OUTREACH

News from the front lines!

Last week, Friday, we all went down to this large and congested intersection under a freeway where the street kids hang out. Later in the evening when the traffic is really heavy they come down to play mini guitar type instruments for passengers while they are waiting in their cars. If they like the performance then they give the kids some money. When the traffic starts to move they come and hang out with each other in the dusty median. There are children of all ages and various tales but their goal is the same... to make enough money in a day to survive. The night that we went down, only a few children were there. Some people from the local church came out and some of the guys that we have been working with where there and so it was a bit slow at the beginning. But as the night wore on many kids started to show up. Jonathan brought his guitar and was letting the kids play it and they were singing lots of songs and then we were teaching them some worship songs as well. They were so fast to pick up the songs. One of the girls knew 'Who rocks the party' and she was playing and singing along with Jono. It was incredible to watch them be so eager to learn new music and then they would go and play these new songs, proclaiming God, to the cars to make some money. It is exciting to see them spreading the praises of our God all over the city.

During that night there was one girl about eight who was sitting on the wall the whole time and not playing and singing with the rest of the kids. She was a bit dirty and more quiet than the others. One of the translators came and sat with her for the whole night. They began to talk about the singing and after some explanation about the gospel, she decided that she wanted to have Jesus with her all the time. They prayed and she repeated. Then as we sat there some more, she began to ask questions. Her questions were serious questions about how she should live and respond to things based on her confession of Jesus. These weren't just sunday school questions, they were thought about and she was really looking for some serious answers. It was wonderful to see the translator talking with her while she sat and listened nestled up against her.

Then later another older guy came along and he has been on the streets for along time. I am not exactly sure how it happened but I looked to my right and the translator next to me was praying with him. He also accepted Jesus and was saying a prayer with her. He then took out his earring and renounced the spiritual authorities that it represented in his life. It is awesome to watch the power of God work in peoples lives.