The boys at Children's Garden of the Philippines that we've been working with this month have hard pasts. Most of them grew up in poverty. A lot of them come from backgrounds of abuse. They have all been on or lived on the streets. Many of them have been in gangs. A lot of them have struggled with addiction. They are quick to resort to violence. And they are all between 12 and 18 years old. They have seen and lived things that no child should have to endure… But you wouldn't know it by meeting them.
They are all handsome with great style. They love to play basketball- and most of them are really good! They fight over who gets to play video games next. They love their dragons on the Facebook game "Dragon City." They have the most perfect hair of any boys I have ever met. They are typical teenagers.
We have had the privilege of being able to lead devotion with them most nights that we have been here. We noticed the first week that the boys are very aware of the sins from their past and their current sins. We decided to just really focus on God's love with these boys and how God loves them despite of the things they did in the past and he wants to help them through the vices in their lives that are currently holding them back.
They have told us that they struggle with fighting a lot. I started praying about how to help them to resort to fighting less. God put it on my heart to just love on them. Smile with them, laugh with them, sit with them, joke with them, trust them. You don't even have to talk all the time- just be there. Just love them. So I that's what I've been doing.
Some of the boys could go home for Christmas but there were a few that stayed at Children's Garden. Some stayed by choice but some had to stay because they did not have anywhere else to go. We were able to hang out with the boys that stayed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. We went to the arcade, saw Frozen, got ice cream, sang karaoke, made pancakes, ate so much chocolate, played basketball and video games, and Christmas caroled around the neighborhood. It wasn't a Christmas filled with gifts on Christmas Day. There wasn't even a Christmas tree left because the boys had broken it weeks before playing a super fun game I'm sure. But God made sure that those boys had a family for Christmas. God made sure they weren't alone and that they were around people that would pour His love out on to them.
The last thing we did on Christmas night was watch a movie. Watching a movie with these tough kids that talk about fighting all day who have fallen asleep on my shoulders- yeah…Jesus had me right where he wanted me. Spending Christmas with these boys was the best gift that I could have ever imagined.
I can't say that it was a Christmas without materialism because we had plenty of Christmas parties. I can't say that it was a Christmas without commercialism because they go all out here. I can say though that I know that God put me exactly where he wanted me on Christmas. God showed me that wherever I go, there will be family through Jesus. All I need to do is go where he tells me and he will take care of the rest. God also showed me that the greatest gift we can give people is His love. His love can change hearts and save lives. (We got the boys shirts and candy too but they had been opened long before Christmas day.)
I wish everyone at home a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I wish you all could be here to meet the boys of Children's Garden- my new brothers. 🙂
