Ol' McJesus Had a Farm

It was amazing to see the difference between Eastleigh and The Farm. Since we were able to go there on consecutive days, we were really able to see the progression and the transformation of these street kids. My last post ended with a sense of hopelessness as I couldn't break through the stronghold that the glue had on their hearts and their minds. However, yesterday at the Farm, I was able to see first-hand how God transforms lives.

It took me a long time before I was fully hit with what God wanted me to see and experience at The Farm. When we first got there, for me it was just like any other ministry day where the kids greeted us and we sang songs together. What really stood out and hit home was when we broke up into small groups to just talk and share our life stories.

We started going around asking people what their names were, what their favorite food was, you know, the typical ice-breakers. But then as we got more comfortable with each other, we started getting into deeper, more meaningful conversation.

If you had a million schillings, what would you do with it?

"I would start a school so that other kids could get an education."
"I would buy a home to house kids off of the streets so that they could have a warm place to sleep."
"I would move my family out of the slums."
"I would make my own organization like Made in the Streets so I could reach out to other kids like me who aren't being reached."

There wasn't a hint of greed in their answers. They came from so little and came from such hurt and despair, but when given the chance to soak it all up for themselves, they chose to help others like them. They had compassion on their friends when they saw how lost they were and how God through Made in the Streets was able to totally transform their lives and literally save them from a miserable life and extend their lease on life.

How has being at The Farm affected your life?

"Before, I didn't feel like anyone cared. I didn't feel like my life is valuable, but I came here and now I know that God loves me and He cares about me."

This reminded me of how there are many different types of poverty. When kids are homeless, they are impoverished materially, spiritually, and emotionally. They have no hope of a better future, many of them through their testimony shared how they didn't think it was possible for them to be able to escape the streets to a better life, but now since they can get an education, learn how to do skilled work, and get attachments (internships), their outlook on life is a lot brighter and their future is ripe with opportunity. One Farm graduate served dinner to the President of Kenya, and another is making meals for airlines. I can tell that through this program, the teens know that the sky is the limit and these success stories prove that they can do anything they set their mind to. It was also amazing to see how God, through this ministry, could provide them not only with salvation, but with the skills and the self-esteem to succeed in the real world.

A little bit of background info on The Farm: When street teens come to the Eastleigh Made in the Streets facility and get to know the staff, when the staff deems them receptive to transformation, they will go miles away to The Farm, where they get individual attention, learn about God, and learn skills to get a job. They stay there until they are 18, and there they are given attachments to introduce them to real-world work and hopefully set them up for a job once they leave.

The teens also shared their stories of how they got to The Farm. The pattern I saw in their stories was that many were abused or neglected by their parents. One was beaten because he made a mistake and caused 4,000 schillings ($50) worth of damage on a car. The father said "it's ok, I'll figure out how to pay for it, just go to sleep", but then returned with a large stick and beat him severely. He couldn't stay at home and ran away, since his father said if he ever saw him again, he would beat him more. There in Eastleigh, he turned to drugs and stealing, since that was the only way to survive. All of the kids at the bases sniffed glue and did drugs, and in order to fit in and be a part of the group, many gave in to the peer pressure. They targeted small kids to pickpocket and often went after bags and goods to resell. They remember vividly how dangerous life was. One teen was part of a group that the police tried to arrest since a man called in to report theft. One of his friends got shot. They got away, and later found out where the man lived. So angry for revenge, they didn't just rob and beat that man, they decided to ransack and destroy the neighboring area.

Another common piece they shared was the realization that stealing and doing drugs were dangerous, and as they saw their friends dying, they realized that they could easily be next. This desperation and close calls with death convinced them to venture into Made in the Streets and see what they were about.

What struck me about these kids also, was their faith in God. They talked about how they enjoyed reading the Bible, singing songs, and growing closer to Him. These were not the same kids that I saw sniffing glue on the streets. These kids had hope, these kids had peace, these kids had value, and these kids had purpose. I could most identify with them, since other than the color of their skin, we are all very similar when we think about it. We all struggle, we all fail to live up to Jesus' standards, but we still have hope for a better tomorrow, and are blessed to be able to look forward at a bright future. We can enjoy playing sports or pursuing passions, and it's amazing for me to think that a few years ago, these kids didn't have the chance to dream.

What we noticed before at the Comido and Mcedo schools was that the older kids seemed jaded by the hurt and the realization that they may never escape to a better life. However, through Made in the Streets, these kids were completely transformed and I could see the twinkle of hope in their eyes as they shared about their future plans. If I ran an infomercial or one of those "Save the Children" ads on tv and had them share their before and after stories, no one would believe it. Just like with many infomercials at home, people would respond "Oh, these are just extreme cases, or these aren't the same people before and after. They used at least 2 different people, and the after one was in much better shape all the time." But, after seeing how these teens go from zeroes to heroes, I can't deny that God doesn't do miracles. He is totally transforming their whole lives through this ministry, not just their hearts and their minds, but their whole life situations. Many of them want to be a light in their dark world and since they remember distinctly where they came from, many want to give back. It's encouraging to see that some teachers went through The Farm too, and that for every person that is saved here, God can multiply that blessing many times over through their service to Him.