Youth Group?

We have probably mentioned bits and pieces about a group of teenage girls meeting and a group of teenage guys meeting, choreography, community outreach, movie night, etc.  So we thought we’d write up a blog to explain a little clearer what God is doing in the youth of Las Lomitas.

Like Sunday School, nothing like “Youth Group” existed in Las Lomitas.  It is something that we did not intend to do this year, but it has unfolded in a way only God can.  We started with a small group of teenage girls meeting on Wednesday afternoons back in June, later Pastor Erick and Kaleb thought it was a good idea for the males as well.  Females meet at 3pm and males meet at 6pm.  The groups started to grow in numbers but more importantly spiritually.  We now have been meeting almost 6 months and have seen many enter church for the first time, accept Christ, and begin to walk in His steps.  The ones who were believers before have started to take an interest in personal Bible study, prayer, and reaching out to their community with Christ’s love.

We have now combined the groups a few times over the past month and even without trying we sat back a few weeks ago and said to each other, “there is a youth group in Las Lomitas” and “we’re youth leaders.”  It’s been so natural and we’re very thankful for that.

In addition to the gender specific group meetings that we’ve explained in previous blogs, we are now starting to help teach these youth to reach out to their community.  The guys visit local widows, pray for them, and give basic food/home necessities.  They also offer to help with any household chores.  The girls have a ministry to any local family who has recently welcomed a new baby or lost a loved one.  The have learned to make banana bread so when we receive the news, they made a loaf and make a house visit to these families to show love and pray.

We are starting to come up with ways to raise money for the group to have outings or use on other ideas that come up.  Their first activity was having a movie night at the church.  The guys sold drinks and popcorn and the girls sold “pastelitos” (or otherwise known in other places as Empanadas).  We showed “Up” using a borrowed projector on the front wall of the church.  The solar panel battery held up and we had a great night.  Even Pastor Fredy brought his wife, Alexandra up for a “date night.”  It was a great time for the community to have the luxury of watching a movie!  The teens raised about $40, which we saw as a great success.

The guys selling the drinks and popcorn.

The girls cooking all afternoon.

Las Lomitas calls them "Pastelitos" other places they are Empanadas (a corn shell filled with rice and topped with ground beef and veggies).

Their shirts say "Daughter of God."

Watching the Movie "Up"

Pastor Fredy and his wife Alexandra ready for the movie.

Another thing that came up from them was the desire to do Choreography.  The guys and girls created (with a little help) Choreography to some Christian worship songs and presented at our local church, Pastor Fredy’s church (about 15 min. away) and at a large church about 2 ½ hrs. away.  This proved to be a great self-esteem builder.  In many of these small, oppressed communities the people don’t think they have the resources or talents to do anything or go anywhere.  These teens proved to be really interested and did a great job considering it was their first time attempting choreography.  We'll try to get some pictures or video up at some point.