Minister Gets Teens On Positive Track

Brian Kraut has heard about the drinking, drugs and stealing.

Teenagers still talk to him, even phone him from jail.

Because he’s only 30, their struggles were his just a few years ago.

“I see kids who could’ve been me if I’d stayed with the friends I had,” he says.

But Brian, who grew up in Lewiston, caught himself before he went the wrong direction. Now, he’s the youth minister for Coeur d’Alene’s St. Pius X Roman Catholic church and a role model for hundreds of Kootenai County teens.

He’s listened to their problems and complaints about schools, parents and friends for six years - ever since he finished college. They’ve convinced him they value friendship but undervalue life.

Still, “They give me hope,” he says.

Brian is an unabashed optimist, but he has reason for his faith in Kootenai County’s kids. Every time he proposes a service project, they’re eager to sign on.

He’s taken groups of kids to Tijuana, Mexico, twice to work at orphanages. This summer, he’ll take 16 kids and 10 adults to Mexico to help finish up community construction projects.

“It creates a feeling of giving,” Brian says. “If the scripture says be more like Jesus, that requires action. Scripture not applied is dead.”

Putting his charges to work rounds out his message to them. Brian begins with his own story of being an awkward, insecure teen who realized at a church retreat that he wanted more out of life.

He was strong enough to reject his friends’ style of fun - drinking, drugs and sex. He drifted toward people who shared his values.

“I tell kids I didn’t have to worry about the consequences of my decisions,” he says.

Volunteer work the summer after high school connected Brian with inner-city kids and the homeless in Portland and Seattle. Helping them gave him a broader perspective of the world and a sense of responsibility.

That’s what he tries to pass on to the kids in his classes. At least one has gotten the message.

“He’s taught me how to serve God by serving others,” says Eric Kenner, a 17-year-old in Brian’s youth group.

“From watching him, I’ve become very involved in St. Pius, my school and solid in my faith. I realized he had something I desired.”

Don’t worry

So you’ve finally admitted that you’re not hearing as well as you should, but you don’t know the first thing about buying a hearing aid. Don’t panic.

Head to Kootenai Medical Center’s Fox Auditorium 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., June 9, to find out what types of hearing devices are available - you wouldn’t believe the variety - and what fits you best.

This free workshop is a place to play, test and experiment. No one is selling anything. But presenters will fill you in on whom to contact and where to go for help. Go and ask questions.

Self Help for the Hard of Hearing and Deaf People is behind the workshop, which gives it the consumer seal of approval. For more details, call 772-3033 or 772-5331.

Rough riders

What a blast to usher in summer with a group mountain-bike ride along the Coeur d’Alene River. The ride, “Bridge the Years, Bike the Wall,” raises money for Silver Valley Habitat for Humanity and the Rose Lake Quick Response Unit.

If the causes aren’t incentive enough to go, consider the route. It follows the historic Civilian Conservation Corps-Wall Ridge road that winds along and above the Coeur d’Alene River, and ends on the river’s North Fork.

The ride itself is 11.5 miles, but tack on another eight miles to get from the check-in point to the start. The fun starts at 6:30 p.m. on the summer solstice, June 21.

The $15 entry fee includes a long-sleeved T-shirt. Can’t beat that. Entries are due June 14. Call 682-3814, 786-3751 or 682-3453 for details.