Flickering flame
Perfect reason to give away leftovers from our dinner. I
wasn’t sure why I couldn’t finish my meal this evening. We had set up a dinner
date at a great place in Chimoio with great friends. We had the best
conversation possible, and I might have just talked to much. I couldn’t finish
my meal. My hubby asked for a take away box for the other half of my meal.
Then on our way our way home we found the perfect reason for
having neglected such a yummy meal, and the right person to give our leftovers
too.
My hubby and I don’t usually take that road home back from
the restaurant, but tonight we happened to take the road because we knew that
the other street that we used to take would be more crowded with drunks from
the bars. I usually prefer the other road because it has a little bit more
light from streetlamps, but tonight we went on that bumpy bumpy dirt road
behind the school that is a short cut to our rental house. As soon as we turned
the corner we noticed that there was a light flickering out of place up ahead of
us. It was a little fire lit right next to the dumpster, and someone was
getting warm.
That dumpster often has a mad man rummaging around through the
garbage for food, but Joao noticed that is wasn’t a mad man or even a grown up.
He was a kid. When we realized that is wasn’t the normal mad man who stays by
that dumpster, we stopped the truck, backed up and found out that this youngster
was on the street for only a brief time. Our hearts desire is to scoop him up
in our truck and let him sleep at our home just two blocks away. Tonight the
temperature will drop pretty low. That’s why he had lit a fire to try to get
warm. We looked at each other and knew that we needed to give him time to get
to know us and our big family. We struck up a conversation.
He looked out of place wearing summer clothes instead of a
winter jacket. His tank top and shorts didn’t look to be too ripped - from what I could tell in the dim light. He appeared
a little to clean to have been surviving on the street any length of time. He
was kind and spoke very clear Portuguese. Sometimes street children speak more
of the local dialect because they are not in school studying the national
language. His name is Jose, and he answered our questions very clearly in
Portuguese. We asked him if he was hungry and would like to eat my left overs? “Sim….Obrigado”(Yes,
thank you) my hubby asks him in unison with me “Jose, where is his home? “Nao tenho” (I don’t have
one), Why? “Both of my parents died a year ago” Do you have any other family?
He looked at me then at the ground contemplating an answer. So I asked if he
had any aunties or uncles to care for him? “Nao” Rephrasing the question gave
him an opportunity to answer without lying. My hubby asked him how long he has
been on the street, but I’m not sure we got a straight answer. We know time
passes differently when you don’t have a home. Then he asked him, where is your
blanket? He told us that he is using a sack.
A vehicle was coming up behind us, so we said our goodbyes. We knew that if we
talked longer we would be tempted to just take him home, but knowing the best path is to build a
relationship and take things slowly we drove away knowing that he's going to be warmer tonight and well fed. He’s not a small child, but a teenager. My
hubby lets him know that we will send our son with a blanket and we will talk
with him more and give him as much help that we can give.
Our sweet Mozambican son took a sleeping bag to him and prayed with him. He is so tender towards Jesus and to the lost. They
talked for a little bit and Ngenie came up with a lot of similar info. He
agrees that this guy isn’t a street kid, and he said he’s only been there a
month because his auntie was beating him and hasn’t come to look for him since
he left her house. Our Mozambican son Ngenie knows what its like to loose both
parents and then loose a home with an family member. It’s not easy to be alone.
Ngenie asked him if he would want to live with our other kids or if he knew any
of the Iris Chimoio missionaries. He is interested. He told Ngenie he stays by
that dump, so Ngenie will bring him breakfast on the way to school. Our pastor
and his wife are already praying with us for Jose to be safe and warm tonight,
and to find a new home, or reconcile with his aunty. God knows exactly what
this youngster needs. His heart is broken without his parents and he needs
warmth, food, and to continue his education.
My hubby and I are ready to help him find his family again,
or have a bed at River of God Children’s center. It doesn’t take us to long to
decide these things. When he is ready our team will do whatever we can to help
him get safe and warm for these cold winter months.
This is why we give our hearts to this people, this nation.
Papa God doesn’t let these vulnerable children be hidden from his watchful
eyes, and at just the right time this evening near 10pm we spotted one of his
kids who might be getting ready to come home, or return to his family with help
and love from ours.
Oh we have such a good loving Papa God!!! Its an honor to
have eyes to see the hurting, and be able to love on them. It’s the best way to
spend the last moments of our day.
So much love,
Missionary Momma Mia
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