Ministry on the streets is different always... It's almost impossible to plan anything more than a few hours in advance, and weekly schedules are pretty much impractical. Even the kids who are borderline-off the streets... their lives are so full of mini-crises that it makes weekly schedules next to impossible to keep.
People come and go... backpackers, volunteers, missionaries... You learn to love people and enjoy the time you have until life sends them elsewhere and new folks arrive. And if you let your guard down a little, the beautiful medley of people who pass through here, who've experienced life from a different angle, will enrich and refine your worldview.
This all works well for me. I thrive on change and find myself dreadfully bored with consistency.
A work update:
I've been spending more time out on the streets lately... The group of kids that I've been working with for about 3 years now has scattered all over the city. So I'm now visiting groups at different bridges and parks all over town... It's so much more work... I've been bringing a couple of Canadian girls along with me a few days a week. They're both thinking about the possibility of coming back to live at Casa Koinonia early next year to join me in working with the street kids.
The couples with the babies are doing okay... Not good or bad, just okay. They come to the house several times a week... I spend a lot of time counseling them because there seems to be a new problem every week. But every time I plan a Bible study/discipleship thing with the girls, something comes up... a fight, a sick baby, a family crisis... It's so clearly the devil fighting against us...
My cleaning lady and teenage daughters are going through some really difficult times. They moved into Casa Koinonia in February, and I've been helping to support them. They needed to get away from a horrible husband/father, but the situation continues to get more complicated... The girls are dealing with pretty severe depression... Miriam is fighting hard to adapt to a new and more independent life, but it's a serious struggle...
So everyday is different, and it's so hard to measure progress. I'm trying to set small goals... to have something sort of specific to be working towards. But people's lives are messy... I think it's really just a matter of being able to go with the flow while staying connected to the leading of the Holy Spirit... Without his guidance, the street kids would end up running my life.
(Have you seen the photo albums on the right side of this page???)
(Have you seen the photo albums on the right side of this page???)
2 comments:
these Fathers/husbands most with little education and having kind of hard or low wage jobs force family's members to work as pedlar or soheshines and some even worse let the kids in the streets to live and survive by themself. actually now in bolivia with double economic problems i hope it just not gonna raise.
Amy you are in my prayers.... God be with you sister! Remember to always look UP before you go forward. Times are tough we say but we couldn't survive one week where your at... May God bless your sacrifice!!
Post a Comment