This entry is describing the streets of the Philippines and is graphic.
Last Thursday, September 27th, 2011, I as well as my team, Fuego de Dios and Joshua went to a feeding in Santa Lucia. In the Philippines, there are massive malls, like 3-5 stories tall. Yep, that 3-5 stories is all one mall! There are many around here! So there’s extravagant malls, but once you get outside you are hit with depravity. Kids are begging on the streets with no underwear or pants for that matter, their clothes are tattered or have large holes in them that show their skin underneath. I have seen kids 3 years old or younger begging, because they are street kids. I order to keep their clothes up, anything on the ground that looks like it twist and bunch of the extra clothing suffices.
Also, once you are in the mall there are several common places to us Americans, such as TGI Friday’s, Papa Johns, McDonald’s. Once you get to the streets, what do you see? Kids scavenging through trash to find basic food for themselves and their little siblings.
When we arrived to the Santa Lucia feeding last week, there was an overwhelming number of them smelling like urine, little boys running around with just shirts on and little girls looking like boys, because their hair has been cut short because it’s easier to keep “clean.” They are breathing rugby, a glue adhesive, to kill off hunger pains.
I’m sharing this with you, because I think it’s important, but also to know that regardless how dark a place is God is
there. Last week was our first time there and one little boy stuck out in my mind. His name is Nolan and he’s 6 years old. When we got there, Nolan looked like he was high on the fumes from rugby. His eyes were distant and it looked like he was glaring at me. He was also burning up, as he had many clothes on to keep him from showing his nakedness. Nolan had been on my heart all night; I would continue to watch his actions and right after he ate, he was completely different. He was chasing me around as we were playing Tag and that was the first time I saw him smile and even laugh. I can only imagine what he has to face day after day, but by bringing in hope, I watched something different happen in his life. At the end of the night, Nolan had fallen asleep on my lap. I really wanted to carry Nolan home, but knew I couldn’t. It broke me.
Nolan will always be on my heart. It’s hard to say goodbye to these innocent children that haven’t chosen this life. If it were up to me, they would be traveling in my pack and hit each country with me. I know they can’t, but knowing God is in this dark place brings me peace that Nolan and the rest of the street kids in Santa Lucia are in his hands and know his love!
