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.
Monday, July 18, 2011
Monday, June 20, 2011
Valley of Dry Bones
It has been a long time since I made an entry. The last few times we were in Ciudad nothing really happened. It has been hard looking for the guys. We haven't been able to talk to them or find half of them. Sometimes, it seems as though we take one step forward and two steps back. We started off with Carolina, Vladimir and Milagros as a team, then lost them one at a time to job situations. We still have Milagros and I am truly grateful for that. On the bright side, Jose and his sister have joined us as has Luchin, my fiance. But it seems that it is more elusive now to find the guys on the streets. In the meantime, the plans for the refuge or the home to get them off the streets have been placed on hold. Every door to get it going has closed, yet, God keeps placing ideas in my head on how to work the home and I finally figured out that God's vision is much bigger than mine and that I was thinking to start small but God wants to go big. And so we will have to wait until God provides everything needed for His bigger vision regarding the home. In the meantime, we focus on the street and how we can be more effective out there.
At this point, I have to admit that I do feel like a failure, that I have failed. With the plans for the home part postponed, and having difficulty meeting up with the street youth I do feel in a sense that I have failed. Yet, I know I cannot leave my post. I know that Ciudad is where God has called me to be and where He has placed me. But I see no fruit. I see nothing. It seems like a whole valley of dry bones out there and I'm calling them to come to life, but nothing is happening. I see nothing. Yet, the Lord tells me to keep going, to be faithful to what He has called me to do. He tells me that He will be faithful to His ministry and that I need to keep being faithful even though I see nothing. It is not easy. I feel like I have failed people, their expectations. Yet the Lord says to keep going.
So I will keep going. I will take one step at a time. I will search for the guys. I will keep walking out there even though it seems like nothing. Even though I see nothing. I will keep going, I will keep searching, I will keep praying and I will keep sowing. I will be faithful to do my part and prepare the land for the rain. And God will be faithful on His end to bring the rain when He is ready. I can't be a failure. Because I am more than a conqueror. I can't be a failure because of He who lives in me. I can't be a failure because when I am weak, I am strong. I can't be a failure even though I feel like one because He is the One who has called me to this, and He is the One who will grow His ministry.
All I can do and will do is to be faithful. Because He is faithful.
At this point, I have to admit that I do feel like a failure, that I have failed. With the plans for the home part postponed, and having difficulty meeting up with the street youth I do feel in a sense that I have failed. Yet, I know I cannot leave my post. I know that Ciudad is where God has called me to be and where He has placed me. But I see no fruit. I see nothing. It seems like a whole valley of dry bones out there and I'm calling them to come to life, but nothing is happening. I see nothing. Yet, the Lord tells me to keep going, to be faithful to what He has called me to do. He tells me that He will be faithful to His ministry and that I need to keep being faithful even though I see nothing. It is not easy. I feel like I have failed people, their expectations. Yet the Lord says to keep going.
So I will keep going. I will take one step at a time. I will search for the guys. I will keep walking out there even though it seems like nothing. Even though I see nothing. I will keep going, I will keep searching, I will keep praying and I will keep sowing. I will be faithful to do my part and prepare the land for the rain. And God will be faithful on His end to bring the rain when He is ready. I can't be a failure. Because I am more than a conqueror. I can't be a failure because of He who lives in me. I can't be a failure because when I am weak, I am strong. I can't be a failure even though I feel like one because He is the One who has called me to this, and He is the One who will grow His ministry.
All I can do and will do is to be faithful. Because He is faithful.
Monday, May 30, 2011
A Milestone Reached
Last week when we were in Ciudad, we were made aware that the storeowners thought that we were prostitutes, not by what we were wearing, but because all the girls that we were always talking to, even though they had their babies, were prostitutes. That was good to know although it was not nice to know. The one guy we saw, Diego, didn't want us to hang around too long cos he wanted to go rob someone. It was kind of a damper night.
Tonight, I asked the Lord if He would give me a sign to let me know that what we were doing is worth it or just something in vain. I was by myself and felt discouraged because I saw nothing, no change, and I hate going down there by myself. So I asked the Lord if He would show me something tonight. I was also tired of constantly searching for the guys all the time. I checked all the usual haunts and as I walked past the bus stop, one of them called out to me. Alex is his name. I recognized him by the cuts on the left side of his face. The came a couple, Yesica and Henry and their baby Emmanuel. We talked about the name Emmanuel and Josue which is Joshua in English which is the name of their oldest son. And Yesica asked me about my Yeshua tattoo. While we talked, Angie came along and when I asked her what she does out there, she kinda gave me a sheepish smile and tried to lie. Right aways I felt that the Lord was giving me a word for her. I told her later that she is worth a lot and she doesn't have to sell her body to live and that she doesn't have to do what her boyfriend wants all the time. I gave her some more words that the Lord placed on my heart and she teared up.
Luis Enrique showed up tonight and it was good to see him after such a long time. He was excited tonight as he told me he's going to be a dad and that his girlfriend is 3 months pregnant. I talked to him some and asked him what he was going to tell his child when he was old enough about what he does for a living. Luis Enrique said he needed to change. He told me he wasn't hanging around the others anymore but that he still needs to rob because he can't get a job. I told him we will find a job for him so he can stop doing what he's doing. While we were talking, a fight broke out amongst three guys. I started backing away from the group as I didn't want to get caught up in the middle of a fight.
From the periphery, I observed a lot. Alex immediately came to my side and Luis Enrique started to put himself between me and the guys who were fighting and tried to push them away saying "La hermanita esta aqui, que les pasa?" (The little sister is here, what do you think you're doing?) and made sure I was covered at all times. It was good to see what they think of me. After that was over, Luis Enrique asked about going to church and I said I would come by and get him on my way to church on Thursday evening. He mentioned it several times before he left. I invited Angie too and she lighted up and said she would be there at the bus stop on Thursday as well.
Alex was more receptive tonight as I spoke into his life and he allowed me to pray for him. Then on my way home, as I was about to get on the bus, another guy yelled from the pavement, "Gracias hermana, por tu pan!" (Thank you sister for the bread!) . I think I got the sign I was looking for from the Lord. It was clear tonight that it is worth it all and I am never more alive than after being out on the streets with them, sharing the Word and just loving them. I love my job!
Please pray that Luis Enrique and his girlfriend and Angie will show up on Thursday and pray pray pray that Luis Enrique really wants to change and that we will find a job for him.
Tonight, I asked the Lord if He would give me a sign to let me know that what we were doing is worth it or just something in vain. I was by myself and felt discouraged because I saw nothing, no change, and I hate going down there by myself. So I asked the Lord if He would show me something tonight. I was also tired of constantly searching for the guys all the time. I checked all the usual haunts and as I walked past the bus stop, one of them called out to me. Alex is his name. I recognized him by the cuts on the left side of his face. The came a couple, Yesica and Henry and their baby Emmanuel. We talked about the name Emmanuel and Josue which is Joshua in English which is the name of their oldest son. And Yesica asked me about my Yeshua tattoo. While we talked, Angie came along and when I asked her what she does out there, she kinda gave me a sheepish smile and tried to lie. Right aways I felt that the Lord was giving me a word for her. I told her later that she is worth a lot and she doesn't have to sell her body to live and that she doesn't have to do what her boyfriend wants all the time. I gave her some more words that the Lord placed on my heart and she teared up.
Luis Enrique showed up tonight and it was good to see him after such a long time. He was excited tonight as he told me he's going to be a dad and that his girlfriend is 3 months pregnant. I talked to him some and asked him what he was going to tell his child when he was old enough about what he does for a living. Luis Enrique said he needed to change. He told me he wasn't hanging around the others anymore but that he still needs to rob because he can't get a job. I told him we will find a job for him so he can stop doing what he's doing. While we were talking, a fight broke out amongst three guys. I started backing away from the group as I didn't want to get caught up in the middle of a fight.
From the periphery, I observed a lot. Alex immediately came to my side and Luis Enrique started to put himself between me and the guys who were fighting and tried to push them away saying "La hermanita esta aqui, que les pasa?" (The little sister is here, what do you think you're doing?) and made sure I was covered at all times. It was good to see what they think of me. After that was over, Luis Enrique asked about going to church and I said I would come by and get him on my way to church on Thursday evening. He mentioned it several times before he left. I invited Angie too and she lighted up and said she would be there at the bus stop on Thursday as well.
Alex was more receptive tonight as I spoke into his life and he allowed me to pray for him. Then on my way home, as I was about to get on the bus, another guy yelled from the pavement, "Gracias hermana, por tu pan!" (Thank you sister for the bread!) . I think I got the sign I was looking for from the Lord. It was clear tonight that it is worth it all and I am never more alive than after being out on the streets with them, sharing the Word and just loving them. I love my job!
Please pray that Luis Enrique and his girlfriend and Angie will show up on Thursday and pray pray pray that Luis Enrique really wants to change and that we will find a job for him.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Straight Up and Straight Through the Heart
I didn't want to go to Ciudad tonight. My body is fighting a cold and the last thing I wanted to do was go there especially when I would be alone as Milagros and Carolina couldn't make it. But I made the sandwiches, pulled on a sweatshirt and left the house. The weather is way colder now and the sweatshirt over my short sleeved T shirt did not cut it, I was cold. I wondered if I would see any of them tonight. Last Saturday I could not go and Carolina told me that they couldn't find any of the guys even after praying and walking all over the place. Honestly, tonight, I was so cold and my head was so heavy that all I cared about was my bed. I decided that if I didn't meet any of them, I'd just give the sandwiches away and get on the next bus home.
The area that we used to go to all the time before was flooded and several streets below that area was flooded as well. It was awful; filthy water running through the streets like a river. I plucked my way through the water, hoping that the motor taxis would be considerate enough to not drive through the water quickly to splash the water up at pedestrians. I couldn't deal with getting wet with filthy water on top of feeling yucky. No one was at the corner where we used to go to. The flood did not make for a great hang out place. I went to the other street that was quieter, no one there either. I was ready to go home by this point and just wanted to get rid of the sandwiches when I decided to walk along the bus stop area in front of the market. I ran into Anderson who had big attitude today and it was a good thing he didn't hang around too long. Met Alex who had knife cuts all on one side of his face and said he had gotten into a fight the night before. While talking to him, two other guys walked by and started mocking us, telling me I should bring Alex to a rehab centre and other unmentionable stuff. With the way I was feeling, I wanted to deck them. Instead, I turned the tables on them and said that they look like they need to go to rehab themselves so why would they point the finger at someone else. Anyways, what was really funny was that the Holy Spirit had me focus on one of the two guys and I ended up talking to him most of the night and giving him straight truth, no holds barred a la Adeline. And he listened. I didn't mince any words, just direct, straight through the heart truth and it hit him. He had me pray for him at the end and asked me to keep praying for him. His name is Carlos, yes another Carlos.
William came by later and gave me candy for me and Carolina and then Carlos gave me a charm bracelet, one of the ones he sells on the combis. That was kinda neat cos most of them take but don't give so it was something different. I guess when I left, I felt that it was worth it to have gone out there tonight, and because I was feeling yucky, I didn't care if they were going to hear or not, I just went straight for the heart with the truth of the gospel the way I operate best and something shifted for me. I didn't care if they felt that they could trust me or not. I was there to help them, to help them see that through Jesus, there is an alternative and another opportunity to have a real life and it doesn't matter if they lie to me, manipulate me, whatever. If they never trust me to speak truthfully to me, it doesn't matter. But what matters is that I give them the truth of the gospel, straight up and straight to the heart and tonight I realized that I will do that, keep doing that, not mince words and not worry about them trusting me or not. It's not about me, it's about Him and He is the only One who can set them free.
Oh and by the way, I didn't see a single robbery tonight. Pretty good huh?
The area that we used to go to all the time before was flooded and several streets below that area was flooded as well. It was awful; filthy water running through the streets like a river. I plucked my way through the water, hoping that the motor taxis would be considerate enough to not drive through the water quickly to splash the water up at pedestrians. I couldn't deal with getting wet with filthy water on top of feeling yucky. No one was at the corner where we used to go to. The flood did not make for a great hang out place. I went to the other street that was quieter, no one there either. I was ready to go home by this point and just wanted to get rid of the sandwiches when I decided to walk along the bus stop area in front of the market. I ran into Anderson who had big attitude today and it was a good thing he didn't hang around too long. Met Alex who had knife cuts all on one side of his face and said he had gotten into a fight the night before. While talking to him, two other guys walked by and started mocking us, telling me I should bring Alex to a rehab centre and other unmentionable stuff. With the way I was feeling, I wanted to deck them. Instead, I turned the tables on them and said that they look like they need to go to rehab themselves so why would they point the finger at someone else. Anyways, what was really funny was that the Holy Spirit had me focus on one of the two guys and I ended up talking to him most of the night and giving him straight truth, no holds barred a la Adeline. And he listened. I didn't mince any words, just direct, straight through the heart truth and it hit him. He had me pray for him at the end and asked me to keep praying for him. His name is Carlos, yes another Carlos.
William came by later and gave me candy for me and Carolina and then Carlos gave me a charm bracelet, one of the ones he sells on the combis. That was kinda neat cos most of them take but don't give so it was something different. I guess when I left, I felt that it was worth it to have gone out there tonight, and because I was feeling yucky, I didn't care if they were going to hear or not, I just went straight for the heart with the truth of the gospel the way I operate best and something shifted for me. I didn't care if they felt that they could trust me or not. I was there to help them, to help them see that through Jesus, there is an alternative and another opportunity to have a real life and it doesn't matter if they lie to me, manipulate me, whatever. If they never trust me to speak truthfully to me, it doesn't matter. But what matters is that I give them the truth of the gospel, straight up and straight to the heart and tonight I realized that I will do that, keep doing that, not mince words and not worry about them trusting me or not. It's not about me, it's about Him and He is the only One who can set them free.
Oh and by the way, I didn't see a single robbery tonight. Pretty good huh?
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
This is war.
I went to Ciudad today to meet up with Milagros the girl who sells cell phone calls as we had agreed to meet today to hang out. She never showed and Carla who was there said she hadn't seen her all morning. Then Carla told me about the burial today. I was a little confused thinking it was for Jose Carlos who was killed last Thursday but he had already been buried. Then she told me it was for Felipe who was killed by a combi last night as he was running. I know he was running away after robbing someone and was probably being chased and that was why he never saw the combi that hit him. Two deaths in one week.
What bugs me is that they still think they're invincible and can get away with it all. I don't want to lose any more guys or girls. This is war. The enemy cannot do this anymore , not to them, not anymore. If you're reading this please pray for them, all of them who are lost and are the walking dead out there; please pray for their salvations, for them to be turned back to God and to choose life, for their hearts of stones to be changed into hearts of flesh, for the dry bones to live and rise up! Satan is trying to kill an entire generation and the generation that comes after; please don't let him. Please pray along with us for them.
With God, nothing is impossible, will you agree with me on this and pray for the youth in Ciudad?
What bugs me is that they still think they're invincible and can get away with it all. I don't want to lose any more guys or girls. This is war. The enemy cannot do this anymore , not to them, not anymore. If you're reading this please pray for them, all of them who are lost and are the walking dead out there; please pray for their salvations, for them to be turned back to God and to choose life, for their hearts of stones to be changed into hearts of flesh, for the dry bones to live and rise up! Satan is trying to kill an entire generation and the generation that comes after; please don't let him. Please pray along with us for them.
With God, nothing is impossible, will you agree with me on this and pray for the youth in Ciudad?
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Just Another Regular Night....
As I arrived at Ciudad in the bus tonight, a now very common scene unfolded before me; another guy being chased by thieves on the sidewalk except that this guy got away and the thieves, in frustration jumped onto a big city bus through the open back door, ran through it targeting cell phones easy for the picking. I really can't believe the audacity of these guys because as they were about to leave without getting anything, one of them saw a guy sending a text message on his cell phone in the seat just ahead of the back door and he leaned so far in, I couldn't believe the victim didn't feel his breath on his ear, and in one swift movement, the thief grabbed the cell phone out of the victim's hands and voila! just another regular robbery on the streets of Ciudad. This is truly becoming the norm of my opening paragraph every week. I guess I should write when there is no robbery instead.
Tonight, we were told the guys no longer hang out at the same corner so we prayed to find them and went searching. We found them 2 blocks away, most of them in full work mode. Luis Enrique was there and he pretended that we did not exist. I don't get offended anymore because this is the way they are. However, later I realized why he ignored us. He was in work mode and every time he is with us, the Holy Spirit gobsmacks his conscience and he can't rob anyone after that and him being "at work" looking for pickings at that moment meant that he could not associate with us because he wouldn't be able to do what he thought he needed to do. God is working.
We met new guys. Ronnie, Anibal, Jonathan, William. And they treated us with the same respect as the others normally do. God answered a prayer tonight in having us meet this group of newbies. The cops moved us away from the main drag and where we ended up being at was a great spot for being able to converse with them without distractions. Words of life got sown a lot tonight. I'm thankful for that. We found out that on last Thursday, one of them got killed with a knife to his chest by some other guys over a girl. He was around 18 and had a child by the said girl. His name was Jose Carlos Mata Gutierrez. I don't know if I know him but I name him here because he is not a nobody, not an invisible person. He mattered to many people who knew him even though he was involved in vices that hurt him and others. He was a living breathing person whose life was taken prematurely and violently.
God actually protected Milagros and I lastThursday afternoon from being witnesses to this murder. We actually had made arrangements to meet up with our Carlos for lunch and we were there at 1pm and he did not show up. We looked for him for about a half hour and when we couldn't find him we decided to leave Ciudad to hang out together and have lunch elsewhere. If we had met Carlos, we would have still been there at Ciudad when the murder happened at 3:15pm close to where we had normally hung out with the guys. I know the time of it as one of the guys has the police report/certificate of the homicide and he showed me it. I have no idea how it got in his possession and I didn't ask. At first I was worried that the youth who passed away was our Carlos as we didn't see him tonight either. But our Carlos does not have a child and one of his names is Lucero and the other is Flores so I can seriously breathe a sigh of relief knowing it was not him.
Milagros the girl who works selling cell phone calls was friendlier tonight and we set up a time to meet next week to have lunch and hang out. She doesn't belong on the streets nor is she involved in any of the vices. She is a single mom who lives there and works there and she's actually a sweet person. On the way home, in the combi/micro (van used as a bus), the fare collector fell out of the combi and almost got run over by the same combi. As we pulled into a bus stop, he opened the sliding door, lost control of the door and fell out but he managed to keep his balance and grabbed onto something and I'm assuming it's the outside door handle which allowed him to run alongside the combi until it stopped instead of being dragged under it. That was freaky. Nothing is normal on Saturday nights apparently.
Please pray for more labourers as there is only the three of us and we're all women. We need men in the field too, especially Godly men who can counsel and are able to love them with the Word of God.
Tonight, we were told the guys no longer hang out at the same corner so we prayed to find them and went searching. We found them 2 blocks away, most of them in full work mode. Luis Enrique was there and he pretended that we did not exist. I don't get offended anymore because this is the way they are. However, later I realized why he ignored us. He was in work mode and every time he is with us, the Holy Spirit gobsmacks his conscience and he can't rob anyone after that and him being "at work" looking for pickings at that moment meant that he could not associate with us because he wouldn't be able to do what he thought he needed to do. God is working.
We met new guys. Ronnie, Anibal, Jonathan, William. And they treated us with the same respect as the others normally do. God answered a prayer tonight in having us meet this group of newbies. The cops moved us away from the main drag and where we ended up being at was a great spot for being able to converse with them without distractions. Words of life got sown a lot tonight. I'm thankful for that. We found out that on last Thursday, one of them got killed with a knife to his chest by some other guys over a girl. He was around 18 and had a child by the said girl. His name was Jose Carlos Mata Gutierrez. I don't know if I know him but I name him here because he is not a nobody, not an invisible person. He mattered to many people who knew him even though he was involved in vices that hurt him and others. He was a living breathing person whose life was taken prematurely and violently.
God actually protected Milagros and I lastThursday afternoon from being witnesses to this murder. We actually had made arrangements to meet up with our Carlos for lunch and we were there at 1pm and he did not show up. We looked for him for about a half hour and when we couldn't find him we decided to leave Ciudad to hang out together and have lunch elsewhere. If we had met Carlos, we would have still been there at Ciudad when the murder happened at 3:15pm close to where we had normally hung out with the guys. I know the time of it as one of the guys has the police report/certificate of the homicide and he showed me it. I have no idea how it got in his possession and I didn't ask. At first I was worried that the youth who passed away was our Carlos as we didn't see him tonight either. But our Carlos does not have a child and one of his names is Lucero and the other is Flores so I can seriously breathe a sigh of relief knowing it was not him.
Milagros the girl who works selling cell phone calls was friendlier tonight and we set up a time to meet next week to have lunch and hang out. She doesn't belong on the streets nor is she involved in any of the vices. She is a single mom who lives there and works there and she's actually a sweet person. On the way home, in the combi/micro (van used as a bus), the fare collector fell out of the combi and almost got run over by the same combi. As we pulled into a bus stop, he opened the sliding door, lost control of the door and fell out but he managed to keep his balance and grabbed onto something and I'm assuming it's the outside door handle which allowed him to run alongside the combi until it stopped instead of being dragged under it. That was freaky. Nothing is normal on Saturday nights apparently.
Please pray for more labourers as there is only the three of us and we're all women. We need men in the field too, especially Godly men who can counsel and are able to love them with the Word of God.
Saturday, April 23, 2011
My Socks Got Blessed Right Off!
This is the picture of one of the bunkbed listing in Mercado Libre. This is not how the actual room is for the guys, it's not even the house. :-but it's the bed for sure!!!
Milagros and I went to Ciudad today with a friend of hers, Erika. The guys were in full workload. As we got off the bus, three guys beat up a guy to steal from him on the street. No one lifted a finger to help the victim and we didn't know the three guys who were doing the stealing. Oscar was there, but Oscar ignores us and only comes near us when he is hungry. he wasn't hungry tonight and wouldn't even look at Milagros when she talked to him. Carlos was there and we spoke to him and every time I tell him how much we care about him, he tears up, even though he was half high today. I told him that we'll keep trying to be in touch with him because as soon as the refuge house is ready, and he wants to get off the streets, he definitely has a place all ready for him. He teared up. Then gave us big hugs. Milagros and I will meet up with him on Thursday to take him out for lunch and to be able to speak with him personally and away from the streets. I can't wait.
The girls were non responsive today, staying and talking only within their tight circle. Aside from Carlos, there were no other guys out tonight, probably all working in some form or other. We saw a guy drive by in his car and about four girls selling themselves got into his car. The look he gave them was so lecherous, it made my skin crawl. Erika was wide eyed to everything that she was seeing and learning about and I wonder what she thought about it all. I didn't have the time to ask her tonight as we left Ciudad late and I had to catch my bus to get home.
Even though most of the time it seems like nothing's happening, God is working on the inside of people and even if all we rescue is Carlos, it's worth it all. Please keep praying for Carlos, Oscar, Luis Enrique and all of them. They need you to care, more than they know it.
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