Youth Girls hangout + living against the current

We had a core group of our Youth girls over for a Braai (BBQ) last week. It was a test of how well we could host in our new home. The girls seemed to be comfortable and we weren't too cramped in our cozy new abode.

Marshmallow roast on the post-Braai coals!

Hangout time with Youth girls!

Pray for me as I begin to open our home to our Youth. It's very difficult to host people from Capricorn because they often don't see the gesture of love and sincere desire to spend time building relationships - they first see the "things" you own and the house you live in. Keep in mind, my new house and the things in it are far smaller and of less value than anything I owned or homes I lived in while in the US. However, my current possessions outweigh what some families have in Capricorn and many can still only see possessions and the color of my skin. I'm very aware of this as I work and live here. I try to have the most un-flashy things and the bare minimum. Our Youth are very materially focused and are in the phase of life where they want-want-want and ask many questions like, "how much does that cost" and "how do you get money to buy ______ (groceries, shoes, a car)", etc. Living in Capricorn doesn't help these materialistic views because our youth are dreaming of a day when they can get out of Capricorn and live elsewhere. They're dreaming of careers and making worldly goals. And in a community where ambition is rare and follow-through is even more rare, our youth often only dream and never rise to these expectations because they don't see adults succeeding and reaching for goals. 

I want them to have a mentality of spirituality rather than materialism. I want them to dream and reach their God-given potential. I want them to have mentors and role-models that mimic Christ. I want them to get over the oppression of their community and have the identity that Christ gave them. I want my Capricorn people to have self-less sight. I want them to spend time and energy on things that will last, not worldly things that will fade. 

Every day here feels like living against the current. Like a salmon swimming against the stream. Against the natural, against the rational, against an entire culture of habits and norms. But, I will continue to persevere and stand firm on the Word and depend on the Spirit's strength to be counter-cultural and live God's standards in a sinful world.