Two years in a row now I have had the privilege of listening to Rick and Barb Wise speak at the Escape Conference, and no matter how many times I hear their story, I am still moved to tears. I won’t go too into detail on their story as I wouldn’t want to spoil it for anyone who might hear them speak in the future, but if you haven’t ever heard of them...look them up!
They are inspirational on so many levels, both to teens and adults. It doesn’t matter what age you are, what they talk about hits home. I found myself nodding and crying and thinking about my own childhood and the pain and struggles I went through and also looking at my husband and our marriage in a new light.
So many times in life we keep repeating the same mistakes over and over out of pain and fear, without even realizing what we are doing. Rick and Barb in talking about their own struggles help the audience to step back and take a hard look at their lives and how they might be contributing to the situation they find themselves in.
Last year was their first visit to Alaska and they fell in love with both the land and the teens. As soon as they went home they began planning for the next year so that they could continue to reach the youth up here. Normally they charge a speaking fee but they offered to come and speak free of charge. That is how dedicated they are to the kids they met here.
Through the whole five day long conference I watched as both Barb and Rick spoke with many of the teens one on one, joked with them, played with them, and cried with them. To see two people who are so dedicated to making the lives of our youth better was truly inspiring for me.
If you are interested in learning more about their story you can go to their web site at www.wise-choices.org.
If you would like to be more involved in making a better future for teens today, visit our website to see how you can help. Whether you are a parent, a teacher, a teen, a coach, or just someone in the community who has a heart to help, you are needed!
www.fbxstepupnow.com
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