Dude. Where to even begin. I love me some Mozambique. The only way I could possibly even begin to describe it is if you imagine that Swaziland, Mexico and India had a baby. The people are beautiful like Swazi’s, the traffic and automobiles are identical to India’s but the cultural feel is that of Mexico. I am absolutely obsessed. The people of Mozambique speak Portuguese which sounds so much like Spanish… if you have had any experience with Spanish you can understand a tiny bit of what is going on around you.
The transition from Swaziland to Mozambique was quick without a lot of knowledge of what would be going on when we got here. We looked a little like this….
This month we are working with street boys. What does that mean? Brace yourself… this boys have stolen my heart. Every single day at 7am, 29 boys show up to the house from the street. Their ages are between 7-17 years old.
For the most part they are boys from pretty stable households they love the thrill of living on the streets. There is a tiny portion of kids on the street by circumstances …but most of them just love everything about the streets. It’s addicting to them. In the beginning I was dumbfounded when I heard the statistics of this, but after hanging out with them and seeing their hearts I saw myself in them hardcore. No, I have not chosen to live on the streets stealing and begging but in the past I sure have left my “home” and security in the Lord and pursued things that give me more of a worldly thrill. It’s been a thoroughly humbling experience… cool to see it from this side of things.
A Mozambique teacher then comes in and teaches the boys since they aren’t welcome in the private schools. They are poured into by amazing men of the Lord every single day. There is an amazing soccer coach who teaches them soccer every week. They have daily devotions that fit into their mindsets and their everyday life. This ministry is brilliant. What I love the most is that they aren’t pulling the boys into the house and letting them live here… they aren’t giving them the easy way out. One of the most popular conversations I hear is our contacts speaking truth into the boys and telling them how important it is for them to return to their real homes. They meet their most basic needs but ultimately let the boys make the choice of where they sleep. Reintegration is a huge part of Masana ministries. Their biggest prayer and goal is to ultimately pour into the boys and get them back into their houses which surprisingly happens!!! The addiction of the streets is broken due to passion put into action. I have been blessed and encouraged more in the past 5 days than I have ever been.
I get butterflies when the boys arrive every morning. The first day I met them I bawled when they left. I couldn’t stand to see them peace to the streets. They are involved in so much on the streets. Drugs are huge. Stealing is even bigger. Sexual stuff is even bigger than that. Satan is glorified on these streets and it makes me so sick. I hate that they love what they do. I beg you to pray that the Lord will come in and changes the streets of Mozambique. That the boys will be convicted by the Spirit in the most intense ways and that they will return home… return to their childhoods. I feel as though their childhood has been robbed from them and I am not okay with it. It brings me so much joy to look around for the few hours that they boys are at our house and see them to run around and play ball and sometimes curl up in our laps and be kids. Ahhh I desire that they will return to that… and that the Lord will wipe their memories clean of all the junk they are involved in on the streets. I love these boys so much after just 5 days. I can’t even begin to imagine what it will be like after 30.
Its crazy to look around and see little men… they really are all grown up it seems like since they have to provide for themselves and protect themselves. This little boy is ten… and hes got himself some muscles….i sleep better at night knowing that they are a little bit strong 😉
Some of the boys that come to Masana are now passionate about their future. Some are convinced soccer is their future. Others love them some Guitar. This is the future Mozambican John Mayer.
We are so blessed this month. The Lord has blessed Masana ministries so much!! We are living in a legit house with legit running water…AND A COFFEE POT. No more of that instant stuff. Oh.. And the cooks grandson. I know it’s the Lord giving me a little baby to cuddle with since I had to leave my Swazi babies.
