Alfredo, a kid not the sauce.
I hope that no one is having a heart attack that we are posting twice in the same week!
Last night after a trip to a local art fair we were confronted by one of the many sobering realities of life here. As we were walking back to the car a street boy named Alfredo approached us and asked for money. Sergio gave him 5 Metacias (25 cents) and told him to go buy bread. He immediately went and bought some chewing gum from a local street vendor. While we were talking with Sergio before leaving, Alfredo came back and asked for more money. We noticed that he had bought some chewing gum with the money so now we were confused. We thought maybe he was going to try to sell the gum for more money, but he said no, he was going to eat it. If he was really so hungry why buy gum and not bread? Out of our confusion we begin to talk to him and ask where he lived. He said on the street. We asked where his mom and dad were. He said “They are both dead”. We asked if he had any other family. He told us that he has sisters in Panda, (7 hours north of Maputo) but that there is no one else here in Maputo. When we asked why he was in Maputo he said he came to Maputo with his step mom who abandoned him. This 11-year old boy who is smaller than Kaleb, was hungry, desperate, dirty, smelly and wearing oversized, ripped clothes which exposed to the world his lack of underwear. After about 5 minutes hearing his story, our kids piped up from the backseat, reminding us of our family verse - Matthew 25:31-46. Kaleb said, “Dad, I just keep hearing in my head, whatever you have done to the least of these brothers of mine you have done it unto me.” So we decided to do something unconventional. We took this boy home with us. We took him in the back and gave him soap and shampoo so that he could take a shower. Kaleb went and picked out clothes for him. A Twins baseball jersey and shorts white socks and some tennis shoes. Fifteen minutes later you should have seen the difference in this boy. His dirty, sullen face was all of the sudden smiling. His slacking posture was now more upright. It seemed that clean clothes and some soap and water washed away a bit of the depressing street life and shame that he is so accustomed to wearing. Sergio was there to help with the Portuguese and this little boy began to take on a new life. He and Kaleb played basketball in the front of the house and just played like boy’s play. No black. No white. No rich. No poor. Just kids smiling and having fun.
Then it was time for dinner. Thinking it best to not have him in the house we decided to go to a local chicken restaurant. This restaurant is a prime target for begging in Maputo and the chances are very good that many times he has been shooed away and told to leave by the same staff that would now be serving him dinner. You should have seen this kid. He sat at the end of the table with wide eyes and watched closely what our kids did. He tentatively ordered a grape Fanta and chicken with French fries. He tried hard to use his fork and knife to eat, then gave in to the peer pressure and used his hands like every one else. Dinner went on well and the kids all took turns writing their names and playing tic-tac toe on scrap paper.
Earlier, when we left our house, Sergio took Alfredo with him in his car to the restaurant. As they were sitting at a stop-light an elderly women came to the window begging for money. Sergio said that he did not have any money to give her. As he watched, the boy reached into his pocket and pulled out one of his coins that Sergio had given him earlier. He said to Sergio, “Here I have one, let’s give it to her.” Can you even stand it?
Anyway. This story is all just a part of our daily life and reality. It continues to force us to ask the question, “What should our social interaction be here? How can we make a difference?” It is making Sergio ask what he can do for the kids of his country too. We spent a good part of the night talking about a small plan to reach out to these kids and tell them that although they are homeless they do have a home waiting for them in Heaven. Although they are fatherless that they have a heavenly Father who loves them unconditionally. Although they are sick and hurting that one day they will be disease free and healed. We don’t know what God is going to do but we cannot wait to find out. We want to do lasting things that will have an impact on future generations of Mozambicans. We are thinking and dreaming about starting a Saturday morning club which would involve us picking up 30 or so street kids in a bus and taking them out of the city to land where they can run and play. We will prepare food for them. Let them shower and get clean clothes, all the while telling them that they are loved beyond measure.
Will you pray for us and for this new view into a potential future for us here? Will you think about this little boy and the thousands more like him here that are roaming the streets of Maputo? We hope to see Alfredo around town and when we do we’ll tell him you’re praying for him!
Last night after a trip to a local art fair we were confronted by one of the many sobering realities of life here. As we were walking back to the car a street boy named Alfredo approached us and asked for money. Sergio gave him 5 Metacias (25 cents) and told him to go buy bread. He immediately went and bought some chewing gum from a local street vendor. While we were talking with Sergio before leaving, Alfredo came back and asked for more money. We noticed that he had bought some chewing gum with the money so now we were confused. We thought maybe he was going to try to sell the gum for more money, but he said no, he was going to eat it. If he was really so hungry why buy gum and not bread? Out of our confusion we begin to talk to him and ask where he lived. He said on the street. We asked where his mom and dad were. He said “They are both dead”. We asked if he had any other family. He told us that he has sisters in Panda, (7 hours north of Maputo) but that there is no one else here in Maputo. When we asked why he was in Maputo he said he came to Maputo with his step mom who abandoned him. This 11-year old boy who is smaller than Kaleb, was hungry, desperate, dirty, smelly and wearing oversized, ripped clothes which exposed to the world his lack of underwear. After about 5 minutes hearing his story, our kids piped up from the backseat, reminding us of our family verse - Matthew 25:31-46. Kaleb said, “Dad, I just keep hearing in my head, whatever you have done to the least of these brothers of mine you have done it unto me.” So we decided to do something unconventional. We took this boy home with us. We took him in the back and gave him soap and shampoo so that he could take a shower. Kaleb went and picked out clothes for him. A Twins baseball jersey and shorts white socks and some tennis shoes. Fifteen minutes later you should have seen the difference in this boy. His dirty, sullen face was all of the sudden smiling. His slacking posture was now more upright. It seemed that clean clothes and some soap and water washed away a bit of the depressing street life and shame that he is so accustomed to wearing. Sergio was there to help with the Portuguese and this little boy began to take on a new life. He and Kaleb played basketball in the front of the house and just played like boy’s play. No black. No white. No rich. No poor. Just kids smiling and having fun.
Then it was time for dinner. Thinking it best to not have him in the house we decided to go to a local chicken restaurant. This restaurant is a prime target for begging in Maputo and the chances are very good that many times he has been shooed away and told to leave by the same staff that would now be serving him dinner. You should have seen this kid. He sat at the end of the table with wide eyes and watched closely what our kids did. He tentatively ordered a grape Fanta and chicken with French fries. He tried hard to use his fork and knife to eat, then gave in to the peer pressure and used his hands like every one else. Dinner went on well and the kids all took turns writing their names and playing tic-tac toe on scrap paper.
Earlier, when we left our house, Sergio took Alfredo with him in his car to the restaurant. As they were sitting at a stop-light an elderly women came to the window begging for money. Sergio said that he did not have any money to give her. As he watched, the boy reached into his pocket and pulled out one of his coins that Sergio had given him earlier. He said to Sergio, “Here I have one, let’s give it to her.” Can you even stand it?
Anyway. This story is all just a part of our daily life and reality. It continues to force us to ask the question, “What should our social interaction be here? How can we make a difference?” It is making Sergio ask what he can do for the kids of his country too. We spent a good part of the night talking about a small plan to reach out to these kids and tell them that although they are homeless they do have a home waiting for them in Heaven. Although they are fatherless that they have a heavenly Father who loves them unconditionally. Although they are sick and hurting that one day they will be disease free and healed. We don’t know what God is going to do but we cannot wait to find out. We want to do lasting things that will have an impact on future generations of Mozambicans. We are thinking and dreaming about starting a Saturday morning club which would involve us picking up 30 or so street kids in a bus and taking them out of the city to land where they can run and play. We will prepare food for them. Let them shower and get clean clothes, all the while telling them that they are loved beyond measure.
Will you pray for us and for this new view into a potential future for us here? Will you think about this little boy and the thousands more like him here that are roaming the streets of Maputo? We hope to see Alfredo around town and when we do we’ll tell him you’re praying for him!
posted by Sniders in Africa at 12/02/2006 11:09:00 AM
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