Derek came to 71Five Mentors as an 11-year-old with a shattered spirit. He comes from a broken home impacted by divorce and a severe accident that left his only parent permanently disabled. Derek’s never had a male role model in his life to encourage him, pray for him, guide him and tell him he’s valued. Derek is very shy, withdrawn and lacks self-confidence all of which reflects in his introverted nature. Since his involvement in the 71Five Mentors program, Derek has been successfully matched with a mentor who has taken him under his wing and fully invited him into his own life. Less than a year into their mentoring relationship, Derek has shown great improvement in different areas of his life. He’s more engaged and open to sharing about himself, he attends a praise & worship group with his mentor and has even taken up sports at school, which is a big deal for him!

 

To God, we are all valuable (Luke 12: 6-7) and God is working through Derek’s mentor to shine His love in Derek’s life. Having a mentor in a young person’s life is proven to increase their chances of making better decisions and in turn having a more positive future. For Derek, having his mentor show him that he’s valued through actions rather than just words is monumental, and it shows from the growth we’ve seen in him. Thank you for being a part of 71Five and showing the youth we serve how valued they truly are. DARLENE HARPER  71Five Mentors Coordinator  (541) 779.3275  darlene@71Five.org