When Beth Rast first heard about Crosswalk’s work, she was still teaching middle school Spanish, but she promised once she retired, she would get involved. That’s been more than a decade ago, but she was true to her word and has been volunteering ever since, both in the detention center ministry and in the ARTreach 180 program.

Beth might not be in her classroom anymore, but she is certainly still a teacher, inspiring and challenging young minds to consider new perspectives and introducing them to Jesus. Inside the facilities you’ll find her serving birthday cake and punch and then sitting at the tables with the youth, not to lecture but to listen. At ARTreach 180 she gets involved in the activities and is not afraid to be vulnerable and make connections.

Beth has traveled from Savannah to Dalton and everywhere in between for our birthday celebrations and Bible studies, but she doesn’t stop there. When one of the youth in our church services at Atlanta YDC lost his father, Beth went with me to the funeral in Villa Rica. When one of “our boys” from a facility ended up in a group home and invited us to family day, we traveled there. If Beth Rast sees an opportunity to demonstrate the love of Jesus with these kids, she will be there. And she has been there for countless kids, volunteering with Crosswalk since 2013. She even still gets to use her Spanish sometimes.

Thank you, Beth, for your tireless devotion to Crosswalk Ministries USA. We appreciate you!

The harvest is great, but the workers are few. If you have any desire to serve alongside us in the DJJ facilities, please email us at [email protected].