WE ARE BETTER TOGETHER

We are better together:

According to a US News report, emergency room visits for suspected suicide attempts in girls ages 12-17 increased 26% during the summer of 2020 and 50% by winter. Our youth are hurting. They desperately need all hands on deck to provide support, relationship and space to engage with others. The entire body of Christ can serve by working in unity to point students to Jesus. Ask questions, offer opportunities for young people to work or serve alongside you, invite a student to have a meal with your family, grab coffee together, attend an athletic event. These are just a few ideas that communicate value and worth.  We can show them they have a place  in our lives and communities. Let’s show up and let them know by our actions, they are not alone. 

Locally we've seen great connections from numerous churches and schools in the community. We continue serving alongside Campus Life and Youth For Christ on Monday evenings to provide games, small groups and discussion. I (Jeremy) am grateful to be able to attend Campus Life meetings again at a local high school on Thursday afternoons. COVID has impacted the ease with which we engage and serve in our communities, but the need is still present and we intend to continue pursuing relationships and being available to support our youth. 

I (Autumn) sew part time for a few local companies. I’ve also enjoyed volunteering at a Monday night sewing class at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. The fall opens the door for more outdoor adventure; hiking and backpacking being my favorite. I’ve begun overlapping my sewing and outdoor loves by making some of my own gear. I hope to offer space for others to learn and join me in this. I have been praying for discernment and direction for opportunities to serve/teach sewing abroad while navigating the impacts COVID creates for travel. I welcome your prayers and would love to hear from any of you who may be interested in joining me on a sewing or backpacking trip in the coming spring or summer.

Our family has been doing well. Zayne is a sophomore at NKU, active in her sorority and classes for electronic media and broadcasting. Ezekiel is a Senior and stays busy with soccer, work and applying to colleges. Aiden is in 11th grade, works, skates and is preparing to get his driver's license.  Heidi is an 8th grader who looks forward to an after school pottery class in the winter and spends the majority of her free time creating art. Bear loves dog parks, car rides, hiking/camping with our family and sleeping in his chair by the window. 

Upcoming Leap Events for 2022:

• Snow refuge trips: Groups going to Michigan, Vermont, and Europe

• Panama trip: Leap and Sparrow Missions team from San Pedro Sula, Honduras, will serve a small rural community in the Darien Jungle.

• Sewing/hiking retreat 

• Women’s backpacking trip, location TBD

 

Thank you LEAP team  for making this work a reality through your prayers and support.  LEAP is funded by individuals like you.    We are committed to go where the Lord leads.  Please consider how you might partner with us. 

Taking a Leap,

Jeremy and Autumn Isom

Jeremy: 540.246.9176

Autumn: 540.245.0317

You can give at 
https://donorbox.org/support-the-isoms
 or through the mail. Make checks payable to Leap International.

Leap International
9818 Farnham Drive
Louisville Ky 40223

NEXT STEPS

Today I reflect back on my journey over the last couple of years and sadness to joy flood my mind. The more I lean into community the more I realize how sinful I am. I think of the old statement “Old habits our hard to break” and think of my own self and certain areas of hurt and pain that have changed me forever. I desired an internship with my church to continue the healing journey, that at the beginning, I thought was about getting back to the task of reaching youth. In reality, it has been a journey of opening my need for more of Christ in my life and family. The internship has definitely reaffirmed my love for students and desire to see them transformed by Jesus. It has also exposed that I am not the same Jeremy, and the new normal for me now is different.
It has been a blessing working with Sojourn community church and specifically working with Dr. Almon, the elder of youth and a youth professor at Boyce College. Dr. Almon has many years of experience working with youth and he has modeled to me a life of mission to youth with the priorities on God and family. Sojourn has embraced my wound and my family. They have made a commitment to walk through the healing with me. In a friendship with Dr. Almon and a close working relationship on projects, it has exposed deep needs in my life mainly, the continued healing from my journey of being a single Dad, mourning the loss of a broken relationship, and all the baggage that comes with the territory. The fact is that my heart has been wounded and I have tried to stay busy and keep doing the task of ministry when my real need is to be still and know that He is God. I am also waiting patiently for God to open the next door for me as I focus on Him and my family. I praise God for the community of believers I am currently with and Dr. Almon who is committed to loving me through the process of restoration and discerning the continued calling of God on my life. God and family are my priority and I am standing for my kids in very confusing circumstances.
NEXT STEPS……
I will continue to be a part of the youth ministry but my responsibilities our going to be scaled back and my main focus is working through the wound. My foundation has been rocked and I want to embrace the new normal for my life. During this next year or however long it takes I will be diving into an inward journey and focusing on my kids. Please be praying for God’s provision for a job to provide my family.
My internship will end October 1st and I want to thank you for believing in me with all your prayers and support. I have been invited to Nepal in January to accompany Dr. Almon to train youth pastors from that region of world. Dr. Almon works with the International Center for Youth Ministry which as established programs in 14 countries to train youth pastors to reach the teenagers of the world. In major portions of the world, especially Southeast Asia, the majority of the population is under the age of 19. The International Center for Youth Ministry is answering the call to train pastors to reach these youth. Currently, they have 450 young men and women in their programs. Dr. Almon is giving me the opportunity to teach alongside him during a two week session in January in one of Nepal’s largest seminaries. The trip will cost $1800 dollars, so please pray how God would have you be a part of that journey.

Link to my published thesis and family update

His Grace Is Sufficient

Fall 2010

That phrase keeps rolling over in my head as I take steps forward in my journey. I am reading a book called “When I lay my Isaac down Unshakable Faith in Unthinkable Circumstances” by Carol Kent. The book recounts Carol's journey with her husband Kent finding out that there twenty five year old son, a graduate of the Naval academy with an impeccable record shot and killed his wife's ex-husband. That news was obviously a kick in the head and started a painful journey of trusting God in circumstances where it does not make sense in our humanness? God why would you allow this to happen?? I have asked that many times in my own journey.

“Heartache forces us to embrace God out of desperate, urgent need. God is never closer than when your heart is aching.” Joni Eareckson Tada

As I continue my internship with Sojourn God has provided many opportunities to use my gifts ranging from facilitating a team building day in Slidell, La, camping trip with some students from Iraq, the gift of leading a trip to the San Blaas islands off the coast of Panama with the Kuna people and helping to facilitate a house boat adventure with students from Sojourn called the Boat float. Here are some pictures from the journey.

Unedited portion from my daily journal August 12, 2010

Just read Matthew 8:23-27 the disciples are freaking out because the storm and Jesus is sleeping. They frantically wake Jesus up and his response is basically like chill out I got it under control and the storm stopped…You are amazing Jesus you have so much power. I freak out multiple times a day and I continually hear your still small voice saying chill out I got you...What is next for me Oh God I desire to be faithful and refuse to back down, but at that same time broken and at times distraught and perplexed for the future. Getting used to living in my new skin and reality. Grieving the loss of the past and striving to focus on your amazing future. So many stories that have happened in the midst of weakness and I have experienced first hand that when you are weak HE is Strong.

God has allowed me to share from my own journey with students that are experiencing so much pain and anger. I have experienced forgiveness in a way I have never felt before but it was on the tail end of some major anger. God is so good and my heart is open and continuing to dream about how do we create transformational programs for public schools. The fall will be spent plugged into the public schools looking for open doors to serve.

In midst of unthinkable circumstances God is moving. I want to thank God for giving me the grace to graduate with my masters in Adventure Education and publish my thesis entitled “Is technology sabotaging adolescents in their journey to create healthy community.” This book is free to download if you go to http://www.proquest.com/enUS/products/dissertations/disexpress.shtml Click on the section for "individuals" to start the order process. The book presents a 9th grade curriculum called “Undivided” which is an adventure program aimed at helping students have healthy boundaries with technology.

PRAYER POINTS:
-Finances for a mission trip to Nepal to assist my leader Gary as he teaches at a Seminary in Nepal
-Open doors from the publishing of my thesis.
-Finances for my internship.
-My family

THANK YOU TEAM FOR YOUR PRAYER AND SUPPORT.
Peace,
Jeremy Isom
www.sojournchurch.com
isomjeremy@gmail.com
Face book: Jeremy Isom
http://thedownwardmobility.blogspot.com
615 483-1818
(All support goes to Sojourn Community Church 930 Mary street Louisville, KY 40204 On note put Quest Internship)

Spring 2010 UPDATE

The last few months there has been a lot of change. God is doing some amazing work in my life. In January, a pastor friend of mine from Washington State, gave me the opportunity to lead a snow camp in Idaho. We were also able to stir the vision for a snowboard camp next winter for refugees. This is going to be an amazing time: we will bring together refugees from Burma (the Karen people) and other cultures to teach them this wonderful sport while fostering community in their lives and showing them the magnificence of God. I also had the privilege of leading a team building day with his staff. God is blessing me with opportunities to share some of my story. He's using my story to encourage greater transparency in peoples' lives! Which leads to greater intimacy with God. This is so humbling...so powerful. God is good.
The internship with Sojourn as been very stretching, while finishing up my thesis in adventure education. My thesis focuses on what technology is doing to adolescents today and how it can impede them developing healthy community. Latest studies show students are spending over ten hours and forty five minutes a day with technology. My heart is broken for this generation. I want to meet them where they are. I want to use adventure education as a bridge to serve public schools. I am dreaming about helping school’s build healthy community through providing adventures for the students...To be present in public schools with tools that can shape student’s future and show them the magnificence of God while allowing them to see how great they can be is what I am dreaming about...
Peace,
Jeremy Isom

http://www.sojournchurch.com/ isomjeremy@gmail.com Facebook: Jeremy Isom http://thedownwardmobility.blogspot.com/ 615 483-1818

(All support goes to Sojourn community church 930 Mary St Louisville KY 40204 in note write Quest internship)

Dad I want a Jet Pack....

Dad, I want a Jet Pack……….. My son, Ezekiel said that as we were hiking on a field trip last week. Ezekiel proceeded to say after that statement….. because, I do not like to walk. I laughed and we just kept walking. I so often have felt the same way in life….. DAD, I want jet pack so I do not have to face the pain, struggle or whatever you might be facing. Today I wake up facing writing a thesis again which seems like a mountain that I will never summit but I just climb and climb and barely move. But I thank God that I am able to climb and move forward however small of step it may be, at least I am forward. I so often think in my head: “DAD, I WANT A JET PACK” directing it to God. My emotions many times just want to run away or figure out a way to avoid the situation, but I am frozen and perplexed when I see Psalm 46:10. Whatever comes you way face it, embrace it, and trust. IT is that moment that God wants to meet you and it is all about TRUST. That is what GOD wants. Are you going to trust him and not the circumstance……. Easier said, than done in my experience. In my own journey trials have come and gone and I have learned that God is a faithful God and HIS ways are not our ways. I know that in my heart , but still sometimes I am crying out Dad, I want a Jet pack……

Isom's next steps

Winter 2010
Dear friends,

I have had the privilege of teaching in the public school system in Louisville Kentucky this last year. One day I was substitute teaching in a 8th grade classroom when I heard a girl offer her body to a couple of guys in the classroom. The actual words she said are too explicit to write out. It was shocking! My heart was broken for this girl. All I could think is, "What is going through her head and why would she say that? I asked her to go out into the hall way and she flippantly said "I was just kidding", with a smile on her face. At that very moment I thought to myself how do I connect truth to this girl, we obviously were on two different pages. What page is this generation on? Students today are living in a very divided world. If you have any connections with teenagers you will notice their addictive relationship to their cell phones and this modern activity we call texting

American teenagers sent and received an average of 2,272 text messages per month in the fourth quarter of 2008, according to the Nielsen Company — almost 80 messages a day, more than double the average of a year earlier. Youth of today are always "on" and never unplugged! Communications happens faster today and with more people then ever before, but with no real connection. I believe that the real need of youth today is true community and adventure vs. the cyber community and adventure that many students are exploring. They are searching for something else because the worldwide Cyber community and video gaming world leaves them feeling somehow ripped off. Youth of today are bored and technology is not quenching their thirst for a challenge that pushes them physically, emotionally and spiritually.

I am working on my thesis for my masters in Adventure Education. This thesis asks the question; “Is technology sabotaging students' journey to create healthy community.” The technology world offers another place for students to hide in and have pseudo community and a divided life in my opinion. At the core of community is relationship that comes out of an undivided heart, focus and attention. In other words if you go to sleep half way then we get no real rest. If we seek God with a divided heart we never get to experience all He has for us. My passion for working with students has been driving me since I was a teenager myself and as I continue on my journey this month I started an internship with Sojourn Community church which gives me a launching pad to jump back into connecting Christ to this generation. My passion is to create transformational experiences for un-churched students and create a bridge from church into public schools. My role will focus on three main areas of development.

· Assist Gary Almon the student pastor, in leadership and vision development of Quest Student ministries of Sojourn community church.
· Public and Private School Campus Ministry-Designing and building a self sustainable non-profit focused on building community in public high schools and middle schools initially focused on the Louisville and Southern Indiana school districts. The non-profit would be an effective bridge between public schools and the local church. The goal would be to launch this non-profit fall of 2010 after building the vision and team in the community of Sojourn Community church.
· Student Ministry Outreach
·
I will need to raise 2000 dollars a month to cover my expenses during this internship. Please keep me in your prayers.

Thank you for joining me in this faith journey as I begin this internship after being with Christian Associate International for over 10 years. My journey with Christian Associates has been life changing starting from student pastor at Crossroads International church starting the pump café which helped launch youth café in Germany and Romania. There was even a team from Texas who caught a vision while being in Amsterdam and they started a pump youth center in their community. God opened so many doors as we started camp juice snowboard camps and camp juice summer which blossomed into True Life Adventures. The other day one my former students e-mailed for prayer as they are starting a church plant in South Africa. Here are some visuals of my journey over the past 10 years in ministry with Christian Associates.

(FOR MORE PICTURESAND STORIES FROM MY JOURNEY GO TO MY FACEBOOK PAGE JEREMY ISOM)

Quotes from the adventures:

A 15 year old Mexican girl on our snowboard camp who was adopted by Dutch and American parents committed your life to Christ on the last day of the camp.
One student went home and confronted a bully at school after learning and experiencing the value of compassion.
“Best week of my life”
“I am Muslim but the best week of my life is hanging out with Christians and learning of Jesus”
“I learned this week that I am lost and I need Jesus”
“I danced for the first time in my life”

God is so good and I have so much to be thankful even in the unexpected places. I am trying to follow God’s redemptive journey through places that don’t make sense. My heart is broken for this generation. Thank you for continued prayer for my kids and God’s provision for this next adventure.

Embracing,


Jeremy Isom
www.sojournchurch.com
isomjeremy@gmail.com
Facebook: Jeremy Isom
http://thedownwardmobility.blogspot.com
615 483-1818



Funds can be sent to Sojourn community church 930 Mary Street Louisville, KY 40204 in the memo put quest internship.

Ezekiel Sking

I love this my son skies. YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
Zayne also skies and we will post her next rocking the night.

Remember to jump.

Jeremy