Nestled in the mountains of north Wales, the Vale of Clwyd is an achingly beautiful valley where herds of sheep graze in green pastures beside picturesque stone cottages, and where 23 people in the village of Ruthin have committed suicide in the past three years.
Only 8,000 people live in the village. Eighty-five percent of them are unemployed, have been out of work for decades and, since 2006, almost two dozen of them — mostly teenage boys, aged 16-19 — have killed themselves to end the despair of their hopeless lives. The suicide rate for American teenagers is approximately one death in every 14,250 young people; in Ruthin, it's about one death in every 50. With the highest suicide rate in the United Kingdom, the story of Ruthin made national headlines.
In June 2008, a young Welshman named Rich Kendrick started Young Life in the Vale of Clwyd.
"Every kid I meet knows somebody who has committed suicide," said Kendrick. "Somebody in their neighborhood or in their class in school. These kids have never known anything but life in this valley and that life is crumbling. Their heritage is being swept away. The Welsh coal pits have closed, agriculture is on its knees, businesses are shutting down. The kids have watched their parents lose everything. They feel trapped. They don't see any way out. There's a darkness here, an oppressive sense of hopelessness that is absolutely heartbreaking."
Five kids showed up at Kendrick's first club. They were quiet and seemed unresponsive. But Kendrick struck a chord somewhere. The next week, those five brought their friends.
Two months after he started Young Life in Ruthin, Kendrick took 17 teenagers to the Young Life/Urban Saints camp, built in the shadow of an ancient Welsh castle near Welshpool, Wales. Their camp fee was only £20, about $40, and many of them had to dig behind the cushions in furniture to find enough money to pay for it. But Kendrick believes it was the best money they ever spent. That camp changed their lives. "They saw something they never see at home — hope," he said. "They laughed and did crazy, fun things. They were loved, and that love made a huge impression. And they learned they are incredibly precious to God. I don't think they'd ever heard and understood that before."
Six kids who became Christians during their week of camp were so fired up about their newfound faith that they asked to become part of the work crew for the second week of camp.
"One week they were campers, the next week they were scrubbing pots and pans," Kendrick said.
Beacons of joy
When Kendrick cranked club back up after camp, it was an entirely different experience. The kids who had leaned against the wall with their arms folded across their chests, refusing to participate, had been transformed. Their joy was a beacon to their friends.
"After camp, they were clapping and standing on chairs, singing their hearts out. And laughing. You should have heard them laugh! They went from death to life. Other kids saw the difference and they wanted to be a part of whatever it was that had changed their friends," remembered Kendrick.
Senior Regional Director Tom Hammon said that Rich Kendrick "lives what we say we're about. He works with kids who are so far out there that, apart from his ministry, they would have no chance to hear about Jesus."
Hammon pointed out that "Rich became a Christian as an adult in his 30s. He understands what it means to face life's difficulties without Christ. He can relate to the pain in the lives of the kids in his ministry. He's been where they are. And they know it. They know Rich is for real. He's not flashy. In fact, he's a quiet man. But the kids can see a passion for Christ in everything he does."
During the fall and winter, Vale of Clwyd Young Life continued to grow. The club that began with five kids now averages about 60 a week. Kendrick plans overnights, game nights and regularly takes young people to sing for the residents of a local senior citizen facility.
He said that, looking toward the future, he plans to develop more mentoring groups and to establish a discipleship program. And he will work hard to integrate the new believers into the churches in the community.
He will also work to train his 12 leaders — most of whom are 17 to 18 years old. What they lack in knowledge of Young Life, they more than make up for in enthusiasm.
"We have a core group of young people who are committed and dependable, and they are the rock we build this ministry upon."
For the long haul
A month ago, Kendrick sent out a prayer e-mail that began with a quote from Young Life Founder Jim Rayburn: "Young Life is something far more than the ordinary youth movement. Not only do we earn a hearing among the most difficult and hardest to reach, but after reaching them we stay with them, as a true missionary should. The winning and establishing of a soul for Jesus Christ cannot be done on a hit-and-run basis."
Kendrick said that those involved in Young Life must be committed to living out the Gospel in a culture of young people. "When we enter the world of a young person, we are doing so for the long haul, committed to making a lasting investment in their lives."
Then he listed 11 names: Sara, Abigail, Esther, Daniel, Luke, Kirsti, Alys, Eli, Sam, Stuart, Kenny.
"These 11 young people made a commitment in front of their friends and peers to follow Jesus Christ after the club talk on Friday evening," Kendrick said. "It's a tough world out there for a teenager — please pray for them by name. Please pray for us as we continue to work alongside them and make disciples. God is moving in the lives of young people here in Ruthin!"