Meeting 1: Gossip

  On Thursday, we had our first meeting of the year.  We all gathered in my basement downstairs for our time of singing.  With twenty-two girls, I didn't know whether it would be an easy task or not.  Some girls had to claim floor space for themselves, but there was still enough room for everyone.  From last year, almost every girl returned with the exception of two who will not be able to attend this year.  That's sixteen returning girls with six girls who attended for the first time.  I was so excited that God sent each one of those girls to the meeting and I pray that a seed was planted as I taught my lesson on Gossip.

  Because it was our first meeting and we had so many new girls, our meeting was a bit out-of-the-ordinary.  I explained LIVE, went over rules, taught the lesson, we sang and also played games.  But my main goal was to make each girl feel welcome.  I would rather have each girl feel welcome but not have fun than have fun but not feel welcome.  Not being welcomed into a new group is a feeling I know well.  I never want these girls to feel that way in my group.  

  One thing I learned on my trip to Haiti was that people love it when you use their name.  I try to always greet each girl by name and use their name whenever I am speaking to them.  I make it a goal to take interest in each girl and remember what they've told me.  Even knowing their age, where they live, and having a general knowledge of their family is, I believe, important.

  When I teach these lessons, I try to take stories from my own life to help form the topic.  When I was in a discipleship group, it was easier for me to apply it to my own life when the leader admitted she struggled with the same issues.  Even though it's sometimes not easy to admit that I struggle, I believe it's important for the girls to know that I struggle, as a young person, with the same issues that they do.  

In Christ,

   Sierra