Visiting the Street Kids

Yesterday, our team went to Barranca de Muerto to visit the street kids that Craig visits weekly. It is such a poor poor sight a condition you wouldn’t want any child to be in. Located right outside the metro stop is a dirt patch; this is their home. You can identify where they stay by the blankets that lay there, loaded with filth is their beds. Their main companions are dogs. Here live young boys and even a young teenage girl ranging from the ages of 16-19 inhaling drugs every couple minutes. They have wadded up a tissue dipped in some sort of paint thinner and placed it in their fist. You will see during every conversation, every couple minutes, their fist coming towards their mouth and nose – at times placing the tissue between their lips. Because of such addiction they have slower response system, they have killed many brain cells that it is noted how their cognitive understanding is to a basic level. They are skinny and you can see too clearly their bone structure of their faces. They are covered in dirt, thick patches on their fingers, hands and body. They wear oversized torn clothes – the ones that are donated to them. Their shoes are also torn. They are happy to see the familiar faces and repeat the word, ‘sandwich,’ wondering if we would feed them a decent meal (it is the plan). Because there are new visitors they take the time to ask us our names and to the special ladies, ask if they have a boyfriend. They are happy to see us and it shows. About 9 are there, one is laying down, either sleeping or simply unable to face the afternoon. Yesterday was a special event, not only it is our plan to enjoy their company through talk, and play and to feed them a nourishing meal; this time we also will provide an auditory recording of the Bible in Spanish provided by the organization Faith Comes by Hearing.

After a couple minutes through curiosity, Craig shows one boy the small listening device called the Mini Proclaimer and the Bible story begins in John 1. Almost instantaneously, there are four huddled in a circle to hear this story. They are hungry for the Word of God. In no time, there are more than half the young teenagers listening to the audio as it plays the story of Jesus using drama and background effects. It fascinates them as they intently listens. We are stunned! The Bible truly is powerful! Though they continue inhaling, they listen, and respond by the shaking of their heads or brief comments of a character. They story goes on until chapter 11, simply because we have food for them to eat and be nourished with. Again, we are blown away how the Word of God is so powerful in the midst of these young kids! A smile forms in our face because we know that the core nourishment they need is the Word of God, is the Truth.

It is unfortunate that because of such dependence on their addictions and filth, life will end in a matter of years. Because they are so addicted, there are no homes willing to house them for protection or transformation and because the majority of these street kids are above the age of 18, they do not fit under the care of the government. Who will care for them? Unfortunately, many of those who act like they care, are those who misuse and abuse them.

Did you know that Mexico City has 1,900,000 underprivileged and street children. 240,000 of these are abandoned children. Homelessness is found everywhere and it is an ugly sight to see, but are we going look at them in pity with compassion but walk by hoping for them to get a better life or are we going to do something about it? What can we do for them?