Some people have told Tony that he’s wasting his time on the
kids of Los Pinos… but it’s clear that this is not the case. It’s true that
some of the teenagers he works with are continuing to struggle with drugs and
there are often “more downs than ups� in this ministry as he says, but the ups are so worth it. Here is
one such case… the story of Henry:
When Henry was born his mother didn’t want him and went door
to door trying to pass him off to anyone that would take him. When she found
that no one wanted him, she kept him simply out of obligation. His father died
when he was around ten years old and shortly after that his mom left. His
grandmother was left to raise him but soon began having issues with her health
and needed more assistance; they moved to live with Henry’s aunt but she didn’t
want them around either. When his grandmother died Henry basically had nowhere
to go. He lived with his aunt and cousins off and on, but whenever an argument
would arise they would kick him out of their house/ shack and tell him he didn’t
live there and wasn’t part of their family. This left Henry sleeping on and
wandering the streets many nights. He had no hope; no one wanted him, no one
loved him. He had no money for food so he would hang around his community at
night with a knife, assaulting people for money so he could eat. He started
using paint thinner as a way to ease the pain and get by, as many of the
teenagers in his community turn to. He was living this dangerous, destructive lifestyle
for many years before he ran into Tony and his life began to change. Little by
little they formed a relationship and eventually Tony invited Henry to come
live with them on the farm; he now has a father and mother and hope in this
world. Henry is now seventeen years old and has begun attending school for the
first time in three years; he lives and works on the farm and takes pride in
his work. Most importantly, he has
accepted Christ into his heart and truly knows what it means to have a Savior.
He is an incredible testimony to the youth still on the streets of Los Pinos
that transformation through Christ is possible… that ALL things are possible through Him (Phil. 4:13).
Check out this video that Tony made of Henry’s story: http://smilebox.com/playEmail/4d6a4d784d5467354d5468384e544d354f5445774e54593d0d0a&sb=1
We met Henry before we heard his story… and trust me, I
cannot believe that this is the same kid. Henry is so full of love and life… we
have truly connected in just a week’s time and I feel like he’s my little
brother. He always greets me with a smile, a big hug, and tells me how much he
loves me. It’s moments like these I think, this
is what I was created for. God is so
good and is literally transforming lives right before our eyes; He is bringing
His ridiculous redemption to these youth and shining HIS powerful LIGHT in the
darkness. Praise HIM!
