Making Good and Right Choices

Jose, an eight-year-old Hispanic boy, is just one child whose life has been touched. Along with his siblings, he has been attending one of our programs at the Oak Grove Housing Development for several years. He has always been an energetic little guy, but lately he has been getting into more trouble, making some bad choices, and having some bad attitudes. Our program volunteers have been concerned for him since he has a tendency to follow others, even if they are making wrong choices. Although Jose is young, this tendency of his could get him into a lot of trouble later on down the road.

One week, Jose stayed behind after large group to talk with one of the program staff. Jose asked, "How can I do what's right when I want to do what my friends are doing and they are doing something wrong?" The staff member was able to share with him that it is important to make the right choices, even though other people are doing what is wrong. She encouraged him to stop being friends with the ones who are making bad choices and to find friends who will help him to make better choices.

It is exciting to see that, even at such a young and impressionable age, Jose is already thinking about the choices he is making. This is just one example of how Novo Ministries has had an influence on one of the children in the neighborhoods we serve. Our hope is that Jose will grow up to be a responsible adult, one who knows how to make right choices, regardless of what others in his life choose to do. We know that this same difference is being made in many more lives of the children with whom we work.