House of Love

The other day we went over our Nepali pastor's house for supper...

He has a pretty big family - because he has welcomed girls rescued from trafficking, and boys off the street into his home. When we stood on the roof of the boys home we could overlook the entire city- the view was breaktaking. He told us the story of how God led him with the streetboys and I was fighting back tears of joy the whole time. You see, often when I am walking in the morning I see a little gang of street boys about 15 minutes from my house. I know the patch of sidewalk where they usually sleep. So I make it a habit to say hello, of give them a little fruit of something. They call me "deedee Asa" (older sister/auntie Hope) and I call them Babu (my son) in Nepali. One time we even went out for tea, and had a great time. These troublesome guys have to do tough stuff to scrape in enough moneyto get by. Many of them often look beat up, and they can be found huffing glue on the corner.

When pastor told me the story about his boys I felt my love for my own little guys rise up within me, it was overwhelming. I wanted to do something. I wanted to change the situation these boys face on the streets. I wanted them to be set free in God's love, and delivered by His power.

Pastor said walking the streets - he saw the boys, and was troubled. He heard God tell him, "They are my prophets." Pastor could see eternal purposes in a tiny boy with a black eye, huffing glue. The Holy Spirit told him not to preach to them at first, just love. So love he did - played games with them, spent time, earned their trust. Sometimes he would pay for them to all pile in a taxi, come to his house to get cleaned up and eat a hot meal and play rowdy games. Sometimes he would give them a little money, and even though they swore up and down to not use it for drugs, he told them to use it as they wish. He trusted them. Pastor himself had been delivered from a heroin addiction when he radically met Jesus, and so he knows he couldnt tell them "Quit your bad habits, be a better person, get your life together." Thats legalism. He knew only God can heal and set free, and first these boys needed to be loved to understand Gods love. After some time they began to call him up once in a while, and even asked him to keep the little money they might have. Whenever they needed him, they would call him, they knew he could be counted on. For all the insanity and instability the boys face on the streets here, having at least one sound person to rely on means alot. He said he would even let them fall asleep in his lap when they were high. He loved them like a father would his son.

He never told them he was a christian, but they began to ask. (They said they saw him going into a church once) He said he was, then they were interested in coming to church with him. That sunday the whole lot of them came together and packed into the church. Everyone was amazed to see a gang of street boys there, clamouring around the pastor with familiarity. And the boys were amazed their "friend" turned out to be the guy up front preaching! That day every one of them accepted Jesus, got filled with the Holy Spirit and went out from there speaking in tongues!

Shortly after the pastor said his heart was deeply troubled - they were now in the family of God but living without a home. He regularly had them over but wanted something better for them. God provided the means for him to buy a beautiful home with large glass windows, a large living room, and beautiful view from the roof. The backyard even has big garden space! So the boys became his sons - and it was amazing to meet them. They are clean, happy, and purposeful young boys growing up into godly men. We asked pastor alot of questions - "Do you have a counselor in the home?" "How did they all get off drugs?" Pastor said the Holy Spirit alone was their counselor, and comforter. Once they surrendered everything to God and lived in His grace and love - they no longer needed the drugs. Their minds became renewed on the Word of God and their bodies began to follow a new order, no longer craving fale stimulants to survive. It wasnt rules and regulations that keep these boys in their new home and new life - its freedom in the love of God, and a new way by the power of the Spirit within them. What an amazing story.

Some day I dream of doing something like this. Having a home, a refuge, a safe place for children to be healed in the presence of God. I could feel my heart burning by this story; my heart is breaking for my friends on the street...