Joventud… the beginning of the youth group

We will be having, for the first time, two groups of youth from Minnesotan churches are visiting the ILAG this summer. We are excited to introduce another generation to the Guatemala Lutheran Church and our members. However, we did not have a youth group… so with the approval of Padre Horacio and the help of two young adult members of El Mirador, Horacio Darynel and I started a youth group.

Youth in Guatemala extends from 8 to 35 years old! Very few of which have really had a chance to be children, especially in the City but in a different way in the countryside, considering the harsh conditions of the City and presence of gangs, needing to help raise younger siblings. In the country the challenge is the girls at times get married at 14.

The first Sunday in July, we invited to the office the youth of four of the churches of the City… El Mirador, Porvenir, La Isla and El Tuerto. Youth from all but El Tuerto were able to attend. We picked a time between the services of each so that it would not interfere and 20 youth showed up for the first time event! We played some icebreakers, sang songs, had a bible study competition, planned the up-coming activities, and then several played soccer for an hour or so.

When they came, each group sat with members of their specific community with body language communicating loud and clear that they were unsure. I played a game with them which forced them to move seats after which, when they were all inter-mixed, telling them that while we have our individual communities we also are a National church here to support and get to know each other. It is my, our, hope to extend the youth program to all of churches of the ILAG and we hope to have a National Youth Gathering in the coming years.

It is my hope that they will make this their own, taking leadership and initiative… but I also know that they will need guidance and help in seeing the possibilities and indeed what they are capable of and what role the church can have in their presents and in their futures.
It is exciting! Please keep this new group in your prayers. They already have decided to present a play to the group from Minnesota when they come to visit… so I hope that we can keep this momentum going.