Tuesday,
March 05, 2013, 7:15 PM
Guatemala
City Street Ministry
So, we are in Guatemala City, Guatemala
today working with the Volcanons in their ministry The Street Revolution. Today
we went to a park to build relationships with street fold and play couple games of checkers. Then, this
afternoon we went to “the bowl” and talked some more while I had the
opportunity to clean a gentleman’s feet.
Yeah, it was pretty crazy. Their living
conditions were terrible. Granted they had a roof over their head, but they
were sleeping on mattresses that were falling apart, their feet had fungus on
them, there were pregnant girls, and a guy who seriously needed to see a doctor
(part of his intestine was coming out of his side). Half of the guys there were
high, which may be why they were so friendly. There were flies in the air,
trash on the ground, and I can only imagine the lice that must be sleeping in
their beds. One of the guys was very sad because he said a friend of his was just shot on the streets. It was terrible.
It really made me wonder: have the
leaders of their country seen this? Have their neighbors seen this? Does the
church know about this? Have they walked down these streets and seen what so many people are calling a home. Do they know about the corruption among the police? Do they know about the moral depravity of their people? I talked to the Volcanons about the situation with the people we met that day and much of what it boiled
down as far as the government’s involvement was that they really don’t care about changing the situation. And worst of all, these people don’t seem to care too much about
changing their own situation.
Mr. Volcanon told me a story about
how they got one guy off the streets, cleaned him up, and had him set up to
live on his own. He did it for about two or three months and then ended up
going back to the streets. So many of the people we met have the ability to get
out of their situation, they just don’t. Even when the help is available and
coming to them, many of them choose to stay. Why?
I think it really gets down to a
poverty mentality. They’ve grown up in this situation. They’ve never known
anything different. They don’t have to work, but they can get drugs. And it’s
something that they can easily go back to. Many of them are afraid to try
something different and probably don’t know where to start.
I had this picture in my head of
loading up all these people in a bus and taking them out into the country. I
would take them to some big field out in the country, have them sit down on the
grass, and serve them a big meal. Breathing the clean and cool air, feeling the
grass between their toes, talking to each other joyfully over a big meal, and
just enjoying the quiet of the country, I would want them to get a taste of the
world off the streets.
Then, I would say something like
this, “What do you think guys? Are you enjoying this time? I want you to
remember this day. There is a whole world outside of the streets of Guatemala City that is
waiting for you. Every day is a new opportunity for you to find it. This day is
an opportunity for you to taste it. And today I want to provide everyone here with
the chance for a new start.”
Here are
some ideas I have:
#1: Restoration, a big piece of property out in the country. We pick up
people off the streets who want to start over and we give them that chance.
It’s a place where they will work throughout the week and learn skills that
will help them to be self-sufficient. We could have like a Tilapia farm, grow
some of our own crops, have a bakery, etc.
There will be a zero-tolerance policy for drugs and alcohol. We will
feed them love and truth and love and truth, day in and day out. They will
learn to work, gain skills needed to do well in life, get off the streets, get
away from the drugs and alcohol, experience the love of the Lord and the truth
of the Gospel, and upon graduation from the program be provided with other job
opportunities in other places.
#2:
Prevention is going to be the biggest difference we can possibly make. And I
think groups like Compassion are going to be huge in that. Getting kids off the
streets and putting them in a loving environment where they can have an
education and the opportunity grow in a safe place would be absolutely
tremendous.
#3:
Spreading the Gospel in places like the terminal would be huge. People need to
come into contact with the Living Word of God and let Him change them from the
inside out. I mean just going to the very places where most of these kids will
grow up and bringing God’s love and truth to those places would be huge. Take
it to the source. Bring the church and let God transform the community.
I’ll bet
you #2 is already underway. #1 is kind of underway with Teen Challenge and #3
is not under way. But I think these are legitimate programs that would make a
real difference in preventing people from growing up on the streets, getting
people off the streets, and taking God’s love and truth to the streets.
The big
thing you have to remember though is that the streets are not the problem. The
real problem is the sinful nature of mankind. Men want to sleep around. Men
want to do drugs. They don’t really want to work. And honestly, most of them
would just like to live life their way and let God take a back seat. And the
only one who can change a person’s heart is the Holy Spirit. Therefore, we have
to pray like nuts because unless God moves no amount of rehab in the world is
going to change them.
Today
just really showed me the need in this city. People should not be living in
those circumstances. The city should not be as filthy as it is. And it just
seems like so very few people are really working to make a difference in those
situations.
Lord, You
are big enough. God, with You, nothing is impossible. Father, please bless the
Volcanons ministry here. Bless Teen Challenge. Give them wisdom in their
ministries and lead them according to your will. Help them to be
well-interconnected with the other groups in the city. Spirit, move among the
people to convict them of their sin and to lead them unto repentance. Also,
move in the hearts and minds of your children that they may make difference
where you are calling them to make a difference.
In the end, a person
cannot be helped if they do not want to change. Lord, please show these people
their need for You.
Amen.
