not quite the same

Tlalpan is only 1 1/2 months away! I can't wait to get there... I want to do inner city work in Mexico city. Inner city work involves: homeless, street kids, shelters, evangelism and love. Now I have a story for you...

I'm in Snyder, Texas for my AIM challenge week. We're working and helping the church here in any way we're needed. Tonight, after church... that meant chaperoning a bus full of inner city kids as we drove them home. This was a piece of cake to be honest. Sure, they are a little energetic... but I can handle ADD and ADHD. It was when the kid between Brettin and I began fighting his seat belt that I had a flash back.

My family used to keep foster children. This was a very life changing experience, to say the least. Nine different children came through my parents home and lived as members of my family. (I still call them my brothers and sisters to this day.) They all came from broken homes... which makes sense, if they weren't why would they be in CPS? (Most of the kids we fostered would fall into the category of 'inner city.') Anyways... the children that I formerly call 'foster kids' changed my life and my perspective on good/bad kids. You see... there is a difference between bad kids and good kids. But there is a even bigger difference between bad and angry kids. Angry kids are harder to handle than bad kids. The reason being is they will actually become more and more wreck less- until they kit a breaking point. The breaking point? When they realize that you really, really, REALLY do love them.

The kid between Brettin and I was very, VERY unwilling to wear his seat belt. Diego came and tried to help Brettin keep him still... but before we knew it Stephan was biting Brettin pretty hard on the hand. I distracted him to make him stop... I grabbed his arm pretty tightly and pulled his body away from Brettin so Diego could trade seats with her. I say all of this to say that this little boy brought back some scary memories for me.

I was raised in a very loving, but sheltered home. I didn't know about a lot of sinful and worldly things... but I was not ignorant. The children we fostered only spent a few hours a day with my parents. Mostly, they were with me and my brothers and sisters. I know it's needless to say... but I was exposed to far more hurt and sin than my parents ever intended. This changed my life. I learned to deal with agressive, swearing, biting, mean foster children until they realized I love them.

It may be too forward to say... but it almost hurt me to see my team mates react to the kids. They didn't react badly... but it was their opinion of the kids that worried me. Sure, I treated the kids the same way they did... but with experience. I know that you can't be passive... but you have to brush off the bad and the mean comments and press on. I can't help be ache knowing that I see through the masks these kids were wearing and my team mates still can barely scratch the surface.

I may be able to share my heart with them some day... but only when I know they will understand. Because knowledge without understanding is useless. I want to do inner city work in Mexico city. Inner city work involves: homeless, street kids, shelters, evangelism and love.