quick note

So last Thursday was a bit of a night for the record books.

The las month and a half I've been leading troop and have felt a bit challenged in finding the best way to go about that. Thursday's plan for discussion wasn't well recieved and some of the students were honest about where they were at with some of the changes and I'm realizing some tough things:

The youth here really like to feel that the group is their own. They don't seem to click with the american style of leadership (youth pastor teaches every week). They want to contribute and I haven't really picked up on that.

There are other subtle cultural differences that I'm having to pick up on and adapt to. But it seems a big challenge for them is that for the last two years they've seen a lot with the group and now I'm brought in by the leadership and no one asked them if this is what they want. For them it probably feels like "here's paul, get used to him leading you".

So this week I asked DJ to come and help me clairify some things with them. It really is a learning process and I don't like it some days. But I'm really glad that last thursday some hard things got pushed onto the table and hopefully we can continue to talk about those things as they develop.

I need to run now and get some other things done. But things are really fun, I've been ice skating, off to see fire works, and out to lunch with people over the last four days!! Relationships are moving forward, and that's nice. Sorry this is so short...I wish you all could be here to see these things unfolding. It really is something!

Laters,Paul