Day 19: Saturday, July 17, 2010
Blasting Spanish children’s music floated up into my room at magnified decibels around 7:30. I drug myself to the kitchen for instant café before heading downstairs to help with the children’s ministry.
Last night Becky and Sarah explained some of the issues concerning the youth and children of Iquitos – the street kids. Many families don’t have jobs with steady incomes, which isn’t a major problem in the jungle because there’s always some type of fruit tree nearby by which they can survive. There isn’t a need for money because they have no bills (water comes from a well or the river, no electricity, free access to lumber), money is more or less a luxury.
Life in the city is not so simple. If you want to eat, you need money to buy your food. Many of the kids here are forced into prostitution (especially homosexual) because they were hungry and wanted money to buy food with.
The girls told me the story of one of the kids now in the YWAM youth group:
As a child this boy’s family worked for a private individual, an older woman (not exactly sure what kind of work they did). This woman employed the whole family. When the boy was young, the boss lady took a fancy to him. So she brought him to live with her and do whatever she asked. This went on for several years with the family’s full knowledge.
I was appalled as they told me this child’s story. How on earth could a mother possibly allow such injustice to come to her own child? But once again, Becky gave me some perspective. Although this child was forced to do shameful things, the boss lady provided all his food, clothes, lodging, and education. The parents kept their jobs, a steady paying work that is difficult to find. If they had refused the woman to take their son, they would have lost their everything and all of their children would be at risk of the same fate or worse. Nothing could ever justify the decision they made or the lack of proper parenting that they exhibited but how unfathomable it is that someone would ever even have to be out into such a situation! Our world is in desperate need of accepting our Savior!
Stories such as these are all too common among Iquitos young people. Young men struggle with homosexuality because foreign men come and pay for sex. It all began with, “I would like to eat today…”
The work at YWAM is encouraging because they are mentoring and discipling these children who want to change. This morning kids come for songs, a message, Bible study, and a free hot meal. At night the youth are invited for a service as well.
The team that returned from the river the very first day I arrived had actually taken the youth with them up river for a mission trip.
“But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God.” Mark 10:14
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