oxygennews

News from Ki Hyoung Kim

At Rm1 in Hollyfield we have been playing a great game with young people. They have to pay time for items such as being clever, getting a good house, having a happy family. Through this successful game it has been really interesting to see what the young people think.

As for me I am doing well, I hurt my hands a couple of week ago, but they are slowly getting better – the team I work with really help me, they move heavy all the things around – its great while I am sore.
Last week we as a team went away for a retreat to Nottingham, we had a nice time at the there with some great Bible studies, although I and the others are a bit tired though. Whilst away we also went to the cattle, cave pub and cave musieum. Check out Facebook for some photos soon!

Blessings

best wishes john

The Oxygen Showcase and Awards Evening

Over the last year Oxygen has come into contact with over 1,200 of Kingston Borough’s young people. Through projects such as Rm1, Urban Nites and ID, we have sought to serve and relate to a wide range of the Borough’s young people. During this time we have seen young people’s attitudes and actions transform dramatically as they have developed personally, socially and spiritually.

At this first ever Oxygen showcase and awards evening, something we hope will become an annual activity, we want to represent and celebrate these young people’s achievements. There will be displays of young people’s art and videos as well as performances from young bands and musicians who have been involved. We will be handing out awards to young people who have achieved and contributed significantly as well as to some long standing volunteers who have given much over the last year to the work of the trust. As this event doubles as our AGM we will be closing the event with a short presentation on the overall progress of the charity including the work of the associate projects of Street Pastors Kingston and Sacred Space as well as the strategic aims for 2009-10.

We hope that you will be able to join us for this event as it promises to be a celebration of young people’s achievements. However in order to help us with catering we would be grateful if you could rsvp to Sarah Parker, office manager on sarah.parker@oxygen-online.org or via 020 8547 0566

Fun and Fundraising

The work of Oxygen is dependent on the donations and financial support of a wide range of people. To help us continue our work we have set up a number of fundraising challenges to help spread the word and the work of Oxygen, you can either read about them on our website here, or simply read below

4th April 2009 Boroughthon
The Oxygen Boroughthon is a chance to raise money to support a weekend away. Taking place on Saturday April 4th 2009, it a sponsored challenge whereby Oxygen workers, volunteers and friends aim to walk to everyone of the Oxygen projects in just 7 hours. To achieve this they will need to cover around 20 miles come rain or shine and will endure blisters, tiredness and angry road drivers!

They head out on this walk knowing that money raised will go towards subsidising places at the One Big Weekend, a residential weekend providing a physical, mental and spiritual adventure for young people that Oxygen’s work with. So please consider eithr joiing or sponsoring us as we take on our own physical challenge in order to do the same for Kingston’s young people. You can sponsor online here

13th June 2009 - Bike across London
On Saturday 13th June we are inviting young and old people to come together to take part in a new Oxygen fundraising challenge. Together we are looking to cycle from Kingston Bridge, following the Thames 25 miles along bumpy track and back roads all the way to Waterloo, London. For those who find the journey to Waterloo enough the train home will be waiting, for those who want to push it further we are looking to make a return journey following the roads through Wandsworth, Wimbledon and back home to Oxygen.

Sponsor forms will be available online soon. But to register your interest email the Oxygen office

Oxygen Prayer Letter Available for Download

The Termly Oxygen Prayer letter is now available for download. This prayer letter draws on some of the stories from the website and is designed to be a point of prayer for those who are unable to access the weekly emailings.

Please do consider downloading it, printing it of and giving it to anyone you think would be interested in finding out more about what we do.

You can download the prayer mail from here:

Anne Pawlak 6 month, Hopes burdens and frustrations

It is a new year, and the Coombe Boys’ School Rm1 project is off to a good start. The relationships we were able to build over the previous months are bearing fruit. Our young student leaders are working very effectively to encourage participation from the rest of the students, and are actively supporting the work we are doing.

As a result, the club atmosphere is more relaxed and positive. Unfortunately, the boys still struggle with self-esteem and showing respect for others. Many have home situations which are less than ideal. It is difficult to know that they are struggling with circumstances which we, and they, cannot necessarily do anything to change. It is also hard for me to adjust my expectations of their behaviour when I notice that they are not being conscientious, and have no desire to be so.

I want to help them think about their beliefs and actions, and the consequences of those actions, so that they treat themselves and the world around them with respect and care. Unfortunately they are not always willing to do so. It is sometimes hard to know how/when to educate, and how/when to allow compromise. I want to thank you for your prayerful support of me and the students I work with. It is much appreciated. Anne

Come and Pray for Oxygen

We have now restarted the Oxygen monthly prayer meetings. Taking place each month for around 1 1/4 hours, these prayer times are a chance to hear from the staff and volunteers on the progress of the work as well as to spend time praying together for Kingston’s young people. We do hope that you will be able to join us for these times of prayer. Forthcoming dates are:

March 5th 8pm, St Peters Norbiton

April 9th 8pm, thebasement (John Bunyan Baptist Church)*

May 7th Tolworth united Reformed Church (to be confirmed)

June 4th 8pm, New Malden Methodist church

July 2nd 8pm Christchurch New Malden (to be confirmed)

* the prayer meeting on April 9th will take the form of a nightly prayer vigil. The Oxygen team will be staying through the night to pray through the hours until Good Friday morning. Why not consider joining them anytime from 8pm through to 10am

Katie Friend: Blessings, Frustrations and burdens

A couple weeks ago, I shared with you that we have begun a new ID project with Tolworth Girls’ School Year 7 students. We have had 3 sessions so far, and I am really enjoying working with this group!

Having gotten an initial feel for where they are at, through games and activities, I am hoping to begin focusing on some supportive themes in the coming weeks. As for the Year 8 group, we have had some tough situations lately, and it’s been difficult for me to know how to help them sometimes, when so much of their lives are controlled by parents/guardians.

Also, I have been bothered by the lack of time for one-on-one mentoring during our weekly sessions. As a result, I’ve started working journals into our programme. Sometimes I ask the girls to journal about things we are discussing, or anything else they are wanting support around, and I take the journals home during the week to write responses if appropriate.

It gives us a chance to reach out to each other on a personal level that is not possible in the sessions. Thank you for praying for me and the girls I work with. It is so good to know you stand with us! Katie

Seung Kwan Kim: Blessings, Frustrations and burdens

Blessings
Relationships with Rm1 guys, I can feel that they're happy to spend time with me, and I also enjoy the time with them.

Frustrations
I work with Kingston Youth Service to run a Korean youth club. After half term, both of the employed staff, Malcolm & Omar, are leaving and I’m a bit worried about what will happen to the youth club when they have gone. Also I am having a bit of difficulty developing my relationships with the Korean guys. The relationships are not getting deeper so I am quite worried about that.

Burden
A number of the Rm1 boys have talked with me about family situations they are worried about. One boy is worried about his parents’ relationship, another is upset because his grandfather passed away and one is concerned about his dad's health. Please pray for them in their hurt and worry

Andy Norris

Hey, just dropping one other quick blog! Could people please pray for the oxygen deeper work in New malden.It's due to start offically in the middle of february me and Anne are hoping to do some work with the Rm1 boys outside of school we will be doing various different things each week.

We will be hopefully using christ church hall if we can get things organised, doing crazy games and film nights. Prayer would be most appreciated for the planning of these events and for the actual work when it starts.

Cheers

Andy x

Andy: 6 month blessing, burden and frustration

Blessings
One of the most fantastic things which has happened recently is seeing relationships at Rm1 which at the beginning of the year were weak and shallow now being turned into deep and meaningful friendships. Many of the boys at Rm1 Coombe Boys’ really do now have a lot of trust and confidence in myself, Anne, Kate and Seung Kwan. It’s quality to be able to have open, deep conversations with these boys when previously it was like trying to force words out of them. Having established these relationships, we are now about to start deeper work with a lot of these lads at Christ Church New Malden. The aim of this will be to get to know them even more, to create further opportunities to chat to them about Jesus and more so to give them memories they will never forget. This is due to start on the 25th of February.

Another fantastic blessing God has gifted us with is a group of young people who are looking for somewhere to hang out. When we did not consistently find young people on the streets, we asked God how he could use us in the New Malden area and these teenagers came into the picture!

Burdens
Although relationships at Rm1 are much better to what they previously were, there still is a huge mountain to climb in terms of actually really creating mind-blowing relationships with these boys and showing Jesus through the way you act. Your prayers are much needed for our motivation and energy in working with these boys. Please also pray that the boys’ hearts would be softened. Please pray that in the upcoming months we would start to see Jesus move in a huge way in these boys’ lives at Rm1 and in the deeper work - that these boys would see past football, that money isn’t the bees’ knees and that there is so much more in this world and beyond.

Frustrations
Some of the boys at Rm1 are fantastic in how they treat the staff. However, a lot of the other lads show little to pretty much no respect. This is very frustrating when we put ourselves out so much to try and make Rm1 an enjoyable place to be and then for that effort to wade away. I know the lads aren’t going to behave and in many ways I'd rather they didn’t it makes Rm1 slightly more interesting if they are getting up to mischief but they need to respect the staff.