WOW

This weekend I traveled with the Mozambique Initiative to Springfield Missouri to attend a United Methodist youth conference called WOW.  Through the multi-colored mohawks, piercings of various body parts, and knee-high chuck taylors, one thing was made clear - young people want to be different.  Or perhaps more accurately, young peple want to make a difference with their lives....the fashion choices are just outward expressions of this inward desire.  They want to be noticed, but I don't think that it's just for the sake of standing out - they want to be noticed for thinking outside of the box, for making a statement that nobody else is making, and for doing something unique and impactful.  This is exactly why it is so imperative to be intentional about helping young people understand how to make a real and lasting impact on their world.   

At this conference we had the opportunity to link youth in Missouri with youth in Mozambique using skype.  They asked each other questions, made connections, and chatted about what life is like across the pond.  Youth in Missouri begin to ask about traveling to Mozambique one day and helping people who live in Africa.  They were moved outside of their own lives and daily concerns, and began opening their eyes to the concerns of others.  I would like to believe that this weekend we helped, in our own small way, articualte ways that their lives can make a real and lasting difference.