The Lost Boys

Picture this:
You’re 8 years old and your dad is in prison. You have several siblings and you’re living in a rough home. You don’t want to do chores or go to school and you don’t have anyone around loving you enough to make you go to school.

So you run away.

You live on the streets with other boys your age. The only clothes you have are the ones you’re wearing. You get your food from strangers who feel sorry for you.

Except for when no one gives you food.

What do you do then?

The only thing you can do. You inhale solvent because it’s available and makes you forget your hunger. It helps you forget the pains of life.

That’s the story of 17 boys that came to the boys camp this weekend.
The ministry we work with has a boys camp for street kids every other weekend bringing in new boys each week.
We played with the boys, watched movies, played soccer and chess, had bible lessons and prayer, night time dance parties, bonfire worship, and a trip to the river.
These boys are the perfect mixture of the lost boys from Neverland and the boys from Lord of the Flies.
They started the weekend acting tough and wild crazy kids and ended the weekend curled up in our laps at the bonfire and falling asleep in our arms on the way home from the river.

They knew we loved them. We had the chance to give them their first ever Valentines Day card and they guarded them with their life.

This weekend we got to hold boys who haven’t been held in years, wipe their tears and kids their booboos, and tell them we love them over and over while covering them in hugs and kisses.

This has been one of my favorite weekends of the race and my favorite Valentines Day so far.