The past week has been marked with a lot of "lasts." Monday and Tuesday held my last days of English classes as I proctored exams. Our "end of the year points party" on Wednesday was the last time for me to see many of my students. Saturday morning was my last time visiting a friend who lives a few towns away and that afternoon allowed for one last time serving with a local ministry to feed hundreds of Brussels' homeless under Garde-Midi train station. Yesterday marked my last Sunday attending Arab Church, and therefore my last time seeing many of the familiar faces who have slowly become friends. We hosted the youth and their families at our house after the service to retell, through pictures, videos, and stories, what the youth have learned and done this semester. It was a wonderful time for me to recognize the ways God has worked in this group and give thanks for being able to participate in that.
What was especially gratifying was identifying what God is doing with such humble offerings. I couldn't help thinking "a little sure goes a long way." Regular youth group meetings occur every other Friday night for 3 hours. We've enjoyed two weekend retreats together, a birthday weekend, and a couple outings with smaller groups of the kids. This is not the youth group of the West End that includes a research-led structure, printed t-shirts, a clever and concise mission statement, involved leadership council, and frequently updated blog site. But they love it.
It wasn't until June that this group had consistent youth group gatherings with good biblical teaching. At least two of these kids are living with unaddressed mental, emotional, and learning disabilities. Half come from divorced families. One has a Muslim father who competes with his Christian ex-wife for their daughter's faith. Another saw her biological father one day on the metro and walked in the other direction, knowing he wouldn't want to talk to her. One brother-sister pair are missing their older sister who ran away from home a year ago and a few more have changed schools and countries so much that friends and consistent standards of learning are both hard to come by. One can't study well at home with five people in a cramped two bedroom apartment and has failed her grade level multiple times. When I step back and reflect on where these kids are coming from, I realize why they love youth group so much. Little competition exists for it to be the best part of their week.
As I watched them crowd around my computer to laugh at our slideshow of pictures and eagerly grab their parents to tell corresponding stories, I couldn't help but smile. For them, it really doesn't take much. To have something fun to look forward to every other Friday; to walk into a place where they are accepted, loved, and safe; to have teaching and games planned just for them; to be reminded that they aren't alone in trying to follow Christ as a teenager in Brussels; to be told their gifts are useful, valued, and needed in the church... these are avenues by which God is growing these young people into men and women whose identity, treasure, and joy is in Him. I can't wait to see what God does in and through them in the coming years and am so thankful to have traveled with them on a part of their journey.
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