My life here in Zambia is really pretty different than in Kenya. Sometimes I don't feel like I'm even in Africa at all, but then something unexpected will happen and I'll be reminded of my place. This week that thing was the decision for the boys whom I am supposed to be discipling to be let go from the program they're in right now. WHAT?
I don't know all of the history of stuff, but this week it was decided that their misbehavior has become too much, even obstinate and intentional. Therefore, the staff here (mostly Zambian) have decided that Chishala, Kellys, and Felix are all going to leave the Boy's Ranch and be on their own- in the next 2-3 days!
Lots of factors I'm sure went into this decision, but I'm sure that a strong one was not wanting the younger boys to follow bad examples and receive bad influence. Last Friday was took in two new boys to the Ranch, Ernest (10) and Frank (11). They both look like they're about 5, in fact lots of the boys here look much younger than their actual age (a 19 year old who looks 12, an 18 year old who looks 13, 14 year old who looks 7). The day after they came, Saturday, two boys ran away from the Boy's ranch. Mana Mwape (19), and Chanda (12) just slipped out between the wire fencing in plain daylight. We're all confused about how they did it without being noticed because there were people well scattered through out our 4 acres. Either way, they left, and we mourned for Chanda especially. It seems that Mana has been to lots of centers for street children, and he does the same thing at every one: incite younger boys to run away with him. Thankfully only one went with him, although another (Kainda) would have gone had he not been called back for a conversation with one of our staff. I saw Chanda in town the next day and he refused to come back, but yesterday he said he was ready to come back. The staff seem unanimous that Mana fed him a bunch of lies and that he was manipulated into leaving. It blows my mind that a child would want to leave this place: they get 3 good meals a day, a warm bed to sleep in with a roof over their heads, friends who understand what they've been through, and adults who will be consistent and loving with them.
The boys that I've talked with have said that they never went hungry, though. Often they actually had a place to rent and would sleep there at night (rent can be as low as $8 per month). They told me that they could earn as much as $20-$50 a day, and on the streets they could spend it howevver they wanted: burgers, steak, glue to sniff, cigarettes, weed, alcohol, prositutes, whatever they wanted. They couldn't buy love with it though, and I think that is the differece between this program and other gov't run/sponsored ones around. Apparently they all have terrible retention rates (most kids run away after 1 or 2 months), but here we've had the same kids for over a year, and they're really different! They are loved, and that is becaus the people who work there know God and have been loved by Him. It's amazing to see it really work.
So my relationships will change now, but my schedule wasn't really finalized anyway so it won't be that big of a disruption. I've finally got stuff all programmed out, though, and this week I'll get to really dig in! I'm especially excited to finish the story that I started at the orphanage yesterday. It's a tale illustrating the truth found in 2 Timothy 3:16 "All of scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, correcting, rebuking, and training in righteousness". I tell stories a lot more when I'm teaching in Africa, and it's so fun to make em up right there on the spot, analogiues too. My fav so far: Many men get married just so they can have sex. That's like someone buying a car so that they can have a radio. They'll get a radio, yeah, but there's a whole bunch of other stuff along with it. A car is a big responsibility, and you can do wonderful things with it, or cause incredible pain and suffering.
Karen is still my favorite girl in the world. My goodness, I'm so blessed to be with her.
No comments:
Post a Comment