Meet Sonja - Why She Found Joy in Serving Teens

"When I was asked to work with high school youth, I thought, why do they want me?
I wasn’t sure high school kids would want to talk to me. But they were very open and made me feel comfortable.

I was so in awe of their faith. On the news, we always hear about young people who have made bad choices. Older people tend to get fearful of the youth because they only know about those they see on TV and in the paper.

I live in a community of older people. I try to get them to understand that teens are exciting people. They may dress differently, talk differently, but they’re fascinating!

I don’t share a lot about my world with teens because it’s really not relevant to them. I do if they ask, but otherwise I focus on their interests and their world. That’s how I stay connected to them. I try to keep up with the trends, listen to their music, try to understand where they’re coming from. I don’t expect them to do that for me. They’re young. That’s not their job. It’s my responsibility as the adult to learn about their culture.

I think another mistake we as older people make is to criticize younger people. We can’t do that. We have to accept them for who they are. I wouldn’t want to be treated that way. I still make mistakes. But if they’re really having problems, then we can try to guide them.

My college granddaughters are so vibrant and wonderful! When I talk to them, we talk about how God has a wonderful plan for their lives. And they have to be patient for that plan and obedient to that plan. I think that's where we all go wrong sometimes. In the waiting and the obeying.

I’ve had some terrible hurts in my own life and I’ve only found peace in those times through forgiveness. And that only comes through Jesus. I’m not able to do that. I’ve known friends that couldn’t forgive and it tainted everything in their life, like a cancer.

My parents always said that you’re not here on this earth to be served. You serve others. That’s where the joy comes from."