Praying for Mark - by Mike Olson
Posted on Monday, November 28, 2011 by
Mike Olson is the Tacoma Youth for Christ Deaf Teen Quest (DTQ) Director. Mike loves working with deaf young people throughout Pierce County. You can check out his full bio HERE, or donate to his ministry HERE by selecting "Campus Life" from the first drop-down, and "Mike Olson" from the second drop down.
Mark* has never been the easiest kid to get to know at school. In fact, when we met last year he spent six weeks making every effort to show people he was ignoring me. So this year when I came back to school I was surprised to find him at my elbow asking for help, he was in trouble with a teacher again. It wasn’t hard to imagine Mark getting into trouble. He swears loudly in the hallway and lunch room, punches people before asking questions and complains, a lot. When we talk at the lunch table my half of the conversation is usually “no” or “put that down”. So that he would want my help was amazing. He wanted to know how to tell the teacher and student that he “didn’t do it.” Of course he was asking for help while being 5 minutes late for class. I gave him a suggestion and the strong encouragement that being late wouldn’t help his case. That seemed to work and off he went.
It might seem strange to be excited to get a kid to move from ignoring me to merely using me, but I am. You see a year ago God put it on my heart to pray for this kid. Someone asked me to pick one kid and pray that he would know the love of Jesus. So that is what I have been doing. Will this be the year? I don’t know, all I have been asked to do is pray and share.
There are many more like Mark in Pierce County. Deaf kids that don’t get to have the gospel shared with them. Will you join with us at YFC by picking a kid and praying for him or her?
*For the privacy of this young person, we've changed their name for this blog