It has been almost a month since my last blog. I apologize for my tardiness and although there is no excuse, I do have to say that my personal life got super crazy and busy in the last 2 months and also due to some other changes that happened in Ciudad, there was nothing to write about. Shocking, huh? I got engaged about 2 months ago and all of a sudden, my life got all hyped up with a lot of drama and activity like meeting new friends and family, particularly people from my fiance, Luis' life. Then came a whole bunch of wedding planning which we're still doing, just that it's a whole lot more manageable right now and not so overwhelming like at the beginning when people would continually ask me what I had planned and what decorations I was getting, etc, etc. when I had absolutely no clue how to even begin. In Ciudad, there was a heavy police presence for the last few weeks and we could find none of the street youth. Not a one. Poor Luis had to eat a lot of sandwiches those few weeks. We also learned that aside from that, they did not come anywhere near me because they thought that Luis is an undercover cop. Oops. Once we learned that, we set things right and they are appearing again.
Last week, we talked to this couple, Jessica (18 years) and Henry (21 years) and found out that the reason he wasn't working a real job was because he had lost his DNI (ID) and he didn't have the money to get another one. They have a baby, Emmanuel and a 3 year old son, Joshua who lives with her mom. They rent a room for 20 soles a night which is a lot. In talking with them, Henry demonstrated that he wanted to work. He does love the baby and Jessica. It shows. So we told them we would pay for the paperwork of getting the duplicate DNI. They followed through and showed up each time we said to meet so we could go and do the paperwork. Well, Henry should be able to pick up his DNI this Wednesday and his younger brother said he will try to get him work in the warehouse of Saga Falabella, a huge departmental store here. It made me glad to see that we could help in a tangible and practical way to help this couple learn to fish for themselves. We sowed the Word too and we hope that in time, they will see us as people who really want to help them and will also come to us because they see Jesus' love operating through us.
Luis, another youth (aka Naño) and I talked extensively last week when I brought them sandwiches. At the end of our conversation, he invited Christ into his life. He is 22 years old. Been smoking pasta for the last 8 years, too embarassed to tell me that he works as a beggar musician in the buses. I went to look for him tonight but he wasn't there. I haven't seen Luis Enrique or Carlos for a very long time and I'm scared for them.
Tonight, I met Daniel who smokes marijuana. He's 20. Been smoking it for the last 7 years. I don't understand when people say that weed is a herb. If it's just a herb, you could stop whenever you want to. If it's a drug that causes addiction, you will be controlled by it. Why is it that they don't see that? I shared Jesus with him and tried to make him see that he needs a different lifestyle. He gave me his phone number. I desperately want to find him a job to at least give him a push, some sort of motivation to do something in the day.
Later on, I met Felix (17 years old), his girlfriend, Lucero (18 years old), their daughter Genesis (7 months) and Felix's cousin, John Howard if that's his real moniker (16 years old). They rent a hotel room for 30 soles a day. I don't know how they make 30 soles a day. They work in the buses, selling candy and doing comedy. I want to help them work real jobs.
I know that Siembra, our NGO, needs to have a drop in centre in Ciudad and that is what we're praying into now. A place where they can come during the day to rest, to talk, to eat, to seek help. I also know that somehow we need to find those who are capable of working, real jobs so they can start moving ahead. Right now, we need prayer for God to lead us regarding the drop in centre (the rehab centre will have to be in the future because God has to provide us with land outside of Lima to do that) and to provide jobs for some of them and also funding. Please also pray for Luis (Naño), Luis Enrique, Carlos, Anderson, Henry, Jessica, Daniel, Alex, Felix, Lucero, Jhon Howard, Oscar, Carla to name a few. We also need more workers who have a heart to work with street youth.
