At Night

One of the programs here at Abba’s Heart is called Night Outreach.  A few Fridays a month, we go into town just to check in and spend time in the boys’ world.  There’s no real agenda…we truly just want to build relationships and let the boys know we are here for them.  Night is the time of day when most people go home and avoid these boys out of fear; but we want to show them that we are seeking them out because we love them.  This past Friday was our first Night Outreach of the year, and the boys were soooo excited to see our team.  Throughout the night about 30-40 boys stopped by to say hi and check in.  I must admit, I was a little worried it might be difficult to connect with the boys, but from the first moment they were grabbing my hands and fighting over who got to sit next to me.  We learned more names than we can possibly remember, practiced counting and saying the alphabet, sang some Bemba songs, asked about favorite foods and colors and laughed all night long.  One thing that has made Chris and I smile over and over again is to see everyone’s reactions when they find out we are married.  The street kids’ eyes LIGHT UP and they can’t help but giggle when they find out that a Mzungu (white person) is married to a Zambian.  They asked Chris a million questions about how we met and what it’s like to be married to an American!  It was beyond cute :)  

I was very thankful to meet two boys who knew enough English to tell me a bit of their stories.  The first boy (about 14 or 15 years old) explained that he had been on the streets for four years.  His parents both passed away and he was staying with his older sister.  But when she got married, her husband started treating the boy terribly.  He refused to give him food or pay for his school fees, so eventually the boy just decided to go to the streets and support himself.  Another boy said he stayed with his mother, but she has no way to send him to school.  Two years ago he came to the streets looking to make some money for school fees.  He's probably only 12 years old.  Carrying a burden that no child should have to bear.  After he told Chris and I his story, I continued talking with another group.  About ten minutes later, I looked to my right and saw my husband with his arm wrapped around the boy, praying fervently that God would provide a way for him to go back home and finish school.  I couldn't have been more thankful for the man God sent to be my partner in this life. 

As much joy as we experienced that night, it was also a harsh wake up call to the reality of what these boys’ lives are like.  Most of them had no shoes, even though we are currently in the rainy season and most nights are quite cold.  The majority were high from smoking sticka (a chemical inhalant) and the smell was so strong it actually gave us headaches by the end of the night.  Their clothes were filthy and torn, many of them with nothing but shorts and thin t-shirts to block the cold wind.  There were a few moments when boys started fighting over bottles or small coins and we had a glimpse into the dangers of life in these streets.  You could see the looks of hunger and hopelessness etched in some of their faces.  And I can only imagine the pain they all must have buried inside that pushed them to this place.

We are just at the beginning of this journey.  Learning names and stories.  Waiting to see how God is going to use us.  But I think the biggest thing God is teaching us right now is to just show up.  Be present.  Show them that we’re here and we will keep being here.  We are so excited to see the boys again on Tuesday, for our first Mayompapa Program.  (This comes from a Bemba proverb which says, “Mother, carry me and one day I will carry you.”)  We will be picking them all up in a bus and bringing them to our property out of town in Garneton.  Once they arrive, the day will be filled with activities like singing, Bible stories, prayer, educational activities, games and, of course, football.  They will also be given time to take showers, wash their clothes and get basic medical help if needed.  The day will end with a big lunch of nshima, chicken and vegetables!

Please be praying for our team this week as we get into the full swing of our Outreach programs.  They’ve been on break for the Christmas holiday and January planning, but everything will resume in the next few days.  Please pray that we continue building relationships with the boys and that God will use us to impact their lives in some way.  And most of all, we want to help them understand the heart of their Father who sees them as his precious children!