Our journey so far...  

 
Chris and Amie Whitler have worked with Youth With A Mission (YWAM) for over 15 years. They have worked with the mission in Texas and Ontario, Canada. After having spent some time in Modesto, they felt a call to come and serve with a small local church that wanted to begin a Christian community development project in a low income housing area called Prescott Estates. New Hope Christian Fellowship could not afford to hire them so YWAM allowed them to stay covered by their organization and be attached to this little church.

When the Whitlers arrived with their two kids in the summer of 2001, the eviction notices had already been served to every single family living in Prescott Estates. This was done under the banner of “cleaning the neighborhood up” but with so few lower income rentals, this move put families on the street. They saw moms, kids and grandmothers that had no place to go. This injustice is how they began working with the homeless and impoverished communities in Modesto.

The first year was spent trying to network with other organizations and develop relationships in Modesto’s west side and airport district. So they made friends in the homeless community and with folks at the Gospel Mission, the former “Harvest of Hope”, The Vine House, The Coalition on Homelessness, United Samaritans and others that were working for justice and mercy among the poor here in the central valley.

Aaron Alford, a YWAMer from Canada, came to join the little unofficial work in February 2003. The focus of their partnership was to just spend time with homeless people and offer whatever grace they could. They would walk the parks with food and cold drinks and sit and talk with the men and women that lived there to learn about their life. Their goal was to make friendship the container out of which all other ministry flowed.

In the Spring of 2004, Jim and Kelly Sustar felt called to come from Ohio to join the group. Working together with them has been marked by major growth in relationships with people in poor communities. With more to do the work, the team has seen doors open into lives more precious and complex than they could have ever imagined. And their work continues to grow...

In the past two years, other local friends have been coming to join with the full time team as volunteers. Together this team has developed good partnerships with some local churches and ministries, they have hosted teams from other YWAM locations, they have continued with the early call to develop and maintain friendships with needy people and have vision to grow. All this has added up to the decision to become an official YWAM operating location in Modesto.

Please pray for YWAM Modesto as they become more established for continued grace in relationships, further guidance in ministry and the resources needed to better accomplish what God has called them to do.