Former Child Prostitute Finds Christ
Jimmy (14) has problems controling his bowels because he has been abused for so long as a male prostitute. I first noticed the problem on our way to Camp Shalom. (Some of you, along with other folks who give to Action International Ministry's camping fund, allowed us to take nine street kids on a four day outing all expenses paid.) As the Volkswagon van roared down the highway toward camp, the cool, late São Paulo winter air almost seemed clean as it whistled through the open window dissipating the foul smell inside.
After three hours on the road (including an hour to fix a broken throttle cable) we arrived at camp, and the "tios" (counselors) divided up the kids, each becoming personally responsible for two boys. Jimmy was one of mine. For the next four days we played, talked, slept, ate, laughed and cried together.
One afternoon during our one to one counseling time I learned that Jimmy's family had come to São Paulo from the poor state of Alagoas where his father worked a small farm. His face shone as he recounted fond memories of working hard in the hot sun or riding the horse to town. But he said they only ate rice and beans when company came. Eventually, they sold the farm to pay their debts, and moved to the big city with nothing but the clothes they were wearing.
Jimmy's father began to drink himself to death. His parents would fight, and send the children to the street to beg. When his father died, Jimmy left for good. After that, the story gets pretty jumbled. Most of the programs for kids in the city know about Jimmy, and many of them tell me they don't want to see him again. He has enough suffering to share with everybody.
The purpose of the camp is to break the ties with the street, and to attract boys to the ABBA team through relationships that will encourage them to live in the Rescue House (the property many of you helped us buy a year and a half ago and that we have been working to renovate). The hardest part of working with hardened street kids is getting them to want our help. Once they commit to living in the house, we search out their families and begin weekly visits in the attempt to evangelize and disciple the whole family.
This time the whole gang committed to come to live at the "Casa Resgate" (Rescue House). When they asked if it was a "program" for kids, we were happy to be able to say, "no, we all live there, and we want you to come live with us." We felt confirmed in our decision at the end of March to live in community in and around the house.
But as usual, half of the boys didn't last long. Only a few days had gone by before they were asking to leave. They missed their glue sniffing, their street buddies, and their liberty. It's hard for a ten year old to be told he must take a shower and brush his teeth when he has never done either regularly.
But Jimmy wanted to stay. His friends threatened to break in at night and beat him up if he stayed, but "Tio Peixoto" and I convinced him they would have to get past us first. It took the four who decided to leave about twenty minutes to move on down the street. It is a hard cold world for a kid on the street. We only pray the ground water of His grace springs up where they need to be loved to repentance and brings them home to the Father who loves them so deeply.
And tonight, two weeks after camp, Jimmy decided to give his life to Jesus completely. He started asking questions about what happens after a person dies. He is very inquisitive and smart. It was nearly midnight when Peixoto and I sat in the Rescue House living room with him and he prayed to receive Christ:
Dear God, I'm tired of living this way. I've had enough of sin and bad stuff. I don't believe I can change, but I'm giving myself to you anyway. These "tios" might think I'm joking but you see my heart and you know that I really believe in you right now. I give you my life and ask you to come in and change me.
Peixoto and I both prayed binding the hand of evil in his heart and asking the Holy Spirit to fill him. When he climbed into bed he asked me to tell him a God story. "When I'm still I have dirty thoughts." he said. "That's why I'm always acting crazy. I don't want those thoughts to come into my head."
So I told him the story of Joseph and prayed over him until he was breathing heavily and peacefully.
The next morning we noticed a difference. He had become more attentive and relaxed. He thanked the Lord at lunch time for the Rescue House and for the "tios" who cared about him so much.
The battle is just beginning.