My heart is full of so much love and joy at the same time it is completely broken. God has broken my heart for what breaks his, he has broken my heart for these boys, for this place,
for the people, and he has broken my heart to love with all my heart. I woke up at 7:00am this morning to go to church, I used to hate waking up in the morning, completely dreaded it actually even for church it was hard getting up. I would much rather be fully energized and get my eight hours of sleep I need but more is better. Nope not now; I woke up earlier than my alarm was set for, ive done that basically this whole trip but I knew today would be different my heart was so happy and joyful. We were on our way to church walking 45 minutes up a dirt hill, catching 3 buses, then after three hours finally making it to church. I forgot to mention we were lead by an 11 and 13 year old, but I felt so protected by these boys and trusted them.
This month we are working for an American named Tony he moved here 5 years ago and since then God has been doing big works through Him and he does it alone, just him and God and he listens obediently. His main focus is the village he lives in El Horno and a town very heavy on his heart Los Pinos were he found a young boy high on paint thinner, hurting, covering his hunger with an addiction, living in pain, without someone to love him, and curled up in fetal position. This boy wasn’t alone though he had three other brothers and two cousins, and Tony heard their cry for help.
This month we will be focusing on the two towns and these six boys, the mother of four (Christopher 15, José 14, Carlos 13, and Fernando 11) who also takes care of the cousins Henry 17 and Luis 13 when their mothers no longer want to put up with them. However, like anyone would love to hear their life is great, they don’t live in proverty, they don’t suffer from addiction, they know the Lord, they believe, and they have both parents who love them dearly but then I would be lying to you.
These boys are lonely; they don’t know love, what it is or how it feels. Their mother Lillian left them to live under a cardboard shack in a dump collecting bottles and living with her nine boyfriends. These young men have to fend for themselves, they go to bed at night without any parent home, they may eat one meal a day, and will come to you smelling because they haven’t showered, and they are faced with much temptation from the community to join gangs and randomly boys will come in at three am to get them to do thinner with them. 
Tony has helped these boys even in the few days ive been here I have seen a radical change in these boys. They aren’t addicted to thinner like they were, one may slip here and there but he is realizing God and his strength that he can provide him with. These boys love so much I want to learn to love like them because they love how Jesus loves us, unconditionally and abundantly. They are realizing the importance of their lives and who God is, one boy has left all his past life and struggles to give his life up to God.
One boy has captured my heart and I am in love with him, his name is carlos he is 13 and I would love to say that he was once addicted and God saved him but he is one who gets it, he is honest and has child like faith, he has never done drugs or thinner and never wants to, he is starting to reach out to the Lord and hold onto his hand because he knows God is reaching His hand out for him. He loves so much and I love him so much.
for El Horno and Los Pinos and the English classes we will be having in each village, pray for a revival and for a generation to be lifted up. Pray for strength, hope, encouragement, endurance, and love for this whole country, it is completely broken.
