JEOPARDY ANSWER....Who are “Young People?”

Well, Young People as defined by Friend, Jan and our little mission church, is a group of University Students aged 17 to 21 or so, attending church with us in Ocosingo during their 3 years of University study!
They are a delightful bunch of kids, trying hard to follow Jesus, maintain faith in our good God, and to make it in the world as they know it, with the stakes stacked against them.
Most children in the state of Chiapas, which is made up almost entirely of old world Indigenous Mayan people, living much as they did hundreds of years ago,  only attain a 6 th grade education.   Most then, are obliged to work In the fields to survive, and marry at a young age, continuing the cycle.  Most inhabitants remain for generations in their same community.  Education is not a priority.

A fraction of these young students, however, are able to go on to high school,  which requires them to leave their village and live in another, larger town where there is a high school. And a fraction of these, are motivated and able to travel quite far for university studies.   These are 3 year universities, sort of tech institutes, with studies in business, tourism, agriculture, etc.

The students live far from home and are fortunate if they find a church or a like group of students, that will be a support system for them. Here they find stability, friendship, support of all kinds.  In our little mission church, young people are active, serving others, attending and guiding worship, developing music talents, etc.  There are youth conferences, dinners, like tonight at the home of Pastor Pablo and Jan, camp outs and retreats, study nights, etc. They reach out to other, even smaller, poorer congregations.

What a joy to see them laughing, in fellowship with each other, enjoying a good home cooked meal, 'hearing testimonies of the difficult lives they have lived in their short years.  As joyful as it is to see them come in their first year, how bittersweet it is to see them leave our nest after their 3 years are done.