what is one life worth?

Remember Bruto?   I introduced him to you a few weeks prior in my post entitled "WHAT HAPPENS WITH YOU BUY STREETWISE"

It that particular post I told you that Bruto has been living on the streets since he was 8 years old.   He came across our radar a few months ago and we have been talking with him, working with him and making sure he knows how loved he is.  

Our outreach coordinator Tim Phiri spent a lot of time with Bruto gaining his trust, taking him for medical care and loving on him.  Through this we learned that Bruto really wanted to get back to his family so we stepped in to help.

Tim and a friend took Bruto back to his family earlier this week on one HUGE epic journey.   Hitch hiking, arrests, getting stuck with a drunk driver in the african bush and an emotional street kid just scratch the surface.    Tim tells the story way better that I could.

At one point Bruto and Tim were stuck in the middle of no where and Bruto started crying.  Tim (who is about 20 pounds SMALLER than Bruto) turned to him and said "WHY ARE YOU CRYING!?  YOU HAVE BEEN LIVING ON THE STREETS OF LUSAKA FOR A LONG TIME!  I SHOULD BE THE ONE CRYING RIGHT NOW!"  

Needless to say they found the family and a beautiful reunion took place right before their eyes.  Tim said that the uncle had been looking for Bruto to no avail.  He wanted Bruto back and loves him very much.   Many tears of joy were shed by everyone around.

After years of living rougher than anything I have ever seen and beyond my personal comprehension....living with crushing loneliness, rejection and pain.......Bruto has found a place in his family again.  WOW!  

Luis and I have been humbled and amazed at the lengths Jesus will ask us to go through for one persons life.  Bruto, no doubt, is worth the time, energy and resources it took to get him home.  Tim had no clue what they would find on the end of their bus ride.  Would his family want him back? Would they even be alive?

All he had was a burden that God had placed on our hearts as a team that we needed to step in and help this lost lamb find his way home.   And despite all the obstacles that were thrown in their way to get them to stop they FOUND HIS FAMILY IN THE MIDDLE OF NO WHERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (tim wasn't able to take pictures for various reasons)

You wanna know something........this epic journey for Bruto was made possible because you guys purchases Streetwise Craft Co products.  Bruto is one of the many thousands of reasons we work like we do to create a piece that you will cherish and love.

When you purchase Streetwise Craft Co originals you are DEFINITELY making a difference in the life of a precious soul who desperately needs to know how loved they are!

Thank you for all you do!

If you would like to donate to what we are doing here in Zambia please go to TIMES SQUARE CHURCH tsc.nyc ......click on GIVING and follow the links to MORALES FAMILY / ZAMBIA

 

i am until god says i am not

I AM UNTIL GOD SAYS I AM NOT.....Pastor Carter Conlon. 

I finally understood that statement in its entirety this weekend.

Luis and I were out with our family on Saturday afternoon.  They had youth group so Luis and I stayed out goofing off and killing time until they were done.    We picked them up, said bye to friends and headed home ready to relax for the evening and catch up on THIS IS US.  (we love that show and enjoy watching it as a family)

Our plan was to stop at the grocery store before going home but Luis forgot and pulled onto our road before remembering the plan.  Not a biggie, he would drop me and the girls off and head over to the store (we live very close).  When he pulled in he decided to go into the house to change his shorts and grab a hat.  I decided to go look at our neglected vegetable garden.  I haven't payed attention to our sad little plot for months.  Upon going to the garden I found two guys in the back yard.  They were hiding behind the shed.

 It took a second to compute what was happening.  It wasn't until I saw that one of the guys was wearing my daughters back pack on his shoulders that I realized what was happening.  I yelled WHO ARE YOU!?  Then I started yelling for Luis.   Everything happened pretty fast after that.

Before I knew it we had both guys sitting on our porch and our neighbor was hauling bootie back to the house with a police officer.  (there is no 911 in Zambia...if you need the police you have to go get them yourself)

I won't go into gory details, but my husband is a big Puerto Rican and his family was being threatened.....You fill in the blanks.   Then he unleashed me on them and WOW!    I actually think the guys were relieved when the police showed up.   DONT MESS WITH MY BABIES!!!

We were able to recover everything they took PRAISE GOD  and , more importantly, no one in our house was hurt!  

What would have happened if Luis had remembered the store before going home?
What would have happened if he didn't go into the house before heading back out?
What would have happened if I hadn't gone to look in the garden before going into the house?  There is no way we would have seen them if I hadn't gone looking.

I AM UNTIL GOD SAYS I AM NOT!  

God looks after us in ways we may not even see at times!!!!  Our day on Saturday was orchestrated in ways that just blows my mind!  The details that were set in motion and the hand of God in all of it is amazing!  Some call it coincidence, some call it blind luck.  NOT ME!  I call it GOD LOOKING OUT FOR MY FAMILY!!!!

OH I FORGOT TO MENTION SOMETHING!  Our neighbors kids were home alone with their teenage daughter.  The husband had to run and errand and the wife was coming home is 30 minutes after.  Thats when the thieves broke in.  They didn't know anyone was there.  I SHUDDER TO THINK OF WHAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED IF WE DIDN'T GET HOME WHEN WE DID AND THEY FOUND THE KIDS NEXT DOOR!

For I know that my Redeemer lives,

and at the last he will stand upon the earth. Job 19:25

No matter what I know that my Redeemer Lives!  I won't live in Fear!  I won't live in Anxiety our Worry!  I AM UNTIL GOD SAYS I AM NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Do you have that assurance in your heart?  Jesus loves you more than anything!  He died so that you can live!  He rose again from the dead to get the victory over the sin that we are all born in.   All you have to do is choose Jesus!  Believe that he is the Christ the Son of God and that the only way to Heaven is by believing in Him!  He took care of the rest!!!!!!!!!  Let go of all the arguments and the debates and let Jesus carry you and give you the peace you long for.  Because He is the only way the only truth and the only life!