- Allan (18yrs old): "i want you guys to know that i took your advice. instead of just hanging out on the corner in the dark with my girlfriend like everyone else does, i asked if we could go to her house and visit with her family. i sat and talked with her parents and we had a really good time. they even gave me permission to date their daughter."
- Pato (14yrs old): "guess what happened on new years eve? i was hanging out with friends and they started drinking beer. they asked me to drink with them and i said no. they kept bothering me about it so i left and went home. they were making fun of me as i walked home. when i got there, i told my dad what happened and he said i did the right thing and was proud of me."
maybe they sound like small victories. but for us, they are huge break-throughs. both of those topics were areas of discussion for a year's worth of devotions!
most of it is cultural and specific to our village. as simple as it seems, for a young man in Buena Vista to sit down in their girlfriend's home and visit with her parents - unheard of. and a 14 year old to turn away from peer pressure... and go home and tell his dad what he did? - doesn't happen.
interestingly, neither of the boys told these stories in front of the whole team when asked at lunch "tell me something interesting that happened during your break." maybe a little of the embarrassment factor is still there. but they both couldn't wait to tell us privately.
small steps...
1 comment:
God is awesome, and the boys are listening, glory and praise to Him!
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