A Glimpse of The Future
We knew that our church in
Austin was filled with an amazing bunch of youth. This trip was
proof. Instead of ski slopes, movie marathons, or even Hawaiian sun (no
lie), these seven teenagers spent their spring break helping strangers in
Guatemala.
While medical emergencies, stomach
upset and high fever tried to sink us, in the end, the week was an incredible
success. We planted vegetable gardens in areas of extreme poverty.
We distributed seeds to village women so they could find the satisfaction in
watching food miraculously grow out of a tiny speck. We shared a meal with
a malnutritioned little girl, and watched borders and language barriers vanish
as kids played like they never had before.
However, the most amazing thing of
all was watching a group of teenagers discuss their own life changes and wrestle
with the confusion of our world. Many people may not think too highly of
newest generation, fearing the future in the hands of kids who surf the net and
live in a virtual reality. Not us.
We watched tears roll down their
faces as they tried to understand poverty in a world with such wealth. We
saw a group of youth determined to change the way they live. They
talked about the sheer luck of being born in the wealthiest nation of the world,
and the responsibility that comes with it. They talked about changing the
ay they spend their time and their money. They talked about a love for the
poor that many adults will never recognize. For all of this, we are truly
grateful. God bless these youth and their ability to affect our future for
the better.
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