Some of you received an email from me recently venting about my frustrations of the lack of ppl volunteering for young ppl's ministry in my current parishes.
And some of you even had the wonderful pleasure of chatting with me and thus receiving a not so calm side of the story.
Anyway... Just to update :
The youths used to meet once a fortnight but after much discussion amongst the 5 adults (myself included) and the kids, we decided to move things to every week. Was great encouragement... but 2 of the adults backed out a month or 2 later for various reasons. So for a while we were replying on the same 3 adults.
The issue in UK is such that when there is a group of children involved, it is a legal obligation that there must be more then 2 adults present.
So I woke up on Wednesday to a text message saying my 2 adults were down with the flu and I was stuck. I texted, called and left voice messages for my vicar - SOS-ing for help.
I was scheduled to go to church at 5.15 and by then my priest still hadn't called me back. While waiting for him, I took matters into my own hands and called a lady - Pauline who comes for guitar lessons requesting for her assistance. But she wasn't home and I left a message for her.
I was worried but I was sure I didn't want to cancel it and so I thought of all ways and means to arrange the meeting and pray that nothing goes wrong and therefore incurring a possible legal case. So basically, I left it all in God's hands.
At 5.05, Pauline called and said she would do it. I wanted to cry... and I was sure the rest of the night would go well.
My priest called at 5.30 and I told him all is well.
And true enough the evening went well. We talked about some things that got the children thinking and discussed issues that were on their minds but had no place to puke them out.
The more I spend time with these kids the more exhausted I am - physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually but the more I love them and the more I see God molding them and the more I am frightened for them. Some of the things they come up with is a result of the over-abundant and accessible information out there which when not explained properly can leave a tender mind very confused. I currently have a 15 year old mind who feels that this is his life and he was born of this parents therefore he is not a child of God. And he chooses not to be a child of God.
I can deal with issues like feeling unworthy of being a child of God - which I know is something really major for these kids as I have seen a few of them look like they are going to burst out crying when we talked about that. I can also deal with the issue of 'is there really unconditional love.'
But not wanting to be a child of God because it is his civil right is a bit hard. I am almost tempted to tell him that in the eyes of God there is no civil right... there is only His law and our right comes from obeying His law. I also want to smack a certain person who has been hanging around the boy and feeding his brain with rubbish. Yes, my patience for 'certain person' is wearing thin as I have seen him behaving nastily to some of these kids. But God says, be nice to those who do not know me and nicer to those that annoy you. So I smile.
Anyway... the longer I stay here and more humble I am and the more speechless I become at God's amazing power and plan. And the more I know I will miss this place and the ppl I have grown to love and care for so much...
By the way, as of next Tuesday I will have officially moved and therefore thus ends my free broadband access. So I don't know if I am going to be able to update my blog or not... so please bear with me till I settle in with my new host.
Till then... God bless, coffee rocks! and all God's children say - AMEN!
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