I had the opportunity to be part of an event called Challenge Day. Challenge Day is a one day program for High School students. Through various activities and exercises, social barriers are knocked down and teens are able to open up to adults and one another about problems and fears in their lives. I had seen the organization on television and I wanted to see for myself how this was done. I was blown away. I spent 8 hours with them and left the day emotionally drained. I can't believe what some teens are experiencing today. I had a very diverse group of teens in my group. One had downs syndrome, 2 lived in low income housing projects, one was your all american girl next door and the other was raised on a farm. The common thread amongst them all was an attitude of lost and disappointment. All of them had been let down by adults in their lives. One student told me he experiences violence on a daily basis. He hates how he has let this mold him into someone who is always angry, fights with everyone and really has no plans for a future. He has seen families members turn to homosexuality, he has held the dead body of a family member in his arms after a shooting. One student was abandoned by a father and step father. She is now the primary care giver for a sibling while her mom works two jobs. I came out of there more angry then sad. I came out thinking that we have truly let down some of the children of this world. As we closed the session, I gave everyone in my group a hug and told them that "I Loved Them". I wanted to make sure that they heard at least one time that day that they were loved. Pray for these teens. I hope they keep in touch with me. I am considering the possibility of joining the challenge day presenation team. If you would like to learn more about them, go to http://www.challengeday.org/.
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