what happens when you buy Streetwise?

I am writing today's blog for two reasons.  I want you to meet Bruto.  And I want you to know what a valuable role you are playing in his life and in many more likes him!

Bruto, as you can see from this picture, has had a rough time of life.  He is only 20 and has been living on the streets since he was 8.......EIGHT YEARS OLD!!!!!!!!  What were you doing when you were EIGHT YEARS OLD!?  I was not fighting for survival in unspeakable odds....thats for sure!

He came across our radar at Streetwise because we found out that he works during the day doing odds and ends wherever he can (carrying grocery bags for people, digging up gardens for others.....) and then uses his wages to buy food for the kids living on the streets with him.  We have begun to ask how can we come along side him, love on him, point him toward Jesus and support what he is wanting to do among his peers?

Long story short, he only came to the shop once a couple of weeks ago, then fell off the radar.  We couldn't find him!  Our team felt VERY STRONGLY that we needed to go find him on Monday and find out what was going on with him.  So, Tim, our outreach guy, went out and found Bruto!  He found him in a suicidal, emotionally tormented mess!

YES THATS RIGHT!!!!!  Bruto was about to go fling himself into traffic when Tim found him!!!!!!!!!  You guys, Im not trying to be dramatic when I share this.....but I want you to know that the situations these guys are living in is desperate.  Bruto had reached the end of his tolerance and he was so desperately alone and afraid and wanting to end it all!  And here comes Tim!  Ready to love him and show Bruto that his life is valuable and purposeful!   Tim got him into a cab and took him to the hospital because he learned that Bruto had a terrible fever.  Tim sat with him ALL DAY, talking with him, praying for him and treating him with love and dignity.    Through out the day Bruto was remember different scriptures our team had shared with him and the impact they have made on his life.    Scriptures that he and Tim had spoken about in times past were coming back to Bruto's memory and he spoke of the hope that it gave him and how much he has appreciated Tim taking the time with him.

What would have happened if Tim hadn't found Bruto when he did!?  This would be a very different posting!

This brings me to the second point I wanted to talk about.....YOU!!!  What happened on Monday in Bruto's life was made possible because YOU purchase our Streetwise Craft Co product!!!  Because you spent you money with us we had the resources necessary to send Tim into town, we had the resources to arm Tim with to meet what ever he found.  Because you bought Streetwise we were able to get Bruto the medical care and the food he desperately needed!  Because you purchased Streetwise you helped save someone's life!!!!!!!!!  THINK ABOUT THAT WHEN YOU LOOK AT YOUR PIECE OF ART HANGING ON THE WALL OF YOUR HOUSE!!!!!  That piece of art holds value beyond the monetary!


THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL YOU DO ON BEHALF OF THE KIDS LIVING HOMELESS IN LUSAKA!!!!!!!!!  Thank you!!!!!  You may not think that your 20 dollars will make a difference, but BELIEVE ME IT DOES!!!!!!!!!!!  Tim was armed with the equivalent of 70 dollars on Monday, and that was enough to buy food, transportation and look after Bruto's medical expenses.

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

If you are interested in seeing more of our pieces for sale you can go to our instagram @streetwisecraftco or visit our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/STREETWISECRAFTCO/

You can also visit the following link if you want to buy a t-shirt!  Represent with your streetwise swag!!!  WOOP WOOP! 

https://www.bonfire.com/streetwise-craft-co-t-shirts/
https://www.bonfire.com/streetwise-craft-co-t-shirts-2/

one purpose one child at a time!

Why do we do the crazy things that we do?  Our missions statement says it all......ONE PURPOSE ONE CHILD AT A TIME

What is the one purpose?   To bring the love and light of Jesus to a group of people who are lost, forgotten and literally cast aside.    These are some statistics found online that I find pretty eye opening to the situation at hand in Zambia.   

• over 30% of all children under the age of 15 are orphans, mainly AIDS orphans
• 80% of the people in rural areas live below the poverty line
• half a million young children are living on the streets, with no one to look after them 
• http://www.street-children.org.uk/african-street-children/zambia

Those numbers are staggering and I immediately feel overwhelmed upon reading them.  I have faces and names that can be assigned to these statistics.  Kids that we have brought into our hearts, kids that we have hugged, kids that we have bandages wounds for, kids that we have cried over.  SO, that is why our missions statement means so much.  

We have to constantly remind ourselves of what the ONE PURPOSE is.  Years ago when we started God told us the purpose was to simply bring Christ to them and allow the kids to make the choice.  All their ability to make choices in their lives was destroyed the day they moved onto the streets.  

Understanding that in that, on a need by need basis, bringing Christ means spending days in the hospital with a kid who has a severly broken finger for two months,  or wading through the muck of a poverty ridden neighborhood to find a street girl and her severly malnourished baby, or simply giving a tired weary boy a safe place to sleep for a few hours and some healthy food.  ONE PURPOSE is an outside of the box statement for Streetwise.  It doesn't look the same every time.  But the PURPOSE remains the same!  

ONE CHILD AT A TIME is simply that.   We can't solve the problem for the 500,000 kids living homeless in Zambia, but we can pour our resources into that one kid who needs love.  We believe whole heartedly that one life SO valuable and worth all the resources heaven has placed at our disposal.  So, that is what we do.  One kid at a time!  

ONE PURPOSE ONE CHILD AT A TIME!!!! 

In order to do this we need your help!  

1. We are actively searching for a place to rent so that we can conduct street outreaches.  Currently we go to the kids, but we see that we need a place where we can control the environment.  The place needed should be near the center of town so the kids will be able to walk there.  

2. We are also actively raising funds to purchase a ministry vehicle.  Hence the logo you see at the top!  In the next week we will be launching a bonfire.com campaign to raise funds.  Its really exciting!!  You will be able to purchase a t-shirt, tank top or hoodie with the above logo on it.  The funds raised from selling shirts will help us buy a bus!!!  We need 10,000 usd in order to accomplish this!  So, you buy a cool t-shirt, and you help a street kid at the same time!!!  GROOVY!!!!  What colors would you like to see? 

3. AND AS ALWAYS!  We need prayer!  PRAYER IS KEY!   We are only as effective on the streets as the prayers we pray!  It is in prayer that we find God's heart, His mind and his strength to accomplish the seemingly impossible task!  

Thanks so much for your consideration in reading this!!!  PLEASE pass it on to your friends and help us spread the word about the street kids!!!!  

If you want to donate for our bus fund you can go to paypal.com using streetwisezambia@gmail.com or you can buy a t-shirt within the week!  ROCK ON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If you would like to give toward our living expenses you can go to tscnyc.org and click on GIVE follow the prompts to MORALES FAMILY /ZAMBIA

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!?

my christmas miracle

I entered into the Christmas season bruised, worn and weary.  To be perfectly honest with you guys I just wasn't feeling it this year.   (anyone else able to relate?)  

I just simply didn't have the energy for it.  In years past we make a family day out of decorating the tree....this year I put the stuff out and let the kids go to town.  (I was dealing with a bad back, could hardly stand up with out crying and just was not in the mood)

November and December are crazy busy for us typically......two of my kids and my husbands have their birthdays in December.....ministry is busy .....plus all we have been dealing with internally and physically.......well, Im sure you get the picture.....Where was the energy to make eggnog from scratch in 95 degree weather while trying to muster up that "christmas smell" wearing a tank top and shorts listening to Michael Buble' sing about White Christmas going to come from? 

Christmas eve dawned rainy and muggy.  We had plans to go to a friends house and I made my traditional pot of chili.  (I grew up eating chili on Christmas eve).  So I made a nice meal and we got dressed and went over to our friends house.  It was a nice time of fellowship and we all enjoyed the company.  (My chili was a hit!)  After we ate we all gathered in the living room to sing some Christmas carols.  And thats when my Christmas miracle hit!  

As we sat in the living room we were able to watch the most glorious lighting storm roll in....it was majestic!  It was like it was scripted....as the storm rolled in we were singing the following lyrics.......

Yea, Lord, we greet Thee, born this happy morning;

Jesus, to Thee be all glory giv'n!

Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing! 

It was as if the angels were dancing in remembering the glory and majesty of the most beautifully significant moment in history.  Jesus Christ, Lord of heaven and earth was born as a small and helpless baby to be able to identify with all things that make us weak and frail.....he set an example of HOW to live in victory and THEN PURCHASED our freedom from sin and death on the cross of calvary!  Everything he did, everything he said, everything that motivated him was FOR US to have the opportunity to walk with Him and be free from our sin.  

In that moment of awestruck wonder at the beauty of Jesus and his amazing sacrifice he made FOR ME AND YOU I felt his gentle voice tug at my bruised and exhausted heart.....Myranda, I have been with you every step of the way....when you have felt lonely and desperate, when you have felt desperate and hopeless, exhausted and weary, I have held your hand and covered you through it all! And I am here now! It is going to be ok!  

I sat there with silent tears of gratitude as I felt the loving and gracious hand of Jesus sooth me and gently hold me.  (I am crying as I write this)  

That the God of heaven and earth would CHOOSE to humble himself and make himself NOTHING, to be born in the lowiliest and basest of ways.....to DIE A HORRIBLE AND TERRIBLE DEATH SO THAT I CAN LIVE......and for no other reason other than the fact that he loves me......WOW!  He expects NOTHING but my love and my faith in return!  

In the end it turned out to be one of the more beautiful Christmases I have celebrated because I was reminded of WHY.....truly WHY!   

Jesus Christ LOVES YOU and LONGS for you!  Why are you running?  Aren't you tired of running?  

Jesus said this.....

28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”  Matthew 11:28-30

Let Him be your burden bearer!  Let me take your sins from you so that you can walk light and free in Jesus!!  TRUST ME, YOU WON'T REGRET IT!!  I PROMISE!  

My Musonda Experience

I was talking to a friend the other day and we were talking about how 2017 started with a bang and seems to be ending with a boom.   Some of us have dealt with health issues, some have dealt with marriage problems, some financial, some its been a bit of all of the above and then some.  I think it is safe to assume that across the board it has been rough!   Why!?

Well.......allow me to share my experiences with Musonda to illustrate.

A couple of weeks ago ......to top it all off ......I threw out my back.....second time this year.  And it was bad.  I was crying every time I stood up.  This came on the heels of my daughter needing an emergency appendectomy and other personal stuff that was taking my breath away.   GOD NO!  Like SERIOUSLY GOD!?  I can't work, I can't walk, I can't move!  NO!

So, I went to visit Musonda.  Musonda is a brilliant physical therapist here in Lusaka who has done wonders for friends of mine, so I decided to go check her out.  I limped into her office on a Monday morning in serious pain barely able to stand up straight.  Musonda MAYBE comes to my shoulder .  She is a little spunky ball of energy and strength.   She had me lay down on her table and she immediately pinpointed the problem.  She put her finger right in the center of the pain and asked if it hurt......after I peeled myself off the ceiling and affirmed her diagnoses, she began working.  AND IT FRIGGIN HURT!

She had me twisted like a pretzel, kneaded my muscles like she was preparing bread dough.  I squealed and squirmed and had to force myself to not cry because I knew ultimately it was for my good.  I walked out of her office feeling like crumpled grocery bag and wondering if there was any purpose to the torture.

She gave me instructions to return five more times every other day.  I ended up with bruises on my back that freaked out my husband, and some days I walked out feeling worse than when I went in.  Wondering what the point was I began to see parallels to what I was going through physically to what I was experiencing spiritually.  Because at the same time my heart felt so dry, barren and exhausted. I was feeling stunned and unable to put up any sort of fight.  Just wanting to sit back and let life roll over me.  I was crying a lot and just feeling completely spent and wasted.  

After the fourth visit I came home in SO MUCH pain.  I felt discouraged and frustrated that it felt just as bad and when I began......THEN!!!  THEN!!!!!!  OH WOW....THEN!!!!!!!  I called a friend who is also a physical therapist to find out what was going on and she said this.......when the effected muscles are loosened and realigned there is pain to be expected because they basically have to retrain themselves to do their jobs properly.  THAT WAS WHEN IT STARTED TO SINK IN!!!!!  God was dealing with the knotted up muscles of my heart that needed to be dealt with.  Walls that I have put up or areas that I didn't even know existed were being pulled down and exposed and IT HURT!  It was feeling worse than ever and I hated it.  BUT!!!!!!!!!!!!  After I got off the phone with my friend I felt the gentle tug of Jesus on my heart comforting me and assuring me that it is going to be ok!  To trust him in the process and to believe that he truly and seriously does work all things out for my good and to His glory!  PRAISE GOD!  He has taken what I thought was hopeless pain and failure and has worked a beauty in my heart that causes me to give Him and Him alone Glory!  Jesus saves!  Jesus loves!!  Jesus lives!  HALLELUJAH!  I can say that as I write this my heart feels freer than ever before.  AND I am pain free in my back.   HALLELUJAH

Are you tired and weary?  Its ok!  Go to Jesus and let Him refresh your heart!  One thing I have learned from these experience is its ok that I am tired.  Its ok that I need to take a step back from the front lines for a minute or two.  Just be careful that when you need to rest that you do it in the presence of Jesus and allow him to fill you.  Don't fill you jars with bad oil!

Are you worn out with sin?  Its ok!  Go to Jesus and let Him give you freedom!  He came and died for your freedom!  You don't have to carry the burden of sin on your back any longer!  There is nothing you have done that Jesus hasn't already won the victory over!


"I Am Yours"

I see Your fingerprints
The work of Your hands
It's all in Your hands
I see the evidence
Leaving nothing to chance
The world's in Your hands

So I rest in Your promises
Now I am sure of this
I'm Yours

Let the waters rise
I will stand as the oceans roar
Let the earth shake beneath me
Let the mountains fall
You are God over the storm
And I am Yours

I hear the voice of love
Calling me home
To where I belong
It cripples every fear
And the ones who will kneel
Will walk away healed

So I rest in Your promises
Now I am sure of this
I'm Yours
No power is strong enough
To separate me from Your love
I'm Yours...

So let the waters rise
I will stand as the oceans roar
Let the earth shake beneath me
Let the mountains fall
You are God over the storm
And I am Yours

Even the thunder and the wind obey
At the command of my Father, Father
I set my feet upon Your mighty name
So let the rain fall harder, harder

So take my everything, my flesh and blood
I'll lay me down on the altar, altar
I am forever covered in Your love
So let the rain fall

So let the waters rise
I will stand as the oceans roar
Let the earth shake beneath me
Let the mountains fall
You are God over the storm
And I am Yours

[x2:]
Let the waters rise
I will stand as the oceans roar
Let the earth shake beneath me
Let the mountains fall
You are God over the storm
And I am Yours

You are God over the storm
And I am Yours