Pastor of Transitional Youth Street Church -
Daniel's Calling from God

By Cornelia Seigneur

When Daniel came home from a mission trip while in high school in Texas, he was so moved by those with so little, that he said to his parents, "Mom, Dad, I want to sell my car."

He didn't end up selling his car, but his heart for the poor only blossomed. As a student at Baylor University, he  lived in a ghetto area of Waco with 12 other guys.

"There was a crack house next door, people were tripping and falling off the balcony. We wanted to live among the poor, we wanted to live in community and to reach out to those in need," says Daniel in his soft-spoken yet passionate way.

A few years later, he finds himself in Portland, still ministering to the poor. He's the Transitional Youth Home Outreach Center Director- also known as Street Church - which this month celebrates its one year anniversary in its current southeast Portland location.

Daniel and his wife's move to Portland two and a half years ago was a call from God. They were part of a three couple team from Waco who made the westward journey to what is known as one of the most unchurched areas of America.

"I felt like Jesus came to me and said, I am inviting you to go, you don't have to go but I am inviting you to go. . .so I went."

He and the others (including two guys that Daniel had shared the house with in the Waco ghetto) had no connections in Portland. They lived at the Ion Plaza, meeting every morning to pray, asking what God would have them do.

Daniel started volunteering at Street Church, discovering that Portland has one of the highest populations of homeless youth per capita.

Now he's the director, in addition to his part time job as a pastor of Antioch Community Church, which counts one-third of its members as homeless.

Daniel ministers at Street Church like a father does his family. They offer warm meals, movie nights, Bible studies, foosball, and a place to pick out clothes. And especially community.

That is Daniel's heart. Giving these kids a place of belonging. "I feel like there aren't very many people who want to be with the street kids; sure there are organizations helping them physically, for them it is a job, but they are not dealing with the heart."

For Daniel, it's more than a job. It's a calling.

 
Reach Cornelia Seigneur at: cornelia@writermom.net

Best Kept Secret in Town

By Terri Conlin

adoption (a·dop·shun) n. from Latin "to choose",  

1. take as one's child, raise, make as one's heir, take as one's own; 
2. embrace, settle on, name.

I just discovered the best-kept secret in Portland and part of it sits right here with us every Sunday morning.  Don't even get Lynn Young started talking about adoption unless you want to hear about miracles.  Just from last year, she can tell you of one thousand happy endings.

Right this minute, over 6000 children in Oregon's foster care system wait for their forever home.  Tragically some will wait their whole childhood to be chosen by a loving family, but not if Lynn and Christian Family Adoptions can help it.  The heart of CFA is matching strong Christian families with children who need a stable, happy home.  There are four paths to adoption at CFA:  foster care, crisis pregnancy, international and independent adoptions.  Each path includes a home study, valuable training and continuing support long after the child joins your family.  A wonderful staff will walk you through each step of the process.

A word to the wise from one mother of four children, one birth and three chosen, "Adoption is not for the fainthearted!"  It can be a rocky road full of surprises, but many are surprises of joy found in a changed heart, not only of a secure child but also the adoptive parent.  Of all the blessings of adoption, the forging of patience and faithfulness are only topped by the exquisite view into the heart of God towards us, his adopted children.

Adoption is a calling and Lynn has found hers, both as an adoptive mother and in her work at CFA.  Perhaps you are called to open your home and heart to a child in desperate need of a forever home (a phrase which takes on new meaning in a Christian home), but there are other ways to bless a child.  You can volunteer at an adoption agency or Pregnancy Resource Center, become a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) following a child from foster care to a new family or give financially to the process of adoption.  One family adopting through Christian Family Adoptions wrote:

"During the first few weeks, I could hardly take it all in – going from newspaper picture to real children.  I was so awestruck!  But everything fell so beautifully into place when our daughter endearingly professed, "I love you, Mommy."  There is nothing more heartfelt than adoption."

"I choose you.  Come home to my family" are the happiest words a child will ever hear, echoes of words from your own heavenly Father.

"Long, long ago God decided to adopt us into his family through
Jesus Christ.  What pleasure he took in planning this!" 
Ephesians 1:5

For more information, contact Lynn Young at
Christian Family Adoptions, 503-232-1211