Leoncio talks with a lisp. He stands at about 3 feet tall, but he can take anyone out. He has no fear. He is all jungle. All muscle. All boy.
Adolfo is like his brother, but a bit more reserved. He is hungry for affection, but doesn’t quite know how to get it, except to catch your eye and then run and hide from you. He’s troubled. He’s mischievous. He’s beautiful. I love him.
They’ve both gone back to Iquitos.
This is my first taste of what I know will accompany investment in street children…heartbreak. There’s the heartbreak of knowing their stories, the things they’ve seen, the things they’ve experienced. But then there’s also the heartbreak of not being able to hold onto them too tightly. Not only am I a million miles away, but I am not guaranteed that they will be there when I return for a visit. The vision of Scripture Union is to restore families. They are free to leave and return to their families whenever they choose. This is good (in some ways). But it hurts.
It’s very possible that they will return. I pray that their family will be restored. There is nothing more beneficial for a child than to have a healthy relationship with their biological parents. But if it is not healthy, then I pray that they return.
I am reminded of how little good I can do in a child’s life. I am purely a vessel to communicate the love of Christ. If I am not that, then I am doing nothing for them. I pray that I have been that in their lives. Lord, use me for YOUR purposes, not mine.
**PHOTOS, except the last, courtesy of Britney Almaguer.
