The Counselor

Bonnie Wos, a licensed psychologist, has joined our Nest Core Team! As described by others, Bonnie is a bubbly, optimistic and loyal friend; exactly what one looks for in a confidant. Bonnie has been with Youth With A Mission Minneapolis for years, so we feel that we know her quite well, but we decided to sit down with Bonnie and ask her some questions so you could get to know her too.
 
Bonnie sees herself as caring, energetic & Christ-centered, and anyone who knows her personally could confirm those qualities. To her, the most important things in life are her relationship with God and family. She has 5 children, 12 grandchildren and has been a widow for 13 years.
 
Before coming to The Nest, Bonnie was the campus counselor with YWAM Minneapolis for 8 years. While at YWAM Minneapolis, she cared for the staff’s emotional needs and took part in overseeing the spiritual aspects of the ministry as well as staff development. Everyone knew that Bonnie’s office was a safe place to decompress and seek advice, support and prayer.
 
After eight years of living and working at the YWAM Minneapolis campus in Buffalo MN, Bonnie described the tug she felt on her heart:
“I felt like God was stirring something in me, and I wasn’t sure what it was. I went on a long walk and asked, “What are you doing? What do you want?”, and all of a sudden, The Nest came into my vision. I was so surprised. I would have never thought about it, it simply wasn’t in my brain. This was God-inspired.”
When she approached Luke and Cristal McClain, the founders of The Nest Maternity Home, they had no questions as to whether or not Bonnie was needed or qualified to be a part of this team.
 
Bonnie is a licensed psychologist and has done clinical work for years (although, she is not currently providing 3rd party coverage or therapy at The Nest). In the past, Bonnie worked as a student advocate at an alternative high school in the Anoka school district. The school had a program for teen moms with an on-site daycare, and she counseled young women in the school’s program every day. At The Nest, she provides a reduced form of counseling similar to what she did in the school system.
 
Bonnie expressed her excitement for her new job:
“I feel like God called me to this, and I also like challenges. I’m learning something new and pray that I can be at service to these young women, however that might look. I see myself as the counselor but also a case manager to help connect the women to different services. I formally meet with girls on Mondays, but I want to join them with my life. I do this by taking them to church and to the recovery program I work at. This relationship is continuously evolving.”
 
Bonnie has been a great addition to our Nest Core Team, and we are so thankful that she sought God about the stirring He placed in her heart and was willing to follow Him. She provides solid advice, experiential knowledge and of course a good laugh here and there when things get a bit too serious!
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