This month in Honduras, I had the pleasure of spending 10 days with two of our teams on a farm just outside the capitol city of Tegucigalpa. It was an incredible time of watching the fruit of a ministry that is SO close to the Father’s heart, well, it IS the Father’s heart.
Tony Deien and his wife Nidia have the unique ministry of loving addicted, abandoned, hopeless, street kids into a new life in Christ. In Los Pinos, one of the hardest/unsafe barrios in Honduras, most young boys here live a life of addiction to sniffing paint thinner, sleeping in dumpters and a lifestyle of desperation. Many come from one-parent families, no-parent families or drug addicted, unconcerned families. Tony has spent the past several years getting to know the boys ( and thier families) of the Los Pinos and a few have allowed him in enough to trust his as a father figure. Tony has a very specific way of winning their hearts: He loves them and doesn’t ever leave them. Even when they emotionally and physically abuse him out of brokenness, he stands firm, reminds them that he is not going anywhere and empowers them to make the choices for their own life. Right now, there are two street kids living on his farm, in the house with him and his wife. The rules are, for a month you don’t get to go home for any reason, you get clean from your addictions, do work/chores around the property and become a part of the family. Henry, an 18 year old ex- street kid has been living with them since January, its his permanent residence. He has been clean for months, is going to school, and just got baptized 4 days ago, on his birthday, while we were there. He calls Tony and Nidia his mama y padre. And they call him their son.
There were 5 or so other young boys at the house while we were there, Christofer being the only one who has been invited to live there for the month and get clean ( he’s been there for a week and a half now). The others haven’t made the decision to leave the lifestyle yet, although they are welcome to come visit the farm for a couple days at a time. A handful of these boys have come to the Lord in the past few months and 5 were baptized alongside Henry on his birthday ( along with 4 of my racers too !). It was quiet the event.
Its absolutely amazing to see the impact Tony has had on these boys, just by being a Father to them. Just by having the unconditional love OUR Father has for them. What an example to the world and what a reminder to us as the carriers of God’s love and presence.
More on Tony and this
