Give Thanks to the Lord

Give thanks to the Lord for He is good.  His love endures forever.  Psalm 136:1

Despite a rough start to 2017, God is teaching us so much about the importance of taking time to reflect on Him and what He is doing in the midst of hard times.

We returned from the USA to news that 2 of the rooms we had built last year at our center had to be torn down.  One of those rooms was to be a bedroom for 2 street boys that we had invited to live with us in a one year transitional phase to get them off the street.  We scrambled and came up with a plan B....add a bedroom onto the house that Roberto and I have built on our personal land across the bay from the city.  What should have been a 3 or 4 week building project (a bedroom, kitchen, and veranda) is now looking like 6 weeks because of the lack of water.  Apparently cement work is difficult without water.  But, we give thanks to the Lord because there is still a home for Jose and Arlindo to live in this year and they have settled in well.

Speaking of a lack of water, we also returned to news that the reservoir that supplies water to Maputo is almost dry.  The water company has started rationing water in an attempt to stretch out what little water is left in the reservoir as we wait for rains.  We now only get water every other day.  We were managing fine until our day center reopened and we all of a sudden had 30+ people needing to wash clothes and bathe at our house.  After a couple of weeks of running out of water most days, we were able to purchase a 5000L tank and install it at our house so that we still have water on the off days.  We give thanks to the Lord for provision of water.

We started the year short staffed at Masana because of 2 staff members out on maternity leave, 1 completing an internship for his university course, and 1 stuck in the USA awaiting documents to return.  One of the other street kids' centers here in our city stopped accepting children during the day because of funding issues which means the number of boys at Masana increased.  35 boys a day with only 4 staff members was not easy.  But we give thanks to the Lord for the new boys that are now a part of our ministry and for the hard work of our staff members.

This past Friday was our first staff day of the year.  We read Psalm 136 together.  The first 9 verses are easy to ready as they talk about praising the God who created the heavens and earth.  When we got to the verses that talk about praising the God who killed the first born of every family in Egypt and who killed mighty kings, I debated jumping ahead.  But I didn't.  Because our God is both a beautiful Creator and a just Ruler.  Sometimes God's ways are harsh.  But His ways lead to freedom for the people of God.  Sometimes there is suffering.  But joy comes in the morning.  How many times have we seen God take hard situations and bring glory to His name?  How many boys have chosen to leave the streets and go home because of suffering?  So we give thanks to the Lord in both the hard times and the blessed times.  His love endures forever.

A Year Later...Our Home

In 2016, we had the tiresome task of relocating and rebuilding Masana, our center for street boys. December 1 of 2015, we moved onto a property with a beautiful house for our family and the boys we care for. . . and nothing for our day center.  So we built.  It was not an easy process as we fought for documents and licenses that took months and months to obtain.  But God was faithful and today we have a beautiful house with the perfect set-up for Masana:  a kitchen, a shade with picnic tables, 3 classrooms, a medical room, an office, bathrooms, and a bedroom for temporary housing.  

You see, in the end, our new center is more than we imagined.  We thank God that His ways are higher than ours. Because of the difficulties we had with builders, we ended up with an extra classroom and a bedroom.  The classroom we didn't plan for will accommodate our class for boys who need extra one-on-one instruction....had it not been for the difficulties, these boys would be studying at the picnic tables surrounded by distractions as people enter and exit the center.  Now they have their own classroom.  The bedroom we didn't plan for will house 2 boys entering into a new transitional phase called Exodus that will hopefully be their exit from the street life.

When we found ourselves most frustrated with the process of building, God had greater plans in store.  The new Masana is a testimony to that.

                              

                                       

Exodus

Exodus.  The story of Moses leading the oppressed Israelites out of captivity...out of slavery.  Its a story of God rescuing His people and bringing freedom to His chosen ones.  Its a story of a new beginning.

In January, Masana will begin our own version of Exodus.  We have chosen two boys who will enter into this 1-year transitional program.  

Two boys who will be rescued from the streets.  

Two boys who will be given the opportunity of a new beginning.  

Over the years of working with street boys, we have come to realize that returning home to mom or dad isn't always the best solution for all of these boys.  They reach an age where it is no longer a healthy option for them to just sit at home and be another mouth to feed.  Perhaps it has to do with how God created men with a desire to work and provide.  So, as much as we root for these boys to return to their families, we realize that isn't going to happen with all of them.  Exodus will be our attempt to help a few of the boys that fit this description.

Though the end goal is not necessarily to see these boys return to their families, we continue to believe that ties with their family are important and must be strengthened.  So the first component of Exodus will be on family.  The boys will live with us here at Masana....as part of our family.  They will have responsibilities around the house.  They will have rules.  And, most importantly, they will have someone to encourage them in their walk with God.  The boys will spend weekends with their actual families...a night or 2 a week to strengthen those relationships because we know that the day will come when they realize the need their families.

The second component of Exodus will be education.  The boys will participate in a literacy course at a local school.  We know that not all of the Masana boys will thrive in school but we believe its necessary to know how to read and write.  We'll provide them with a tutor who will work with them daily to help them reach this goal.  

The final component of Exodus will be vocational training.  Each of the boys will choose a vocational course that interests him...electricity, plumbing, masonry...there are many options.  Masana will pay for them to complete the course and purchase the basic materials they need.  After they complete their courses, we will help them arrange an internship.  The hope is that, by the end of the year, they will have enough knowledge and experience to begin working and earning an income that will enable them to rent a house and purchase their basic necessities.

Join us in praying for these 2 young men...that they truly will have an Exodus from the street life.

A New Challenge

Since moving to Mozambique in 2007, I have seen too many lives lost because of AIDS.  According to the World Health Organization, "HIV/AIDS is a major public health concern in Mozambique.  With a prevalence of 11.5% among adults between 15-49 years, Mozambique is facing a generalized epidemic.  This means that the virus is spread among the general population and is not exclusive to specific risk groups."

In the past 6 months, here at Masana, we have had 4 boys test HIV+.  On average, we have about 25 street boys at our center each day.  That means that this year, 16% of them have tested positive.

These numbers shock me.
And break my heart.

How does Masana respond to this new epidemic facing street boys?  What is God calling us to do to help these boys whose lives are forever changed by a positive test?  What has changed among the street culture over the past years that cause us to see such high HIV/AIDS rates today?  How do we help prevent more boys from becoming infected?

These are the questions that have dominated my prayers these last days and weeks.

Masana recently received a PEPFAR grant (President's Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief) from the US government.  These funds are to be used specifically to help in the area of HIV/AIDS among street children.  Next week, we will be meeting with a leader of Doctors Without Boarders, an international organization that works in the area of healthcare in Mozambique, to discuss a partnership as we tackle the issue of HIV/AIDS among street boys.

I know that God is orchestrating all of this and that He is going to use Masana to transform the lives of these boys who might otherwise lose all hope.  I am grateful for that.  I am grateful that He provides finances and partnerships to help us meet the needs of these boys.  But I am even more grateful that God has called Masana to be a part of this battle....to bring Hope to the hopeless.

A Family Restored

Three years ago, I sat in the yard pictured above with a very sad little Luis as we listened to his father speak horrible things about him.  He went on and on about how this boy no longer exists as far as he is concerned.  I fought back tears as we listened to him.

Today, 3 years later, this same father came to my home...he sought us out.  And he spoke very differently about his son.  Today, he shared how both he and other family members see a difference in Luis.  He declared that Luis is his family and will always have a place in their home.   And he recognized that this change is because of the investment Masana has made in Luis' life.

He will turn the hearts of fathers towards their children and the hearts of children towards their fathers.  Malachi 4:6

Another family has been restored.  We thank God for allowing us to be a part of this restoration work.

An Honest Living

The traffic lights around our city often have little boys begging.  They wait for the light to turn red so that they can place one hand on their stomach and stick out their other hand to the driver of the car that has stopped.  Too often, the drivers of these cars believe the lie of hunger and give the little boys money that will later be spent on candy or a radio or, unfortunately, drugs and alcohol.  A life of begging to have a little money in the pocket.

Older boys walk around the city looking for a car that is parked in a way that would make it easy to steal parts without drawing attention...mirrors, headlights, grills.  If it can be easily pooped off of your car, it's fare game.  Then its off to the black market to sale their stolen goods.  A life of crime to have a little money in the pocket.

At Masana, we work with boys to get them ready to leave behind street life and return to their families.  Once home, the boys often miss the feeling of having money in their pocket...the money that was made easily, though dishonestly, on the streets.  In recent years we've begun to realize that we have to provide these boys with means of making an honest living to prevent them from returning to the streets to make money.

Our first go at this was Armadura Gym which opened in 2013.  The gym serves as income generator for Masana and provides jobs for boys who have made the choice to leave the streets and return home.  There are currently 5 boys participating in an internship that has gotten them off the streets and into a home and full time employment.

This year we were given some funds for vocational training courses.  We have chosen some boys who have already left the streets and returned to their families.  Each one has chosen a course that interested him.  We now have 2 certified electricians, 1 certified videographer and 1 certified seamster who are all completing internships!  We've just begun a second round of vocational courses in which 3 boys are taking an electrician course and one is taking an auto mechanics course.

In a world where it is so easy to beg and steal, we are so proud of these boys who are making steps towards an honest living!

May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; Establish the work of our hands for us - yes, establish the work of our hands.  Psalm 90:17

Not My Story to Tell

This is Luis.  He has lived on the streets of Maputo for too many years.  I've started to type his story 4 or 5 times but keep hitting delete...it's just not my story to tell.   Luis' story is one of suffering.  He's endured far more than any 16 year old should have endured.  But when I look at photos of him with Melina and Maya, all I see is joy.

He's had a hard life but he hasn't been hardened by it.

Luis is finally close to leaving the streets behind.  Because of some health issues, he's been living with us here at Masana for the past 6 or 7 weeks.  At first we were searching for alternatives for him in terms of where he could live...a children's center or perhaps the home Roberto and I have built for some other former street boys, or maybe with an extended family member or a foster family.  But in the end, we have decided the best place for him is with his mother, step-father and 2 small sisters.  He's spent weekends with them for the past month and now is there for a week.  If all goes well with this visit, we think he'll be ready to return home for good.

Would you pray for Luis?  Pray for him as he makes this transition from the streets back to his family.  Pray that he would stay this time...that he would never again return to the streets.  Pray for his health.  Pray that his family will be able to give him the care he needs.  Pray that he will know that he is loved....not only by his actual family but by his family here at Masana and, most importantly, by his Father in heaven.  He is loved.

God sets the lonely in family.

Psalm 68:6