to the hallway. I
want to write down something that I noticed in Bolivia, but which has really
grabbed at my heart in Albania. Some
people may call them a nuisance, some may say they are just a part of the
landscape of their country, while others look on them with pity or simply ignore
them. I’m talking about street children,
often unforgotten victims. Now, I know
what you might be thinking,”Uh, Ginny, aren’t you working with college students
this month and in Bolivia didn’t I read some blogs about you working in an
orphanage where the children were loved and well taken care of?” And I’d say, yes all of this is true. But while in Bolivia I almost got used to
seeing the street kids as a part of the city scene of Cochabamba; I was almost
used to seeing indigenousmothers begging on the street with their children. Here in Albania my heart has been moved by
seeing similar sights and to be honest I’m not quite sure what to do about
it. In Peru, one on my squad leaders gave me a
verse that she said the Lord brought to her mind for me from Proverbs 31.
Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of
all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor
and needy. (verses 8 & 9)
but I keep noticing it and I keep wondering what we can do about it, if
anything. Should this be something I
just say is cultural and move on or are these street children part of my
ministry. In all the countries I go to,
are thesetheplaces where I find my voice and use it, to speak up for these
children or just keep walking by.
I think about the
little boy in Bolivia, no parent in sight, sleeping on the ground at 10pm arms
huddled around his ukulele. It took all
I had not to pick that child up. I saw
him later that week during the day, alone again and this time playing his small
instrument for money. I think about the
two boys in Albania standing by the magazine table begging for money. I think about the young girl I saw later that
day holding her little sister in her arms asking for change. I think about the man in Albania who
strategically placed a small child, which looked nothing like him, by his stand
in the early evening as temperatures dropped on a cardboard box to attract
attention. It made us feel ill.
I know this is a bit
of a rambling blog tonight, but it’s been on my heart and my mind and I need to
figure out what to do about it. We need to figure out what to do about it
because frankly these children are all over the world. They live here in Albania, on the streets of Bolivia,
in Africa and India, in Asia and even in the United States of America. James tells us that religion that is pure and
faultless is this, to look out for the orphans and widows in their
distress. He also says that we can’t
just be hearers of the word. We have to do what it says. And Jesus’ greatest command in John 15, which
he repeated multiple times, is for us to love one another. So, I have to decide, am I just going to let
my heart feel sorry for these children around the world and in my own country
or am I going to be bold enough to do something about it.
I’m choosing boldness. I don’t know what that looks like yet so I’m praying now to the Lord to show me why I’ve
noticed this, to make my heart open to the Spirit’s leading in this area, and
to give me anything direction.
When I was in college, I felt the Lord say, ” I want you to
love those children that no one else does.” I am so thankful to the Lord for giving me this amazing opportunity to
live out His calling and I look forward to seeing Him open more doors during
the next 7 months of the Race.
If you’ve made it this far, thanks for listening to my
rambling and please say a pray for these precious children. The children with no
home but who the Lord sees, knows, and loves.
