myspace

We have a group of 21 from Rhode Island right now on a mission trip for a week. There are quite a few girls in this group addicted to myspace. Probably some guys too, but it's mostly the girls buying up the internet time.
Let me backtrack. Our computer that is available for guests is cranky at best. There are many notes in the reception book referring to dismembering the computer, or various references to its likely disappearance in the near future. This is because it makes guests upset, chooses to work only half the time, and needs to be restarted about five times a shift. Often we just hang the "out of order" sign on it after having to give guests their money back after the computer wouldn't work after being restarted again. Shame.
So, the other night I was working evening shift and the computer had bit the dust for the night. I put up the sign, pointed a guest in the direction of the nearest internet cafe, and went back to work. Then the girls came in, and I thought, "why not give the computer one more shot?" (I was feeling a little generous towards it at that moment) so I kicked it back into gear and gave them some time. Didn't work. There were a bunch of them, and it's not pretty to mess with young teen girls, so I restarted it again. As it churned it's way awake one of the girls was almost shaking in anticipation. I heard her say, "I need this computer to work! I'm going through myspace withdrawal!" I almost wished it wouldn't work at all. But it did. *shakes head*
Tonight as I was leaving the hostel, one of the girls came to buy more internet time. "It's not for me, it's for my friend" she defended. I challenged her, and another girl with her, to a myspace fast for the next few days. Good grief, they're on a 10 day missions trip that's halfway over and they can't give up myspace for a few days? They can use the e-mail instead. I know it's difficult when you're 14 years old to be separated from your friends, and staying connected via myspace must be a comfort, but there are 21 of them here! They have friends with them! haha, I love these girls though...they're not always logical, but that's ok. I think these two at least are really going to try to give up myspace for the next few days, and they asked me to pray for them and keep them accountable, so that's pretty cool. I hope they stick with it, because I think they will learn something from the experience...