Day #11

5-30-09

This morning I found myself choking back tears as I listened to Kristin talk about the horrendous conditions many of these children had been rescued from. Kristin is a missionary from the United States who works with an organization called "Dwelling Places," an alternative to an orphanage. She explained how many street children are loaded in the backs of trucks and then dropped off in a forest where a juvenile prison is located. They are forced to sleep and stay in dark, damp rooms and eat prison food. As she described this to me I was just shocked and so filled with sorrow for these children. How can they live in such conditions? But then again, the government is so poor and there are so many children without families that this seems to be the best option. But even so, Kristin was telling us how talented and innovative her children are... surely these street children can survive in the city and live in better conditions than that of the juvenile prison.
Knowing a few children had been rescued and were now within the safe walls of Dwelling Places makes me feel a little better, but there are so many more who are still stuck.
At the pizza place I talked a little with Kristin and she said something that stuck in my mind. Talking about calling and future vocations she just told a small group of us to go as far as we can in the most daring and needy areas. And then she said, "When you become comfortable, that is when you stop moving forward and stop growing." She explained how if you can't handle a particular ministry you can always leave, but there are people who just settle when they are capable of so much more, all on account of wanting to be comfortable. I plan to keep this in mind as I continue to seek God's will for my life.