This Week

Well this week has been quite interesting, to say the least. To be honest, it has been pretty upsetting and a little stressful. We have encountered a snag in the youth program and the people overseeing the youth worker position. It seems there is little communication going on between members and eachother, as well as between members and myself.

There is a goal, for this ministry and community program, to have a united front in youth work between the churches, looking beyond denomination splits and having different youth programs for different "kinds" of kids. And there has been a bit of tension this week because some people have started making plans to restart an old youth program because my program has not been hitting the senior kids. Well it would be fine in any other situation, except that these are people ON the board that are overseeing the youth work who have decided to do their own thing.

So it's a little frustrating because of the goals and hopes I have set out as a youth worker this year - and it feels like the program hasn't been given enough of a chance to "work" or "not work" if that makes sense.

Anyways - it's been hard. A lot of things that probably weren't meant to hurt or offend have been pretty painful for me to swallow this week.

But I have had confirmation once again that what we are doing is the right thing. I have had questions about whether or not holding youth group at the youth centre is the right choice. I've also had questions about whether or not it's worth even trying to outreach to the senior high kids because they never show up. Ever. Except one who has been wonderful, but it's discouraging to even her, I think, because it's only ever her that shows up.

But anyways - like I said, there has been a great confirmation because last night I looked around at the kids who came...and of the 15(!!!) kids there, at least 5 of them have come only since we've started holding it at the youth centre. There were 2 or 3 absolutely brand new kids there, that I had never seen before in my life! One showed up with her mother, and I don't know if she knew it was a Christian program being run...but she stayed anyways even when I told her that. And she enjoyed herself, I think. It's great!

So the fact that there were so many kids there last night (there are normally only about 6-8) and they had a good time and enjoyed sharing about their weeks and listening to my message and stuff...they got the point of what I was saying and even immediately acted upon it. How awesome is that?!?!

I left with a big smile on my face and confirmation in my heart that we are doing nothing wrong as far as the decisions we have made. I am no longer splitting my resources in half and having the senior half used in vain - I am concentrating on the kids who will be in the senior program in two or three years and will be the strong, core kids to show up. I'm not giving up on the seniors, but I will do things in a different way - not by programs, but by getting in there with the community programs and dances we want to get started.

So anyways, today I'm feeling a lot better than I was, say, Wednesday night. It's great to have such a quick answer to prayer - when I showed up at small group on Wednesday already upset, people were concerned that I wasn't my usual, bubbly, disruptive self. Then I got a text that sent me over the edge and made me cry almost the whole rest of the hour and a half we did our study. The people there were SO great and supportive and stopped immediately to ask what's going on and to pray for me, and it really reminded me that there ARE people here who really care about me, even though they're older than me and probably don't have the same personality or interests as I do...

It's been an up and down week, but I think it's ending on a fairly positive note. And it is also forcing me to probably swallow my non-confrontational side and take a stand about a few things I've had some real problems with about some of the people I *have* to associate with, not by my own choice to be honest.

But things'll get sorted out. Hopefully pain-free.

Ok. That's my week in review. I think I have to do a 5th Floor Update one of these days. And a newsletter...it looks like we only have two people who really knew what a "dunny" was! I may just declare them both winners.