Working with youth in Long Beach
was dramatically different that any Canadian group. I always thought the
weather made the difference. The cold weather in the north and the limited
places to go for entertainment drove kids inside for creative connections while
the warm weather and massively available places to go for entertainment
dominated southern California and seemed to call teens to come spend money. I
was glad the bulk of programming responsibility fell on the shoulders of
others. I just wanted to gather in a house, get to known them and hang out.
That didn’t happen much.
Della and I had some input on a
Christmas activity that was a smash hit. We had used this activity many times
including while students at CBC.
Known and recognizable people were
to disguise themselves and spend an hour walking around a crowded shopping area
and the teens were to try and call them out. We chose Knott’s Berry Farm as the
shopping area. We convinced 12-18 adults to disguise themselves and go
shopping. The difficult part for teens was that when they thought they
recognized someone they were to approach and ask, “Will you marry me?” The response would be yes. If right,
they were happy. If wrong, they were embarrassed – I think.
The kids did a great job but
missed identifying Della. She was only slightly disguised, but she took the
young neighbor girl with her and they were holding hands. No one expected any
of the adults to be with a child. After an hour everyone was to return to the
chu8rch for food and laughs. That was fun.
In time I figured out what the
natives liked and tried to fit in.
I got connected to a young man
with a learner’s permit and no one to take him out to practice driving. I think
it was Curt, but am not sure any more. We hung out on several Tuesday’s after
school to help get him geared up for trying for his license.
I went to some quiz practices, but
most of that happened in the summer after school. At that time I was trying to
get them ready for International Championships.
Here’s a note from one of those
quizzers that nailed an issue that still haunted me. I was working on it, but
obviously it wasn’t completely under control.
“I recall practicing quiz in a room in the
Long Beach C&MA, upstairs, with multiple patches of carpet on the
floor. We had our own electronic system on the chairs.
I
recall you losing your temper once with John Kiehl, who had developed a method
of jumping that was legal locally, but not nationally (or something like
that). John shrugged off your suggestion that he jump within the national
standards, and you exploded in anger.
A
time later, you told me how that you use to be always angry, and how much God
had changed you from a state of being often explosive and angry. Sooo, I
watched you carefully... to see if this was true, that God could change
people. I recall being impressed at how you controlled your temper
over and over again... and that became evidence (in my mind) that God really
could change someone for the better.”
The memories of others always come back to haunt us. I am glad I at
least improved.
My biggest single frustration came when a group returned from a class at
Melody Land where they had learned to speak in tongues. “You what?” If I did
not explode at that point God had to be in control. You cannot learn to speak
in tongues it is a gift God gives to whomever He chooses. No one “learns”
gifts. You receive them.
No amount of talking convinced any one of them that they did not know
how to speak in tongues. One of them demonstrated their “gift” to my utter and
flabbergasted amazement. It was all about learning to say certain praise words over
and over until you lost control. We used to do that as neighborhood kids when
we repeated various phrases until we got them all mixed up. The difference was
we all began to a laugh when we got mixed up.
These kids joked a lot and I am hoping their whole story was a set up.
If so they got me and I never did learn if it was a joke.
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