We decided to visit the Malecón on a Saturday evening and found ourselves in a great and spacious building situation. We were walking around people watching, playing on huge rocking horses and enjoying the beautiful evening when we began to walk past some night clubs. Employees of the clubs were outside inviting people to go in. In the front of the club was an immodestly dressed woman dancing provocatively as if to lure people inside. I immediately felt strongly that we needed to get away from the area, but Ayzha and her friends chose to go into the club. Qyntn saw the woman, looked away and we left the area. Ben and Tiago lingered a bit longer, but eventually came to where we were. Alyssa and Reyn stood outside the club looking toward the club as if they wanted to go in, but weren't sure what to do. I told them that we were going to keep walking, in hopes that they would come, but they decided to stay back and wait for Ayzha. Apparently, after we left, they were offered cocaine. I was disappointed that Alyssa and Reyn chose to stay behind and I was upset that Ayzha chose to go into the club.
As we drove home, I couldn't stop thinking about the parallels to Lehi's vision of the tree of life and felt strongly that we needed to have a discussion about it. When we returned to the hotel, we talked about the situation. We read from 1 Nephi 8 and discussed some of the parallels. Outside those clubs, we found ourselves in a dark and dreary waste in mists of darkness (temptations). I looked and saw Ben, Q and Tiago and told them that we should leave and they came. I looked back and saw Alyssa and Reyn, but they would not come. They stood in the mists of darkness outside of the great and spacious building (the club). We talked about how the club was not a place where the spirit could dwell, and not a place they should enter. They seemed to be enticed by what seemed to be a "fun" environment and didn't really recognize the dangers. Most of the kids weren't super happy about the discussion, but Reyn sent me a text later that night thanking me for the "lesson." It wasn't easy to have that conversation, and I stumbled and rambled through the whole thing, but I think they understood what I was trying to say. Hopefully, the next time they find themselves in a similar situation they will recognize the spiritual dangers and choose to leave.
