“La Bodeguita del Medio,” or the warehouse in the middle, is a restaurant, cafe, and bar in Old Havana that is extremely popular with tourists, celebrities, and politicians. Ernest Hemingway frequented this place when he spent time in Havana.
It’s a historical and touristy place. So, when we were in Havana, I decided to take some video of La Bodeguita del Medio. It was crowded, so the video isn’t as good as I’d like it to be.
I posted on our vlog (Mexico Movies) about El Mejunje, a place called Mejunje (translated = concoction) that I visited in Santa Clara, while I was there teaching two weeks ago.
I don’t want to duplicate the post, but you should check it out over there and watch the video of the band we saw playing there.
It was truly a cultural experience. If you’re at all interested in global youth ministry or global youth culture, you should click here to watch the video and read about El Mejunje.
I sat there like a proud dad, even though I’m not related to any of the graduates. This was an emotional moment as I watched all 13 of the students who started the youth ministry program walk the aisle to graduate.
Three years ago, we thought it would be a successful endeavor if half of them graduated. But as a sign of their determination and hard work, there they were, the dream team, united at graduation, just like they’ve been for the last three years. Congratulations!!!
In part 1 of this series, I talked about a little part of the graduation last week. It was the result of 3 long, hard years of work.
Today, I wanted to write about some of the results that we’ve seen because of the Master’s in Youth Ministry program that we completed (in part) last week. All of this is what is happening in youth ministry in the country of Cuba and beyond.
It’s just a small slice of what is happening, but I hope it gives you an idea of what this incredible team is doing.
What can you do with a Master’s degree in youth ministry?
One student has seen his youth group triple in size since he started taking the courses in the program.
One student says that the training from the program is the backbone of what they are doing in youth ministry for his entire denomination.
One student has seen his youth group grow at a record pace, both in numbers and in depth.
One student is using the principles he learned to begin a ministry to university students.
One student feels that God wants him to be a full time youth pastor and plans to seek a youth ministry position as soon as he fulfills his obligations as a senior pastor.
What can you do as a youth ministry trainer?
There is a Center for Youth Ministry in 3 different seminaries throughout the country. There’s another one that will be started in another seminary this year.
There is talk about starting a program at another Bible institute in Pinar del Rio in the western part of the country.
In the Eastern Baptist Convention, they have begun to train trainers. There are 22 students preparing to be professors of youth ministry.
Many of the students have expressed interest in carrying the vision to other nations by training in other countries, using the same modular format that was used with them.
One of the students has begun a “national network of youth workers,” uniting youth workers throughout the country.
There are many other things that have happened to all of us on a personal level. In the next part of this series, I hope to write about how I have changed as a result of being a part of this incredible journey.
The last three years of my life have been invested in a project that has grown very dear to my heart. Last Wednesday, I had the opportunity to see thirteen of my favorite people in the world graduate with a Master’s Degree in youth ministry.
It has been a long journey. Personally, it has been an exhausting three years, traveling each January and June, arranging for visas, charter tickets, domestic tickets, raising awareness, translating, planning, preparing, and teaching classes. I personally taught 6 and a half of the 12 courses for the Master’s program in youth ministry.
For the students, it was 3 years of reading, pre-class assignments, post-class assignments, weeks away from family, amidst personal and professional struggles. Every student involved in the program is also involved in full time ministry, leaving little time for anything else.
But the culminating moment came on Wednesday, June 11, 2008, when they called the name of 13 of my friends, associates, and students to walk across the stage and receive their diplomas from the Santa Clara Seminary, or the Baptist Seminary of Havana, or the Baptist Seminary in Santiago, or from New Pines Seminary. To see the look of accomplishment and joy on their faces gave me an overwhelming sense of accomplishment and joy.
The investment of three years has more than paid off. We are seeing a mighty work of God in Latin America, and I’m humbled to be part of it.
In part 2 of this series, I’ll write about what these students are doing with their degrees. It’s amazing.
I got back from Cuba on Saturday morning, after 12 long days of work there. We culminated 3 years of classes with the 4 seminaries with whom we were working there. I’ll write more. Right now I’m uploading pictures from the trip. I will be taking some time in the next few days to write about my thoughts, so stay tuned.
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