Dear Friends,
When we turn on
the news or read the papers, often we are exposed to the worst of the
inner-city. Violent crime, public
schools as “drop-out” factories, rising unemployment, chronic poverty, soaring
teen pregnancies, and gang-related killings appear as the only stories worth
telling in the ‘hood. Even though
many of these problems do exist on a disproportionate scale within urban Grand
Rapids, there are many stories of hope worth telling. Consider Davien Fizer, a college student discipled through
the ministries of UTM.
Ever since he was a child, Davien’s personality has magnetically drawn
his peers. Consequently, Davien’s
connections have brought hundreds of students from all over the city to UTM
programs where they heard the gospel and saw it lived out in community. Sadly, as violence escalated in Grand
Rapids, some of these students were shot in killed on its city streets, several
of whom were part of rival gangs.
Davien has counted at least seventeen of his friends over the past six
years that were gunned down on the streets of Grand Rapids. In fact, Davien should have
fallen through the cracks because of the multiple problems that pervaded his
life. His biological dad fathered
twenty-five other brothers and sisters from multiple girlfriends and was never
there for him. Twice, in the midst of street fights, Davien was shot at. Succumbing to temptation, Davien
fathered three children outside the confines of marriage.
Despite these
pitfalls, UTM did not give up hope on Davien and over time, Christ began
transforming his life. He
abandoned the hustling and fighting that used to lure him to the streets. He has moved out of the apartment that
he shared with his “baby’s mamma,” yet continued to be a loving, responsible
dad. Moreover, as Davien grew in his
faith, he assumed a more visible leadership role in the neighborhood as well as
in the programs of UTM. For
instance, Davien works as an after-school activity leader with Camp Fire Boys
and Girls at Palmer Elementary School, teaching at-risk children life skills
and how to make positive choices.
Davien also volunteers both as a gym supervisor and coach for UTM’s
basketball outreach. This
past summer, Davien coached a group of 8th and 9th grade
boys from the ROCK, including “Tay-Tay, ” who made headlines
three months ago when he was busted for bringing a sawed-off shotgun to
Creston High School. Yet Davien
did not give up on Tay-Tay and continues to reach out to him and his family
with the light of Christ. When
three of our students were stabbed in a street fight this past summer, Davien
(along with two other student leaders from UTM) helped quell the violence by
convincing several “thugs” to put away their guns and not take revenge. When a UTM student named David
Witherspoon was shot and killed over a year ago, Davien persuaded friends and a
few family members of David to remain calm and not retaliate.
Raising up
Christians leaders in the ‘hood such as Davien is UTM’s answer to the social
pathologies of violent crime and gang-related killings that plague inner-city
Grand Rapids. Morever, Davien is
only one student among the many that have been impacted long-term by the
ministry of UTM. At this moment
there are seventeen students of UTM attending colleges and universities all
over the Midwest, including WMU, Ball State, Grace College (IN), Cornerstone,
and GRCC. If UTM is to continue to
annually serve approximately 300 at-risk urban teens and young adults in Grand
Rapids through sports outreaches, small-group Bible discussions, mentoring,
employment assistance, crisis interventions, and leadership development we need
your financial help. Will you
consider sending an end-of-the-year gift to help financially sustain UTM’s
vital ministries in the ‘hood? If you
are not a regular donor, will you keep in mind building UTM into your monthly
budget? Maybe you can talk to the
appropriate pastors, boards, or committees at your church so that UTM is placed
into your church’s missions or outreach budget? As Davien’s story testifies, your financial gift will
make a lasting impact in the lives of at-risk teens and young adults within
urban Grand Rapids. Young people like Davien need you to champion their cause.
Will you step up and help?
