Their eyes have seen more than we ever will...

Yesterday we visited a dump, under a bridge in the middle of the city. Seconds upon arrive the dirty childrens hands wrapped around our necks and slipped into our hands. Their deep dark eyes searched ours before they dashed off running from american to american. We spent a good 2 hours just 'being'. just like they do every day of their lives. They dont go to school, they dont really have jobs. their parents spend whatever money they do have on solvents or glue which they sniff to make the hunger pains disappear for a few hours. or cigarettes or maybe even alcohol. any left over might be spent on powdered milk or 'mylo'-a powdered chocolate milk for the small infants. that is why these kids dont go to school, they have no money to pay for the school uniform and the other small costs.
as we walked into their home, or under the overpass a man got up from his mattress and yells "Welcome to the Philippines!" it is said that over a quarter of the population of manila lives in poverty. as you realized what you were walking into your heart broke and your eyes widened with every step. the small infants lay on the dirty mattresses with little to non clothing on. tears streaming down their faces, their noses dirty with dust and snot.
my arms found this little boy, he was small and standing alone. he didnt respond to me at all. i held him for about 2 hours. he said one small sentence in that time. he had a large burn that was slowly healing on the inside of his hand, he wore a shirt that must have been his bigger brothers, it kept slipping off his shoulder. my heart warmed as i held him. God loved him, and loves him now, and will always love him. that is the only thing that kept me from releasing my tears right there. his eyes were dark, empty and looked through me.
he ate all the noodle like soup in the cup i fed him, and two hot dog like buns with out reacting or looking up at me.
i loved him for the time i had him in my arms and my heart will never forget those big brown eyes.
God loved him, and loves him now, and will always love him.

KIDS CAMP!

Four days last week we got the privilege of being 'assistant' counselors at a streets kids camp! i say assistant lightly because we do not speak the language....but more hands are always appreciated!! We are interns here with Action ministry so we had to have some responsibility of course! But anyways, Action organized this camp by working with many churches in the area. They network with each other to reach out to many of the homeless street kids around the Manila area. All together there were about 60 street kids who poured into camp. These kids were the roughest of the rough. Addicted, dirty, alone, forgotten, hungry, abused, unloved, and so very broken. They were all previously searched before coming to camp, so they were free of Rugby (an addictive glue that they sniff to make their hunger pains go away), cigarettes,knives and anything else they could possible have that would distract them for the next 4 days. Some of them were going through withdraws of this Rugby and could barely sit for 20-30 minutes. They would put their heads down and they would be gone. I am sure that there are many many stories or how lives were changed in those few days. But i saw those kids broken after just a few days of simple messages, fun games, good food and loving staff all around them! I couldn't understand pretty much anything those kids said...but i loved to sit with them and let them laugh at me, or try to communicate. They need love...and i tried to give it in anyway possible...even if all i could manage was a smile!
The way the camp is set up is that all the churches will stay in contact with the kids they invited...and i pray that God sues those churches in every way possible! Some of these kids made life changing decisions and they are forever a part of me! i hope that you will take a moment to pray for kids around the world who are not in quite the same position as the kids we know. i was so touched by these kids, and how excited they were to build a tower out of straws...and then go praise God, with their little hands raised above their heads. I was so blessed to be a part of this experience.