Alejandro, one of the Casa G boys, has moved back home with his mother and nine year old sister. He lives in a poor neighborhood on the side of a large ravine.
His mother proudly owns this tiny, cement brick house, but it needed repairs she didn't have the money or skill to complete.
The tin roof had holes in it. Every time it rained, there was standing water inside.
Chris helped us assess what was needed and how to make the repairs.
The kitchen windows were broken and partially covered with pieces of boards. The guys planned to replace windows and the roof. The girls would paint the outside of the house first, then the inside.
Alejandro was excited about the plans and worked hard alongside the rest of the team.
Alejandro told Phil that his mom would like us to paint the house green.
We painted the outside a beautiful green.
While repairing the roof, a lot of debris came into the house. What is the saying? It has to get worse before it gets better? Inside the house it sounded like those on the roof might fall through as well! Rachel said without any concern in her voice, "Well, if the roof falls in we will die." I responded, "No, we will be fine...," but I silently and continually prayed for safety!
Unable to finish the roof the first day, we disguised the fiberglass roof pieces before we left with a plastic tarp and trash. Otherwise, they would likely have been gone when we returned the next day.
As darkness fell we quickly drove to the juvenile jail for
boys. I wish we were able to capture in photos the incredible time we had
ministering to these precious boys, all of them wounded and many without hope for a future. Yet, each are created in God's image with lives destined for purpose when committed to Him.
Juan Miguel led worship with his
guitar. Carlos played the drum box. Josiah played the keyboard, one that Phil's mom gave us when they moved back to the U.S. Alejandro
rapped. Corrina sang back up. I felt heaven come down and fill the room with joy even as my heart broke with seeing such brokeness. Even some of the boys in the jail performed raps or songs they knew.
Then Corrina shared her story, one riddled with
painful abuse. She told us about numbing herself with drugs and poor choices in relationships. She started going to an after
school program run by a woman from our home church. She spoke directly and clearly
to the boys with Phil translating, "Granny Pam kept telling me that God
loves me, but I thought, how can He love me, someone so dirty and ugly? Then
last year, I chose to accept His love and forgiveness and His son Jesus into
my life...and day by day He is changing me." The boys listened attentively, one began to cry. Juan Miguel and Carlos prayed powerful prayers over them. We served cake, and then every boy thanked and hugged each of us goodbye.
Our day began and ended in construction...construction of a broken house, construction of a broken heart. Neither are too difficult for Our God!
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