Read these testimonies from Oxford Dream Center

Grace Gathering and New Life family, thank you for your unwavering support as we work towards building the Oxford Dream Center. With your help, we are creating a brighter future for the children and youth of our community.

Below you will find several inspiring testimonies from students and leaders that give a glimpse into how God is moving at the ODC! To leverage that movement as we gear up for summer, we want to offer an enriching camp experience for children aged 5 to 17 twice a week, on Wednesdays and Thursdays, giving them opportunities for growth and development.

The Best Is Yet to Come!

Grace Gathering Haiti continues to grow and develop in Cap Haitien!

If you are a regular attender at any of our Grace Gathering sites, you know that one of the areas that we desire to step into at a deeper level in 2024 is a greater focus on the younger generation. This is definitely true at our Haiti location as well, and we have seen some real fruit already in this area. There were recently 7 teenagers that were baptized, and quite a few more are scheduled to be baptized in the next few weeks. Also, every week a youth service is held specifically for teenagers, and that environment continues to grow.

Below is a short clip of a recent youth group gathering, sent right from Haiti! Clearly God is moving in the lives of teenagers within that local community! Please know that your continued support and investment is making an impact both locally and internationally!

Thank you for going on the For the Sake of Others faith journey with us. So far we have received almost $603K of the $1,080,000 pledged, and God is putting every bit to good use!

“In a day and age where doing right versus wrong, for a teen, is presented at every turn, it’s refreshing to see a teen choose to do what is right.

When I first began engaging with Serenity, she was timid and reserved. She was unsure of who she was and the impact that she had on those around her. She continued to show up week after week, bringing her smaller sisters along with her. What stuck out to me about Serenity is her progression week to week. More and more, she would show up in the teen rap sessions by engaging with not only the instructor, but the other participants. She became more willing to answer questions concerning the lesson, she was more willing to share personal experiences in order to make the lesson relative to her peers.

Transparency is a trait of a leader. Being willing to share who you are and what you’ve been through in order to help someone else. I was more intrigued by Serenity when we got to the lesson on wisdom. In Luke 2:40-52, it talks about growing in wisdom. She felt she couldn’t contribute to this conversation due to her age. After explaining that wisdom comes from experience, she learned that she not only could contribute to the conversation, but that she had more wisdom than she thought.

Serenity, in my eyes, shows up as a leader. I have watched her unknowingly steer her peers into doing what is right, simply by her choosing to make the right choice in the moment and her peers following.

This reflects the teachings that she receives each week through The Oxford Dream Center. It not only shows retention, but application. Serenity has developed characteristics that will last her from her teen years into adulthood.”

— Shardae Wilson (Assistant Director)

“I enjoy coming to The Oxford Dream Center because it gives me the chance to interact with kids from different backgrounds. As one of the few high school students, I get to assist with the elementary class. It’s fulfilling to be a role model for younger children and inspire them to make good choices.

Being a leader has also allowed me to learn skills like meal planning and preparation. Overall, being part of this community has been a positive and enriching experience for me.”

— Saniya Brinkley (Student)

“Last year, Bronson was coming pretty regularly, and he started to lead many of the other guys in helping to set up as well as helping to keep the group on task in our small group times. This led to some really good conversations before/after the group.

In one of these groups, he opened up about a death in the family and how he wanted to be there for his family but didn’t know how. You could tell that he was hesitant to talk about it, but there was a weight that was lifted off of his shoulders when he shared it. I was able to give him some advice on how to be a good listener and ask meaningful questions, and I got the chance to pray for him and his family before he left that night.

Bronson still controls the room when he comes and is a big addition the culture we are creating at the Dream Center.”

— Ryan Perkins (Volunteer)