Cedarville Magazine, Fall 2014

explaining that Orion Lakes is located behind s ome t r e e s at the back of church property. “We bulldozed a trail through the woods to make it easy for kids to get to church.” B o u c h a r d didn’t land at the trailer park until a Kensington church member approached him with a compelling offer. “She told me she and her friends had been praying God would send a church staff member to move to this park,” he related. “He impressed on them they would have to help make it happen, financially. So they bought the home for me.” Contrasting Realities While Bouchard’s communities are only yards apart, the daily lives of each population are as different as the sun and moon. “My park families fall under the ‘least of these’ category,” he explained. “It’s an inner- city, low-income community. Many come from broken homes — not all, but many. Money and food are in shorter supply than the average suburban household. Faith is not part of the picture; they weren’t raised in it. It’s something they don’t have time for, and it’s not part of the culture.” The church community is mainly from a suburban background, Bouchard offered. “It’s awealthier crowd that grewup in church or had it as part of their lives when they were younger and they’re returning to it,” he added. “Faith is important. There is a stark difference between the two communities in the way their lives are lived.” On Sundays, Bouchard oversees the Bible teaching, worship, games, skits, videos, and anything else he can imagine to make sure that time in church “is the best hour of every kid’s week,” he related. “How do I capture kids’ attention and help them fall in love with Jesus — that’s my weekend job.” This fall he began teaching classes that families take together, to give newChristian parents tools for growing their faith and helping them lead their kids in discipleship and Bible study. The rest of his time is spent in the trailer park, finding ways to connect with families often struggling, broken, and only there for a couple of weeks or months. “I learned very quickly that I’m just a step along the way,” Bouchard said. “Some sow, some till, some weed, some water, some see the fruit. It’s tough to see the kids go, but I trust fully that God’s Word will not return void in these kids and families.” Joining Yesterday and Today Bouchard doesn’t get paid for his involvement with the trailer park families. For him, it’s the fulfillment of a bold, lifelong dream. “One of the biggest fuels for moving in here was the time I spent living in trailer parks in Flint, Michigan, with my family growing up,” he said. “We were poor, but my parents were always great to me. They taught me about Jesus. But I remember hearing yelling and screaming and the police being on my street almost every night. I remember seeing one of my friends removed from his home by children’s services. “As I got older, it was always in the back of my mind: What if I moved to an area like that for the purpose of reaching it, to bring 12 | Cedarville Magazine