Great Quote

From today's Contra Costa Times:

"You have to have a huge sense of humor and a small ego. There are some people who are born to do it and some who learn to do it, and there are some people who really shouldn't do it."

-Jason Levy, a principal in the Bronx, on the challenge of teaching middle school.

The Youth of a Nation

As part of what I consider “youth ministry research”, I just read an interesting article on the “Millennial” generation, looking at the 13-20 year old demographic in America. These youth are growing up in an extremely fast-paced, technologically based society, and researchers are finding that this environment is actually nurturing them to think and respond differently than previous generations.

With countless products, services, and rapid technological developments aimed directly at them, this generation expects interactivity and to have multiple choices at their fingertips. Generational differences are not limited to expectations, but are actually reflected in personality.

Millennials were found to differ significantly from Gen X medical students in 10 of 16 traits on a standard personality test. Millennials scored higher on warmth, abstract reasoning, emotional stability, rule-consciousness, social boldness, sensitivity, apprehension, openness to change and perfectionism. Gen X'ers scored higher on self-reliance.

It also seems there is a cultural rebound from the intensely career-driven, one-size-fits-all goal-focused lifestyle of the Gen X'ers.

"They [millennials] have no need to conform to a generational norm. They're very independent in their consumer habits." … "The trend is that there isn't a trend. This generation is all about choice -- being able to find something and make it your own."

With a world that is constantly shifting around them, how will this millennial generation respond to a God who never changes? Will they regard Him as stiff, archaic and irrelevant, or, will they choose to hold onto Him as a rock in the midst of the storm raging around them? My heart believes the latter, that today’s youth are eager to find solid truth, a consistency they can depend on, even as the world flies by.

Tzutujil Update

It's been a couple of weeks since I've reported on my quest to find a source of Tzutujil NT's for Pastor Antonio in Lake Atitlan, Guatemala. Since then, I've had some good contacts with Antonio, current world racers in Guatemala, and SIL Peru.

The situation, briefly, is that Tzutujil NT's were printed and distributed about 30 years ago, and no new copies are available. I have been praying and working to find a way to get a reprint, so that the Tzutuil believers can have the word of God in their own language.

One of the '07 World Racers, Stacy Utecht, has been working in the villages of Lake Atitlan, and was able to visit Pastor Antonio and his church. She writes:

"About 80 percent of San Pablo are believers and the church grows more and more every day. There is an apparent need for the word of God in their language. Antonio is the only pastor in San Pablo who preaches in Tzutujil so his church is bursting with people. They want to know and hear the word of God."

I am very pleased to report that SIL Peru has the ability to do a reprint, and since I've contacted them, have responded favorably to the chance to meet this need:

"The next step is to contact our administration responsible for this area of Latin America to receive their approval for making this a project. We would then send you or your contact, or perhaps someone else who might be able to answer some more specific and detailed questions about the language and church situation of the Tzutujil.

With this information we would submit an application to the funders and, if approved, this reprint could be scheduled for the coming year, perhaps be available in Guatemala within 12 months. There are lots of factors that can delay such a publication. But we pray that with God’s help we will be ready to move ahead a quickly as possible."

Obviously, there is still a ways to go, and much to pray for. But each time God opens yet another door, I get chills to see Him working to provide His word to His people. In the meantime, I pray that I can truly treasure my own Bible, and the times I can spend reading and studying in my own language.

Thanks to all who are praying along with me to see God provide!