HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1997-08-06, Page 18PAGE 18. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 6,1997
For Teens, By Teens
Drunkeness no excuse for abuse
DEAR JANN FLANDERS,
My boyfriend is absolutely
wonderful, until he loses his
temper. That's when he starts
hitting me. #
It usually happens when he's
drinking, which he does a lot. He
always apologizes after.
This has been going on for
months, but nobody's noticed yet’ I
think they haven’t because he only
does it when we are alone and I
SERVE-ants travel to Mississippi
also try to cover the bruises up. I
don’t want to tell anyone because I
really love him, but I don’t want to
live like this any longer either.
Bruised
DEAR BRUISED,
No matter how amazing your
boyfriend is when he’s sober it's no
reason to put up with the way he
behaves towards you after he's been
drinking. There is no legitimate
excuse for him to hit you, EVER.
Although I'm sure it's quite
difficult, the best thing for you to
do would be to break off your
relationship with him quickly.
Maybe you should tell someone,
too. Battered women often need
counselling.
If you feel that he truly deserves
a second chance, protect yourself.
You said that he drinks a lot. If that
is the case, confront him, and tell
him that he needs to cut down on
his drinking.
Also, try to be alone with him as
little as possible, especially when
he's drunk. If he hits you again,
though, leave him immediately. If
he was really sorry for doing it,
would he ever have done it more
than once?
If you were the one hitting him,
would you expect him to just sit
there and take it? Take a minute
and think about that.
Jann Flanders
Do you have a problem that
you'd like some advice on? Write
Jann Flanders, c/o The Citizen,
P.O. Box 429, Blyth, ON N0M
1H0 or drop off your question at
either Citizen office.
Six locale youths, along with two chaperones travelled to Jackson, Mississippi to help out
the community on a SERVE project, a program arranged by the Christian Reformed Church.
Back Row: Audrey Bos, Janet Bosma, and Dan Baarda. Middle row: Beth Bylsma, Emily
Slotegraff, and April VanAmersfoort. Bottom Row: Jeff Klasen and Rachel Bylsma.
Youths off to SERVE
By Mark Nonkes
Over the past four to five months
the Blyth Christian Reformed
Church's young people have been
raising funds for six members of
the youth group and two adult
chaperones to attend a SERVE
project in Jackson, Mississippi.
SERVE is a work project,
helping communities across
Canada and the United States. Over
100 youth and chaperones come
from all over North America to
work together at the location.
The youth who went on SERVE
had to pay over $300 to attend.
Most of the money came through
fund raising by catching chickens,
hosting a Chinese dinner and
selling hotdogs.
SERVE is also a spiritual retreat,
a social event, or a vacation. They
did not think of it as work but more
of helping.
The group stayed in the Study
Centre, a building with gates all
around it for protection. In the part
of Jackson, where the centre was
located, there is a very high crime
rate. Also the group really learned
what it was to be a minority
because 98 per cent of the
population here was black. The
area has a lot of racial tensions with
the KKK still being active there.
They drove 22 hours to reach
Jackson, arriving Sunday, July 13
for their week-long stay. On
Sunday night they were
commissioned to go out and serve
by having a short service.
According to Janet Bosma, "It was
really good that we did this at the
beginning of the week, because it
gave us all a common bond of
Jesus Christ."
Every day they would start with
breakfast and have devotions with
their "small groups of seven or
eight" as Emily Slotegraaf called
them, where they "Encouraged
each other, opened up and grew
closer to God."
After the opening they would go
to their work sites organized by the
voice of Calvary Ministry. April
Van Amersfoort's group had a wide
array of tasks to complete for the
week, totally fixing up the inside of
a house.
Rachel Bylsma, along with the
rest of the SERVE team was very
impressed by two "special
individuals", girls aged nine and
14, both of whom had a really
tough time walking. Rachel said
both girls have learned to
appreciate the things in life which
others take for granted. They have
Learned to thank God for what they
can do, rather than what they can't,
teaching the whole SERVE team to
be thankful and serve.
As the week ended all the
SERVE-ants were given crosses to
wear around their neck. Beth
Bylsma proclaimed, "When we
wear the cross around our necks it
shows that we are witnesses of
Christ."
To sum up the week Jeff Klasen
stated, "Next year I am certainly
going again. It is an experience I
will never forget."
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