Answered Prayer....Chico is Home!!

This picture was taken at my wedding on July 21.  It's Chico and his little brother Bruce.  Their mom was also at the wedding helping out in the kitchen.  Chico has a very special place in my heart.  He lived on the streets on and off for a couple of years but in March made the decision to return home.  You can read a little more about his story here:  My Sweet Chico

Sadly, A few days after the wedding, Chico decided to return to the streets.  His mom called right away and told us he had not returned home.  I searched for him many times around the city.  He did a good job of hiding from us.  I finally found him one Saturday afternoon playing video games with some other street kids.  We talked for about 20 minutes with Chico barely making eye contact with me.  I reminded him of how much I love him and that God has given him a beautiful family that he needed to return to.

After that day, Chico worked even harder to hide from us.  No one from my team was able to speak to him for over 2 months.  One teammate found him twice and twice Chico ran from him.  While I was in the States, I asked people at a couple of churches to pray for Chico to stop running and return to us.  A week ago, I returned to Mozambique.  When I saw all the boys again, one of my first questions was, "who knows where Chico is staying?"  I was given lots of answers and I checked most of them out....the video arcade, Maputo Shopping Center, Mimmo's restaurant, the park in Baixa....but to no avail.  I emailed some friends and churches back home and again asked them to pray.

Thursday morning, God answered those prayers.

Chico stopped running and came to Masana.

I cried as I shared with him how much God loves him....that people in America were praying for him to stop running and come back and how faithful God is to answer our prayers.

Chico spent the day with us at Masana, had one last night on the streets, and now is back home with his family.

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks the door will be opened.
Matthew 7:7-8