“Miss, remember what you said about being a salt and light in the world? Well, it’s true. In my high school, people don’t know about Jesus…and I think they need people to show them there’s another way. You know a life that’s better than getting high, drinking, or sleeping with their boyfriends. My new friends are so sad, Miss!”
“Yeah, I took out the Bible binders we made last year. The Echo Bible books we used the year before, too. I’ve been looking at everything so that I can know what to say to my friends. They really need help!”
“You have no idea what it’s really like out there, Miss Armenta. They are just ninth-graders, but already they have that look in their eyes. They hurt themselves. They do things they shouldn’t. They don’t know what the point of life is. You need to pray for me, Miss. I think high school is going to be harder than I thought it would be. Maybe you guys were right about all this discipleship-foundation stuff.”
I could hardly get a word in as we drove the nine-passenger van to The Oaks on the way to junior high camp in July. Half of the girls in the van (all current seventh graders at the Los Angeles Christian School) sat silently with ears wide open; the other half told story after story of what they saw and experienced during summer school – something mandatory for freshman students in Los Angeles Unified School District.
Here’s what my girls started articulating by the end of our two-hour car ride: Life without the power and presence of Jesus Christ is really hard. And when you live in an area where the temptations are constantly in front of you, it’s almost impossible to make it without His help.
So our job as Christians is to show them another way. Show them what real life could look like: A life of true love, hope, and belief in Someone bigger than your life or problems.
That conversation was a sobering one for me, if I’m going to be completely honest. These girls feel strong, passionate, and courageous right now as they begin their journey into the “real world.” However, I have been in the city long enough to know that not all of them will have the support, care, and encouragement they need if they will continue to follow Christ in the years to come.
So what’s my job? To empower and equip them with the tools they need to make it. To help them experience God and His love as they study the Bible. To teach them where to go with their questions, doubts, and pain. And to build strong relationships with them so that they feel safe enough to come and share honestly. Here’s to another school year of equipping students for a lifetime of discipleship.
Lorraina Armenta is a middle school teacher at Los Angeles Christian School.