I don't know how to begin. Where to begin. I guess I can start with tonight. There was a huge police presence in Ciudad tonight. Not just the regular police but what looked like SWAT teams as well. Running all over the place. I hope the President isn't putting into play what he had proposed to do before he became president and that is to round up all the street guys and enroll them forcibly into the military. It's not going to change their mindsets if they don't want to change and all you'll get when they get out are street guys who already know how to assault and rob people harbouring repressed resentment and rage and who will now also have the bonus knowledge of using weapons issued by the government. Thrilling.
Aside from all that, we met some new girls, teenage girls; some prostitutes, some candy sellers, all really young. The one I talked to, AT, is 17 years old, 5 months pregnant and quit smoking pasta (cocaine sludge) 2 weeks ago. Her boyfriend is 23 and in one of the worst jails in Peru for robbery. AT lives alone with her mom and I believe she was on the streets prostituting herself. Her mom isn't happy about the baby (not because her daughter is so young, unmarried and the dad is in jail) but because of economic reasons. I hope AT calls so we can start talking to her and see how we can help her.
There was another kid, about 12 years old, hanging out there in his school uniform. I asked him why he wasn't home, he gave me a whole bunch of lies. It really makes me mad to see how parents just allow their kids to be in the streets and then wonder later why they're drug addicts. So many people know how to get pregnant or get someone pregnant but they have no concept of how to raise children or be a family. Somehow they think that the kids will raise themselves like puppies on the streets and learn how to behave themselves without anyone teaching them. Education on parenting is definitely needed.
Luchin and I spend a couple of hours every other day at LJP's house. We go there to encourage him, to tell him we love him and are proud of him and to counsel him with the Word of God as well as to listen to him and have him just share his feelings and cravings and how he is dealing with them. Lately, I had the opportunity to talk to his mom and aunt and after listening to his mom complain about him and saying that he won't change his behaviour, I started counselling and teaching her basic parenting. Yes, from me. Funny, huh? First, I told her to stop saying in his hearing and to his face that he isn't going to change because he will believe that and he will doubt and get despondent and will not change. I told her she needs to encourage him by saying that she believes he is changing and will change and that she loves him and is proud of him putting in the effort to change. And most of all, to just thank him for the little things he does for her to help her out instead of looking for all the stuff he doesn't do and yell at him. Today, the mom and LJP both told us separately how they've both been putting in the effort to change their behaviour and I am so in awe of my God in how He is working in this family and so proud of the family for making the effort. LJP is learning to think not just of himself but others and his mom is learning to appreciate and encourage him and to stop saying negative things about him. God has such a huge purpose for this family.
EM has been selling cakes to start earning money from a different source other than the streets. She still goes to the streets to pay off a debt that she will finish paying off at the end of the month and says that after that she won't be going anymore. She has been coming regularly to meet me for discipling lessons and knows that she needs to obey God to get off the streets completely. I have just been teaching her the bible and what it says without condemning her or judging and just letting the Holy Spirit work in her and she told me that she hasn't been able to make any money on the streets these last 2 weeks as there is no work. And her being there is a waste of time when she can be at home with her kids. She said that she knows that it's God's way of getting her off the streets completely by stopping the "work" flow there. Hallelujah God! Only He can do what no one else can do.
God is really working underneath the surface and as we keep walking each step, He meets us and shows us what He wants us to do. I see the way He has us work with LJP and I can only fall on my knees in awe. Our human idea was to get him into a Christian drug rehab, isolated from the "world" where he is "safe". God's idea was to have him still be in the world and restored to his family, learning how to make tough decisions daily, falling and then getting up and learning how to go forward each day; and also to have his family learn how to be a family through him. Can we say God's ways are higher than ours???
Your prayers in these areas are truly appreciated:
Aside from all that, we met some new girls, teenage girls; some prostitutes, some candy sellers, all really young. The one I talked to, AT, is 17 years old, 5 months pregnant and quit smoking pasta (cocaine sludge) 2 weeks ago. Her boyfriend is 23 and in one of the worst jails in Peru for robbery. AT lives alone with her mom and I believe she was on the streets prostituting herself. Her mom isn't happy about the baby (not because her daughter is so young, unmarried and the dad is in jail) but because of economic reasons. I hope AT calls so we can start talking to her and see how we can help her.
There was another kid, about 12 years old, hanging out there in his school uniform. I asked him why he wasn't home, he gave me a whole bunch of lies. It really makes me mad to see how parents just allow their kids to be in the streets and then wonder later why they're drug addicts. So many people know how to get pregnant or get someone pregnant but they have no concept of how to raise children or be a family. Somehow they think that the kids will raise themselves like puppies on the streets and learn how to behave themselves without anyone teaching them. Education on parenting is definitely needed.
Luchin and I spend a couple of hours every other day at LJP's house. We go there to encourage him, to tell him we love him and are proud of him and to counsel him with the Word of God as well as to listen to him and have him just share his feelings and cravings and how he is dealing with them. Lately, I had the opportunity to talk to his mom and aunt and after listening to his mom complain about him and saying that he won't change his behaviour, I started counselling and teaching her basic parenting. Yes, from me. Funny, huh? First, I told her to stop saying in his hearing and to his face that he isn't going to change because he will believe that and he will doubt and get despondent and will not change. I told her she needs to encourage him by saying that she believes he is changing and will change and that she loves him and is proud of him putting in the effort to change. And most of all, to just thank him for the little things he does for her to help her out instead of looking for all the stuff he doesn't do and yell at him. Today, the mom and LJP both told us separately how they've both been putting in the effort to change their behaviour and I am so in awe of my God in how He is working in this family and so proud of the family for making the effort. LJP is learning to think not just of himself but others and his mom is learning to appreciate and encourage him and to stop saying negative things about him. God has such a huge purpose for this family.
EM has been selling cakes to start earning money from a different source other than the streets. She still goes to the streets to pay off a debt that she will finish paying off at the end of the month and says that after that she won't be going anymore. She has been coming regularly to meet me for discipling lessons and knows that she needs to obey God to get off the streets completely. I have just been teaching her the bible and what it says without condemning her or judging and just letting the Holy Spirit work in her and she told me that she hasn't been able to make any money on the streets these last 2 weeks as there is no work. And her being there is a waste of time when she can be at home with her kids. She said that she knows that it's God's way of getting her off the streets completely by stopping the "work" flow there. Hallelujah God! Only He can do what no one else can do.
God is really working underneath the surface and as we keep walking each step, He meets us and shows us what He wants us to do. I see the way He has us work with LJP and I can only fall on my knees in awe. Our human idea was to get him into a Christian drug rehab, isolated from the "world" where he is "safe". God's idea was to have him still be in the world and restored to his family, learning how to make tough decisions daily, falling and then getting up and learning how to go forward each day; and also to have his family learn how to be a family through him. Can we say God's ways are higher than ours???
Your prayers in these areas are truly appreciated:
- a storefront so we can have them come to talk with us, for discipling sessions, etc.
- supernatural strength, wisdom, discernment and a strong sensitivity to hear the Holy Spirit for how God wants us to move next.
- LJP to be able to have Godly friends his age who will not judge him.
- LJP's family.
- EM and her family and for God's provision for them.
- AT and for us to be able to help her.
- All the others whom you have read about here.
Thank you for your prayers, your financial support and your words of encouragement. Just knowing that you are walking with us in this helps encourage us a lot.
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