At 13 years old, Genesis found herself at Teen Haven, tagging along with her older siblings. The people were friendly and inviting, but still, she says, “I didn’t want anything to do with Teen Haven.”
Back then, Genesis was going through a transition in her life. While she was raised with a strong belief in Jesus, seeing her parents walk away from her church shattered her faith. She was left wondering what had happened and if God was even real at all.
But with the support of her older sister, and several of the Teen Haven staff, she quickly grew comfortable in this new place. It was the people, like her mentor Nina, that she says kept her coming back. “At that time, I didn’t know I needed a healthy community.”
One day, while sitting around a campfire, she heard testimonies… “I remember thinking, I want to be met by Jesus as well,” she says. “If He can do that with them, He can do that with me.
– Genesis
With a strong group of believers around her, Genesis began to take a second look at her own walk with God. One day, while sitting around a campfire, she heard testimonies of how other students had experienced God in their life. “I remember thinking, I want to be met by Jesus as well,” she says. “If He can do that with them, He can do that with me.”
She began a class to learn how to get baptized and decided to rededicate her life to God. “And that same week, I got baptized.”
Since then, her connection with Teen Haven only grew stronger and stronger. At 15, she helped during the summer as a Junior Counselor, and after graduating high school she continued to volunteer.
Today, she works full time at Teen Haven, mentoring other young people. What she loves most is sharing her passion for arts and technology with the teens she serves. “I think what I value the most is helping kids use their creativity to bring something to life. I want students to find their passion and run with it,” she says.
Teen Haven is a ministry of Water Street Mission and entirely supported by local individuals, families, and businesses. We’re so grateful for your partnership as we see more students (who were once just like Genesis!) grow in becoming who God made them to be!