identity

So the missions team is gone (but we actually have two extra Canadians till the weekend), and things have quieted down a little bit. We’ve been allowing the boys in the house to have some free time, to relax from the craziness of last week. But Thursday, we started a 3-day mini-series on identity for the boys of the house. This came about because there are 4 male muzungu’s (white person) here (me, Derek and two of his friends). We talked about our identity in God, and how we should be MOG (men of God), like King David (1 Chronicles 11). This entails having integrity and self-control, being a man after God’s own heart, turning the other check…etc. But we also talked about how David was not a perfect man either, and how he lied, committed adultery, and even murdered. But the fact that David repented (Psalm 51) and was truly sorry for his actions, he was forgiven by Jehovah Rapha (the Lord Healer). The Rapha boys seemed truly interested, as I’m sure they’ve all been in situations where they’ve encountered sin such as David (or even worse), and still have not been completely forgiven of it. We also talked about male/female relationships – how to treat them, and how to keep sexually pure. Most of them have been sexually abused and active, so I think it’s important for them to know that the Bible is serious about sexual purity, and that fooling around before marriage, or what has happened to them previously is not acceptable. And even just this morning, we talked about responsibility – the responsibility we have because we are MOG, and how we need to take responsibility for the actions we commit.

The Rapha boys have had their identity in such Satanic situations for a lot of their lives, and so for us to help them change has been such a challenge. Some days, even some minutes, they can be your best friend, laughing and joking, but one small action or response can trigger something in their heart, allowing Satan to take a hold and control them. Therefore lashing out in anger at us leaders or each other. The boys are fighting hard to turn their identity towards Christ, but Satan has such a stronghold on their lives, it’s hard for them to be free in Christ. In the past few days, I’ve seen Satan control and use these boys for his glory. I’ve witnessed my first knife fight, trying to restrain the victim who’s probably 100lbs more than me. Thankfully nobody was seriously injured. I’ve “strolled” through the slum-ish village in pitch dark (with the help of some of the other boys) to help bring back one of them who wanted to leave the house. I’ve seen (or so I’ve been told) one of the boys possessed. Not to scare or brag about what I’ve encountered, but to inform you that this battle of rehabilitating street kids is definitely more than just meeting physical needs. These boys have been in places and apart of situations that many Americans could never imagine themselves in; places that are inviting to Satan and his powers. Not all things have been bad. You can definitely see glimpses of Christ shining through their lives, and how they treat each other. The joy of sitting down with them and talking about their lives, and to see how much they’ve learned and been changed within the past 9 months (since they’ve been living at this house) is so incredible. The boys have their identity torn between Satan and God. So our prayer is to point them in the right direction so their full identity could be solid in Christ. They have tons of knowledge about Christ. They know the Bible so well. All around the house are scriptures or uplifting sayings, which they all can quote. But all this knowledge is useless, unless they put it into action. So that’s what we’re trying to do now – show them that they need to act out their thoughts, so their identity can be grounded in Christ, so that they can become Men of God.

Prayer:

- wisdom – I’ve been humbled so many times, when the boys call me out on things I’ve done wrong to them. They see more than I think. So wisdom in living my life. Also the spiritual battle is so evident here, and so I’ve encountered situations in which I don’t know how to handle. Often times the boys will come to me with their minor problems, which can turn into a huge situation if not handled correctly because it’s not really a minor problem – there’s an underlying spiritual battle that’s going on.
- strength/rest, love, patience – as before, these are things that I thought I had a handle on, but living here has stretched me further than ever. I’ve never felt so physically, emotionally, and spiritually drained as I have in the past few weeks. 
- adjusting to Kenyan time – everything is 15, 30 or an hour late. I knew I was structured at home, but didn’t realize how dependent I was on structure and organization. So I get really frustrated when things don’t happen when they should. Instead I need to accept and understand that this isn’t America, and this is how things happen around here.