Not just fun and games

It's not all fun and games. From the posts on here it might seem as though it is..... just fun and games, but it's not. There are things that happen here that shouldn't and sometimes we come close to arranging for someone to be sent home. Youth work is about dealing with the unwelcome things that come along, while keeping your eyes fixed clearly on the goal. Not the short term goal, but the thing that you are trying to create, maybe over months or years. The goal in Cre8's eyes is to live well in community, just as G_d commands us to do. To do this we know that we have to live in love and peace with each other, this is not always easy when you are living with sixteen teenagers four hundred miles from home. Teenagers nearly always have their own personal 'stuff' to deal with. It doesn't matter where they were born or what their life experience in childhood has been; teenagers all have 'stuff'. But in addition to this stuff, which gets in the way of being happy and getting on with growing up, many of the young people involved with Cre8 have other hurts. These can lead to anxieties and other symptoms which can make living together volatile and difficult. As leaders and volunteers, we try to keep everyone feeling ok. We do our best to keep the young people looking beyond their own individual selves, to look outside themselves and towards the needs of each other and of living together in a positive, supportive and loving community. This is not easy when squabbles (or worse) break out. This is when the going gets tough, when all our skills are called for and when we work together as a team; we have to, good teamwork is essential. Constantly, we put our efforts into 'being with' the young people; to encourage, celebrate, challenge, discipline and console them. Being quick to challenge them when they aren't 'good' with each other, and being quick to encourage and thank them at other times, when things are good and smiles are everywhere. Fun, laughter, helpfulness, kindness, consideration and compassion. Fun and games, not always, but more than sometimes.