Pomp and Circumstance

It's the season for Graduations both in the Albright home and at Shelterwood.  Kaiden graduated from kindergarten a few weeks back on a Monday night.  We celebrated afterwards in style at the homemade country ice cream store.  It was a popular choice as we ran into several other graduates with the same idea.  The next morning Kaiden was quite upset when he had to return to school.  He had a good argument but nonetheless had to go back and finish the week.  In Missouri most of the kids attend summer school through June.  It keeps the students sharp and allows the older kids to either catch up or make up work.  With the added recess and snack time, Kaiden is not complaining about summer school.

This past week concluded a whirlwind of graduations at Shelterwood.  A week ago Friday one guy and one girl graduated the program.  Monday, two girls graduated.  Wednesday, one girl.  Thursday, two guys followed by three high school graduates.  Our Pre-Summer break started a day later on Friday.  Once the kids return from break our summer program will begin on Monday June 4th.  With the graduations the guys lodge headcount is still holding on at 27 boys.  Over the Memorial Day weekend 3 new big brothers are arriving to top off our June class of men at 6.

The weather is warming up and rumor has it the summer of 2012 will bring lots of heat, humidity and bugs to Kansas City.  Oh the joy!  Stay cool and have a blessed Memorial Day weekend with your families!

May flowers

As the saying goes, "April showers bring May flowers" and things are blooming nicely here at Shelterwood.  May is always a busy time with graduations, new arrivals, and the anticipation of the summer program.  

The guys parent retreat concluded last weekend with smashing success!  It was one of our most full events regarding attendance and most every scheduled gathering was standing room only including the family dinner on Thursday and the Sunday morning worship time.  Most important, parents were encouraged and blessed by peer groups and staff.  It's hard to believe it was the seventeenth parent weekend I have lived through.  

We have a group of residents and staff currently on a mission trip to Haiti.  They arrived safely yesterday and are doing well.  The team will return on Monday night.  Similar to last year, we have partnered with Global Orphanage for the trip.  Please keep them in your prayers.

Three new big brothers arrived on Monday of this week.  Gabe, Josh and Jeremy.  They are solid young men excited be on campus and eager to serve.  Three more "bigs" arrive on May 29th and three will graduate on June 7th.  A new family arrived on Monday bringing our total back up to 30 boys.  Always plenty of comings and goings...

April Showers

April has been a busy month as evidenced by the tardy blog update.  I last wrote on Easter Weekend and the end of the month is already here.  Wow.  April has certainly been showered with activity for Shelterwood and the Albright family.

The weekend following Easter was the girl's family retreat at Doulos.  Like always, it was a busy 4 days of activity on campus with the parents of our girls.  It actually did not feel too crazy for me but as I checked in with other first-time staff I realized that I have grown accustomed to the full nature of the weekend experience and it was, in fact, quite busy.  Needless to say, the retreat concluded in style with our Sunday morning chapel and family share time.  A reminder of the healing that takes place every day and every year at Shelterwood.

On the heels of the parent retreat we had two accreditation visits.  It was time to renew both our residential license with the state of Missouri and our private school credential with the North Central Association.  Both visits went exceeding well but not without a fair amount of stress in preparation.  Paperwork, and a review of several policies.

Jena and I had a family vacation scheduled to Florida and it was nice to get away (although I paid a hefty price upon return for the absence).  We took the boys to Disney in Orlando and it was as magical as you would expect.  It was my first visit to Disney in Orlando and it was tempting to compare to California Disneyland.   The weather was perfect and the family time was priceless!

Next weekend is the guys parent weekend.  Although identical in schedule to the girls experience it will be much busier.  We have 30 boys in the program as compared to 23 girls meaning more families and although I oversee the girls lodge I have a much larger role in the guys lodge.  Of course, I always enjoy seeing the parents and watching the families interact.

As you read this latest blog, please be reminded how much I appreciate your support and interest in the work of Shelterwood and Doulos Ministries!

He is Risen

He is risen. He is risen, indeed.

Today is the day we celebrate the hope of our faith; the resurrection of Jesus Christ. I pray that your day is filled with joy and rest! May you enjoy times of refreshing with your families and friends as well as the hope of life. Christ the Lord has risen today. Hallelujah!

This morning we held a sunrise service on campus at Shelterwood. 6:30am on the hill near the cross. Not too many teens showed up at first, but by the time we started, about 20 total folks had trickled up the hill. It was quite cold and the ground was filled with the morning dew. We laid out a tarp for folks to sit down on but it did not save my shoes from getting wet. Between each worship song, I had to warm up my hands to keep the circulation going. One of our big brothers, Adam, shared an Easter message while the kids bundled up on the tarp with blankets. It warmed up today in KC to around 70 but it was in the 40's as we celebrated a special service.

Retreat Time

Tuesday and Wednesday of this past week we took our big brothers and sisters off campus on a well deserved retreat. Rujon Morrison led the devotional and healing small groups with excellence. She is a gifted speaker and counselor with spiritual discernment. Her husband Steve and I rounded out the experience with worship. Although the time was short, it was full of impact.

Our CEO, Jim Subers, showed the qualities of a true servant by cooking and serving most of the meals including grilled salmon and steak on Tuesday evening.

Jim had quite the surprise in store for us when he divided the staff into teams for a game of ultimate octopus. Similar to the rules of ultimate Frisbee, this gem of a game used an actual squid in place of a frisbee. In the group picture above, Jim is kneeling in front of the cooler that housed the game ball.

Please join me in praying regularly for our big brothers and sisters. They are amazing young men and women who serve the teenagers faithfully. We are blessed to have each and every one of them!

Spring Break

Spring Break officially began yesterday at Shelterwood. Some of the boys will be traveling home to visit with family while others remain back on campus for a week of sleeping in and activities that will most surely include food, movies, and late night conversations with big brothers. The NCAA tournament was on yesterday with all of the brackets posted on the office window for scoring and bragging rights. Other boys were outside skateboarding, sunbathing and listening to a music mix of Jack Johnson and Dub Step. The school teachers are taking a well deserved break and the staff will be catching up on various projects in addition to spending time in the lodges with the kids.

We celebrated a graduation on Monday morning at 8:30 with the Meyers and welcomed in a new family an hour later. The head count in the boys lodge remains at 26. We had a special guest speaker on Thursday morning for chapel. Jay, a local youth pastor, shared with the student body about social status and the misguided theory that blessing equals wealth. Some of the boys attend Jay's youth group during the week.

Following Spring Break, I will be taking the big brothers and sisters on a two day retreat nearby. Our bigs are amazing servants who work hard and the retreat is a small appreciation of their effort. Rujon will be joining us as we focus on rest, healing, worship and community.

Happy St. Patricks Day!

Playing Catch-up

At this point, it is safe to assume that winter is going to be mild in Kansas City. I keep waiting for a built-up winter blast but today it's 70-something with a high wind advisory. Crazy.

In my last blog I mentioned the upcoming Beyond Week and it was one of the best I have experienced. I missed Tuesday's activity due to a family arriving at Shelterwood but I caught the next two events with Hillcrest Thrift Store and Spofford Children's Home. The Hillcrest thrift store supports the ministry of a transitional program for struggling and previously homeless families. We had great time sorting through clothes, tagging and stocking the store. The staff was friendly and the boys had a blast. During our time at Spofford,

we worked outside raking leaves and cleaning up the playground for the children who reside in the program.

The senior leadership at Shelterwood recently completed a tour of similar residential programs to gain insight into best practices. They came back with renewed vision and excitement but with the realization of necessary change. The position of residential director was removed eliminating one layer of management. So what does that mean exactly? My boss was the residential director and I now report directly to the Shelterwood Director. I am thankful that God has given us vision and energy with our new leaders and I have grown accustom to change. It is a reminder that God is constant (the same yesterday, today, and forever) and I would be wise to acknowledge Him and lean not on my own understanding. Sound familiar?

Jena and I took the boys on a short vacation to the Great Wolf Lodge last week. The lodge is a rustic hotel near the Kansas Speedway with an indoor water park. The boys had a blast swimming for two days and Jena and I relaxed pool side over some great conversation. I learned about the organizational change at Shelterwood earlier in the week so the scheduled trip was timely for me personally.