Wednesday Evenings

So it's time I tell you what I've been doing on Wednesday evenings. I've connected with a missionary couple also supported through the Second Tunic and I've been going to an outreach Bible study in Agdao, a poor section of the city. There are some other young leaders who volunteer as well. The kids are almost all teenage boys who live in Agdao and are also into sniffing glue. This is where I've been going since early October.

Each night varies, but basically they have some singing (I'm still trying to learn a few of their songs), a Bible study or devotional time and sometimes small group sharing time. One of the first nights I was there, they split into small groups and discussed the beginning of Isaiah 53. I didn't really want to share anything as I can't really speak anything in their language, but it seemed like they were not comprehending what was shared. And I kept thinking about what I would say if I were to share. Eventually I was given the chance to share, and I tried my best to relate Christ's sufferings to things that might be relevant to their own situations.

Once we got back into the large group, each small group shared what they learned. Well, the one guy who spoke the most English shared with the group, and he said almost word-for-word what I shared with them! I very quickly realized that these kids will probably soak up anything that I say, and so I need to make absolutely sure that I am grounded in the Bible so that what I share with them is based in Truth.

Since then I have tried chatting with some of the boys, but most of them either don't speak English or are unwilling to speak it with me. But I have forged a bit of a friendship with the guy I mentioned above. One week, while I was talking with someone else, he put his arm next to mine and commented on our differing skin colors. He pointed to my arm and said, "Gatas" (GAH-tahs; means milk). He then pointed to his arm and said, "Kape" (kah-PAY; means coffee). He then said in English that I was the creamer to his coffee. Some of these kids have a great sense of humor!

So how can you pray for these kids? First of all, they need a Savior. They have turned to drugs but need to find the Truth. The other week one kid shared that he wants to stop being lied to. From what I understand, he says he hears voices, telling him to do drugs or to stab someone. There was a YWAM group from Hawaii there that night and they spent some time praying with him. Some need help getting through school. I suspect that some have to search daily for food and maybe even don't have a place to stay at night. Who knows what their family situations are like. I've heard stories of one parent dying and the other abandoning 4 or 5 children. I know of one 19-year old who is wants to go to school but needs to provide for his younger siblings because (for a reason I can't remember) the parents are not around. This is the reality of life for some people here.

I've visited some homes that I could not even call shacks. The walls are bamboo thatch. The roof is tin. Neither one adequately stops the kind of rain that typically falls here (usually goes from not one drop to torrential downpour in about 3-4 seconds). The floor is dirt, which becomes mud with the rain. They have a small propane burner for a stove. Probably most have one "bedroom" where everyone in the family sleeps, most likely on a mat on the floor, sometimes on a shared bed. Seriously, my home in the States is a mansion compared to what I have seen here. Even where I live here cannot compare to what I've seen. And yet the Christians I have met here are so incredibly thankful for what little they have. It's easy for me to look at these kids and think of all the physical things they can use. But a personal Savior is the only thing any of us ever NEED! After all, this world is not my home. I'm just passing through!

Please pray that the youth will find Jesus! Pray that myself and the other leaders would be obedient to God in sharing with the kids. Pray that the Holy Spirit would open hearts to hear the Word of God. Many nights it is frustrating and feels like nothing is getting past their ears and into their heads, let alone their hearts. Pray that God would sustain the leaders that they would faithfully serve Him and be obedient to His leading. Pray that the church where we meet (Foursquare Gospel Church) would be a safe-haven for these kids. That God would protect them from the sin and poverty that surrounds them. And please pray that I would spend time daily in the Bible and in prayer for the youth I have been in contact with. Pray that I would reach out of my comfort zone and try to reach out to the kids even more.

Salamat (Thanks). Be blessed!