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I let two weeks slip by without blogging, jamming it all into a short read will be tough but here goes.

The week before last was all about taking kids to the doctor for, stitches, rotten feet, aids tests, sonograms, busted up eye. (Neida, a 14 year old lost her baby, she was just a few months pregnant.) everyday I showed up there was a new injury or sickness to deal with. I did what I could to clean up the cuts I could with my first aid supplies and skills, but most kids needed professionals. Taking kids to the doctor is a good time to spend one on one and share the love God has put in my heart. >Thanks to Rehanna and Barbara for working with the girls this past week, I know you had to do some not so easy stuff.

This last week I took Ramiro,(a 16 year old street boy) to Santa Cruz (10 hrs by bus) to put him in the rehab home with YWAM. I spent the first week with him in the transition home, where he could adjust to life off the street with no drugs. There we just did life together, but focused on his new life and prayer for strength to leave the old behind. Ramiro did awesome, he already looked tons better just after one week of fattening up. He went into the boys home on friday with a big smile on his face and anxious to join their soccer team. We are trusting in God to transform his life.

Last saturday we held a celebration for all the street kids we work with, more than 25 showed up. we held it at a really nice facility, we had a pastor speak, then tried to play games, then had some cake and stuff. The whole thing lasted about an hour, but took hours to clean up. It was good and crazy all at the same time. Dont get me wrong, i love these kids, but i dont think we´ll be doing that again anytime soon. Thanks to everyone who helped, it would have been insaner without you all.

This is already getting long, i hope to write again soon.

Props

I just wanted to thank a few people who have been helping out with the street kids the past couple of weeks.

Greg Burch was a huge inspiration to me, he was here in Bolivia doing research for his doctorate degree, he worked in venezuela with street kids for six years and even has written an excellent book titled Community Children. It was great hanging out on the streets with Greg and trying to soak up as much information I could from him. He is one of those guys who is way smarter than me with tons more experience but made me feel like what I had to offer was valuable. Greg thanks for all the encouragement.

Tomas was here last week researching for his ministry in Brazil with street children. He is one of those guys who doesn´t hold anything back and just goes for it. Tomas the kids loved you and the little time you had with them made a big impact. You are welcome back in Bolivia any time.

Barbara who was just recently assulted in the streets by two guys and had to get 10 stiches in her head, is already back at it and helping with a delicate situation with one of the street girls. Thanks Barbs for your willingness and being on the jazz.

Maximo, gracias por acompañarme a la calle y ser dispuesto a ministrar a los pequeños chicos. Tambien por su deseo a trabajar juntos conmigo y compartir los esfuerzos.

Karen, que bonito a ver tu corazon por los niños, fue un tiempo muy lindo en la calle contigo, espero que lo hacemos de nuevo pronto.

rant

I thought I would write how things have been going these past few weeks, it has been challenging to say the least. Not to sound too dramatic, but it seems the more time I spend ministering to the street kids, the more I involve myself in their lives, I am seeing more that this is a real battle, and the stakes are life and death.

There is a real enemy and he has a grip on these childrens lives. Satan is winning. To say this disturbs me would be a huge understatement. You would think that after 8 months of ministering to these kids I would get used to seeing them living the lives they do, but each time I walk up to the canal or tunnel and see groups of kids as young as 10 years old, filthy dirty holding a glue bottle to their nose, their is a feeling that rises up in me that i can´t explain.

I realize it may be dificult to identify with this situation from the western countries. But imagine your sons and daughters, neices and nephews, grandkids, your neighbors kids, if one of them was missing there would be a massive search party until that child was found. Time, money, and resources would not be an issue until that child was rescued. Well these street dwelling children are lost but it seems the search party has been called off.

I saw a beautiful thing this past weekend. I ran into Diego(a street dwelling kid) after church on sunday. He was nicely dressed and just returning from church. He was with a couple who had picked him up earlier in the morning and took him to their house, where he showered, got into clean clothes, ate breakfast and was brought to church with this family. If all the churches here saw these children as Jesus does this problem of children living on the streets would be drastically reduced.

Problems in Bolivia

Here´s whats going on in Bolivia, Two days ago Evo Morales (the president) threw the US ambassador out of the country. The US drug enfrocement administration has been relieved of their duties in the Chapare,(the region that produces the coca leaf, the main ingredient in cocaine). Santa Cruz is completely blocked off causing food and gas shortages in the rest of the country. No flights from the US are coming in or out of Bolivia. Thankfully things have remained calm here in Cochabamba.

The latest

It´s a good thing I left Santa Cruz when I did because yesterday the rioters took over the airport. Things aren´t looking good there, it has been really calm here in Cochabamba, but things tend to drift this way whether its happening in La Paz or Santa Cruz.

Saturday one of the most unstable street kids I know threw a large rock at Franklin (another street kid) and hit him in the back, he´s still in the hospital and they may have to operate to remove his kidney. He is doing okay but is bored and not able to walk. You can be praying with us for this to bring about some kind of positive change in his life.

It seems im always writing negative stuff, but with street kids theres a lot of input with little output. One thing said during my training in Colombia that sticks out to me is “not to under estimate the power of the Holy Spirit” I am thankful for the time that I can spend investing in their lives and trust that His Word is taking root somewhere.

Santa Cruz and back

I took the night bus to Santa Cruz last tuesday (10 hrs) to meet up with the YWAM minsitry there and spent a few days on the streets with their first contact team. We also visited the different stages of homes for street kids they have started in the past 6 years. I planned to be there a few days but ended up staying five because the whole city was blockaded, no ground transport in or out, this happens frequently due to the political situation. But it turned out to be a blessing to stay longer and form relationships with people who have the same heart for street kids. I ended up flying back to cochabamba because there are no signs of the blockades lifting soon.

We finally were able to get Gisel buried yesterday at 5pm. It took another whole day of running around the city to this office and that office always coming up short. There is little if no support for the for the poor, and there is no logic to the system, corruption and bureocracy is the norm. We had to get the date on her death certificate changed and someone who was not a family member had to sign as a family member, and this was ordered by the court and the registrar. I see very clearly now why dead babies are found all the time thrown out in plastic bags. The poor, without someone to advocate for them really are at a great disadvantage.

We got the final paperwork done at 4pm, permission from the cementary at 4:30, and had a graveside service with about 50 street kids at 5pm.

The past 3 days were the most challenging ever, only by the grace of God I was able to keep it together while dressing baby Gisel and putting her in a wooden box. Her innocent life was needlessly snuffed out by her irresponsible mother. Only by His grace were we able to hold Patty and comfort her in her loss. By His grace baby Gisel is with Him in a much much better place.

Thank you very much for your prayers, and thank you Rehanna and Ruben.

Baby Gisel is dead

If you scroll down to the bottom picture on my last enty you will see baby Gisel. She died yesterday morning. Patty the mother passed out while breast feeding and suffocated her. The past two days have been very hectic, frustrating and emotional. We have gotten absolutely no where in getting her burried. By law you have 24 hours to have the body burried. tomorrow will be three days and we are still not any closer. Because Patty is a street girl she does not have any documention on herself or Gisel, and they wont allow her to be burried without the correct paperwork which she does not have nor is able to get. We spent 11 hours today trying to track all this down and are basically back where we started.

Last Wednesday I was holding Gisel, I kissed her and said a prayer of blessing over her life. Yesterday I held her dead in my arms and did not know what to pray.

At the moment the body is where Pattys mother lives, which is a place where poor people can rent cheap rooms to stay for the night. Please pray that we can get all this sorted out tomorrow, because the body has not been enbalmed, and she deserves to have a proper burial. Ì am exhausted so i dont know if any of this makes sense.

This was a full week with some challenges and dramas, but glory to God he is using us and guiding our steps with the street kids. Here’s some of the happenings,
Andres, 15 yrs. old, had a little break down, we took him to the doctor, he has an infection in his chest, (he sniffs glue and has started smoking cocaine), He is on meds. for the infection and is being tested for tuberculosis. We took him to a home for boys where they can monitor his medications better.
David, is showing a lot of potential, so we arranged a job for him with a friend of mine in a wood shop. Were taking small steps with him and he should be working next week, and have a place to stay close to the shop.
Janette, Diego and Luis are doing well in their new room at the home for couples.
We took 3 boys on a trip into the mountains, 3 hours of hiking (glue free and fresh air) and cooking out, and lots of time to speak truth into their lives.
Thursday night we took lots of hot chocolate and bread to the tunnel where the street kids sleep, There we got to share our love with these kids, while I spoke the boys were quite and respectful then Rehanna prayed for them. We are blessed God has allowed us to minister his love to them and build meaningful relationships.
Patti and 3 month old daughter (Gisel) showed up at the tunnel today, she’s been a street girl for years and has already lost rights to her first daughter. She claims she was just visiting for the day, lets pray she makes her way home and doesn’t lose Gisel also.

view of city from mountain

[caption id="attachment_148" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="enjoyin the hot chocolate"][/caption]

baby Gisel

Off the street

Monday we went looking for Luis Alberto to see if he was ok and found him and his parents in the tunnel where the street kids live. With the cold at night and the filthiness he would surely get sick. So we have a low tolerance for kids putting their baby’s in danger. Thanks to the Lord we were able to convince them to meet us the following day take them to a home for couples with babies. Now our prayer is that they stay. This is a picture of the kids in their own room.