Recently Beverly asked some of our missionaries that she’s very close to if they would have time to meet with her because she wanted to share something with them.

During the visit she shared that as of October 16 she has a boyfriend. His name is Walter, he is 18 years old, and he is the brother of one of the boys who attends her church.  We started out by thanking Beverly for sharing this with us and for trusting us at Servants with what is going on in her life.  Our missionaries then asked Beverly what her mom, Olga, her stepdad, Elias, and her birth father think about her having a boyfriend. Olga was there for the conversation and at this point Olga explained to us that she hasn’t said anything because it’s a very stressful situation for her.  She doesn’t really want Beverly to have a boyfriend but she also feels she can’t stop her from having one and that it’s better that she is open about it rather than sneaking around. Elias, while he’s not wild about the idea, told her she can have a boyfriend as long as they follow certain rules. Beverly has not told her birthfather because she has not seen him for several weeks and the last time she did see him he said very hurtful things to Beverly.  Beverly told us that Walter has been attending church with her every week since they started hanging out 2 months ago and he is now involved in the youth group at church. Olga is happy about this, but she doesn’t like that Walter wasn’t already going to church before he and Beverly started spending time together and she worries he is only going because of Beverly.  Our missionaries reminded Olga that the fact that he’s willing to go, regardless of the reason, is better than him not going at all and that God can work in any situation.

Our missionaries told Beverly that we agree with the rules that Elias has put in place and they then talked with her specifically about the importance of being VERY careful and VERY wise in the decisions she makes in this relationship. Our missionaries also shared some of their personal experiences and mistakes they made in their youth while dating in an effort to help Beverly see why it is important to make good choices.  They also shared with her that if she and Walter ever have any questions about anything or if they ever need to talk about anything and they don’t feel comfortable going to Olga and Elias they can talk to any of our missionaries at Servants and we will help them to talk with their parents.  Olga was very happy about this and is thankful that she has others to walk through this trying time with her.  She shared that she is really struggling because her son, Kesler, has a girlfriend and it’s very stressful having two kids who are teenagers and dating. We assured her this is normal and that we are here to help however we can.  We also prayed for Beverly, Walter, and the whole family and reminded them that they have many people involved with Servants who care for them and who are praying for them.  They are so thankful for this!

During this visit Olga also shared with our missionaries that all of their children passed their school year.  It was a bit of a struggle for them as they had some marking periods where they didn’t do so well, but they are all moving forward in their studies next year!  This is a huge celebration especially for Byron, the youngest child, because as you may remember, he has failed the last 3 years.  He is so excited to have passed and be moving on to the next grade!

Olga also is looking into the possibility of starting school in January to take classes for adults in one of the public schools. She currently only has a second grade education and she said she is tired of not being able to help her kids with their schooling and she has a dream of training to work on an ambulance one day.

Please continue to pray for all the changes with this family.  Please also join us in praising Jesus for all of the kids moving forward in their studies, for the possibility of Olga completing her studies, and that Beverly feels comfortable enough and has enough trust in our missionaries to share things that are going on in her life.  We are so thankful for the relationships that everyone at Servants has with this family and for how they are continuing to move forward according to God’s plans for their lives!