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Hands On: Students see missions in South Africa |
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PORT ELIZABETH, South Africa (BP)--It's one of those moments where you can almost hear crickets chirping. Two International Mission Board short-term missionaries are trying to get a room full of high school students to open up about issues they face at home.
Silence.
A sea of blue and white uniforms begins to move as the teens fidget and squirm. Jay Dannelley and Chris Reasner wait for someone -– anyone -– to bail them out. Just as they're about to toss this exchange into the hall of fame of awkward moments, some of the students at this school in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, start talking.
"Drugs," says one. "Abuse," says another. "Anger."
Slightly stunned by the response, Dannelley and Reasner encourage the class to share their struggles with others. They also discuss how faith in God can change lives.
"They come to school having a lot of baggage with them," says Dannelley, wearing a Texas Tech baseball cap from the school he attends and a T-shirt with the words "Jesus Christ: King of Kings" on the front.
"We try to tell them, 'You can change your school. You can make it better ... if you are on fire for the Lord.'"
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