Leggings, Guatemala, & Digital Communication

Today I am yet again reminded of the dangers of digital communication - email, social media, etc.

As we are getting within just days of our service trip to Guatemala, I had to send out information from the organization we are traveling with on this trip. In addition to some of their notes, there were answers to my questions. One is the ever charming fashion trend of leggings being pants acceptable for wear under all circumstances.

To be fair, I wore stirrup leggings back in the day of perms (I was in middle school, please forgive me). However, the accepted tops to go with said leggings were nearly to the knee sweaters and tunics. We were hot stuff, let me tell you. So while we girls were all aspiring to be Rachel or Phoebe or Monica, we at least saw that our rears were covered by our neon oversized t-shirts and color block sweaters.

Unfortunately leggings are back. We couldn't go for the fabulous twirly skirts of the 50s or the fun vamping of the roaring 20s? No? Let's bring back leggings but go for short shirts - that's a great idea (insert sarcasm)! As a youth minister this now creates modesty issues on a day to day basis. When heading to another country with different ideas of appropriate clothing, it can create serious safety concerns.

Thus this has been a subject that I sent another reminder about in an email today. I had mentioned that leggings were not allowed at our June meeting and in a previous email. As this email included the broader text from our travel group on what we should wear for work pants at the site, I just copied and pasted the whole section from the organization's original email.

If I can reference one popular TV series, I'll go for another. I know I sound like the Soup Nazi prior to this trip. The safety concerns force me to be more strict than usual.

Additionally, 8 of the 9 families sending teens on this trip are not regular youth group attendees. They have no point of reference for how I do things, my general attitude, tone of voice, or generally adaptable methodologies.  Thus, with this reminder I sent, a mother replied with all good intentions and in a kindly worded manner (thank you so much for that). She was concerned I was making assumptions about the expected behavior and that the fact that there are issues that, if violated, result in being sent home being reiterated to frequently.

Due to the electronic communication, my tone likely is a challenge to pick up in the email. Plus there was text I did not write. This reminds me of a couple things -

First, don't take those replies from parents personally. They, just like me, only want to ensure their teens are safe, happy, healthy, and growing in faith and maturity.

Second, always be conscientious when choosing your words in an email. Particularly when sending to those you are not familiar with how they will interpret your words or you theirs.

One More

In what is either a sure sign this youth & young adult minister has gone round the bend or is just really a believer in youth service trips, I just booked what will be the third trip for our youth ministry for the year.

We survived New Orleans (though my stress level was through the roof at points).

Guatemala is humming along and we're looking forward to that trip later in the summer.

But there were kids that were not ready to travel abroad, couldn't afford Guatemala, were busy during winter break, or just couldn't do one of the other two.  Thus I thought we would try Young Neighbors in Action.  I have heard great things about them from other youth ministers I respect.  Given we do have two other trips, I am limiting us to one van load.  On the upside, my parents are already planning on buying lunch and frozen custard for our group when we drive through the Milwaukee area on our way home.  That could be a selling point for the kids! [For reasons of their own understanding, the teens think my mom is incredibly cool and they love when my parents come to visit and drop by youth ministry events like our Living Way of the Cross.]

So ready or not Green Bay, we are headed your way!  It will be great for this Wisconsin native to head to her favorite state, do some good work, and introduce teens to frozen custard and cheese curds.

Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Yup, I think this could be the most wonderful time of the year. The school year activities are wrapping up, or at least planned and packaged for delivery. The major summer activities are in the administrative phase of planning, leadership organization, paperwork gathering. The stomach turning worry over those major summer events is still at least a month off so I'm not chowing down on Tums. I also am trying to take half an hour each day to organize my desk and files. Once June hits, I'll be swamped.

This summer is going to prove quite interesting.

• We'll start the WYD 2011 planning process (already have quotes from several agencies).
• We've got the trip to Honduras with International Samaritan ministries.
• We need to plan the September - November events prior to August (when I'm in Honduras).
• There is a lock-in July 11-12 which will focus on social justice issues and help prep those traveling on our service trip. It is also a joint retreat with the other local parishes.
• I'm heading to the north woods with a small, okay 15, flock of girlfriends. Since several are employed in or volunteer for the Church, this should be interesting. Particularly when we descend on the small Church up there for Mass
• Our young adult group challenged the youth group to see who could gather more items for us to take to Honduras (clothing, school supplies, books, toothpaste, etc). At stake is a homemade meal made by the loosing ministry for the winning ministry.
• In a moment of weakness I agreed to a water fight night at the youth group. Please pray for me.

Those are the highlights. Toss in some all day meetings for staff, the all day training for the Protecting God's Children in ministry course, planning meetings for activities, too. Should be busy.

Stay tuned to see if my sanity stays in place this summer...

It's Coming

Summer's coming.

When will a rest?

I've started the heaving planning for summer events.  I am a bit intimidated by the summer schedule.  While I do get to run away to a far, far away place, the rest of the summer is quickly being packed with summer events.

A trip to Cedar Point, a lock-in, the World Youth Day pilgrimage, Apples to Apples apple party, glow in the dark putt putt, picnics, and the Nuts and Bolts conference will force June, July and August to quickly pass me by.  When you toss in planning the 2008-2009 school year, podcasts, and the usual Bible studies it is a formidable schedule.

It is tempting to, as the kids do, blow summer off.  To say that it is a time of rest and relaxation not needing programs or events.

For that very reason it is more necessary to reach out the kids.  To connect the incoming freshmen with the community and help them acclimate to the new environment of high school life.  To provide graduating seniors with the tools and mechanisms to move on to the next phase of their life.  To spend time as a group joining in social events.  The summer provides an unique opportunity to focus on community building and pastoral care.

So I will enjoy my vacation in June to see my brother in the land of the midnight sun.  I will use those days to relax (if not exactly catch up on sleep).  I will then come back knowing that the ensuing months will be just as busy as the rest of the year.