Just another day in L.V.

Mondays, I've been assisting in Las Violetas. Namely, helping out with Maria Sol in el Refugio, who teaches basic handcrafts. It's a great way for kids to spend some time after school away from some of the more dark pockets of that neighborhood, and to learn a little bit about the Bible.

Work in el Refugio is not easy. Similar to the boys institute work, you have children who don't know what it's liked to be loved. Most of these children come from bigger families living in homes built for 2 (according to standards in the States); parents engulfed in drugs or drinking; older brothers and sisters already starting families around the ages of 15 or 16 if not sooner. They lack attention, and very much lack discipline.

You'll have some sweet kids in there--the Santis and the Katis that just want to show you their talents. Today Santi talked up a storm and was very helpful throughout the time of pasting the newspaper onto the small rectangles of cardboard. "Enseño, mira!"

But as I've said before and say again, Las Violetas is hard. I pray on my walk over there. Pray for safety, pray for a desire to clean up. Trash is tossed nonchalantly to the ground, and the smell of sewage is pungent. I prayed hard when a group of teenagers much bigger than I passed close by (we all walk in the middle of the street) because I could smell the marijuana and was on the brink of gagging. I know these kids need Jesus, and it is heartbreaking to think about a dim future for children who are loved by God full of grace. It reminds me of a verse in Philippians that begins much like this paragraph:

For as I have told you often before and now say again with great tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, the god is their stomach, their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things.

It seems to me that the need is to help them look up. In the U.S., we are all taught that dreams are possible. That whatever the obstacle, we can attain it as long as we put our mind to it. Here, they do not have the same luxury of thinking further than the present. How could we teach them to stop looking at what everyone else is doing, and start dreaming? Taking that a step further, to set their eyes on Christ, who by the power that enables him, will put all things under his control and transform us!

Chau.