Difficulties with Opportunities

Recently someone translating for me as I talked to Oasis staff had problems when I used the word 'challenge' - as in 'one of our challenges as an organisation is...' It seems that there is not a good way to translate this word, and his suggestion was to translate it as 'a difficulty with opportunity' - which rather defeats the object of the phrase which is to frame a situation with positive rather than negative language!

So, one of our recent 'difficulties with opportunity' is that some of the boys in our transition home were caught breaking into a local shop early one morning. It is the first time that they have been in trouble with the authorities in this way, and is completely out of character (at least for who they have become over the last year or two with us) - but has the potential to land them in prison. They have been released back into our care for twenty eight days whilst the case is brought and then they will be sentenced - either a prison term or community service. The boys now feel foolish and sorry, and the staff who have worked with them feel very let down and hurt; but we are picking up the pieces. It has certainly been a challenging few days - but it is not clear what the opportunity in this might be...

On a lighter note, we had our first proper snow of the season - and everything carried on as normal! No traffic tailbacks, no schools closed, and no one was late for work (or no later than usual...) And we had a beautiful walk to school!