(boys are silly everywhere in the world.)
"Lovers are hard to come by. And I think that’s what our world is desperately in need of – lovers, people who are building deep, genuine relationships with fellow strugglers along the way, and who actually know the faces of the people behind the issues they are concerned about. We are trying to raise up an army not simply of street activists but of lovers – a community of people who have fallen desperately in love with God and with suffering people, and who allow those relationships to disturb and transform them” (296).
Last month, I got the opportunity to pursue friendships with the street boys of Kabuga and take their pictures. (Our staff are already in relationship with them, but I hadn’t met them.) A few of the boys followed me to HFL and all our boys were eagerly asking, “Are they coming here? Are they staying?” I sadly, had to shake my head no and explain that we don’t have enough money. The comparison between our boys and the street boys as they stand next to each other is so stark. If you looked at the kids of HFL, you’d have no idea of their past. The street kids seemed to have a lot of fun having their picture taken and showing me the places where they spend their days. Afterwards, I pulled out bananas and most of them tried to lie about getting one after they hid it in their jacket. Despite their lies, and their constant sniffing of glue from a dirty and broken bottle, I can’t help but love them. My prayer is that in these acts of the staff being in relationship with them, they would not just see the love and care we have for them, but that they’d realize it’s an expression of how their eternal Daddy feels about them too. As I left, they thanked me for taking their pictures and for letting them show me where they sleep. Under their hard exteriors, their drug addictions, and beneath the layers of dirt that cover their skin, I think they long for their story to be told and for someone to care.
(Muhamwe - his mother was murdered when Muhamwe was a baby helplessly strapped to his mother's back. He begs to be accepted into HFL but unfotunately, we don't currently have enough money.)
The thing that sticks out to me the most was walking to the place where they sleep on a little mat tucked in between wild bushes. The smile on their faces as I took pictures documenting their sad reality was a crisp juxtaposition. Their shoeless feet are daily exposed to heaps of trash, mounds of dirt, broken glass and bent nails that line the trail that leads to and from the market. I remembered reading a book in high school about children in Mexico who lived in a dump and I was never able to really imagine what it was like. I am now able to picture that reality. As we walked past, other children were scavenging for usable nails amidst the glass and trash to earn money. When we reached the market, we rounded a corner and found 2 kids extremely high on glue. I sometimes wonder what I would do if this was my reality.. If I was a 12 year old living on the streets, I'm sure that in all honesty, I would start taking drugs, stealing, and drinking too..
(4 children sleep here each night.)
“When we look through the eyes of Jesus, we see new things in people. In the murderers, we see our own hatred. In the addicts, we see our own addictions. In the saints, we catch glimpses of our own holiness. We can see our own brokenness, our own violence, our own ability to destroy, and we can see our own sacredness, our own capacity to love and forgive. When we realize that we are both wretched and beautiful, we are freed up to see others the same way” (264).
Play For Hope, a Christian sports ministry organization, partnered with Hope For Life this week and came to run a soccer clinic with our kids and our friends on the streets. Despite the intense heat, the children had smiles on their faces nearly the entire time they ran up and down the field, dribbled between cones, and practiced passing and shooting goals. The energy of the street boys was noticeably lacking compared to the HFL boys and smiles didn't light up their faces nearly as frequently as our boys. They had a blast though getting the opportunity to act their age for a few hours and be the children that they are. For more information, visit www.playforhope.org
I told my testimony a few weeks ago to all the kids and they were so surprised that I’d faced some similar issues to them as a teenager. When I was finished, they began raising their hands asking questions and saying what they had learned. Veterne said, “Through your story, I see that God can use my past to do good for other people.” David hopefully stated, “I’m going to keep praying for my parents and not give up.” Paul thoughtfully commented, “I thought that everything in America was peaceful all the time and that there were no problems. Now I know that the only way there can be peace is with God.”
The next day, I came to Hope For Life and found several of the children fasting – many for the first time. When I asked them why they felt that they wanted to fast they replied, “We are praying for America and for your family.” ... WOW.
(their personal carriage - our friend who is a market worker who frequently visits HFL to pray and get advice.)
The boys excitedly and nervously started school YESTERDAY! The eldest is in primary 6 and all the small ones are in primary 1. Please be praying for the success of our boys and that they would not get discouraged in their studies or by the fact that the students in their classes are all younger than them.
(eating breakfast on the first day of school!)
I also want to remind you about our NEW CONNECTION PROGRAM! Hilliary and I are so excited to introduce it to you. Your chance is finally here to connect with one of the boys at HFL on a personal level – to learn more about his family history, his interests, his dreams, and to begin communicating directly with him via emails. No financial participation is required to participate. Simply email Hilliary Anderson at anthill00@hotmail.com and tell her you’d like to get involved. It is our sincere hope that through Hope For Life, it’s not just Children and staff in Rwanda who are being transformed, but also that our donors in America would be encouraged and transformed. We believe that when barriers that separate the rich and the poor are broken down and they become genuine friends, that the world will be changed.
“Pity may represent little more than the impersonal concern which prompts the mailing of a check, but true sympathy is the personal concern which demands the giving of one’s soul.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
“Let us not be satisfied with just giving money. Money is not enough; money can be got, but they need your hearts to love them. So, spread your love everywhere (including America) you go.” – Mother Teresa
Lastly, several of you have been asking about sending things here. The best way to do so is to ship through the United States Postal Service (not to be confused with UPS). You can buy a flat rate box and ship 20 lbs here for $54. You should also be able to send letters for cheaper. Here’s my address:
Hope For Life Ministry
PO BOX 44 Kigali-Rwanda
C/O Megan Swanson
