Battling against and pushing through

Persistently pushing against a large force that is bigger then us is what it feels like we are doing at times.

So many thing battling against these kids, their families and against the work we are trying to do in this community.

This week I had the chance to go into the local school to volunteer for a couple hours.

The school system is horrible, and this is not to say all school system are but this particular school has a very difficult situation as many of the teachers see is as a place that they need to put in their time before they can move to a better school with better kid. 

They don't care about how well the kid do or weather they understand the lesson or not. The kids at this school are so far behind, kids in grade 6 hardly know multiplication and students in grade 2 can barely read.

On Wednesday I was placed in a grade 2 class room with 20 little kids and one flustered teacher.

She yelled at the kids, told them it was their fault they where not learning, told little boys they will be womanizer and continually confused them.

If this isn't enough the have parents who don't understand or assist in their education. They are often time treated as a burden and told that they are stupid or not worth it when they cause trouble.

Some have parents who are not even aware enough to be able to put an "X" beside their child' name to sign them out when we bring them home.

On top of this they have peer pressure, gang influence, and many of the kids do not believe that they will ever be anything good because they have only ever been told something different. 

I see this when kids act out at camp, when fight break out, or when a child has to apologize to the pastor of the church we work out of for carving into a door very offence words. 

Last night while I was listening to Just like You by Lecrae I could see the faces of so many of my boys as I sang along to the line I grew up empty since my daddy wasn't with me, shoot I wasn't picky, I'd take any male figure You. 

This reminded me of so many of our boys but of one of them especially. He was a part of camp this summer but has not yet come during the school year.

Yesterday while I was walking down the hallway at school on my way out some one came up behind me and hugged me. I turned around to see this young man who was quietly thrilled to see me. All I could see was a broken hurt boy who desperately need love and a Godly man to lead him.

 My heart hurts now even as I think of him.

There are so many things battling against us and holding these kids in captivity but God is moving.

I see this in little ways when a group of 13 yr old girls sit down in silence to write letters of encouragement to others, when a little boy falls and the rest of the group stops to help him up.

When a new child shows up at camp with a form, when a child battle between making a good or bad decision and the good wins. 

There many be a great many forces battling against us but we have a great big God who greater then all of these things and He will not let a single one of His children fall.