Promises Completed
Monday, March 21, 2011 at 6:19PM I wanted to update you on what God is doing with the youth because it is blowing us away. As you know from some of our newsletters, we were doing some work with the youth in the church we are a part of. Previously we had bounced back in forth in prayer about what role we were supposed to take. However, at the beginning of January we felt it was pretty clear what we were supposed to do.
So we did it.
The seeds were planted. We started to water and to fertilize. We catered an inductive Bible study methodology specifically in a youth setting. We prayed. We did stuff and we were seeing a few “results” here and there. However, honestly, we were discouraged.
Then we stopped playing the game.
One Saturday night we stopped playing Wii and Poker to do our normal discussion time. Usually, as with all young people, it takes a couple of questions to warm up. After they warm up the discussions flow smoothly. However, this night there was nothing smooth about it. I asked them a simple question, “How was your week?” Chirp. Chirp. Chirp.
So Amanda and I looked at each other and said, “Do you feel like we need to push it tonight?” “Nope, I sure don’t.” “Ok, well we won’t push it.”
So we told them let’s go ahead and get back to our game. One young man asked why we would do that; he thought we were being resentful. I calmly explained to him that we were not being resentful at all. We just weren’t going to push them anymore. I recognize that as young people every person in their lives are pushing them to do things. That is not what we are about. We came to Peru because we saw something in the young people that we believed in, and wanted to be a part of. However, we are not going to force our vision on them. They have to want it for themselves.
So then I got up to turn on the television.
They stopped me and said that we NEEDED to talk. That’s exactly what we did. For 1 1/2 hours we talked. After everyone left a young man stayed and we talked for two hours more. Then the following discussion time we talked for two hours, and we could have talked even longer.
Kids are rededicating themselves to the Lord. They are getting baptized. They are about to lead a missions team to Chincha for the Backpack Drive. All we did was step back. We let God burden their hearts. And now this spark is starting to turn into a flame.
Just a couple of weeks ago we were completely discouraged. Now God’s Promise is being specifically completed before our eyes. Amazing!!!
" I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them, I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them." Isaiah 42:16
Chincha, Cuatro Doce, youth
Reader Comments (2)
This is so refreshing to read. Shayne and I and some other adults at our church recently started a teen coffee house. No agenda just a safe place to come once a month and be together to bond and feel no pressure. The response has been magnificent and the teens are so alive and well. We are drawing teens from 4 or 5 local high schools. We just added community outreach to help with simple chores and task such as hauling unwanted items to the dump. Building that bridge that these youth are valuable assets to our community has been welcomed with open arms. The group started in September and continues to outreach beyond what we would of ever dreamed off. Let go and LET GOD! They have now even opened the door to having an additional meeting monthly to focus on worship. The soul of the youth is pure and often overlooked. May Christ continue His many great works in all of us as we walk together to form the Body!
I love reading that. We have been really fighting through the true meaning of making disciples. We keep on coming back to "allowing them to serve." So it seems to be working!