February 21, 2004

Dear Friend:

Three weeks ago during basketball practice for our teens, Doug Eagles (Aslan’s Rec Director) noticed that Marquis*, one of our newer players to the team, had walked up on the gym stage to talk to a “friend” who walked in off the street.  Doug became a little suspicious when the two boys went behind the stage curtain.  After Marquis rejoined the team for practice, Doug just didn’t feel right about things.  He went behind the curtain where he quickly found a large bag of marijuana.  After practice Doug confronted Marquis about it and told him he wouldn’t be playing for Aslan if he didn’t care more than to endanger himself and everyone around him by doing something this stupid.  He explained that we cannot know what our Aslan kids are up to when they’re not with us.  However, when they are with Aslan, they have to respect us and our rules of conduct.  Doug also told Marquis he wouldn’t be playing in any games until he apologized and promised this wouldn’t happen again.

I think all of us were surprised when Marquis didn’t drop out of basketball or our evening Right Choices Bible classes.  It is so difficult to know when a young person is really taking seriously the things we’re telling them.  Many of the young people we reach don’t have any framework of right or wrong whatsoever to base their behavior and decisions on.  They’re trying to find directions on a map with no markings.  Aslan is a place where they begin to understand what it means to base your life on something larger and more reliable than your own opinions or those of your peers.

A week after the incident at the gym, Marquis came to evening Bible class “as high as a kite.”  Marquis wasn’t convinced, as we began to share about how God can come into your life and really change it for the better.  His eyes were glazed over, and it was really hard to tell if he was getting anything out of what we were saying.  Although it’s always discouraging to have a child come in this condition, we’ve learned over the years that even the hardest hearts can sometimes be reached.  We never know when God’s love will break through the walls and real changes begin to take place.  Last week at class Queenie Stepney (Aslan’s Red Bank Area Director) was trying to help everyone see how wrong choices can change the courses of their lives forever.  She pleaded with the group to stop believing the lie that drugs and sex and all the other things so many of them are chasing after will ever bring happiness or anything good to them.  She looked straight into Marquis’ eyes as she said all these things, and what she saw and heard truly shocked her.  Marquis was sitting there with tears rolling down his face as he said, “Miss Queenie, I’ve been living for God for a week and I’m not doing any of those things now!” 

The entire class of students – all of whom know Marquis well – were in tears as well.  When they heard him say this, they all stood to their feet and applauded!  We’re not naïve enough to think this is the end of Marquis’ problems, but there is definitely something wonderful going on in the life of this very troubled young man. 

It is difficult enough, in the world we live in, for any child to navigate the treacherous waters of life and make it through their teenage years.  For a child like Marquis – who lives with his grandmother and has seen and experienced such negative and destructive things during his short 14 years here on earth – experiencing God’s love and learning to live as he should is extremely difficult.  Time and time again, however, God has guided Aslan by the same principle.  It’s always about the one – searching here and there for the lost sheep that the world sees as nothing more than throwaways and bringing them back to the arms of a loving Father. 

Thank you so much for your prayers and financial support of Aslan.  We couldn’t be here without your help.

Sincerely in Christ!

Craig

Craig Bogard

We have purposefully changed Marquis’ name to protect his privacy.