In Honduras, there is a colony of people residing in the nations capitol, Tegucigalpa. In a city that booms with public transportation, there is of course a bus station/parking lot. Behind this bus station is a dumpster. Behind this massive, vulture infested, smelly dumpster, in a deep ditch, there is a colony of trash homes. In these trash homes are the Lost Boys and Girls of Tegucigalpa. These Lost Boys and Girls are bound by the chains of addiction and poverty. They tread in hopelessness and despair that surpasses anything we can possibly comprehend. Just about every man and some of the women are addicted to something you may have sitting in your garage right now. Something we as American's take completely for granted. Paint Thinner. Men…no, boys, as young as 8 take a plain old rag we would use for cleaning, soak it in paint thinner, cup it in their hands, bring it to their nose, and inhale deeply. The high that comes from the usage lasts about 40-50 seconds…and numbs literally every part of your being. You end up numb physically…mentally…emotionally. Any feeling of hunger, sadness, joy…hope…is gone. You melt into the couch you're sitting on. You simply…exist…and nothing more. It destroys your mind…literally eats away at your brain, and boys who are 17, 18, 19-years-old who have been using for 8, 9, 10 years will forever be stunted from the constant exposure they've had growing up.
When Tony, our contact here at Zion's Gate, first talked about La Kennedy, I felt the Lord literally laying it on my heart that my team was going there. I could almost physically feel the Lord jabbing me with His elbow and pointing to the words I was writing on the page saying: "Yep. This one. This is exactly where I want you." Tony continued to talk about La Kennedy and though I knew in my heart that it's where God wanted me and where I would end up…I began to hope it wouldn't be me. It was just too much. It was too dark. Tony explained that we wouldn't be preaching, or beating people over the head with a bible, but that we would just sit with and enjoy their company 2 hours a day in the afternoon, being Jesus. For anyone who knows me…it takes me a bit to open up and just start talking to someone. Especially someone who speaks another language. Not to mention the brokenness that comes with watching them use literally sitting right next to me. I mean, when we stepped off of the bus here at Zion's Gate there was an immediate sense of Joy. Peace. Finally. After a challenging month of surviving a potentially life ending event and the emotions that came with it, I was ready to be comfortable. To take a "Siesta" if you will. La Kennedy sounded…Lost. The other ministries that Tony listed were right up my ally. Teaching…holding and loving babies…hospital visits. The word's "La Kennedy" were screaming at me from the page.
When Mike, my team leader, told us that we were the La Kennedy team, I felt a strange peace about the idea. But the fear was still very much there. Tony explained that he took teams to a parking lot in town every Saturday to hang out with some of the people of La Kennedy. A nearby church also comes with food for the buys and girls so that they can eat for the first time in what could be days. The goal isn't to preach a hellfire and brimstone sermon to them there…but to sit with them and talk to them…human to human. To show them that they matter…that we care…to be Jesus to them. Last night was our first Saturday night…so naturally, being the La Kennedy team, we left. A truck picked us up around 6:30; all 16 of us piled into the truck bed and we were off. My stomach was in knots the entire 20+mins it took to get into the city. We pulled up next to a giant appliance store (that was right down the road from La Kennedy) and Tony briefed us before we were to head into the parking lot. Walking up to the four waiting boys was a crazy mixture of emotions. The sat on the curb in the back part of the parking lot. Their right or left hand clung to the only way they knew how to make things "better". I walked up to Hosuea…the first boy. I looked into his eyes and only glossy, empty, bright red, hopeless eyes looked back. Every minute or so the boys would hold their clutched hand to their nose. I shook each of their hands,, asking their name…their age. At the time, the oldest person there was 22…the youngest, 14. I did exactly as told. The language barrier was the hardest part of the night. Loving the boys and girls came easily. They craved so desperately to be loved. To be heard. Sometimes they just wanted to sit and be silent. So that's exactly what I did with them. About 12 boys and a few girls came last night…varying form 6yrs-31yrs.
As I sit here typing this, I can't help but watch the boys who live here at Zion's Gate. All of which have made the conscious decision to leave the life of addiction and live a life of purpose. The youngest boy here is 5…the oldest, in his 20's. Already their courage to say: "no more"…their determination to break the chains of generational addiction…it just blows my mind. And they are so so sweet. Already, these boys have taken so much of my heart I consider them brothers. They are the "Found Boys". Some have only been here and sober for 4 days. My heart breaks for the Lost Boys trapped in their own personal "Neverland". Never will they grow up and develop physically…never will they grow up to be the men and women they are called by Jesus to be…never will they feel the true happiness…hope…love…that only Jesus brings. Never will they wake up with a purpose more than moving to the community couch to waste away their minds, bodies, and souls on Thinner. They're stuck. Stunted more and more every day. In the past 24 hours my heart for La Kennedy has changed. Today, we visited the actual colony of La Kennedy. We went behind the bus station, past the dumpster, and down into the depths of "Neverland". We saw the Lost Boys and their families. Their living conditions God has ignited a fire in my should for his Lost People. He's given them faces…they are no longer an idea…a fear. They are valuable. They are His creation. I am so thankful to serve the people of La Kennedy. To sit beside them, even as they use Thinner and BE Jesus. Darkness has no place in La Kennedy. They are Jesus' people. So I pray for La Kennedy. I know nothing changes overnight…but I am excited for God to show off in some major ways this month. And I am excited for him to use me to do it.
