My husband and I work with the teens at our church. We are not the youth leaders, but we do teach one class on Sunday evenings during Training Union time. It's a co-ed class and we just have a basic Bible study and allow the kids to ask questions or sometimes we just have serious discussions. Anyhow, one family in our church does foster care for teenage boys. The three boys they have now are a diverse bunch. One boy is 13, and has been sharing his background with us as well as the group. Please note that we are in a rural area of Kentucky. Some of this is a shock to our teens (they come from a home where their parents are still together, well to do, naive to some of the realities of the world, etc). So, this boy is sharing his story tonight while we are on our way home from an activity. He tells about drug use, his father being in jail, his trips to juvenile detention, and then says that he is committed to the state until he turns 18. He continues to tell how he has slept with older and younger girls, stole cars, etc. I was so sad for him. He doesn't know anything else. The more he told, the sadder I got. Then he told me who his father was. I went to school with his dad. This child didn't have a chance from the day he was born. He's lost. He's into "gansta rap", Tupac, 50 cent, and uses the "n" word. He is bi-racial. He is very street savy. I have no idea how to get through to him. But, the mere fact that I said I went to school with his Dad resulted in him hugging me (with dh and foster parents' permission of course). I don't know what happened, but he formed a little bit of a bond with me. Perhaps it was just that I expressed my interest in him....or who knows? Now, how do I get through to him? How can I break through the "gangsta" mentality and share God with him??
Last, I got home, and hubby came in the door after dropping off a couple of our teens. One girl who came tonight hasn't been to class in months. She showed up tonight, and was very quiet. She seemed happy to be with us. She hugged me afterwards and said she was going to try to get back to class. She has a lot of problems -- she is bi-polar, adhd, etc. Her mother is the same. She lives with her grandmother and some cousins (whom the grandmother has been raising since birth as well). They are poor and have had a lot of problems. She turned 18 a while back, and she started dating a nearly retarded fellow. My husband came in and said the grandmother stopped him before he left. She confided this girl found out today that she is 3 months pregnant. There is a good chance since she was on bi-polar meds, and the father is almost retarded that this baby will have a lot of problems. What do we do? Without condoning premarital sex, how can we support her? Do we have to seperate her from the group?
Can someone recommend a book, or website that can help us with these "new-to-us" problems in our teen group? Please remember J and K in prayer. God knows their names. Thanks.
Last, I got home, and hubby came in the door after dropping off a couple of our teens. One girl who came tonight hasn't been to class in months. She showed up tonight, and was very quiet. She seemed happy to be with us. She hugged me afterwards and said she was going to try to get back to class. She has a lot of problems -- she is bi-polar, adhd, etc. Her mother is the same. She lives with her grandmother and some cousins (whom the grandmother has been raising since birth as well). They are poor and have had a lot of problems. She turned 18 a while back, and she started dating a nearly retarded fellow. My husband came in and said the grandmother stopped him before he left. She confided this girl found out today that she is 3 months pregnant. There is a good chance since she was on bi-polar meds, and the father is almost retarded that this baby will have a lot of problems. What do we do? Without condoning premarital sex, how can we support her? Do we have to seperate her from the group?
Can someone recommend a book, or website that can help us with these "new-to-us" problems in our teen group? Please remember J and K in prayer. God knows their names. Thanks.