Andrew’s Last Day
To my friends and family, thank you for supporting JSAW during my time here. I started here at JSAW three years ago in September and on October 3rd I will be leaving to pursue a new career as an electrician.
These three years have been an amazing time, full of pain, but also an abundance of joy. For a while we had only three staff and, while it was a stressful season, God brought us through it! I was mentoring a rider who was struggling so much to find worth that he felt his last hope was suicide. That same rider now writes me letters saying how much he cares about our friendship! I have had so many conversations in my office with young guys seeking wisdom and how to find the best answers.
JSAW trips are always a shotgun of emotions, but here are two of my favorite stories. Two years ago we were on a wakeboard trip with three young riders. My campfire challenge to them was to go off in nature and read a couple chapters in Psalms. The next morning, one of the guys came back (an hour late…) saying he read fifty chapters! He could not get enough. This last summer JSAW took a dream trip to Los Angeles with five 14-year-old riders. Not only were we able to skate at some very famous and exclusive parks, we also visited Skid Row where the largest homeless population in America lives. We walked around and gave out water, snacks and, more importantly, got to hear some of their stories. It was incredible!
I want to thank all my donors and prayer supporters. Without you, I would not have been able to be a part of these riders lives. I have watched so many riders grow up with the encouragement from the men that have worked beside me. JSAW is a place that riders feel at home. They long for the love that we gladly show them that Christ has given to us first. So please keep supporting JSAW! We crave for the hearts of these guys to seek Jesus. With your ongoing support JSAW can hire more staff, find a bigger building for the skatepark and dedicate everything we have to making riders into disciples of JESUS!
Andrew Olson