Tues., June 19 – social service center – afternoon

I learned the kids attended this center for a variety of reasons.  Some came because of choice and others were delinquent youth assigned to the center.   However, I learned the majority of the children at the center were from difficult homes mainly involving alcohol abuse.  After our large group presentation, I decided to go around from room to room and take pictures of the children and the small groups. 

As I peered in on one group, I saw another group of teenage kids.   I sat down in the group and begin to pray as it appeared to me that they were disinterested.   One boy even moved across the room to sit next to me.  I thought he is distracting and apparently is trying to be the center of attention from his peer group.  In this same group,  when the Gospel was presented all the kids raised their hands that they wanted to pray and place their faith in Christ.  I was skeptical of this response and so decided I would pull the one who had moved next to me and interview him separately from the group.  I learned he was hoping to finish school and like any kid hoped one day to get a good job, get married and have children.  I decided to probe and ask about his commitment.   I told him that to some it seemed like what was said was a joke and that I could understand why someone might raise their hand to place their faith in Christ because this is what their friends did or to joke around with it.  He listened and then went on to let me know that he believed in what was said and that when he prayed he was serious about his new commitment. 

I left there humbled and amazed.  You see to my human eye there seemed to be disinterest on his part; I could not know the decision of his heart.  It reminds me of the verses with Nicodemus and Jesus and the discussion on being “born again.   Jesus says, “The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”