Teacher and scholar, Forest E. Witcraft observed, “A hundred years from now it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in, or the kind of car I drove… but the world may be different because I was important in the life of a child.”

This past week a Tennessee school counselor was rightly hailed a hero after convincing a teenager to hand over a loaded handgun. Authorities said the student told the counselor he was having problems and was going to kill a teacher and a police officer. But after talking for 45 minutes in her office, a disaster was thwarted. What should be underscored in this story involving an amazingly brave person, is that the boy confessed she was the only one he trusted to talk him out of it.

Imagine how many troubles could be thwarted if every child in crisis had at least one influential adult he or she felt they could trust.

When God gave us the vision for Breakaway Outreach over 20 years ago, it came with the conviction that no one should have to face hardship alone—especially kids. And over the last two decades, because of the support of friends like you, countless disasters have been thwarted in the lives of children at-risk. We’ve seen social trajectories changed for incarcerated youth, fatherless kids, children of inmates, victims of domestic abuse, foster children, inner city youth, refugees, orphans, and multiplied thousands of young people facing adversity.

By partnering with us to bring the gospel of Jesus Christ to vulnerable children and youth in crisis, you are helping kids “breakaway” from despair, build social resilience, and become stories of redemption rather than stories of misfortune.

Thank you for being “important” in the lives of children desperate for hope!

Please be in prayer for:

• Our fall break youth retreat in Cherokee, North Carolina. Our youth will absorb some intriguing Cherokee culture during the week: food, festival fun, Cherokee Museum, hiking, games, Bible study, and more! Our camps and retreats are designed to build resiliency and to foster spiritual transformation in kids facing adversity.
• Dominican Republic missions partnership: We have a team heading to the Dominican Republic in November. We’ll be serving as the hands and feet of Jesus among some of the poorest children in the Western Hemisphere. We will be facilitating sports clinics for youth and children in the Barahona region, serving in orphanages and bateyes (communities of Haitian refugees), and doing street ministry that will help strengthen the local church’s efforts to reach the unreached in their communities.
• Operation Christmas Hope outreach: Breakaway communities will be giving the gift of HOPE to children in crisis this Christmas! We have serve opportunities for individuals, groups, and churches to bless prisoners’ kids, pack shoebox gifts for children in homeless missions and domestic abuse shelters, or have your children decorate Christmas cards for refugees. Visit our website for more info.

Grateful for your partnership,

Jimmy and Cindy Larche
Founders, Lead Missionaries

(October 2016 Prayer Letter)