Tuesday night we went to see the street kids where they live. Only Mike & Jerid got out of the van to go with Ngoga to see the kids (the rest of us stayed in the van at Ngoga’s request). When they got down into this drainage area next to the road they found a kid who had a very deep cut on his arm & was bleeding. They wanted to help him using our first aid kit, but when the kid saw the kit he got scared (that it was going to hurt) and ran screaming up the hillside (where all these little homes are). A man was able to lead our guys to this boy’s house. There were kids everywhere as Mike, Jerid, & Ngoga followed this man up steep narrow trails, some with a 10 foot drop off the side. At the home they found the boy with his mom and were able to put some ointment and a bandage on the wound. There was no light in this little home, but thankfully our guys had a small flashlight so they could see! They left behind some extra ointment and bandages, although this cut really needed stitches. Most importantly they prayed there for God to heal this boy. As it was beginning to get into the evening they came back to the van so we could head out. Just as we were leaving Ngoga spotted a boy on the street that he knew from the Kanombe Home (Ngoga has worked with the ministry to the street kids since the beginning). We pulled over & talked to this boy & two friends with him. The boy’s name is Gilbert & he was in the Kanombe Home up until a few days after Innocence died, then he ran away. So this boy has been on the streets since then, and that was at least 4+ years ago. We asked him to take us & show us where he sleeps. He took us up the road and pointed out a drainage ditch. They sleep in the little area where there is a road/path over the drain. That way they are down there, unseen, safe from those who would hurt them or put them in jail. I also guess that means that when it rains, they don’t sleep. (Which, you may not realize it, but there is a rainy season here, which we are at the end of; however, it has rained quite a bit this week.) Mike asked them about meals- how often do they eat, where do they get the food, etc. They told us that they try to get a little money from carrying people’s packages at the market or other such things. Then they go to the restaurant and pay them 100 Francs (about 20 cents). For this amount the restaurant will let them have some food out of the bucket where they clean off the customers plates. In case you’re not understanding: at the restaurant, when customers do not finish the food on their plate, they scrape it all into a bucket. This bucket is what the boys pay to eat out of. After talking with them we took them to a restaurant where TTI bought them each a real meal (about $1 each), and Mike gave Gilbert money for another meal so they could eat again another day. But then we had to leave. How sad to have to drive away & leave those boys to live a life like that, and yet we felt fortunate to have found Gilbert. Mike asked the boys, “How many others live on the streets like this?” And their response was, “Many, many”. Too many for them to count. But this is why we’re here, and why we are pressing forward, believing God to provide for the Home of Innocence and the Acres of Hope. We believe God has better for these kids- these are his kids & we are just trying to cooperate with what He is wanting to do. If you have a brochure, on the inside the background of the brochure is a picture of kids eating a meal. This is one of the first pictures from the Kanombe Home when it opened- Gilbert is the short one in the middle, with round cheeks. It surely was the providence of God that we “happened” to see him on the street. He told us he would like to be in a home again. Please pray for Gilbert, as well as for the Home of Innocence. God, let your kingdom come & your will be done!
Love & Blessings from Rwanda,
Lisa
