I realized it was important I
introduce to you some of these boys I keep talking about and mentioning. There
are just so many I have come to love and have grown close to! I will give you
the basics for now, and fill in with others later. I will do my best to break
it down, but these are the boys from Los Pinos we have been working closely
with.
I know I have mentioned Los Pinos, but remember, it is a
community crying out for the love of Christ. Fathers are basically nowhere to
be found in this community, and most do not take interest in bettering the
community whatsoever. The people here feel hopeless, because the community has
been stuck in this poverty-stricken, violent state for so long now. Most of the
kids do not go to school and have nothing to do during the day. They use
paint thinner and other cheap drugs to escape the reality of boredom and hunger
pangs. We have witnessed a change in these few boys’ lives even in our short
time of being here. Needless to say, we have caught Tony’s vision that God
wants to rise up leaders in this community, and it begins with this circle of
boys.
The brothers . .
Lillian,
the mother of 4 of the boys left them eight years ago to live in the local dump, beneath a cardboard shelter, with 4 men. Each day she rummages through
the trash in search for anything of value to sell. She lives thirty minutes
away from her boys, but she sees them from time to time, and Tony has been
working to bridge this gap. She left them in Los Pinos on there on in a
3-walled shack, which is not fit for living. Each Sunday we pick Lillian up because she wants to go to La Roca, the church in Los Pinos. This also guarantees she will see the boys at least once a week. However, she has been coming some throughout the week if Tony picks her up before we go to Los Pinos.
Cristo (15 years old)- Being the oldest of the brothers, he
is the smartest of the 4, and has the greatest leadership potential. However,
he deals with anger issues. He is also the one who is least affectionate. Tony told us if Cristo ever initiated any sort of affection, take note, because this is a big deal. Well let me tell you . . Cristo and I have become big buddies. He is the most precious thing! He hangs on me, even though he is shy about it. He even danced with me last night! This may sound silly, but seriously, any small improvement in these boys’ lives is HUGE. Sadly though, Cristo is one of the boys most into doing thinner. He actually had a relapse one day this past week. Three of my teammates went into Los Pinos to get one of his brothers for their birthday, and saw Cristo high. He cried when he saw them because he was so ashamed. It took him a few days after that to get back to himself again. He has since apologized to us all as a whole and asked for our forgiveness. This situation simply broke my heart.
Josue (14 years old)- Although he doesn’t read or write, he
likes to draw and is probably the most street-wise. Sometimes he runs off for
nights at a time, truly living off the streets. He is currently staying at La
Finca with us for two weeks to take a leave of respite from the unhealthy
environment, which tempts him. Josue is the one who takes the most patience I would say. He doesn’t listen really, and is very stubborn. However, he can be a big help and fun to be around. It has been an experience living with him though, especially because he would eat us out of house and home if we let him stay in la cocina (the kitchen)! He is very entertaining though, and has quite the laugh. He dances, sings, and is just crazy all together. You gotta love him though. Seriously though, I believe he is the one who is in a crucial stage in life. The choices he makes now are truly going to navigate the course of his life forever. This is why we feel it is so important to invest time into him right now.
Carlos (13 years old)- This is the quiet one of the bunch,
and he gets picked on for being the one with the most common sense. He would be the one I
would say has the biggest conscience of all, and is the only one who has never
done thinner. He loves to pray, and is truly a good kid. Tony’s relationship
with the boys began with Carlos. He saw him begging outside of a gas station
and numerous times after that. Tony eventually invited Carlos to a feeding at
La Roca, the church in Los Pinos, and their relationship began. This meeting
was totally God-ordained and a call on Tony’s life to invest in this family. Tony and Carlos have a very special bond, and it shows. He is so sweet and loving. A few nights ago, we had a birthday party for Carlos, and it was so awesome. A few days after, he said the sweetest words to us. He thanked us for coming here, for loving he and his family, for spending time with them, and for helping the poor. He is so wise for his age.
Fernando (11 years old)- All I can say is that he is a ball
of fire in every way. The arm cast he is currently sporting fits him perfectly
along with his “messy” hair look. He is crazy and full of energy at all times.
He is the one who doesn’t show much faith at all, and doesn’t even seem to be
interested. Although the youngest, he too has done thinner. Besides all of
this, we have recently been seeing that he truly is a loving boy. He is at a
age where he still wants to be a “baby” at times, but his brothers don’t give
him the option to do this. Needless to say, if he isn’t tough, he gets picked
on. I believe he masks his feelings by bringing attention to himself in anyway
possible. I think his actions also show the lack of discipline in these boys’
lives the most.
The others . . .
Henry (17 years old) is a cousin of the boys. He recently
quit school, and although he works, he doesn’t see it of much importance. He
tends to skip work for no reason. However, he does work for good reasons. His
mother works the streets, so Henry lives with his aunt. His aunt frequently threatens
to kick him out onto the streets, so in order to pay his way; he works as a
street cleaner, sweeping for 90 cents an hour. From this pay he also pays his
mother a portion. Taking care of one’s mother is part of the Honduran
tradition. Oddly enough though, he doesn’t have much respect for women his own
age though, except for us. Since he is so busy, he is around the least out of
all the boys; therefore, I don’t know as much about him. It is easy to see though
the boys look up to him because he is the oldest. Sometimes he takes this
seriously, thinking about his actions; however, most times he does not.
Luis (13 years old) is also a cousin of the boys. Although
his grandmother raises him, he has the steadiest home life out of all of the
boys. His grandmother has great faith and provides a good home for him. He is
so kind, and seems to be on the right path in life. Luis doesn’t do
thinner, hates thinner, never wants to do it. His mom has been out of the
picture for a while, and his dad works right outside of Los Pinos, but has nothing
to do with he and his older sister. He is still young for his age, but I think
this keeps his head on straight. He still gets embarrassed around girls, shy in
front of a lot of people, etc. However around just us, he totally comes out of
his shell. He is at that weird age in life where he knows what’s right, but is
sometimes influenced by the older boys’ actions.
Rony (17 years old) is a friend of the boys, who we have adopted as a teammate of ours for the remainder of our time in Honduras. Upon meeting Tony, he was doing thinner 24/7. He didn’t care who saw him. . he carried the bottle and rag to sniff with him everywhere. He has been clean for two months now and his heart has been radically changed for the Lord. He wants to be a pastor, and has been reading from the Bible any free time he has at La Finca with us. He is truly stepping up into a leadership role. Each day we go to Los Pinos, before programs begin he leads a small Bible study for the small children. In Los Pinos, he does live with his family. He has a father, mother, three sisters, and two brothers. His mother is very loving, as is his father, yet his father is an alcoholic. We have recently come to find that Rony has a huge problem respecting his parents. This came as such a shocker to me, because he is a huge help when he is around us. He is such a hard worker and is so thoughtful. He also desperately wants to learn English, and works at this constantly. I have also learned a lot from him in return. The other night, Rony told us “thank you” for how we live our lives as Christians and allowing him to see this. He also thanked us for allowing him to become a part of our family. You just never know what these boys are truly thinking and how the Lord is working in them.
All of these boys are poor. They are hungry, and don’t have
adequate clothing. They are stronger than I have ever dreamed of being though.
I can’t understand how someone could leave them to fend for themselves, but
don’t worry, God is totally taking care of them. They have such respect for
Tony because he has become a father figure to them and they understand the
vision God has placed on their lives. Although they stumble into the
temptations of their surroundings, they have good hearts and I feel so blessed
to be a part of their lives for a short period of time. Every day the list of
those who captivate my heart gets longer, and every day I can feel God
expanding my heart for more of his children. It is truly going to be difficult
leaving them, but I know God has big plans for their lives. Pray they wouldn’t
succumb to the pressures that their unfortunate realities throw at them, and
that they would come to understand that no matter how many people don’t believe
in them, they are princes in the eyes of God and there is hope for a better
life.
(Henry, Carlos, Fernando, Cristo, Luis, Josue)
Check back for more stories about these awesome boys!!!
