Our 2015 Grand Adventure

This year has been a GRAND ADVENTURE. A life that happens when you surrender to Jesus.

We hit 2015 running, having just moved into a new house. We had to leave our beloved Fruit house of 4 years, because the landlords wanted to sell. It was bitter sweet… on one hand, we were excited about the new adventure; on the other hand, we did not want to say goodbye to our home.

January started with what became our last trip to the Beukers Family Beach house of 60 years, for Noah’s 16^th Birthday. We made many memories that will last many generations. Back in Fresno, Carah acted in her first full length musical, “Legally Blonde” with her longtime friend Ethan Rij. Noah was finishing up his soccer season and Carah was in the middle of her club volleyball season and finishing up her school basketball season.

 

Our lives took an incredible turn when we met 3 other local missionaries. One missionary takes inner-city kids on tours to see colleges and we were given an incredible opportunity to take our kids and go to UC Berkeley. Another missionary family, lived in the heart of one of the most impoverished and violent parts of Fresno and we were grafted into their family and received great missionary training through Kairos and Perspectives. The last missionary, has really embraced and mentored us. He runs the Fresno School of Missions and fully empowers us to do God’s will. These experiences changed our perspective of ourselves and how we see the world.

In February, we started a youth outreach open gym night in Easton and close to 50 students would show up on Friday nights. We were on our 3^rd year of running RAW’s Real Talk Bible Study and many young men were coming to know Jesus. By the end of the month, one of those young men, Bubba, came to live with us. Another adventure that grew our family to look more like Jesus. We learned how to love in a situation that was hard and unfamiliar. We understood what AGAPE love means in a way we never did before.



By March, our family was in full swing with sports and school and church. Elijah was engulfed in his last college semester as a freshman. Noah was running track and playing baseball. Carah was in the midst of her Model and Talent training.. Bill finished coaching soccer and started coaching track at the Middle School Carah attends. We celebrated Easter with new friends, our godsons, some of our Bible Study kids and neighbor. A picture of the reason why we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. 

 

By the time April hit, we had another unexpected guest come to live with us, Rob. Rob was one of the first young men to attend our Bible Study 3 years ago. He had some issues with his family and was kicked out of his house. We also had a short term guest, who was displaced when his family lost their home. So our family of 5 was now a family of 8. It was never quiet in my house. LOL. Our home became a safe haven for many and often we would have up to 10 people at our table for dinner. Many times, Bill and I would sit back and thank God for opportunity to create a lasting legacy in the lives of our children and others.

In May, Bubba went back home to live with his mom and our short term guest moved to his new house. Noah was on his way to Valley in track and Carah finished up her softball season. Elijah finished his first year in college and started training with the football coaches at Reedley College for the following year. Both Elijah and Noah went to prom with friends from Central High and had a blast!

June was busy. Noah ran in the Valley Championship, the only student from his high school, and got 11^th place. (He was running with a sprained ACL, so we were all pleased with the outcome). Carah graduated from 8^th grade and was valedictorian and won an award for highest achieving in math. Rob also graduated from high school and was blessed by many people with gifts, including senior portraits. We celebrated longtime friend Ryan Rij’s graduation and (another actress in the making) Gracie Morrow’s too. We headed to the Bay Area, were we were able to go to Bill’s lifelong friend, Kevin Baker’s wedding; after a weekend at Morrow Bay for a football tourney. We got to spend time with Bill’s family and godparents, and then headed up to Lake Tahoe for a family vacation. We had Elijah, Rob, Noah, Carah and Ethan. We stayed in a house with Bill’s sister and partner Rebecca and got the amazing privilege of meeting their soon to be adopted daughter Minnie. Another family reunion in Sacramento, and we were blessed to see Bill’s moms side of the family and back home to Fresno. Once back we had the privilege of baptizing 4 young men, who made a commitment to follow Jesus Christ.

 

July hosted lots of fun with 4^th of July memories, a trip to see Bon Qui Qui with Ninon and Ethan (a birthday gift), and Carah going to summer camp for the first time. Elijah turned 19, Bill turned 44 and I passed the 40 mark, at 41. Noah and Elijah were in full blown training for football and Rob was job hunting.

August was incredible. Carah attended her LA Agents Showcase and was an extra in the movie “Victory by Submission.” Our well went dry and we were without water for almost a month. School started with Carah starting high school; Noah a junior; Elijah a sophomore in college; and Rob decided to take a semester off to work. Carah started cheerleading, Noah and Elijah started football; and Bill and I started working with Cen Cal Mentoring, mentoring at risk youth at a continuation school. We were given an amazing opportunity to go to Haiti/Congo on a mission’s trip with our RAW group and will start fundraising in 2016.

September hosted football games every Friday and Saturday; Carah auditioning for movies, commercials and modeling, See You at the Pole, 2 weddings and Rob getting a job at the SPCA. Car troubles, both cars died on us… being blessed by a new car. The big event was Carah getting her braces off after 4 years!

 

 October was full-fledged. Bill was freshman head football coach, working for a landscaping company, Cen Cal Mentoring, our RAW ministry and doing strength and conditioning. Fresno Fair was a big part of our life this year, as our neighbor, who is FFA President had Carah and Noah working hard. Carah received an opportunity to win a car with her 4.0 status and Rob got his license. Noah went to the Sadie Hawkins Dance with our neighbor. Bill and Noah took some of our Real Talk Bible Study Boys to see the premiere of Woodlawn and meet the actors. We had to say goodbye to Rob, who decided to move to Kentucky to live with his brother.

 

 November was Carah’s 14^th birthday. WE saw some crazy phenomenon in the sky… some said rocket, others said meteor, others said alien… we just saw WOW!!! Carah and I volunteered at Winter Jam and got to meet some of the artists. We were startled by the news that Rob was attacked and almost died. He had a stab wound to his head, along with a fractured skull, a blood clot on his brain and wounds to his face. Bill’s sister gave up her air miles to get him home, where he would be safe and could heal. The startling news continued when I received a phone call that one of our close homeschool family friend’s 11 year old son had died. He was really close to Noah and the new shook us to the core. We celebrated Koltyn’s life and were thankful we were blessed to know him. We stayed home for Thanksgiving, since Noah’s football team made the playoffs. We got to go to the Bay Area and partake in the annual Thanksgiving weekend Stanford game with grandma and papa. We had only one car, as Elijah’s car broke down and we were given a car, which was such a gift for not only our family, but our ministry. I participated in the Old Town Clovis Flea Market for the second year in a row with Joanne Castillo (one of my adopted moms) and my good friend Rachel Morrow.

                                  

December was no different than the rest of the year… busy and adventurous. I was given a unique opportunity to help my friend decorate her house for the Annual Children’s Hospital Home tour. I got to go on the Home Tour with my surrogate mom, Joanne Castillo, and made awesome memories. Noah’s football team made it to the Valley Championship Game and we were so excited! After a very close game, we lost in the last 30 seconds of the game, when a ball was dropped on the 10 yard line, which would have won the game. It was very emotional, but we were so proud of all the young men for their character. Carah started on JV basketball. Rob was healing well and got a job at Big Potato Market, the local grocery store in our little country town. Noah and Carah went to Formal with their good friends, Ethan, Callie and Kameron. Noah got blessed and went to the Raider/Kansas City game with his good friend Marissa. Noah was awarded MVP, 1^st Team running back, 1^st Team lineman and Defensive Player of the Year. We all awaited the premiere of Star Wars, Episode 7, The Force Awakens. Our family is full on Star Wars geeks. We had a surprise Star Wars party for Carah and had a movie marathon to prepare us for #7. Elijah waited in line for 30 hours and was on the new about 4 times. We had a blast and the premiere was so exciting!!!

 

Now, as we close this amazing year of hope, renewal and adventure, our sights are set on the glorious journey that awaits us. We are so very THANKFUL for all the people who invested in our ministry with their time, gifts, and monthly support. One of our biggest supporters are Bill’s parents who make so much of this possible. They have given so much, so that we can, in turn, change people’s lives.

 If you would like to be part of this journey, there are many ways you can help:

1. We are taking a group of 20 students on a mission trip and will be doing fundraisers throughout the year. Please keep your eyes open for ways to support these young people to experience a life changing opportunity to serve others.
2.    You can also volunteer on Friday nights, by just coming and playing basketball, dodgeball, board games or any other ideas you may have to give the youth a safe place to go on Friday nights.
3. You can also volunteer on Wednesday nights by providing dinner, speaking to our youth, leading worship, or just come to build relationships and mentor.
4.  We also need help with transportation, getting students to and from events. We are saving for a 9 passenger van. If you would like to donate towards the purchase of the van, please let us know.

Thank you so much for partnering with us in life, prayer, support and ministry

The Beukers Family

Remembering the lost.....

We walked in when Janessa’s mom was telling her story. She was at the laundry mat with her nine year old daughter. All of a sudden she heard fire crackers and asked her mom why? Janessa’s mom thought they were too, but a friend said they were gun shots. Then Janessa told her mom her stomach hurt. Her mom looked and saw what looked like a cigarette burn. Her friend realized it was a gun shot. She was rushed to the hospital. Her mom recalled the last things her daughter said to her and shared how amazing her little girl was.   Many tears were shed, many people were holding each other. On stage congressmen, police officers, pastors and faith based organizations stood to support the family. An innocent life taken, in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Then this mother, who had just lost her daughter to senseless violence, said in a loud voice…”I forgive the ones who were involved in this shooting.”

Tears streamed down my face. My resolve grew even stronger. Why do these kids do these things? Why do they think shooting at each other is going to solve anything?

It took me back to 2011. My mother was dying of cancer, Elijah was playing football at an underprivileged high school and we were barely surviving. I read on Facebook that a young African American boy was shot in the head during a Russian roulette game, from Edison high school. It grieved my heart, but I was so disconnected from it, the reality of this life did not scathe me. The next day, while I was at a football practice I met a young man, who played football with my son. He was a very nice looking man, with enchanting eyes and a strong sense of pride. I engaged him, asking about his life and why he wasn’t practicing. He shared that his friend had just been shot and killed and didn’t feel like practicing. I determined, through our conversation, that it was the young man I had read about on Facebook.

Something happened to me that day. It connected me to the boy who was shot. I was just one person away from it. My kids were going to school with the kids who were affected by it. I changed me. It gave me resolve to make a difference, to be a positive voice in the mind of the youth, were so much negative is spoken over them. I vowed on the deceased young man’s Facebook page to make his life matter. To make a difference in his community.

Three years later, my husband and I are all in. Coaching, Bible Study, FCA, camp, prayer, making dinners, encouraging words... I had a conversation with the same young man from that football practice in 2011, Isaac, before he graduated about a shirt he was wearing. It that had three young men on it and R.I.P. across the top. I inquired about the young men on the shirt and he told me that one was his cousin, one was his older brother and one was the young man he told me about earlier that was shot from Russian roulette.

“Why?” I asked him. “Why do young men get involved in this kind of activity?” He began to tell me their stories. Each one of them. What happened, how they were shot, who was responsible and when it happened? I listened carefully, trying to find the key to stopping the violence. I asked him again, “Why does this happen so often in West Fresno?” I asked him. His answer shocked me, troubles me to this day. “Because we have nothing to do. People get bored, so they hang out and smoke and drink and get involved in gangs to have something to do.”

My heart skipped a beat. His answer was so matter of fact. He was so certain that if there were things to do, less people would get involved in gangs. He continued to tell me that there are skateboard parks in North Fresno, but not here. There are lights on at night for basketball in North Fresno, but not here. There are movie theaters and shopping centers to go to and do stuff in North Fresno, but not here. Then he continued to articulate his belief that with those kind of things in their community there would be positive things to do, jobs to work and poverty would be less. His intelligence and well thought out response told me he had thought about this many times.

I told him that I was going to do whatever it takes to make a difference. I shared my passion for the community and how God gave me a love for the youth in this community. He smiled and said, “Thanks that means a lot to me.”

Isaac encouraged Bill and I to do what we are doing now. Two years in the making RAW has become a full time ministry for us. Reaching youth, showing them how much they are loved and valued is our goal. In doing so, we found that much of what Isaac said is true. However, the source of violence stems in a mindset that has been passed down from generation to generation that affects the way family life happens.

Many of the youth we encounter come from broken homes. There is no sense of family life that is healthy and safe. In reality, the simple truth in how to stop gang violence lies in a simple action…. LOVE.

Love covers a multitude of sins

Love never fails

Love gives hope

Love produces value

Love gives purpose

Love multiplies

Love invades

God is LOVE

The practical aspects of engaging young people to steer away from gangs, violence and drugs can be found in the “things to do” as Isaac said; but the life changing events that make a difference lie in relationships, rooted in love and lived out in truth.

Janessa’s mom sat down and many faith based organizations shared how they are doing their part to help Stop the Violence. I didn’t even stop to think about the thugs who shot her. Why would I? There senseless violence took and innocent life.

The next morning I woke up to a foggy day schedule. We all got to sleep in and I was thankful for some added sleep. My phone beeped and I looked to see what the notification was telling me. Someone pinned one of my Pinterest pins; someone liked my Instagram photo; 5 new emails; Full lives on Candy Crush; Facebook notifications; Instant Messenger. I clicked on the Instant Messenger to see who sent me a message. I opened it. A mom from Washington Union wrote:

“Did you hear about Isaac Sears? I am just sad by it all.”

My heart stopped.

“No, what happened?” I responded.

“He was arrested for 9 year old Janessa shooting death. Him and another gang rival. I will share the link…. Praying for all,” she wrote back.

“What?!?!? Are you sure? I thought he went to college!” I typed frantically.

As I waited for her to post the link, I frantically looked it up. I saw the story on ABC news, clicked it and read. It said Isaac Stafford and Brian Cooks were involved. Sigh of relief left my lips.

“It said Isaac Stafford…not Sears… thank goodness!!!” I wrote her back.

“It’s him. Didn’t you see the pic? I don’t know why a different name” was her quick response.

Her next message was a picture of the two young men involved.

I started to cry. It can’t be him… There is no way this kid is involved in this. He had such resolve and focus to go to college and play basketball and stay out this kind of life, since 3 of the people he loved were lost to it.

It was him. The young man who encouraged me to do what I do today. All of a sudden my mind wandered to the Stop the Violence rally. I was so angry and disgusted at the thugs who did this and gave them no other thought. But this “thug” was not a thug at all. In fact that would be the last word I would use to describe him. He was in no means a perfect kid. But generally kept his head down to do what needed to be done to play basketball in high school and college.

Another layer of love opened up in my heart.

The first layer was the night I was taking a kid home from Bible Study. Noah and I were in the front seats and 3 of the boys from Real Talk were in the back. We were all laughing and joking around, Lecrea playing in the background. I was following the directions of one of the boys to get to his house. As I turned the corner, there was a drug deal going down. The guys at the window saw my 1999 red Cadillac and jumped. The driver opened his door and pulled a gun on us. I put the car in reverse and punched it harder than I have ever driven before. My heart was beating out of my chest, “Ummm, is there another way to your house?” I asked the boy calmly.

We took another way and I dropped him off. I found out that one of the biggest drug dealers in the West Side had the exact car that we had, so it was a case of mistaken identity. I was thanking Jesus for protecting us, when all of a sudden my heart grieved. Instead of going through the what ifs in my head, as I usually do, I thought about the boy who lived in this neighborhood. I was devastated that he has to live this out every day. My heart changed. Instead of thinking about me, I thought about him.

I literally wondered if I could actually reach such a hard and dark place. I questioned our little Bible Study and pondered if we were making a difference at all. The fear I usually have, melted away into a puddle of love for these families and kids, who live in a community that suffers greatly.

I looked at Isaac’s picture, read all the stories that were posted about the event and just cried and prayed. I did not know what else to do. The Lord reminded me of a book I read by Jackie Pullinger, Chasing the Dragon. She went into the worst city in Hong Kong and dealt with the vilest gangs. Yet, her little Bible Club began to grow and change an entire city. It moved the hardest gangs to their knees in faith of Jesus and hundreds and thousands were set free from a life of drugs, gangs and human trafficking. I realized that is was no different here. Our little Bible Club was making a difference. Our prayers were effecting change. Our persistence to LOVE was changing lives.

And so we continue to fight the good fight. Praying for those who are the shooters, as well as though who have been shot. All need hope, all need love, all need forgiveness. I am so thankful for Janessa’s parents. In their forgiveness to Brian and Isaac, they have shown more love than most. They have partnered with us in showing love to those who many write off. Their love and forgiveness may be the very thing that brings them to the saving grace and hope that Jesus has to offer.

Today as I process the grief and the pain of a life gone too soon and young men, who will bear the burden of it. Today, we press on with the vision God has put in our heart, believing God is going to bring revival and hope.

If you would like to more about the vision God has put in our hearts and would like to support what we are doing to show the LOVE of Jesus, please:

- like us on Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/pages/RAW-Real-Authentic-Worship/1532870260290204

- email us at beukersbill@gmail.com

- leave a comment below

Revolution

Revolution

Noun

1.       A forcible overthrow of a government or social order for a new system.

2.       A radical and pervasive change in society and the social structure, especially on made suddenly and often accompanied by violence

3.       A sudden, complete or marked change in something.

The word sounds dangerous, almost anarchist. Synonyms includes the words: anarchy, destruction, innovation, insurgency, metamorphosis, mutiny, overthrow, radical change, rebellion, reformation, reversal, revolt, rising, shake-up, shift, strike, subversion, transformation, turbulence, turnover, underground, unrest, upheaval, uprising, uproar, violence.

I looked up the word the other day after praying for our youth. I heard the Lord say, we were going to start a revolution. Not the kind you might think of, but a revolt against the oppression of this world, against the darkness that is closing in. The revolution will be established in our youth in this country. It will be world changing. The result with be a new social structure and order of young people coming together to impact the future in such an incredible way that the natural byproduct of their actions will result in a change in not only government, but schools, churches, homes and society. I will be radical and pervasive. Young people pushing back the darkness, which has gotten comfortable here in this country; it will be intense and violent. Not physically violent, as Jesus was not physically violent, but spiritually violent. The youth will enter the war at hand against the evil that is rolling over this nation like a thick fog.

“From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven suffers violence and violent men take it by force.” Matthew 11:12

Violence

Noun

1.       Swift and intense force

2.       Rough or injurious physical force, action or treatment

The word sounds like the opposite of love. Yet the only way a follower of Christ can take the kingdom of heaven violently is with love. It is that love that becomes the violent force against the kingdom of darkness. Love swiftly and intensely overtakes wickedness. By proclaiming love and acting in love, we are waging war against all that is wicked in this world. In the process of waging war, there is a necessity to take stands that are dangerous and even life threatening. In order to bring about “Revolution” in love, there will be injuries and sometimes rough encounters with darkness. We as seasoned Christians in this country are not very familiar with this kind of faith. We have been handed a wimpy version of God’s Word and a powerless doctrine. We have been sold a bag of goods that says, “As long as we are morally upright and good, then we are good Christians.” It is the lie Satan has been telling God’s people for thousands of years. There is no power in Christ, being intense and violent is “bad” and “evil.” When in reality, God created us to be violently opposed to the kingdom of darkness.

As I list the synonyms, think about the words in regards to waging war against the kingdom of darkness: assault, attack, brutality, clash, destructiveness, disturbance, ferocity, fierceness, harshness, onslaught, passion, raging rampage, roughness, ruckus, rumble, severity, storm, struggle, tumult, turbulence, uproar, vehemence, wildness.

Similar words were used to describe John the Baptist and Jesus in their time. The Romans and the Pharisees saw them as a “disturbance”, as “destructive”, an “attack” on their ways. When they preached and healed people they were accused of causing a “ruckus”, an “uproar” and causing “turbulence” in the cities they were in. John the Baptist was described as “wild” and Jesus was described as “passionate.”

My husband I met a young man about 2 years ago. He was traveling with a pastor, who is extremely radical and full of intense faith. He was a “Timothy” to the pastor and I watched as this young man was given the opportunity to learn and grow before my very eyes, as he stood on the stage “practicing” his faith. It was a beautiful orchestra of spiritual music that is rare in today’s church. His name is Chase. I saw “world changer” all over him. His youthfulness was being tempered by intentional mentoring and he was receiving it. Bill and I prayed over him in the areas of weakness we saw and have kept in contact with him since. We pray for him as the Lord leads and I receive his newsletter and am friends with him on Facebook. He gave the ministry he is doing a name and I have seen it before, but it never really had any impact on me until the Lord gave me the word “Revolution.” The name he gave the ministry he is doing is “Love Revolution.” What? Love Revolution? A revolution in love!?!? A counter-cultural movement of love to bring about revolution. Not the hippy, LSD, sex with everyone kind of movement. We are talking about He who is Love, Jesus. He who created Love, God. He who spreads the Love, the Holy Spirit.

Love

Noun

1.       A profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person

2.       A feeling of warm personal attachment or deep affection, as for a parent, child or friend

3.       Passion or desire

4.       God (1 John 4:8)

Similar words are: affection, allegiance, appreciation, attachment, cherishing, delight, devotedness, emotion, enjoyment, fervor, fondness, friendship, inclination, involvement, passion, regard, respect, sentiment, taste, tenderness, worship, yearning, zeal

Love covers a multitude of sins. (1 Peter 4:8). Not guilt, not condemnation, not even punishment. LOVE… Love is what changes, not war, not guns, not protests… LOVE.  Love is true and powerful, when rooted in the Creator of this universe, God. LOVE was demonstrated to a maximum by Jesus when he took on all the sin of the world, because He loved us. There was no shame or blame or condemnation in His sacrifice, only LOVE. Love is the most violent weapon against the kingdom of darkness and it the weapon we will teach the youth to use in every situation.

Bill and I were talking about the fact that so many young people are being abducted right now. Older kids in Jr. High and High School are coming up missing every day. As we were discussing this “Revolution” we hope to lead a vision popped into my head:

Imagine a group of youth who want someplace to belong, something to fight for, and something to believe in. This social justice, globally aware, forgotten generation could revolt against the sex slavery movement with a vengeance and overtake this wicked movement with a violent intensity that would change this whole world. I saw them waging war on the sex slave movement, working together with complete confidence and resolve. I saw them walking behind veterans who were caring guns to protect them from the evil that they were walking into. I saw them in masses, like ants who, by sheer number alone took down a regime of sex crazed filth. I saw them have purpose, fearlessness, faith and determination to bring freedom to the captives in this world. I saw them understand the power of God, freely give the love of Jesus and completely utilize the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Changing the World.

This journey we are on has prepared us for this… Absolute and total resolve in the fact that Jesus is our Savior, we will share His love with all we encounter and we will be authentic in our weaknesses, shortcomings and faults. It has prepared us for this moment in time, when all we have done, dreamed and envisioned is right before us and all we have to do is jump. It is that time, that moment when we commit to the reality that this is what we were made for; this is what we are called to do. It is frightfully beautiful, insanely peaceful, and ridiculously purposeful.

If you would like to support this mission, please contact us. We have many needs that you can help us with. Our only car died, so that is an immediate need.We are also looking for a laptop. 

 If you would like to give a donation to help us start a “Revolution” you can send it to:

Bill & Teresa Beukers

7845 South Fruit Ave

Fresno, CA 93706

or

You can donate online

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