Battling for Purity

According to El Centro’s youth survey from 2006, one in five pre-teen and teenage Latino immigrants report being sexually active. The oldest group in Kids Adelante has arrived at this threshold and we are praying that God will protect their innocence. Last Friday night, Megan McDermott and Molly Merrick, two of our summer interns, initiated a special Bible-study group with seven of these girls that will focus on issues related to purity and relationships.

The kick-off to the pre-teen girls Bible study was a slumber party complete with all the things girls do, including nail painting, baking cookies, watching “chick flicks”, dancing, and only a couple hours of sleep. In this context our interns saw another side of the girls and found that they were more than willing to open up to them about their personal struggles.

Through the rest of the summer, Megan will lead the girls through an eight-week study of a book called, Every Young Woman’s Battle. Discussion will include topics like, “body image”, “dressing to impress”, and “healthy boundaries with the opposite sex.” These topics and others will all tie together with an emphasis on developing intimacy and a sense of self worth in a relationship with God.

This is a ground-breaking step in the development of Kids Adelante. So, please pray with us for this group. Pray for Megan as she leads it. And pray for the girls who are involved. Join us in asking God to draw these girls into the kind of relationship with Him that gives them the confidence to have healthy relationships with the young men that are already beginning to pursue them.

In other news:

• Eighty-five adults and kids were directed to the basement at Mission Adelante Headquarters last Thursday evening when the severe weather sirens sounded. Fortunately, a heavy thunderstorm was as severe as the weather got, and everyone was able to go home safely. Gregg Frost obtained a weather radio for the building so we'll be well-informed of threatening weather in the future.
• Sofie Strohmeier arrived on Sunday after finishing her school year to join the other interns. We're excited to welcome her to the neighborhood for the next two months!

Prayer needs:

• Pray for God's blessing as Jarrett forms a team of volunteers for the Leaders In Training and tutoring program slated to begin this fall. This will be an opportunity for intensively relational mentorship for a select group of kids.
• Pray for Molly's effort to learn Spanish to be successful this summer.
• Please continue to pray for the Hispanic couple in our community that has faced ongoing trouble in their marriage. They've been back for the past two Sunday evenings! Ask God to bring them to a new level of consistency in their faith and marriage relationship.

Current needs:

• rectangular folding tables, 8-foot preferred
• gas grills
• gas powered weed eater

Important upcoming dates:

• June 28: Soccer clinic for Kids Adelante kids and families
• July 3: No ESL classes or Kids Adelante (trimester break)