Okay, I know this looks bad. Let me explain. . .

This picture was taken yesterday at a DARE program where I had the opportunity to speak to the 5th grade class of South Street Elementary. No, I was not arrested yesterday. But the fact is, 11 years ago I was arrested. Those shackles were the grand crescendo, the “EPIC FAIL” of my young 18-year-old life.

Yesterday’s program let me share my story in a way I haven’t before. It was surreal. I distinctly remember in junior high a DARE presentation was made at my school where an inmate in an orange jumpsuit shared his own “epic fail” story about drugs ruining his life, and ultimately landing him in jail. That junior high version of me thought I was so different from that inmate, and that I would never go to jail.

Yesterday it all came full circle.

I was the one standing up in an orange jumpsuit, pleading with these young people for their futures. I feel like I am a lifetime away from my experience with drugs. The spell of deception has been broken and all I see is the reality of the death it carries! With stories of friends’ funerals and images of families broken to pieces in my head, my passion to fight the war for the hearts of these young people is fueled by everything I know is at stake.

As I look around Opelousas, I see a deep oppression the dope game has had on the people that live here. A self-inflicted slavery, it is championed by music, culture, and especially those trapped in it. Misery loves company.

I’m praying for the liberation of souls in this city. I am ready to go to war for it, my brothers and sisters.

Would you pray and fight with me?

-Loren

Friends,

We hope this post finds you refreshed and grateful at the close of another year! HFO experienced some incredible growth in 2011–in the depth of our programming, scope of fundraising, and student relationships. As you may know, each blessing brings more responsibility, challenges, and hope along with it. Thankful for these opportunities, we would like to re-cap some of the highlights—

• HFO excitedly received our first and second grants from the Pugh Family Foundation to fund the ‘Agents of Hope’ high school internship program, which launched with the hiring of five seniors from OHS to work with our after-school program.

• Spring Break mission teams visited Opelousas once again! We played host to thirty college students for a week, serving all over Opelousas in the name of Christ. This work included helping to raise $13,000 with ‘A Night on the Town’ homelessness awareness event, with more than 600 attendees.

• Two interns helped support us this year—the ‘2011 Summer Internship’ program brought Nadine Lundgren to HFO to serve as our summer intern. HFO also hired our first ‘Grace Corps’ member, Hannah McBride, to have our dream for a year-long internship position realized.

• HFO brought twenty-three kids to the ‘KAA Summer Camp,’ a week long Christian sports camp, instigating a new summer tradition. What a blast!

• Eight students traveled with us to the 9th Ward in New Orleans for the first ‘HFO Mission Trip’ to work, pray, and play with new friends.

• ‘Adventure Crew 2011’ canoed the Buffalo River and Heber Springs in Arkansas for forty miles of cliff diving and fishing adventures.

• And last, but not at all least, HFO purchased a second home next door to our current property to expand our after-school program, looking to double the amount of students we serve by 2013.

We share our joy with you—our supporters, mentors, and family—in these milestones and the restoration they bring. We are thankful to all of you who have walked with us these last four years and we are trusting to God’s loving provision to overwhelm our family, and yours, in 2012.

Peace!

We have added a little incentive for our students this year. We are teaching the value of hard work and money management by paying our students with Hope Dollars for their hard work. Everyday students come prepared with their Geaux Folder signed by their teachers they get a buck. If they bring back their parent letter signed they get 2 bucks. Some students have racked up over 40 Dollars already.

We are planning to have a market around Christmas time where students will be able to use their money to purchase gifts for themselves
and family.

If you are interested in partnering with us this Christmas give us a call or send us an email.

Loren@hopeforopelousas.org

You know something good is cooking over here at HFO when we ask for prayers!

That something good seems to be every day, even when we don’t realize it. I bet God is watching us scramble around, attempting to pick up HIS ingredients to put them into OUR pot.

“Oh yeah, Trust would be perfect right about now!!”

And then He nods. And maybe laughs.

___________________________________________________________

Well, we are pumping out some fierce hope over here, and this is where we are longing to hear your support and prayers.

Turns out that a property right next-door to the Hill-House has become available for purchase. This would mean expansion. As in, easily doubling our programming overnight. BAM. We got a chance to walk around and saw a beautiful opportunity: a big kitchen central to the whole house with doors leading into a spacious bathroom, potential intern spaces, office and computer labs, a game room. Plus, tall ceilings and plenty of storage make this baby feel like the HFO Loft!

We want it. We want to fill it with kids and learning and love. Pray for us in this big hope, and let’s see the other ingredients God tosses our way!!

Hello, Opelousas and friends of Hope for Opelousas!! This is Hannah McBride, HFO’s new face for the year. I am pumped to be in this place, living the dream—the dream of test-running Grace Corps, that is! Grace Corps is a hopeful addition to the programming here at HFO, a branch between summer internships offered for college students, and the full-time staff. I will be working for the next twelve months as a sort of intern, contributing skills in communications and a desire to see this community grow in love and resources.

I moved down to Opelousas this past weekend, fresh from time spent with my family—we hail from outside Philadelphia, PA—after leaving my work in the Midwest. I have spent the last two years working as an Admissions Counselor for Northwestern College in Northwest Iowa, where I also got my B.A. after studying Theatre. I loved my time spent in that community, and I am so ready to find a whole new love for warm people, a diverse area, and the Cajun flavor here in Louisiana!

As you probably know, the way God orchestrates us to move from place to place is sometimes long-winded and mysterious, and sometimes it happens swiftly and surprisingly. This past Spring Break, I was privileged to co-advise a service project for Northwestern College students. We packed ourselves into two vans and drove down here, perpetuating a relationship between the college and HFO’s work. I found myself in conversation with Loren and Kristina, keeping up with one of their favorite activities—dreaming. HFO made an offer I was thrilled to accept, and just a few months later, here I am!

This year I will be writing grants, updating communications, loving kids, working on fundraising, having some great talks with Loren and Kristina, and learning I can only imagine what!!

Am I ready for this? Probably not.

Am I excited about that? Absolutely thrilled.

If there is one thing I have already learned from these people, there is plenty of flexibility in grace. I cannot wait to see what happens this year through rising to a challenge in trusting what God’s grace does to our lives when we accept it. I crave your prayers as I learn a little of what it is to support these people.  Stay in touch with us here at HFO to see what crazy things happen this year!