Imagine a world where both of your parents are dead
Imagine a world where both of your parents are dead and you are only 11 years old.
Imagine a world where your neighborhood consists of hundreds of thousands…maybe even a million people where crime runs rampant.
Imagine a world where the home you live in consists of nothing but a few walls and a tin roof.
Imagine a world where everywhere you turn there is trash, debris, and fecal matter.
Imagine a world where basic necesseties like food, running water, and toilets are virtually nonexistent.
Imagine a world where you live in a place described above and you’re only minutes away from the center of the capital city.
Imagine a world where you have to walk the streets at night and beg for food.
Imagine a world where you don’t even own a sweater to keep the chill of the evening out.
Imagine a world where it’s already 7 pm and you haven’t had your dinner yet…or anything at all!
Meet Daniel…he fits into every single category described above. We met him on the side of the road this evening as we headed to Uchumi (a local grocery store). We were on our way to dinner…there is a restaurant just outside the store. I was in the back of the group when I noticed him walk up behind me. Acutally, I only saw him out of the corner of my eye and moved over to the side of the walkway so he could pass by. He didn’t pass by. I turned to look at him. He was just shorter than me (which isn’t saying much!). He wore a white t-shirt with his arms stuffed inside to keep warm. He asked if I could buy him some food. To be honest, the first thing that popped in my head was all the times that people tell us not to hand out money to people begging on the street. His eyes were sad. I asked him his name and how old he was. I told him I was sorry but I wasn’t able to give him any money. I’m not sure why I said that. Everything inside of me wanted to just get him some food. He walked off and I instantly knew I had made the wrong decision. We were already on the opposite side of the highway and I kept looking back over that way trying to get his attention so he would come this way. I was telling one of my teammates that I felt bad and wanted to get him some food. As I was telling her that, 2 of my teammates in front of us were discussing the same thing! We finally got his attention and he crossed through the busy traffic to where we were.
We asked if he would like to eat cheeseburgers and fries with us. He gladly accepted our invitation. Daniel is 11 years old and in the 6th grade we learned on our walk. We sat down and ordered our meals. I ordered a cheeseburger and fries. Daniel ordered a hamburger, fries, and a black currant Fanta. We asked him if he had a sweater or jacket at home that he has to keep him warm at night. He does not. My heart broke for him and I immediately thought of the 10 or 15 sweaters and jackets I have at home. My teammate Carmen wanted to buy him a sweater. She and Kelly went into Uchumi with Daniel while the rest of us waited on our food. He came back with a super soft and warm sweater. (he also asked if we could buy him a bicycle 🙂
Daniel’s parents are both dead and he lives with cousin. He likes math but his best subject is science. He enjoys watching football (soccer) and his favorite team is Chelsea. He knows that Jesus Christ is his personal Savior and the He died on the cross for his sins and rose again. My teammate Ashley had a salvation bracelet (the one’s with the colored beads 🙂 I asked him if he knew what the colors meant and he was able to tell me what they all represented (except for green…he forgets that one 🙂 After dinner, we boxed (well, not actually boxed becaues they put their “take away” in a baggie) up his leftovers and added a few of ours and sent him on his way. Watching this 13 year old boy walk away into the darkness was not easy. But there simply nothing else I could do for him. We can’t give him back his parents. We can’t give him enough money to get out of the slums. We can’t pack him up and bring him back home with us. But I can give him a warm meal. I can tell him about my Savior. We can get him a sweater so he no longer has to tuck him arms into his shirt. And I can pray for him. YOU can pray for him. Pray that he never has to go another day hungry. Pray that he never has to sleep or even walk the streets without something to keep him warm. Pray that he will truly know the LOVE OF CHRIST!
