Visiting a boys' home...
There's a boys' home about an hour out of the city, for guys coming off of the streets. It's run by YWAM and is one of the better facilities we know of. Generally there are about 15 guys there, ranging in ages from 11 or 12 up to 18 or 19. We like to occasionally go out and play soccer with the guys and eat churipan (sausage in a bun), with the goal of building friendships and encouraging them.
Last Saturday we spent a few hours there playing and eating and having a good time. It was a bit sad in some ways, as many of the older guys we knew had left. But at the same time, it was good to see a large group of younger guys who had just arrived in the past few months.
It took me back to my early days in Bolivia when I was working at a similar home. Almost immediately the younger guys (13 or 14 years old) were hanging on me...an arm over my shoulder or poking me or slapping me on the back of my neck...lol. In my days at the home I worked at, I would have had 80 guys doing that to me!
I know it's how these guys show affection and it was immediately apparent how much they desired a father figure or older brother in their lives. I had never met them before and yet they acted like I was their best friend.
Whenever we go out there, I realize how much I miss that ministry. It's definitely not an easy place to work, but it's rewarding to see young lives like that changed. Our guys did a great job building friendships with these new, younger guys and by the end of the evening, you could see the bonds that they had made.
We hope to get out there again soon! Please pray for these young guys! It's not an easy transition for them and there is always a strong pull for them to go back to the streets.
A few pictures and whatnot...
No need to plan activities. Soccer is all they need!
It's always a great time!
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