“It’s just not right… It’s not ok… You don’t deserve this…”
These thoughts raced through my mind as I listened to my new friend Jarrison. I had met this boy as I was walking into a small food court in Lilongwe.
The boy touched my arm just as I was about to enter and said, “Sir, Sir can I have Kwacha for Chips. Just Chips sir.”
I didn’t bring with me a lot of money that day, but I had enough for chips.
I said sure. I bought them and asked him to sit down with me at one of the tables.
As we sat down waiting for the chips I asked him, ” Whats your name and how old are you?”
He said, ” My name is Jarrison and I’m 11.”
“Nice to meet you Jarrison. My name is Christian. So what are you doing wandering around? Do you live close by?”, I asked.
He said, ” No my family lives in Blantyre.”
For all of you that are not familiar with Malawi’s cities, Blantyre is about 5 to 6 hours south from where we are.
I replied, “Blantyre! What are you doing so far away from home Jarrison?”
He said,” Because of work, but I can’t work anymore because Police said it was child abuse. Now I’m stuck with no transport home.”
I then asked him, ” Where have you been staying then?”
He then pointed to the outside of one of the markets. This is when my mind reached its point of brokeness for Jarrison. This kid who was just 11 years old left home looking for work and because it was considered child abuse was left out on the streets with no money, no shelter, and no way to return home.
He had told me that he even asked the police to send him home, but they denied him because he had no money. So he has been begging in the food court for food and money to someday go home.
An 11 year old boy left out on the streets because he couldn’t afford transport home.
Thats just not ok and it broke me.
I told him to come back with me to where I live because I was going to help him get back home. So I brought him to our home and had him meet Pastor Harvey who has been hosting us. I filled him in about my new friend and asked him if He could help me find a way to get Jarrison home.
So Pastor Harvey guided us where to go to find a car that would take him back to Blantyre. It wasn’t very far from where we lived and so we walked there. As I was walking with Jarrison I got to talk to him about God and told him how precious he was. I told Jarrison that God loves him so much and that this same love is what had caused my heart to help him.
It took us only about 5 minutes to find a car that was going to Blantyre. I payed the driver and just before Jarrison left I gave him some money and prayed for him.
I don’t know why Jarrison was dealt a crappy hand and no child deserves to ever be put on the streets, but I do know that the bigget thing I could do to help was share the unconditional love that God has given me.
God, thank you again for having me at the right place at the right time. Thank you for breaking my heart for what breaks yours and for using me to share your love with Jarrison. I won’t ever forget you Jarrison, and I pray that you made it home safely. Amen.
