Dear Friend,
Last year God used this ministry in a mighty way and we experienced a great move of His Spirit in all our outreaches. God showed us that as we faithfully obey His voice, He will not only use us but also provide for us to accomplish it. When you work to develop God's plan for a specific area, it is imperitive to trust that God will meet every need.

Our thrift store in Laurel has turned out to be an outreach to the community. The prices of the clothes we sell are as low as one dollar. I must confess that I initially percieved that store to be a financial blessing to our work in Capitol Heights. What a blessing to know that God is in control! His plan since the beggining was to bless those who were in need of items at an affordable price. Hundreds of people visit the store everyday and most of them hear the testimonies of our students who enjoy helping there. We give away bibles and tracts, and God's miracles are proclaimed daily--quite a departure from most well-known thrift stores. More than 20,000 was earned through the store in 1997. Praise the Lord! That income and your contributions helped us meet our financial obligations last year.

As a result, we reached thousands of souls with our summer street outreaches, food distribution, jail ministry, family counseling, personal interviews, refferal, and our one-year residential program. Our web page was accessed by many internet users and e-mail was often used by parents looking for help for their loved ones.

Teen Challenge is reaching many with the Gospel. We do not produce vehicles or electronic equipment. We produce men and women of God. In a factory, the production equipment must be in excellent condition; at Teen Challenge, the staff are the tools that the Lord uses to impact others with the Gospel. It is important that we take care of the spiritual, physical, and financial needs of our staff. Without proper tools to reach others, we will fail to accomplish God's objective. The salaries of the Teen Challenge staff are low for the area where we are located (one of the most expensive in America). This year we want to help them. We have the challenge of a new center in Baltimore and a burden to evangelize suburban areas in Maryland and Virginia where drugs and gangs are taking over our youth. Will you please stand with us as we move forward in this new year? Your contribution means life to many young people whose lives are in pain and agony. Thanks to the faithfulness of about ten percent of those who receive this newsletter, we are rescuing thousands from Satan's grip.

In His Service,
Rev. Manuel Baegra
Executive Director