Aslan Newsletter of October 11, 2001

Dear friends:

I usually end my letters by thanking all of you who give to this work. This month I want to begin by doing so. Simply put, we cannot carry forth the mission and ministry of Aslan without caring individuals, churches and organizations with big hearts. What continually impresses me is we at Aslan have nothing to offer you in return for your generosity except for our humble thanks. I assure you that we are working around the clock to share our love, your love, and – most importantly – God’s unfathomable love with children who need love so desperately.

Kiki is one of those children and one of our favorite Aslan kids in all the world. We have seen tremendous growth in this young woman since she joined our Long Branch Program 10 years ago. Although it hasn’t always been an easy road with Kiki, Aslan’s continuous care over the years has paid off. She has blossomed into a beautiful 16-year-old girl with wonderful leadership skills. She’s still a little rough around the edges - due mostly to her difficult life at home (with an alcoholic father, among other serious problems). So far this school year, she has missed as many days of school as she has attended. Her diamond edges, however, are busting out everywhere!

Kiki had been to Haiti with us twice before, and she was to be an important member of this summer’s trip. On August 12th – just nine hours before we were to leave for our flight to Haiti – she realized the passport she had given to her grandmother for safekeeping had been accidentally thrown away. To understand the heart of Aslan Youth Ministries, you need to understand what happened next. It is more than safe to say that most individuals/church youth groups/whatever would have said, "Nothing can be done. We’re leaving in nine hours with a team of 15 other people. We’re truly sorry, Kiki, but you’ll have to miss the trip this year. The needs of the 15 simply outweigh the needs of the one . . . ."

Those thoughts, however, did not even enter our minds! Immediately, Lynn Ann was on the phone to the U.S. Embassy in Washington, D.C., and a real person actually answered the call at 6:00 PM on Sunday night! Yes, we could get a replacement passport, but there was obviously not enough time to do so before our 8:00 AM flight to Haiti. The next question was who would stay back to help Kiki get a new passport and take a later flight? It wasn’t an easy question. First, we were flying through the Dominican Republic – something we’d never done with a large group. Second, flight connections were tight, and I didn’t like the thought of Lynn Ann and an Aslan teenager spending a night alone in the Dominican and then taking a 4-hour taxi ride by themselves to the border of Haiti.

The more Lynn Ann and I talked, however, the more we realized this was the only thing that made sense. The main group needed me. Lynn Ann and Kiki would have to come later. Monday morning came quickly, and the group and I left as scheduled. Lynn Ann rescheduled Kiki’s and her flight for that evening, and they quickly went about finding Kiki’s birth certificate and traveling to Philadelphia (an hour and a half away) for the new passport. When all was said and done, they arrived at JFK Monday evening just after the plane departed for the Dominican Republic. Lynn Ann rescheduled a second time for Tuesday morning. Then, between uncomfortable airport chairs and the hard floor, the two of them got almost no sleep. The next morning they caught the 8:00 AM flight.

When they reached the Dominican Republic, they didn’t know what to expect. God, however, was watching over them all the way. I had asked Senor Emiliano De La Rosa (the taxi driver who took our team to Haiti the day before) to be watching for them. He actually waited at the airport Monday night until the last flight arrived at 11:00 PM. He then gave his friends strict instructions to call him the next morning if they saw a woman and a teenager arrive from America. Five minutes after Lynn Ann and Kiki were through customs on Tuesday morning, Emiliano was at the curb to pick them up – his beautiful smile as bright as the Dominican sun! By 5:00 that Tuesday afternoon, Lynn Ann and Kiki and our team were back together.

Some might ask, was it really worth all that trouble for one teenager? The answer with Aslan is an unequivocal and resounding "Yes!" In the words of Jesus, "See to it that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.

What do you think?

If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one who wandered off? And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost."

Who knows? We might have lost Kiki forever if we hadn’t loved her enough to go to such lengths for her. It simply wasn’t worth the chance, and we would do it for her again in a second. We believe you will be hearing great things about this young woman in the years ahead. Just wait . . . pray with us . . . have faith with us . . . and see!

Most sincerely,

Craig

Craig Bogard

P.S. If you are not currently giving to Aslan Youth Ministries or haven’t given in a while, please consider being a regular part of this work through your financial gifts and your prayers.