We met with the youth for the first time at a youth meeting held in Debra's yard on a Wednesday night. We had already met many of the youth who came. We started out the first meeting with a few games: human knot, mingle, the winking game, and big booty. I managed to bruise my legs playing big booty, that is ridiculous. It was fun and we had a good time.
Playing a game with the youth (photo courtesy of Eddy)
After the games we gathered in a circle. Lindsay shared her testimony then Ethan asked a question. Then it was kind of like uh, where are things going? It did eventually lead to good conversation and discussion. John asked the youth what they would like if they had their own church. The youth started naming stuff: singing, dancing, prayer, a message, talk about problems, everybody can participate in some way. So we started doing some of the things they named and kind of had their first service. We sang some songs and then the youth started sharing some of their testimonies and trials in their life. Enna shared with us how she keeps losing the father figure in her life. In short, her biological father died and two fathers she has had since then have died. There were many tears. The girls gathered around her and prayed for her. I just wanted so much for her to know she has the best Father anyone could want or need. She has a Father in Heaven who will never leaver her or forsake her. While the girls were praying over Enna the guys were on the other side of the yard talking. When we gathered back together the guys had some great news. Winston, Garrick, and Amor accepted Christ! Amen! A time and day were discussed for the youth to have their own youth church. They decided on Saturdays at 3pm. We sang a few more songs, prayed and the meeting was over. The meeting was over but we weren't done. I guess it'd be more appropriate to say the Lord wasn't done. A boy, Albert, had been hanging around the outskirts of the group the whole night. Honestly I thought he was one of the children but he was really 13. He started talking to Whitney and Ethan. Albert gave his life to Christ! 4 new brothers in Christ, amen! God is good. God is so good! It amazed me how open, honest, willing to take charge and get things done the youth were. I hope, I pray, it isn't just a temporary thing but it lasts long after we've left. I was also amazed at all the young children who hung around the youth meeting from the games until a good ways into the discussions when parents and siblings began taking them home. They behaved so well, sitting and listening. So that first meeting with the Rosedale youth went very well. Sloan and Eddy had to miss part of it to go meet with some guys in Louisvaleweg who ended up not speaking English so they just listened to Petrus talk in Afrikans to the guys. As Sloan and Eddy said though, "4 salvations and a church!"
The first youth meeting we had while many of the kids were still there. (Photo courtesy of Eddy).
We met with the youth twice more for youth church on Saturdays. I don't remember too much from the first youth church and I checked my journal and didn't say much about it. The second time we had youth church not as many youth showed up but a guy named Trevor did come. Trevor asked how can he know God when he can't see God. So church was spent on that question. John led a discussion on John 1:1-18, verse by verse, to answer Trevor's question. Then he went through the Romans Road. Trevor said he got it but he didn't want to accept Christ. At the end we found out Trevor is a Jehovah's Witness. We knid of came to the conclusion that he was probably passing by when he saw us meeting meet and thought we were JW (b/c they meet on Saturdays) and didn't find out until near the end we are Baptist. He said he would go to church in Rosedale on Sunday but he did not show up. Trevor needs our prayers.
John and Trevor (photo courtesy of Megan)
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