Streetwise NEEDS you!!!!

This is Mulenga.  I just adore his sweet sweet face! 

Luis is explaining to the boys where the hats came from.  

God has recently reminded me of the mandate He gave us for the streets kids of Zambia.    Basically it is this.....RELATIONSHIP!!!!   It is all about building trust and establishing relationship.   He has reminded me and refreshed me to the reality that we are not the answer to the issue, Jesus Christ is the answer!  All we have to do is be consistent, to show up when we say we are going to show up and lend a listening ear.  Thats it!   The rest is up to God!  

These guys are showing off the hats the Military Ministry ladies at TSC made for them.  

It is hard to keep the above mentioned in focus when we come in contact weekly with CHILDREN who are hungry, broken, filthy and cold.   I can’t tell you how many times I just want to pile as many of them in my car as possible and bring them home, feed them hot soup, give them hots baths, and tuck them into nice comfy beds in a clean house where they don’t have to worry about roaches crawling on their faces, or being cold, or being robbed.  

Streetwise has grown!  We have been faithful to the best of our abilities to the mandate God has given us.  We have gone out faithfully every wednesday since January 2012.  We have a team!  We even have an outreach coordinator!   We are going to expand the outreaches to a Saturday morning one as well.  We have discovered where the boys sleep in a drainage ditch at night.  So we want to show up there with hot tea and sandwiches when they wake up.  

The Craft Co side of things has been underway for a year.  For that amount of time Luis and I have been slaving away in our living room / dining room developing a product that we can teach the boys how to do and then they can go on and make a living for themselves.  

Our Craft Co display set up on our front porch.  We allow customers to come to our home and shop or place orders.  

Here is the issue......because it is in our home, we cannot bring the boys in to work.  We have three little girls that we need to consider, plus neighbors who might not appreciate the intrusion.  In addition to the fact, I am SICK of tripping over piles of wood and spray paint cans in an attempt to make dinner and do homework with my children. 

Me in our "dining room" / art room

the "dining room" 

How can you help?

1. You can PRAY!  PLEASE PRAY!!!!!!!!!!  We need a space to open up for us to move the operation into!  We have        been looking at one near our home, but the land lord seems to be stalling.   PLEASE PRAY!!!!!!!  We desperately want to work more effectively with the boys!  Also please pray that more people get involved.  We are going to need more day to day help when the Lord allows us to move into the space.   English classes, feeding programs, and SWCO skills. 

2. You can give!  You can give financially to the work.   As of now the cost of running Streetwise is about 300 usd per month.  That includes supplies needed for the Craft Co, supplies for the outreaches and any extra expenses that come up.  When we get into the studio, PRAYERFULLY BY JANUARY!!!!! The costs will shoot up to 2,000 usd per month.  That is inclusive of the rent, bills, food 2x per day for the boys, and wages, plus the above mentioned supplies for the outreaches and the craft co.  Would you be willing to sacrifice two Starbucks a month to give a kid a fighting chance at a future?   Two Vente Caramel Latte is enough to purchase bread and tea for 30 kids!  

3. You can come volunteer your time!!!  “But Myranda I don’t know what I am doing!”  Doesn’t matter one whit!!!!  All  you need is a willing heart and an open mind and a set of clothes you don’t mind getting filthy!  It is FUN! 

4. You can help us spread the word!  Where you are you can hold fundraisers!  

Pancake Breakfasts! 

Spagetti Dinners!

Car Washes!

Fun Runs!

Karaoke Night!!! 

Silent Auctions!

The list is endless!!!!! 

Here is my point......If God is burdening you with Streetwise and you can’t physically get on a plane and come over, NO WORRIES!!!  You can get involved where you are!!  Pray!!  Give!!  ACT!!!  

A missionary is only as effective as the people supporting them!!  

You guys ROCK MY WORLD!!!!!!!!!!  ALWAYS AND FOREVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

If you are interesting in giving financially to Streetwise you can go to tscnyc.org. Click on GIVE.  Follow the prompts to MISSIONARIES then choose our name.  It is tax deductible!  (thats always a plus!!!)

streetwise fun runs rock!!!!!!!!!

Last saturday October 4th 250 people gathered at the Lusaka South Country Club for the 2nd Annual Moonlight Fun Run to benefit Streetwise. 

From left to right Nikki Timmerman, Luis, me and Ilke Greene

Nikki Timmerman and Ilke Greene took the initiative and planned the first one last year.  They both wanted to get involved with Streetwise outreaches, but due to family commitments and husbands work schedules, they are unable to.  They decided this is how they could be involved.  AMAZING!  And again this year.  We never asked for this to be done, they just did it!   What they are able to pull together blows my mind!  And they didn’t do it for themselves or for any thanks....they just want to be a part of the team.  Those amazing ladies raised 2,200 USD!  WOOHOO!!!! 

   

Courtney won first place for the women's!  GO GIRL! 

The guy shown here won last year and again this year!  Yup, he's awesome 

The kids ran a half race and got one of a kind Streetwise participant medals as a reward . 

There was even glow in the dark body paint.....tons of it.  :-) 

We think he took a bath in the paint.  

All in all a wonderful evening filled with laughs and happy memories! 

What is the money going to be used for? 

With in the month (but Africa being Africa, might be January) we will be moving the Streetwise base of operations OUT of our living room and into an actual work space!!!!!  

We are super pumped about that for several reasons, A few of which are....

1. We get our living room back 

2. We will be able to begin bringing the boys into the craft studio on a day to day basis to being teaching them in a more concentrated manner.  

3. We will be able to hold outreaches from the store front.  This will enable us to control the environment the kids are coming into in a productive manner. 

4. Did I mention WE GET OUR LIVING ROOM BACK!?

The money raised will help with rentals,  buying food for the boys that come to the trade school and helping support kids that we send to Teen Challenge rehab.  

How can you help?

PRAY!!!!!!  Pray for us!!!  Pray for our family!  Pray for the Streetwise team. PRAY!!!!! Get a group together and PRAY!!!!!!  A missionary is only as effective as the people praying for them! 

You can give financially.  (I hate putting that part in there, but its true!)

You can hold fundraisers for Streetwise where you are!  Nikki and Ilke saw a need, saw how they could help, and they took off with it.  You could have a car wash, a spaghetti dinner, bake sales, pancake dinners, silent auctions, raffles.  The list of possibilities is endless.  Not only does it raise awareness for Streetwise, it provides an opportunity for you to get your community together for some fun family time!  

PRAY!!!!!!

Thank you so much for your time!!!! 

Luis with one of our Streetwise volunteers, Chibwe.

If you would like to give to what we are doing here please go to tscnyc.org, click MAKE A DONATION, the choose MISSIONS, then MORALES FAMILY, ZAMBIA.  

my tribute to Uncle Mike

As many of you may know my Uncle Mike died last week.  He had terminal brain cancer.  He died surrounded by love and family and went straight to the arms of Jesus.  

As I can't be there for the funeral, I asked my Dad if he could read the following at the service for me.

As I have sat and thought and pondered over the life of my Uncle Mike, the memories that stick most in my mind are of him standing at our stove in Dallas making chili and his laugh.  He made the yummiest chili and he had the most infectious belly laugh of any one I have ever heard.  You couldn’t help but be happy and join in when he laughed. 

When I got the news that he had gone home to Jesus a visual immediately popped into my mind of him wearing a white robe with a baseball hat and I heard his laughter.  It was a laugh of victory, joy and homecoming.  I saw him holding hands with Grandma Marie and Grandpa Gene and my heart was filled with joy and sadness.  Joy that his suffering is over and that he has heard those beautiful words “Well Done Mike Hampton!  Enter into your joy!!!”   Sadness that I won’t hear him laugh until I join him there, and yes it was all tinged with a bit of jealousy.

My father pointed out a crucial fact to me when Mike died.  Uncle Mike lead Dad to the saving knowledge of Jesus, which lead Dad to make the decision to attend the Sheep fold, which lead to him meeting my mother, which ultimately lead to......ME!  I now serve the Lord along with my amazing husband and kids in Africa.  Mike played a crucial role in that!  Kinda mind blowing!  We never know the impact our lives are having!  The groovy thing thing is now Mike sees the bigger picture and he sees that!  

The best way I know to honor my uncle is to share the love of Jesus with you all now.  The saving knowledge of Christ is what drove Mike.  At the core of everything Mike loved Jesus Christ more than anything.  If he were standing here now he would plead with you, probably beg you to consider what Christ has done for you!  One thing I have always respected about Mike is when life knocked him down, he NEVER EVER gave up on his love for Jesus.  He simply picked himself off, brushed off his knees and kept moving forward.   

Jesus Christ died on a cross for you and me.  He died a wicked and cruel death so that we don’t have to be separate from Him for all eternity.  Our sin keeps us separate from the love of Jesus, but the sacrifice He made on the cross is the bridge that crosses the divide.  When He said on the cross “It is Finished” He meant just that.  The driving, the trying, the striving to prove ourselves......the need for all that was wiped away with the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross!!!  It is a free gift!  He loves you and me with a love that is beyond understanding.  Mike would say to you today “Please!  Don’t let the opportunity for peace pass you by!  Let Jesus take away the burden of your heart.....the burden of sin, the burden of sadness and rejection, and let him replace the emptiness with His Joy, with His Peace that goes beyond all understanding...with His Life!!!” 

My Uncle Mike loved life, but more than that he loved the people in it.  No matter what life threw at him, no matter how bad things got, he loved us and he loved Jesus!  

Thank you! 

missionary moms and rough morning

This morning I sent my eldest born off on a camping trip for 5 days with her class.  We got into a screaming fight right before she got into the car with her dad to be whisked away into the bush....the AFRICAN BUSH for FIVE DAYS!

She wanted control over how and what to pack in her bag and I, being a mother, wanted to make sure she has enough undies and jeans.  Cut me some slack!  She was trying to pack a pair with a wet waist band and I had a panic that her entire bag was going to be wet and mildewy by the time she reached the campsite.  I AM A MOM!!!  I CAN’T HELP IT!  I just sent my baby off FOR FIVE DAYS IN THE AFRICAN BUSH!  Did I mention that she can’t take her phone so we can’t call!?

We must have looked a sight!  I was there in my pj and racoon eyes from yesterdays make up shouting ‘ALL I WANT IS FOR YOU TO HAVE WHAT YOU NEED’ while Amira is giving me the sideways evil eye......yeah, not my most dignified moment.  

Can I just PULEASE crawl back in bed and start all over!?  

After she left and I thought it through it hit me with force....she isn’t five!  My baby is growing!   She is no longer the round faced, apple cheeked red headed wonder....She is now grown into a tall red headed beauty with a mind of her own.  (to be honest I like it that way!  I want my girls to be strong and confident!)  All she wanted was the control over how and what to pack in her bag.  And I need to trust that she can pack her own jeans and that she knows how many pairs of underwear and socks she will need for the trip.  

But in my defense, I AM A MOM!!!!  And I always will be!!!  It is hard to let go!  Is that why God has us raise teenagers BEFORE they officially leave for their own lives?  It is a little bit of letting go every day.  

Parenting is HHHAAARRRDDDD work!  We won’t get it right all the time and that is perfectly ok!  How else are our kids going to learn that it is ok to make mistakes?  How else will our kids learn about the grace and mercy of Jesus unless they see us fall flat on our faces and show some transparency and humble honesty when we apologize?  

suffering

I have been struggling how to put my thoughts into words lately.

There is so much suffering going on around us!  I don't think that there are many of us that can say any more "THANK GOD ITS NOT ME!"  You know what I mean..you hear stories of others suffering and pain and you empathize, you pray and you have compassion, but deep down you think "God thank You for sparing me and my family!"  

I have been following the story of Brandon Hayslip and his family.  Soon, barring a miracle, Brandon will go home to be with Jesus.  His suffering will end, but his family will be left with a broken place in their hearts.  God WHY!?

My own family is dealing with the sudden diagnosis of brain cancer for my uncle, Mike Hampton.  Again, barring a miracle, he will go home to be with Jesus.

It may not be sickness, it may be financial suffering.  "God how on earth am I going to put food on the table tonight?"  or maybe it is an internal battle that no one sees but you and Jesus.  You know those battles of the mind that you can't seem to put into words, but you feel as if you are going to drown in it?  I myself was just there the other day. I sent a message to my dearest friend asking for prayer.  She knows me well and I knew I didn't have to explain myself.  (THANKS FRIEND!!!!)

The other day I got before God and poured it all out to Him.  I was honest.  I was blunt.  I was transparent.  (why not!?  He knows anyway!)

Here is the resolve that came into my heart:

Even though the world is falling apart, even though suffering is happening at break neck speeds now, even though we are not assured of our tomorrows,  there is one thing we are assured of!  One thing that we can put our hope and trust and faith in!  The word of God WILL NEVER CHANGE!!!!!  Who God is, what God is WILL NEVER CHANGE!  I can choose to believe the report of the Lord or I can believe in the despair and the hopelessness that is surrounding our world now.

Psalm 3:3-8

3 But you, Lord, are a shield around me,
    my glory, the One who lifts my head high.
4 I call out to the Lord,
    and he answers me from his holy mountain.

5 I lie down and sleep;
    I wake again, because the Lord sustains me.
6 I will not fear though tens of thousands
    assail me on every side.

8 From the Lord comes deliverance.
    May your blessing be on your people.

These words gave me so much hope and comfort and I pray they do the same for you!

If you don't know Jesus...He loves you so very much!!!!  He longs to sooth you wounded and broken soul.  He longs to give you comfort!  He died on the cross and suffered for you so you can know peace.  It is a free gift!  The forgiveness of Jesus, while bought with  the price of his blood, is freely given to all who believe!  Jesus has the answers!  Jesus WILL fill the void that you are so desperate to fill!  That is a promise!  I know because he did it for me!


Ok for some reason my crazy African internet won't let me down load this video I wanted to insert, so I will give you the link.....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXS-FidS0Yw

The lyrics are below and I think it sums up what I am trying to say.......

Holy, You are still holy
Even when the darkness surrounds my life
Sovereign, You are still sovereign
Even when confusion has blinded my eyes

Lord, I don't deserve Your kind affection
When my unbelief has kept me from Your touch
I want my life to be a pure reflection
Of Your love

And so I come into Your chamber
And I dance at Your feet, Lord
You are my Saviour
And I'm at Your mercy
All that has been in my life
Up 'til now
It belongs to You
You are still holy

Holy, You are still holy
Even though I don't understand Your ways
Sovereign, You will be sovereign
Even when my circumstances don't change

Lord, I don't deserve your tender patience
When my unbelief has kept me from Your truth
I want my life to be a sweet devotion
To You

And so I come into Your chamber
And I dance at Your feet, Lord
You are my Saviour
And I'm at Your mercy
All that has been in my life
Up 'til now
It belongs to You
I belong to You

And so I come into Your chamber
And I dance at Your feet
You are my Saviour
And I'm at Your mercy
All that has been in my life
Up 'til now
It belongs to You
I belong to You
You are still holy
You are still sovereign
You are still holy, Lord
You are still righteous
You are all-knowing
You are still holy

musings on streetwise and all that entails.

What is Streetwise? 

Streetwise was birthed in 2012 out of a need we saw to build a relationship with the kids that was built out of mutual trust and respect that works both ways.  

 Let me put it to you this way....they KNOW when people are treating them like a project and when people are sincere.  I have to say that these boys know how to read people!  I respect them so much for their sincerity and their transparency.  When you gain their loyalty and trust you have a friend for life!

We saw that in the process of getting the kids off the streets there needs to be a middle ground.  A transition so to speak.  It is jarring to grab someone out of their “home culture” and with no warning or preparations plop them into a new culture. The majority of the boys we encounter have never had ANY parenting to speak of.  They sleep in the drainage system.  Basically they live like puppies in the wild.  That is their culture.   They know nothing of how to sleep in a safe home in a comfy bed.  Might as well ship them all off to China.  That is how much of a shock to their systems it is.  Many times after two weeks or so they take off back to the streets.  BUMMER! 

This picture was taken by Luis and one of our team members Clive.  It shows where the boys sleep.  If you look you will find where the kids have made a "bed" for themselves.  

This picture shows where the boys enter into the drainage to go to sleep.  

So our goal is to help prepare them, to ease them into life in a home.  We are also working to build relationships with the various homes around the city so that we can target kids that need a home and then help bridge the gap for them.  As of now we work closely with a Teen Challenge facility 45 minutes outside of Lusaka.  We have sent two kids there with the hopes of a third sometime soon.   

Wafuka, the director of Teen Challenge Zambia, put it this way... “The Morales’ catch em and we fry em up”.  

Something that Luis and I both feel very strongly about is that there isn’t a blanket approach that will work with all the boys.  Their needs are so varied that what works for Chembe might not work with Bwalya.  One thing that has been made clear to me is the issue of trust......All the adults in their lives have abused their trust.  Those whose job it has been to look after them and love them have abused that, so therefore what reason do they have to trust anyone?  Why would a kid whose mother tried to poison him ever have any reason to trust an adult?  

The fact that we simply show up every Wednesday night means the world to these guys.  The fact that no matter what they throw at us, we are there to love them.  Believe me when I tell you they have tried every way to test our sincerity.  But we keep showing up!

Just a few weeks ago I shared that the outreach was NUTSO and we had to cut it short.  We showed up the following week and I was amazed!  They were so humble and sorry for their behavior the week before and they all apologized!  WHAT!?  They knew and understood that their behavior was what caused us to leave early.  They didn’t make excuses. They didn’t blame shift.  They accepted responsibility for their actions!  AND they were honestly shocked when we did come back!  Bless their hearts!  They thought we weren’t going to ever show up again!  How healing must that have been for them when they saw us pull up with smiles, hugs and hot tea!?  And I was boosted because I knew God had been working on their hearts!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  BABY STEPS!!! 

What can you do to help? 

The major need we have at the moment is an outreach center.  We need to be able to control the environment.  Right now on the streets it is a game of ANYTHING GOES!  Spin the wheel, you never know what you will get..

In the center we will be able to...

1. feed the boys a hot healthy meal

2. offer medical care

3. a safe place to get away from the insanity they live in 

4. we will be able to control what happens and gage the boys progress in a more systematic fashion.  

We need finances to do this.  We are looking at a place right now that will cost about 1,000 usd a month to operate.  That covers rent, food for the boys, security and electricity and water. 

Would you pray about how God would have you to help?  

If you feel led to be a part of Streetwise financially you can make a one time or monthly donation (tax deductible)
 to Times Square Church.......go to tscnyc.org and click "GIVE" and follow the instructions to donate to "MISSIONS SUPPORT" and select our name MORALES FAMILY / ZAMBA.   Easy Breasy! 

titles fail me

I woke up this morning to the disturbing news that is happening in Iraq and Syria.  Innocent people are suffering horrifically for their choice to follow Jesus.  Not only that, innocent CHILDREN are suffering in ways that make my heart cringe and my soul sick.  You have all read the reports and seen CNN.

For a few days I have been pondering over this new trend that seems to be permeating the western church culture (and in light of what I read this morning it seems appropriate now to write what has been on my heart).  We have to multiply....we have to disciple.....we have to be good soldiers for Jesus so that we get gold stars next to our names in heaven.

Please please don't misunderstand me, those are good and right things.  We have to be out sharing our faith with any one and everyone who will listen!  People are dying for their faith as I write this, and most of us are to scared to open our bibles in public for fear of offending.  So, yes all of us need to be challenged and need to be taught scriptures so that we don't stumble over our own tongues and passion.

But here is my dilemma.....are we relying to much on trends and the books of the day to dictate our stance for Jesus?  Are we being swayed by popular "cool" Christianity in our need to look relevant and appropriate?  Is our desire to create a cool vibe out weighing the need for our hearts to be  challenged and our sins being dealt with in light of the cross?

I have always believed that true revival starts with a cry of repentance in the hearts of the church.  That when I am living in a right, transparent relationship with Jesus, when I am constantly examining my life in the light of God's word and allowing the Lord to delve, probe and do surgery on the areas that hurt, that my passion for the lost and my desire to share the freedom I have in Jesus with grow and expand.  That when the moment arises God will fill my heart and my mouth with the words that are needed in the moment.

Again, please don't misunderstand.......I truly believe in good godly teaching that inspires and challenges my heart.  But I think that now is the time for the church to put the "how to" books down and to get on our faces and seek God's will for our lives and for the lives of the lost around us.  

Our "brothers and sisters" are suffering in ways that world hasn't seen since the days of the Roman Empire and the colosseum.  Let us hold high the banner of Jesus Christ and not be afraid!

The scriptures say "He will keep you strong until the end!"