Ministry challenges

It's been just over a month since I started leading the "Jovenes" youth group and already I am faced with some challenges. One of the things really ugly about the Bolivian culture is pride. I would go so far as to say there is an aroma of arrogance amongst Bolivians (and most latinos for that matter) that it leads to a kind of stubbornness. People think their way is right and refuse to give in to others, protesting often if necessary. This is shown in the many blockades and strikes that happen nationwide here. But there is another problem that this leads to, and that is refusing to be open to new ideas and refusing to take risks.

To the young people here, like many places around the world, who they are seen with and how they are seen is far more important than what they think. To an older teen, being embarassed publicly is their worst nightmare. This presents a problem when trying to facilitate discussions and get these kids to process the faith they believe in. They tend to want to go with the mainstream view and they have little courage to stand firm for what they believe. So, I am praying so much that the hearts of these young adults can be opened and they will have an attitude to better their faith and realize living for Jesus means being unpopular at times and means being ridiculed and being embarrassed. They don't seem to understand this is a war we are in spiritually and that they have to fight elements of their culture that are contrary to what Jesus teaches.

Pray that this concept can be driven home to these youth as I continue to minister to them. On the bright side, the kids do seem excited about me leading, the numbers in the ministry have gone up, but it still lacks that quality element of learning that I would like to see. Most weeks I feel like they walk away having learned nothing and that they jump right back into their "image is everything" mentality. I want these kids to own their faith and not be subject to what people tell them to believe and to not be "bandwagon Christians".