As I reflect back over 2014, the word
that comes to mind is “family.” Our
little Melina is now 16 months old. It’s
been a joy to watch her find her place among the street boys we minister
to. They all adore her. And 2 weeks ago, we welcomed out little Maya Fé into our family. Family.
“Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one’s youth”
Psalm 127:4.
In 2015, our family will be moving into the Masana house
where we will have an even larger family.
We will be helping take care of 5 teenage boys who live at Masana. These 5 boys are all former street kids but
did not have good family situations to return to. Over the years, they have become our
sons. We try to create a normal family
environment for these boys – school, sports, music lessons, part time
jobs. Its our hope that these boys will
grow into Godly young men who will one day lead their own families. Family.
“Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will
not depart from it” Proverbs 22:6.
Living in the Masana house will also bring added
responsibility of caring for the numerous young boys who call the streets of
Maputo home. We are the only center in
the city with live-in staff which means we are on call at all hours of the day
and night when the street boys need us.
Even boys who are not a daily part of our project know that they can
come to the Masana house when they are sick or injured and in need of
help. The Masana day center also
functions out of this house. 5 days a
week, we open our doors to 20-30 street boys and provide a safe place for them
to wash their clothes, bathe, study, eat a couple of meals, hear teachings from
the Word of God, and hopefully make the decision to leave the streets and
return to their families. That is the
heart of our ministry. Family.
“He will turn the hearts of the fathers to
their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers” Malachi
4:6.
Masana’s reintegration program is successful because we are
a small project and able to cater to the individual needs of a boy or his
family. Since I began working with Masana
in 2009, we have seen over 60 boys leave the streets and return to their families. We are still in contact with many of them
today. One of the boys we reintegrated
in 2009 has completed the 12th grade and is now studying in
university. Another young man has
received a work contract with the local railway and is working to help his
grandmother who is raising him and his siblings. It’s so beautiful to be able to look back and
see the fruit of our labor. God is truly
restoring lives and families. Family.
”lifting boys up out of the mud and mire and
placing their feet on a rock, giving them a firm place to stand” Psalm 40:2.
Would you please consider partnering with Roberto and I as
we continue this ministry among street kids?
As our family grows so do our
financial needs. Whatever God puts on your heart, know that it is being used for the
building of His kingdom. We raise our
support through Abba’s Ambassadors, a non-profit organization. All gifts are tax deductible and we receive 100% of donations given in our name. You can give online at www.abbasambassadors.org or you can make checks payable to Abba’s
Ambassadors and send them to: Abba's Ambassadors, PO Box 165, South Salem, NY 10590
Blessings on you and
your family and thank you for supporting our ministry of restoring families!
Roberto, Sarah, Melina
and Maya Mondlane
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