good things come to those who hustle

Many of you have asked how this cholera scare has effected the outreaches we conduct at Streetwise. Well......last week members of our team went to meet with the head of Community Development to find out about how and when we can move forward.  (This guy answers directly to the president so it was pretty sweet that we were able to get a meeting with him!)  He told us that WE ARE THE ONLY ORGANIZATION WHO CAME TO GET COUNSEL AND ADVICE!!!!!!  Many other groups have been shut down because they weren't willing to follow protocol.

Anywho.......what we were told is that we are able to go see the kids but we can't go in big groups like we normally do and we can't pass out food yet.    Starting Friday we are going to begin to look for the kids again.  Since this whole mess started in December the kids we work with have been scattered all over the city.  Bless their hearts, they can't stay in one place for to long or they will be caught by the police and arrested.   Please pray that we can find them!

THEN Saturday we are holding the first market for 2018.  As many of you know we make art pieces to sell and that supports the work we do with the kids on the streets.  They are also afforded the opportunity to come to the shop and learn some skills from us.  We are able to evaluate their needs better and make a wiser decision on how to help them.

This Saturday we are holding a sale in our shop where the entire stock will be 25% to 50% off.  If you are in Lusaka you should come by and say HI!  It is a great opportunity to see what we do, buy a piece of art and help feed some hungry street kids!  I have scattered some photos through this blog of what we will be selling.  These and SO MUCH MORE!

In addition to the outreaches in town we also hold a community outreach near our shop.  About 9 months ago we began visiting this sweet lady because her daughter lives on the streets.  Through our visits an outreach to the neighborhood kids started.  Just like in the streets, we have also had to put this outreach on hold.  Hopefully next week we will be able to gather the kids again.  







How can you help?

1.  You can give your time!!!!  We take volunteers on Thursdays and Fridays.  We conduct the outreaches on these days.  We can't reach the kids of Lusaka unless you get involved.  We need you to come and love on some kids who are desperate to know they aren't forgotten about.  Then if you choose you can hang in the shop with us and paint and get messy.  It promises to be a fun day!

2.  You can give financially.   Specifically we are needing to purchase a bus so that we can conduct outreaches more effectively.  This will become the vehicle that the kids can associate with Streetwise and it will give our team more mobility to get to other parts of the city where the kids are.  I will be rolling out a go fund me page soon with more details on how you can help in this regard

3.  YOU CAN PRAY!!!!!!!!!  We are only as effective as Streetwise as those who are praying!  Specifically you can pray for more volunteers to get involved to help spread the love of Jesus to the kids.  Pray for wisdom and direction as a team.  Pray for provision, not only for a van, but for the daily needs the ministry has....financial needs, spiritual needs.  Somedays the work is extremely exhausting.  Pray for grace, for strength and for the rest that is needed.

YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME!!!  This is a body ministry.  We LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!!!!!!!

If you feel led to give you give to our personal needs as a family you can go to tscnyc.org click on GIVE and follow the prompts to MORALES FAMILY / ZAMBIA

love and cholera

Love in a time of cholera…..isn’t that a movie title? 

Oh man….well, what is going on with the Morales? 

We are now living in the middle of a cholera outbreak.  It seems to be contained to certain areas of the city where we live, but since there have been few cases found in areas outside of those areas the government has decided, wisely, to implement certain bans and restrictions in hopes of curbing the spread.  Cholera is nasty business that preys on the weak, young and old.  

What does that mean for us?  School openings have been postponed until further notice. The Health Minister stated that they will review the situation January 30th.  We have been told to be very careful with our food.  We aren’t eating out and we are basically limiting our movements.  In addition to delaying the start of schools, the government has banned all meetings of anyone over 5 people.  Meaning weddings, church meetings, funerals ect.... 

As far as our work is concerned, we aren’t able to conduct outreaches  (the ban on meetings of more than 5 people applies).  In addition to the closing of schools, this is very frustrating to me because we aren’t able to check on the kids living in the streets.  A colleague who works with another street outreach program saw kids at her center right before the ban was enforced and she said that none of the kids we all work with are sick.  THAT IS GOD’S GRACE!!!!!  

How can you help?  PLEASE PRAY!!!  Please pray for a swift and quick end to this.  Please pray that no more loss of life occurs.  So far, based on the reports I have read, 61 people have died.  PLEASE pray for the kids living on the streets.  Please pray that God will keep them safe and that they will see Jesus’ love in this time of uncertainty for so many people.  Pray that the church of Jesus in Zambia will rise up and be found working and acting in compassion toward those who can’t do anything to help themselves.  

And….(and I don’t mean this to be silly) please pray that they open the schools QUICKLY!  Not only for my family (I HAVE THREE TEENAGERS)  but they have shut down the ENTIRE education system for THE ENTIRE COUNTRY!  NO ONE CAN GO TO SCHOOL!   This boggles my brain.  How many millions of children aren’t able to attend school!?  I understand the reasoning behind NOT allowing schools to open, but having an entire city full of bored kids sounds like a powder keg to me.  (not to mention the 3 in my house)

You guys are awesome and we adore you all IMMENSELY!

hope for 2018

I am looking with hope and expectancy on 2018.  Will it have its challenges?  Sure!  Will it have its joys?  OF COURSE!  Will I grow from it?  I sure hope so!

Streetwise will continue to move forward and grow as God sees fit.  Of this we are confident.....it has NOTHING to do with us, but EVERYTHING to do with the leading hand of Jesus.  Our hearts are more set on seeing the kids living homeless in Lusaka set free to love Jesus and discover their God given potential.  We want them to go back to their homes and be an influence for change in their situations.

We have taken a different approach to the outreaches for now.  We no longer go out at night.  It became chaotic, and from experience, we have learned that when that happens it is time to take a minute and re evaluate.  So now we go out on Friday mornings to a place called LOW LINES and we feed the kids sandwiches and fruit (easy stuff) and we hold church.  God brought us back to the realization that it isn't our job to bring change to the kids.  It is our job to bring them Jesus and then we MUST step back and watch Jesus do the work.  So, we now have what we affectionately call "Street Church"  Its amazing!  We WORSHIP!  When those kids sing to Jesus they sing with all their hearts.    From this we are beginning to see those who are leaders, those whose hearts are tender and pliable and willing to be changed.   We will also begin a regular outreach that is specific to the girls.  We are hoping to quarterly bring them to a location away from the boys and their surroundings and give them the opportunity to simply be teenage girls with no pressure and no pain.  If only for a moment.

We have had the privilege in 2017 to put about 10 kids on a bus to go home.  We have take numerous kids to the hospital to get the medical care they so desperately need.  We strongly believe that by seeing a kid through their needs we are planting seeds of trust and hope in their hearts.  To see that someone cares enough about them to make sure their broken fingers are set and their bad teeth are taken care of speaks volumes of God's loving care for their lives.  Samuel Mwelwa has graduated from Teen Challenge after living almost 10 years on the streets as an alcoholic.  Through the course of his rehabilitation he has been re connected with his mom and sisters and is working at the Teen Challenge as a counselor!  It is amazing!!!

It is our hope to establish outreaches every day in the city of Lusaka.  We believe that in order to reach the kids with the love of Jesus they need to see us consistently and regularly.  Why would they believe that jesus loves them if we don't show us when we promise?  In order to do that we need folks to get involved.

We need a bus.   That bus will become the outreach point.  In this bus we will be able to feed kids, provide basic medical help, clothe those who need it and pray with all.  It will also serve at transportation to get kids to the hospital who need specialized care (the need for this is pretty regular as you can imagine).  We will also be able to use this bus to help with transportation needs when visiting teams come to work with us.

Would you pray for us?  Would you pray for the provision to get this bus, for the provision to continue to help meet the needs of the kids?  Would you pray for people to get involved?  Scripture is pretty clear that true religion is to look after those who can't look after themselves.    We can't call ourselves the church of Jesus Christ if we aren't willing to be broken for the needy and those who so desperately need to know they are loved.

If you would like to give to Streetwise you can go to tscnyc.org    You click on GIVE and follow the prompts to MORALES FAMILY / ZAMBIA

Lets make 2018 a ROCKING YEAR!  WHOSE WITH ME!?