things you say here 23:46 and I cosign is that the mind, particularly of young people... 23:49 And before I go there, your focus group are teens, 23:53 that's 13 to 21? 23:55 We're 12 through 18 23:57 that we're licensed for in our youth program. 23:58 Okay, okay. 24:02 To finish my thought, 24:03 the idea that everybody's mind is under attack. 24:06 There is a culture, you cannot escape it. 24:10 If you go online, 24:11 if you have an eye anything that brings in a signal 24:14 for some place else, television, radio, magazines, 24:18 books, kindles, iPads, iPods, Androids, 24:22 there is material out there that is designed to seduce you, 24:28 certainly to draw you into its web, 24:29 and young people, 24:31 I wouldn't mind having energy of a 16 year old, 24:34 but I doubt if I'd want to be 16 24:36 at this point in my life. 24:38 It's tough being a young person today, 24:40 and I guess you see that firsthand. 24:42 Yeah, Romans 12:2 says, 24:45 "Do not conform to the pattern of this world." 24:47 Yes. 24:48 And really as a ministry, we've been studying 24:50 what is the pattern of this world 24:51 that our kids are being raised into. 24:53 And by pattern, we're looking at a definite way 24:57 that the world wants you to think and behave. 24:59 True. 25:00 And the technology support that, 25:02 but the pattern goes probably something has been timeless. 25:04 I mean, when you look at scripture 25:06 speaking to that, that pattern's been there. 25:08 The pattern of this world that we see is that, 25:10 "I've got to fight, I've got to flight, 25:13 or I got to freeze," so the fear pattern is there. 25:16 And so when you look at a lot of what kids 25:18 are dealing with right now, 25:19 the level of anger that comes out so fast. 25:23 You know, anger is one of those things 25:25 that's seething within kids and adults. 25:28 And so the response of anger is just so quick. 25:31 Or that, that kids are at that point of flight, 25:34 or they're really busy doing a lot of things 25:37 but nothing productive. 25:38 You know, so you look at their days, 25:40 and they've been busy, 25:41 they've been on their devices, they've been doing stuff. 25:42 They've been occupied. 25:44 They've been occupied, exactly, 25:45 but they haven't actually accomplished anything 25:48 or you've got that freeze. 25:49 And we see a lot of kids 25:51 at that point of just numbing out. 25:54 They don't know what to do. They are overwhelmed by it. 25:57 You look at anxiety disorders, 25:59 you look at a lot of what's going 26:00 in the kid culture nowadays, 26:01 and that's that they're freezing. 26:04 And what we see too is the brain numbing behaviors. 26:07 So whether it's drugs 26:08 or whether it's some sort of activity 26:10 that just lets them forget. 26:12 And so when you look at the pattern 26:14 fight, flight, freeze, 26:15 is one of the fear responses is what we'd say. 26:18 But on the other side of that, there is the pleasure. 26:20 And so what we're seeing is 26:22 that the pattern of this world says, 26:23 you either need to avoid pain, 26:25 or you need to feel really good, 26:26 or maybe both of those at the same time. 26:28 So when you look at our pursuing pleasure, 26:31 the drugs, the alcohol, the video games, 26:33 the sexual culture that our kids are growing up to 26:36 with immediate gratification, 26:39 that if you're working too hard, it must be bad. 26:42 And so this pattern, honestly is broken. 26:45 I mean, I think, we can see that as adults looking back. 26:48 But at the same time, you look at adults 26:49 are still stuck in the same pattern 26:52 where we're really busy fighting, fighting, 26:54 or chasing pleasure. 26:56 And what I love about scriptures, the scripture says, 26:58 "Do not conform to this pattern but be transformed," 27:02 you know, "by the renewing of your mind." 27:04 And so as a ministry recognize that it makes sense 27:07 that these kids would be addicted to these devices 27:10 that that would be the world that they have live in, 27:12 but that's not God's intention for our minds. 27:13 Yeah, yeah, yeah. 27:15 You know, and I want to sort of just tap the break there 27:17 for a moment 27:18 because you've put your finger on, 27:20 identified 90% of the young people 27:23 that we're dealing today, 27:25 there is this hostility in many that is just below the surface, 27:29 and it seems as though the ability to cope with that 27:31 in any kind of positive way is leaving us. 27:34 So I'm bullied at school, 27:35 I am not just going to fight my bully, 27:38 I'm gonna get a gun, and take out the whole school. 27:42 Or I'm gonna just numb my brain by either drugs, 27:46 or just constantly seeking pleasure, 27:49 or pain, or I'm just frozen, I can't function, 27:52 I cannot cope, 27:54 so I just kind of just zone out and go to another planet. 27:56 And there are so many, many, even in the church, 27:59 young people who find themselves 28:01 at that junction of those three or in one of those three camps. 28:04 Yeah. 28:06 And to me, that's a sad thing to realize 28:08 is that that's become normal. 28:11 That's become accepted... 28:13 Yes, yes. Expected. 28:14 And that's not right. 28:16 You know, kids are being lost because of those things. 28:18 Yeah. 28:19 And parents find themselves at wit's end trying to handle, 28:25 any of those theory. 28:26 You know, you have young people who just... 28:30 Media, and I say media, 28:32 anything that comes through electronic, 28:33 so I'm including internet and everything 28:35 in that is so pervasive. 28:37 Popular culture is so strong, how can you fight against it 28:40 because it's just everywhere? 28:42 Yeah. 28:43 And let me give a little bit of a model 28:45 of what I believe Satan is doing uniquely right now. 28:47 I mean, I think it's been at it for a while. 28:48 If you take a look at, 28:50 this is gonna represent the brain real quick, 28:51 real basic, brain stem 28:53 all your nerves are coming up here. 28:54 So this is the brain stem, 28:56 this is the part of your brain that just reacts, 28:58 adrenaline flows here. 29:00 If you step on a stick and think it's a snake, 29:02 you jump, your eyes dilate. 29:04 This is that system that endorphins all that stuff, 29:07 adrenaline flows there. 29:08 That's not a good part of your... 29:10 It's a good part of your brain to keep you alive, 29:12 but it's wrong so much of the time. 29:15 And so we have another part of the brain 29:17 called limbic system. 29:18 And so you look at the amygdala, 29:20 the hippocampus, this is memories and emotion. 29:22 And so if you look at a kid's brain, 29:24 it's developing from the back, 29:26 from the base brain learning how to walk and coordinate 29:28 to the part of having emotions and memories. 29:30 And then we've got a frontal lobe, 29:31 the squishy part of our brain 29:33 that helps us with the thinking. 29:35 God wants all of this to be integrated. 29:38 You know, and He gave all of it to us, 29:40 ability to act, the ability to think, 29:41 and remember, and have emotions and ability to think. 29:44 And so this integrated brain is a beautiful God given thing. 29:48 What I like to think of as the undivided heart 29:50 that you think about in Ezekiel or in Psalms 29:52 is when this whole brain in integrated. 29:54 Here is the struggle that we have is that 29:56 Satan wants us to use just one part 29:59 and suppress the other parts. 30:01 And so let me give you an example is limbic system. 30:04 Marijuana shuts down the frontal lobe, 30:07 takes it out of business. 30:09 So you're just dealing with emotions and memory. 30:11 That's gonna be relationship harming. 30:14 You give a teenage boy a go-pro camera, 30:16 and he's gonna jump off cliffs, he's gonna be on adrenaline. 30:20 And what that does, it shuts down the memory system 30:22 and the frontal lobe, 30:24 and the kid does really destructive dangerous things 30:25 or in that fight mode. 30:27 Or this is what I find is, 30:29 a lot of people just be front lobe, thinking only. 30:34 And you see this even at church settings 30:36 where someone can be right but can be so destructive. 30:39 And Satan is happy 30:40 whenever he shuts down the other parts. 30:43 And so we're all thinking over all emotions, 30:46 over all action but not combining these. 30:49 And so from marijuana to video games, 30:51 video games is a world 30:52 in which it feels like the brain is integrated, 30:55 but it's a conforming pattern. 30:57 And by conforming pattern, 30:58 I mean, your success is based off of, 31:00 if you do what the game creator wants you to do, 31:03 you'll be successful. 31:04 But it has the sense that I'm being creative, 31:06 and I'm being... 31:07 It's not, it's conforming. No, you're being programmed. 31:09 You're being programmed. Yeah, yeah. 31:10 Pornography is shutting down the frontal lobe, 31:13 and being in this limbic system of memories, 31:16 leaving memories of sexual things in here, 31:19 and running on emotions. 31:21 What's sad to me is that when you look at young adults 31:23 and the sexual problems are coming out of marriages, 31:26 people are not full brained sexuality anymore more 31:29 like God intended. 31:31 We're relying on memory, not being present. 31:35 To me, that's one of the saddest things 31:36 is that God gave a beautiful thing called sexuality, 31:38 and Satan has found a way 31:40 to make it simply a memory act or simply a physical act. 31:43 Not something beautiful that God wants. 31:45 Yeah. 31:46 And so this partial brained attack, to me, 31:49 is one of the things that as a church, 31:53 we have to say that that's not God's plan. 31:56 God gave us complete brains, integrated brains, 31:59 and how do we get back to the point 32:01 of helping kids, and adults, and the parents, 32:03 you know, all of us as a church get back to the part 32:05 that we're using our whole brain, 32:07 and not letting Satan divide us. 32:08 Yeah. 32:10 You know what hurts me, Chuck, is that if you have, 32:12 going back to your model, 32:14 develop a sexuality that has been fostered, and trained, 32:18 and nurtured through magazines and videos, 32:23 there is no human being that can live up to that. 32:25 So any relationship that you negotiate 32:30 with a real life human being is gonna fall short, 32:33 because they can't live up to that fantasy. 32:35 And I think the other danger of that is 32:36 that what people end up doing is, 32:39 maybe it's a made up word, but pornifying that moment. 32:42 Instead of what they're doing is taking those sexual memories 32:47 and bringing them into the present. 32:48 Yes, yes. 32:49 And objectifying is something that we have a problem with. 32:52 Oh, yes. 32:53 When you treat someone else as an object. 32:55 What's even worse is when you treat them 32:57 as a pornifying object. 32:58 You're treating them as this object 33:00 to give me release or to give me sexual pleasure. 33:04 And to me, that's one of the saddest things. 33:06 So it's not a shared experience kind of what I can get, 33:07 kind of thing. 33:09 Correct. Yeah, yeah. 33:10 And of course that can weave its way 33:12 into every aspect of your life. 33:14 That is, "What you can do for me, 33:16 not what I can share or give back to you." 33:18 And that can be work relationships, 33:20 sexual relationships, family relationships, 33:22 you know, all those kinds of things kind of run into that. 33:25 So you're seeing that developing in young people 33:28 13, 14, 15, that kind of thing? 33:30 Oh, exactly. 33:31 And I think that's where you look 33:32 at what's available online, 33:35 when they go on their computers, 33:36 the types of information, 33:37 and when you look at George Barna, 33:39 the organization did a study called The Porn Phenomenon. 33:43 And in there, they were comparing church kids, 33:47 un-churched young adults, well, un-churched kids, 33:49 church young adults, and then pastors, 33:51 and senior pastors. 33:52 From a church kids, 33:54 you're looking at 13% of the girls 33:57 are using pornography at least on a monthly basis, 34:00 26% of the boys, 34:02 and so that's within that small group, 34:04 when you widen it, 34:05 you're looking at almost 50 some percent. 34:08 Maybe at times, 34:10 almost a third of youth pastors. 34:11 And so the statistics are staggering, 34:13 and here is the sad thing that, for me, 34:16 is that what we're doing right now to combat pornography 34:18 which is increasing the fear, increasing the isolation, 34:22 increasing the shame isn't working. 34:25 You know, and so for parents out there that believe that 34:27 if they can just shelter their kids 34:28 or if they can get the right computer device, 34:31 all that's not working. 34:33 God is calling us to not simply try to avoid the stuff, 34:37 but He's calling us to a time 34:39 of our brains need to be rewired. 34:41 We need to expose ourselves to new types of information. 34:44 We need to be in connection 34:46 in a way like we've never been before. 34:48 This generation of kids needs adults more than ever. 34:52 And at the same time, they are harder to connect 34:55 with than any generation before. 34:56 And there lies the rub, if I can get that term, 34:59 the fact that they need them so badly, 35:01 but don't see the necessity of having them in your life 35:04 because they are picking up their cues from other places. 35:07 And certainly the internet is so pervasive. 35:09 Would you agree? 35:11 I suspect, Chuck, that one of the most negative things 35:13 a person can do is give any teenager unfedded, 35:17 unsupervised access to internet? 35:19 Yeah, I agree with that. 35:21 I think the challenge that I see is 35:24 that the internet has this feeling of secrecy 35:29 that people can do anything in secret, 35:31 and no one's ever gonna know. 35:33 I believe that that accountability 35:35 is probably the biggest tool 35:37 that's lacking from internet use. 35:39 Well said. 35:40 And so when you look at different programs, 35:42 a lot of parents are looking at filters, 35:43 how can I block my kid from typing 35:45 and getting a webpage result. 35:47 What I am seeking is, how do I build it 35:50 so that there is no expectation of privacy online, 35:53 so that if I'm... 35:54 And as a boss, 35:55 whatever I use at my computer, there is full access. 35:58 My wife has full access to what I have on the computer. 36:01 There is no hiding online. 36:03 And I think that's probably the bigger ideas is maybe, 36:06 yeah, we need to prevent our kids 36:07 from having unfettered access but at the same time, 36:09 we need to build that idea 36:11 that this is not a secret place. 36:13 You know, this is a place that is in relationship. 36:15 When you're online, I know what you're doing, 36:17 and I care what you're doing. 36:18 Yes, yes. I'm watching. 36:20 Going back to how Patch addresses 36:22 and readdresses some of these stuff, 36:25 the young people that you see, are they willing to come, 36:28 are you willing to help people 36:29 who are hostile to what you're trying to do? 36:31 Walk me through the kinds of young people 36:33 that you see coming to your door? 36:34 Well, that's great that you asked that, 36:35 because most of the kids are pretty happy 36:37 with where they are at and their parents aren't. 36:40 And so they feel like they are coping with their lifestyle 36:43 that their video game is totally fine. 36:46 Their video game use is fine. 36:47 They don't worry that their school performance 36:49 is causing a problem. 36:51 There's twinges that the kids feel of remorse 36:54 but at the same time, 36:55 big picture is majority of kids aren't at that point of saying, 36:57 "I need to make a change." 36:59 And so our challenge is a little harder that way. 37:01 Yeah, yeah. 37:02 But the good news is that as we present material, 37:05 here is one of the things 37:07 that I love about this generation of kids 37:08 is that their sense of justice is stronger 37:11 than probably anything you and I have ever had. 37:13 You know, so when they see injustices, social injustices, 37:18 people being separated 37:19 based on gender and color and... 37:22 They chafe with that. Yeah. They chafe with that. 37:25 We've been taught for years and years 37:27 that you don't do pornography because of, it's bad. 37:30 Well, the connection that we can make now 37:33 with the young adults is that this type of entertainment, 37:38 and I'm putting quotes, 37:39 "I don't believe it's entertainment," 37:40 but depends on people's innocence being broken. 37:44 This would not exist without innocence 37:46 being destroyed, cultivated by someone else. 37:49 Yes. And kids respond to that. 37:51 Kids can respond to the fact that that how can I use this 37:54 if my sense of justice is strong. 37:57 And so we get out of it 37:58 a little bit different that way. 38:00 Yeah, that's a whole new paradigm 38:01 kind of shift from what we... 38:03 Before, it was blame and shame. 38:05 And that's all you had, really blame and shame. 38:07 But you're coming from a whole different place. 38:08 We're getting to the point of 38:09 what's their motivation not to use it. 38:11 Yeah. 38:12 And when you look at even from a scriptural side 38:15 is that the fruits of this, 38:17 the fruits of using pornography, 38:18 the fruits of masturbation, 38:19 the fruits of video game addiction is isolation, 38:23 it's disconnecting from futures, 38:25 it's at that point of harm. 38:28 But the fruit of spiritual renewal, 38:30 the fruit of getting connected, 38:32 the fruit of being able to look at a woman eye to eye, 38:35 not to pornify her, or not to objectify her, 38:38 the fruit of that is life. 38:40 You know, and so with kids, yes, 38:42 there is that point 38:44 that we look at some of the dangers of it. 38:47 But so much more is what's possible 38:49 if this wasn't in your life. 38:51 You know, and that's a harder lesson to teach 38:53 but that's where we've discovered 38:55 that good things come from. 38:57 Now by default, Chuck, we spend a lot of time on pornography. 39:00 It occurs to me that must be, I won't say the lines here, 39:03 but certainly a good part of what you're seeing 39:06 and what you're getting as far as the young people 39:08 that are coming through Patch, 39:10 that must be a big part of what you've been dealing on. 39:12 We're seeing pornography for both boys and girls. 39:14 We're seeing video game addiction 39:16 in a life interfering, school interfering, 39:18 feature interfering values. 39:20 So those two things are really high. 39:22 We are still seeing social media 39:23 and just that comparison culture 39:25 that feeling inadequate, 39:26 and so I'd say those three are working together 39:29 but pornography especially with kids 39:32 that are perfectionist like people pleasing, 39:35 those are running deep. 39:37 And we are seeing in a sense 39:39 that a lot of families aren't talking about it 39:43 like they should, and that could be 39:44 because even the parents are still struggling 39:46 with some of those internet use type things. 39:48 Yeah. Yeah, type things. 39:50 When you talk about high video game consumption, 39:53 you're talking about the consuming 39:56 of a lot of violence. 39:57 I mean, there's a lot of hitting, and killing, 39:59 and shooting, and that kind of thing. 40:01 I suspect that would numb a child's brain, 40:04 or certainly desensitize them 40:06 to real pain and real suffering. 40:08 Yeah. 40:10 And here is the funny thing to me... 40:11 Funny is probably the wrong word but ironic is that, 40:14 I think, it's pretty clear that if the content is moral, 40:17 that it's gonna have fruits that are desensitizing, 40:20 causing other problems. 40:22 But we've seen kids addicted to "innocent video games". 40:25 So there is no negativity to it by itself. 40:30 But it's still at a point 40:32 that it's interfering with their life, 40:33 it's getting in the way of school, 40:34 it's interfering with the relationships. 40:36 Every time the kid is asked to turn it off, 40:38 there is a battle that's surrounding it. 40:40 So I say both sides of it is that, 40:42 I think there is times 40:44 that something can't even seem fairly safe, 40:48 and the fruits of it are really negative. 40:51 And so the skill set that we are teaching parents, 40:54 yeah, you want to help on the moral side of it. 40:57 But there is a whole part of it. 40:59 Our dream for parents is that when our kids leave the home 41:03 that that kid can own the off switch. 41:06 That is the dream. 41:08 And so, if it's always the parent turning it off... 41:11 Right, right, right. 41:12 They may not know where the button is. 41:14 You must got the thing right, let alone we would operate it. 41:17 So your camp in Washington, 41:20 the one that choose parents and kids must be of great value 41:22 because it gives the parents a chance to see 41:25 where the child is at 41:26 and then maybe develop some skills 41:27 for helping that child. 41:29 Yeah, I think to us, it's been a great process 41:31 of seeing the parents work on different things. 41:33 What I'd love about our family program 41:36 which is that four day program is that, 41:38 what we're doing there is giving families 41:40 the ability to communicate, 41:41 understand each other's personalities. 41:43 And here is the key is that once they've learnt 41:45 some of these basic skills, 41:47 they learn how to step into these difficult topics. 41:50 And so once they learn how to, 41:51 instead of avoiding talking about things 41:53 that are hard that we can talk about things that are hard. 41:56 And here is the beauty of that weekend 41:58 is that we finish that weekend 41:59 with this idea of rules tend to lead us toward disobedience, 42:04 but values lead us toward safety. 42:07 I like that, yeah. Well said. 42:08 And so by the time a family leaves our program, 42:10 they've done values. 42:12 They've shared their values together. 42:13 Each family members contributed to this document 42:16 that they create that says, 42:17 "As a family, we value these things." 42:19 They sign it, they bury it under a rock as a memorial, 42:23 and they take a copy home. 42:25 And so that process that we're trying to walk through, 42:27 we don't solve their problems in a weekend like that. 42:29 A family that comes with pornography struggles 42:31 or video game struggles, they are gonna have those, 42:34 but they are gonna have a set of tools 42:37 to be able to face that. 42:39 And to me, that's a lot of what we need to do is, 42:43 instead of making people fearful, 42:44 we need to equip them to be the kind of parents 42:47 that can help their kids thrive. 42:48 Good deal. 42:50 We touched on the fact that young people tend 42:52 to adjust to their own life and their own lifestyle, 42:55 so they don't necessarily see anything wrong about 42:57 what they're doing 'cause they're coping. 43:00 Will you take a young person who is just recalcitrant, 43:04 and doesn't really want to be there, 43:07 and try to change that mindset 43:09 or is there a point where you cut off, 43:11 where you just can't do it? 43:12 Now all the time, that's our heart of our program 43:14 is taking kids that, they don't want to be there, 43:18 their parents are placing them there. 43:21 And we really try to build the relationships with them. 43:23 We are not using fences, we are not using intimidation. 43:25 Our goal is to connect with the kids in such a way 43:28 that they start moving forward. 43:30 One of the healthy things that we do 43:31 is that in our environment of youth program, 43:34 the boys are with the boys, the girls are with the girls. 43:36 They are not connecting, they are not talking. 43:39 We also don't have technology, 43:40 and so they are able to get to the point 43:42 that they're having to face some of the things 43:44 that they need to face. 43:46 And they're also in deep relationship 43:47 with positive role models in our dorms. 43:50 And so what we found is that 43:51 having that environment really plays off. 43:54 Here is the other thing is that we had a boy 43:55 that was used to refusing. 43:57 You know, he's the kind of kid that, 43:59 "You're gonna make me?" 44:02 And we don't need that, "You're gonna make me", 44:04 we don't meet it with force, we meet it with patience. 44:07 And so this boy was in refusal mode. 44:10 And we're like, okay. 44:12 We take away the audience of the other kids, 44:14 so there is not a big audience. 44:15 He's not performing in front of his friends 44:18 or being this big guy. 44:19 But then we just waited him out, 44:21 and it was fortunately a beautiful sunny afternoon, 44:25 and it started about 2 o'clock. 44:27 And so their staff are going in shifts of two, you know, 44:30 just sitting waiting for him to get into, 44:32 all you had to do was perform a simple task, 44:34 a little cleaning task. 44:36 And he wasn't gonna do it. 44:38 That started at two, 44:40 I was supposed to come on at about 10 o'clock that night. 44:42 So you really gonna wake him out. 44:43 And I came at 9:45 and at that point, 44:46 he had started working. He finished his work. 44:49 He got a supper, he went to bed, 44:51 and he learnt that we're serious, 44:56 and we care about him, 44:57 and we're not going to force him 44:59 to do these things. 45:01 But you know the power of it is he comes to his right mind. 45:04 You know, we had talked about this earlier. 45:06 This teen is in all emotions, they flip their lid. 45:09 Sometimes it's gonna take four, five hours of sitting with them 45:12 before I get to the point 45:13 that they're back in their right mind. 45:17 And we're willing to do that. 45:18 And overtime we help kids get to the point 45:20 that they don't require another adult 45:22 to help them down from that which is a great gift. 45:25 Yeah, I think the aspect that you just showed me, 45:27 this idea of integrating 45:29 the three parts of brain function, 45:32 it's so very, very important. 45:33 Now you said that we divorce them 45:35 from technology. 45:37 I need to know how Byzantine we're getting with this. 45:39 No TV, no radio, no, nothing. 45:41 We have computers in the classroom 45:43 for doing math and English homework, 45:44 and so they're using that 45:46 but they are not browsing the web. 45:47 Okay. 45:48 We do have some music that we play over, 45:51 you know, like, not like... 45:53 I mean, there's music that we play in our campus, 45:54 so we are exposed to that, I guess it's electronic. 45:57 And occasionally, we'll watch a small movie 45:58 or something like that. 46:00 But it's no, it's not that environment 46:01 where they've got a device and they're connected. 46:06 And I think that's the positive for these kids 46:07 is that a lot of times, they don't realize 46:09 just how tied they are to that device 46:12 until it's gone. 46:13 Till it's taken away. Till it's taken away. 46:14 And then they discover that, "Wow!" 46:16 What we get from kids 46:18 as they come back from home leaves is that, 46:19 "It was really hard for me to be with my friends 46:21 because they wouldn't make eye contact with me. 46:23 They didn't listen to me, they were distracted." 46:26 And so a lot of times, 46:27 learning that there is a life beyond these technologies 46:30 that they are woken to the fracturing 46:33 that that's doing in the relationships. 46:35 Sure, sure. 46:36 So the way they interfaces the world changes also. 46:37 I know we take kids on Maranatha trips. 46:39 We tell them, "Anything with an eye, you leave home," 46:42 you know, "because we want you to meet the culture, 46:44 and interface with the culture, and you can't do that with, 46:47 you know, your earphones in your ears, 46:49 and you're just kind of bopping along to your own world. 46:51 So put that down and kind of interface with the world." 46:54 What kind of food 46:56 are you giving these young people? 46:58 Because a lot of times, people are jacked upon... 46:59 Sowed is another kind of things, 47:01 so what do you feed them? 47:02 So we give a vegetarian diet. 47:03 It's a predictable diet, three meals a day. 47:06 There's some snacks, 47:07 because our boys work pretty hard, 47:09 our girls work pretty hard. 47:10 So occasionally, there is gonna be some snacks 47:11 but it's a healthy, not the sugary drinks. 47:13 It's a pretty basic diet. 47:16 And what we found is the food diet 47:19 as well as the sleep diet... 47:20 Yeah, yeah. 47:22 You know, getting the chance that that bedtimes 47:23 get a little more regulated, 47:25 the work diet in which they are actually moving their bodies, 47:27 getting some work done. 47:29 Now, Chuck, what kind of work are they doing? 47:30 So we have a big campus, 47:31 so some of it is just the maintenance 47:33 of the property, so lawn mowing, 47:35 weeding, chopping wood. 47:37 Dorm tasks, helping with the food preparation, 47:40 cleaning, that sort of stuff. 47:41 Just basic, what you do in your family. 47:44 Now, let's go with this real quick, 47:46 because I'm looking, my time is gonna get away from me. 47:48 You got some national recognition. 47:49 You're called to be on the Dr. Phil's show. 47:51 Walk us through that experience? 47:53 Yeah, we've been praying for this girl 47:55 to come to our program because of divorce 47:58 and because of different parent type consent rules. 48:00 There is a dad that wanted a place and a mom that didn't, 48:03 and finally she said I won't place 48:06 until Dr. Phil says I should. 48:08 And so there are some phone calls made. 48:09 I got a call on a Thursday saying, 48:11 "Will you come to Dr. Phil's show 48:13 because there is this girl that we want to interview?" 48:15 And so I traveled out on the next... 48:17 Was there for the filming on Tuesday. 48:20 She came into our program, spent a year with us. 48:23 And what I'd love about that 48:25 is that our prayers were answered 48:26 in a really strange way. 48:29 A terrifying way, but really a way that we can only say, 48:32 God is moving in the lives of kids and families. 48:35 So you had to kind of defend your program 48:37 or forth leave some kind of apologetic 48:38 for what you're doing? 48:40 Obviously, he bought that. 48:41 You know, it was so easy for us 48:43 is because Dr. Phil gave us an endorsement 48:45 saying this would be the right thing for the girl. 48:47 And so we got to ride on a white horse 48:51 which is kind of a nice thing to do on national television. 48:54 And to me, that was a neat moment 48:56 because it was God's orchestrated moment. 48:59 Let's talk very quickly about the religious component. 49:02 Obviously the technical stuff you have, 49:04 you know, you've got the accredition, 49:06 you've got that. 49:07 What about the religious component? 49:09 So without God, 49:11 it won't make sense for us to work. 49:14 So we have a full-time chaplain 49:15 that's doing the weekend services 49:17 as well as dorm worships and the Bible classes. 49:21 All our staff are connecting spiritually with the kids, 49:25 and we've got kids that come from all sorts of backgrounds, 49:28 Seventh-day Adventist backgrounds, non-churched, 49:30 all sorts of different backgrounds 49:32 but our goal for these kids is that they get to the point 49:34 that they start understanding that God loves them deeply, 49:37 that He created them with a purpose, 49:39 and He's willing to take 49:41 whatever has happened in their life 49:42 and turn it into something good. 49:45 For us, we're using scripture that's really basic, 49:47 1 John 4:18. 49:49 "Perfect love drives out fear." Yes. 49:51 And so instead for them to be in this case of unfearful, 49:54 how do they start doing loving things. 49:56 You know, Philippians 4:8, 49:58 that idea of how do we start thinking about things 50:01 that are pure, things that are noble, 50:03 things that are worthy? 50:05 How do we get our kids 50:06 when you look at even like Ecclesiastes 50:08 or that idea of that undivided heart, 50:12 how do we get to the part that God starts giving us 50:15 a heart of flesh instead of a heart of stone? 50:18 If we explore ideas of John 15, how do we remain with Christ, 50:22 and Him in us, how do we get to that point of bearing fruit? 50:24 So for us, it's a basic message that we teach the kids. 50:28 But God does such, such good work with them. 50:32 So it's a joy to watch those eyes get opened. 50:35 And not every kid that comes to our program 50:37 goes through a transformation. 50:39 We've seen kids leave our program, 50:41 angry, still sullen. 50:42 And years later, make that change, 50:46 accept that change. 50:47 But, yeah, for us, we're swinging for the fence 50:49 with every single kid but, you know, 50:52 that transformation without God, 50:54 nothing is possible. 50:55 Yeah, before we go to our contact information for you, 50:59 I wanted to ask, because at 33, 51:02 you're moving now into your second generation. 51:04 Are people coming back and saying, 51:05 are you getting any kind of anecdotal stuff. 51:08 Peopling calling back and saying, 51:09 "You really made a change in my life 51:11 and I can see my time with you 51:12 is being very valuable for the rest of my life." 51:14 You know, we're seeing a lot of that. 51:16 One of the most rewarding is we just had a staff member 51:18 named Stephanie who had gone through our program, 51:20 graduated in 2001, 2002. 51:24 She's a mom, she's a wife, and now she's working for us. 51:28 She moved back to Garden Valley 51:30 because her dream job was to help other kids. 51:31 Wow. 51:33 And so that sort of transformation 51:34 we see on a regular basis. 51:35 We see kids that are successful, 51:39 kids involved at church. 51:41 It's gratifying, I mean, that part of it 51:43 is just amazing to see how far kids can go. 51:45 Wow, praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. 51:47 Now where are you, Chuck, physically? 51:49 Are you in the Washington campus? 51:50 Are you in Idaho? 51:51 Back and forth, where are you? Yeah. 51:53 So, yeah. I get to be in the boring spot. 51:54 I'm in the administrative office 51:56 in Vancouver, Washington. 51:57 And so I teach the family experience. 51:59 So whenever we do the family program, 52:01 I tend to teach those if I can, 52:02 and then I make as many trips 52:03 to the youth branch as possible. 52:05 But I'm stuck in an office, 52:08 and also I spend a lot of my time traveling 52:10 during seminars, speaking at camp meetings, 52:13 schools, that sort of thing. 52:14 Now, you do go to churches, you make presentations, 52:16 and that kind of things also, do you not? 52:18 Correct, all the time. 52:19 And to me, that's one of the most encouraging parts 52:21 as executive director. 52:22 Instead of asking for money, being a blessing, 52:26 increasing the people that are part of our ministries, 52:28 it's been a great joy of mine. 52:30 So, yeah, all over the United States, 52:31 just traveling around and spreading the hope 52:33 that God's active. 52:35 Praise the Lord, yeah. 52:36 Project Patch is becoming sort of a vanishing breed 52:38 that was Blondel Senior Advent, that's not there anymore. 52:42 And I think there are one or two others 52:43 that are not there. 52:45 So there are not many people doing what you now do. 52:48 Yeah, it's definitely a difficult place to be in. 52:51 It's a hard place. We're under attack constantly. 52:55 You know, I think there is nothing 52:56 that Satan would like more than to destroy the futures of kids. 53:00 We're working with kids of incredible promise. 53:02 To me, it's not a surprise 53:04 when I meet these kids and realize, 53:06 why is it that these kids are under more attack 53:07 than other kids? 53:08 It's because God's got a plan for this child, 53:13 and Satan wants to interfere with it. 53:15 So, yeah, our ministry is constantly struggling. 53:17 I'll be upfront about that. It's hard work. 53:21 But once again, it's God's work. 53:22 Yes, yes. 53:23 And a necessary work, very necessary work. 53:26 We want to put up the information 53:28 for Project Patch just now. 53:31 As you can see a wonderful ministry 53:32 fulfilling a particular niche in the program 53:35 in the work of God, 53:36 they can do for your young people 53:39 what perhaps you are scratching your head 53:41 trying to find a way to try to get through. 53:44 Should you like to make contact with them 53:46 or support their ministry with your finances 53:49 or just get a little more information 53:50 about what they do 53:52 and how you can interface with them, 53:53 here is the information that you will need. 53:57 Project Patch is committed to building thriving families 54:00 and restoring hope to teens 54:03 through the Project Patch youth ranch 54:05 and their family life and conference center. 54:08 To find out more about their programs 54:10 for at risk young people and their families, 54:14 please visit their website, ProjectPatch.org. 54:17 That's ProjectPatch.org. 54:20 You may also call them at (360) 690-8495, 54:27 or write to Project Patch, 54:29 5139 North East, 94th Avenue, 54:33 Suite C in Vancouver, Washington 98662. |
Revised 2018-01-03