Dear friends:

James is one of our favorite children from Asbury Park. Sometimes the other kids make fun of him, because they don’t think he’s as "cool" as they are. A few months ago, James brought his junior-high band marching helmet to class with him. It dwarfed his head, but he was so proud to show it off to the Aslan teachers. James comes from a really rough home. Because of drugs and abuse, he and his sisters were removed from their mother for over a year. We strongly suspect his sisters have been sexually abused. James’ life is filled with fear. He’s always waiting for the next shoe, fearing he will be blamed for it!

A few weeks ago, James was one of 47 kids we took to Ski Shawnee in the Pocono Mountains. Our Aslan kids absolutely love to go skiing. It’s something they would never get the chance to do if it weren’t for Aslan. The beginners spend their entire day trying to get down the smallest hill without constantly falling, but many catch on and quickly grow beyond the "bunny slopes." After negotiating the bunny slope a couple of times, James was convinced I should take him up the big mountain. Once we were at the top, however, James was frozen with fear. After 15 minutes of constant coaxing and encouraging, we had progressed 75 feet down a 2000-foot run! I was getting tired of hearing him say, "I can’t! I can’t . . . I’m too afraid!" That’s when I said, "James, I’m not carrying you down this mountain! Either take your skis off and start walking, or follow my lead and I’ll help you ski down. You can’t spend the rest of your life on this mountain! I believe in you. You can do this. Let me help you." He whined reluctantly and said, "Okay, let’s go." Slowly, we traversed the mountain from side to side (trying not to get killed by other skiers). With each crossing, James grew in confidence. He fell on almost every turn, but he soon began to ski farther and farther without falling. On the last run of 500 feet he didn’t fall once!

Teaching kids to have faith in God and the abilities He’s given them is a long, painful process. In the long run, however, it builds real character in these children who are so broken inside. Thank you for your continued prayers and generous giving. This new year holds so much promise. Now more than ever, we so need your help to continue being able to bring hope to God’s children at Aslan.

Craig

Craig Bogard