There have been many exciting things happening at Beside the Road and we want to share them with you! From tutoring, to construction updates, to even grant reception, it has been an exciting month!

Tutoring has been continuing in full swing. We have regular weekly groups that we see Monday thru Wednesday. It is always so amazing to see the same children reached week in and week out. We have the privilege of helping them in their academic career. There is almost no better feeling then to see a child turn a corner with a concept that has been difficult for them. There is such pride when a child may misbehave in class all week, but come to tutoring on their assigned day and turn it around.

However, tutoring is not always easy. These children are at times, like any other child, poorly behaved. It is even a privilege of ours to be able to discipline these children. Both are learning; one being social and emotional learning while the other is academic. When a child is acting out, it provides an opportunity to, in love, identify the problem, cater to the feelings motivating the behavior, and make a change. In all, we are a model for these children as they move on in their lives.

In addition to tutoring, we have also carried on with Boys club, which is a new program that we have introduced this semester. Each Tuesday, our program Assistant Abby Coffey leads the boys in a fun yet deeply spiritual hour of fellowship. While the goal is to target middle school and boys, boys club has become a safe haven for boys of all ages. This past week, it was very personal, as only one boy showed up.

The beauty in this is that the numbers don’t matter. It is so freeing to function outside of the success driven mindset which is bound by quantity. The time spent with this one child helped build the relationship he has with our ministry and also gave the opportunity to be reached with the gospel on a very personal level. We had the opportunity to clearly define salvation and justification in Christ. What a blessing it is to work in ministry!

Finally, we have been extremely fortunate to be chosen as a recipient of the Jonathan Foundation community grant. With this resource, we will be able to fully fund our summer tutoring programming. This gives us the chance to hire two summer assistants, take two experiential learning field trips, and purchase more educational materials for the children. These funds absolutely change the trajectory of our ministry and our ability to help our children. It is amazing to know that our children will not lose knowledge over the summer break, but rather will be reinforced and strengthened in a fun and interactive way.

We look forward to when is to come this spring and summer. We are also excited for you to take this journey with us! Please reach out if you have a heart to serve our ministry in some way.