On Thursday of last week, OnRamp crossed a milestone as we donated a vehicle to client 108, a deserving young woman named Chelsye. Chelsye was dealt a tough hand in life. She endured trauma early on, and both of her adoptive parents died in the last few years, leaving Chelsye to navigate life on her own. She found and faithfully kept a job here in town while pursuing her bachelors degree at Sam Houston State. But both the job and degree were threatened when her car began falling apart (literally!) It was no longer safe or reliable to drive. Without a car, the job and degree would end.

Fortunately, Chelsye found a friend and mentor at Brazos Fellowship named Amy who came alongside her in this moment of need. Amy said of Chelsye, “I am always so amazed at how caring she is. I rarely see her without a smile. She is always positive and doesn't feel sorry for herself or her circumstances. I truly feel that with a small hand up Chelsye will be in a place where she can pay it forward tenfold. And I do believe she will!” So without hesitation, Amy nominated this deserving young woman to OnRamp and we gave her this Toyota Corolla that has… can you believe?… only 63,000 miles! That’s barely broken in for a Toyota! Now Chelsye can complete her degree, enter her career, and continue to bless the world around her!

And now for the milestone. Look at the picture below from the tax office. Who’s not in it? ME!!! For the first time in 108 clients, I was not the one doing the transfer. Stephanie took Chelsye across the finish line. We’ve developed such skilled staff that they can carry this ministry forward even when I’m gone. And that’s crucial. The measure of good leaders is that they raise up their replacements. I’m not planning on going anywhere! But OnRamp will only grow to its full potential if I am replaceable. My dream for OnRamp is not that it will be “the thing Blake built.” My dream is that it will grow so far beyond me that no one will remember a guy named Blake :-)