While traveling around Nicaragua, it is not uncommon for our team to come across children who are begging. Each has their own story for why they are at some public store, park or gas station unsupervised. Sometimes their parents have passed away and grandparents are doing their best to care for them. It’s heartbreaking as they are in such a vulnerable situation.
What do we do? Prayerfully, we do our best to pay attention to them. We want them to know that they are seen and loved. Kevin does a great job of talking to them, finding out their names and their stories. Then he shares the gospel with them. He tells them God truly loves them and cares about them and their struggles.
After that we encourage them to do something good so that we can reward them with food or a little change: memorize a verse, clean up trash, help carry groceries and return carts, … simple things that help them learn to keep an eye out for opportunities to serve. Our aim is to help train them in the mindset that God wants to use them to serve and be a blessing to others and that they can use their gifts and abilities to help others. We want them to acknowledge their struggles, but not be defined by them. We want them to see themselves not as victims, but as beloved children of our loving Father who has prepared good works for them to do!
Next we try to coordinate with the local adults in the area: shopkeepers, security, etc. to keep an eye out for them. We try to get contact information for the caregivers, extended family, teachers, etc. – the support system of these children – and see if we can’t find ways to get them better connected to resources and safer situations.
Thanks for your prayers for those on the margins that might think they are forgotten. God sees and knows and cares. We try to be his hands and feet. Thanks to all who donate, who make it possible for us to do outreach like this!
“A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows,
is God in his holy dwelling.” Psalm 68:5
