In the past two or three weeks that has changed. Instead of searching high and low all through the city for my kids, when I tell them I am coming out - they're waiting for me. If they can't find me, they know who my friends are and they will wait around with them and ask where I am, and when I'm coming.
Last week I was sitting with four of my kids playing games and one of my boys ran up. He insisted that I follow him, and said that he had to show me something. He took my hand and went running down the street. We got about a block down and I saw three people from a team working with Lighthouse. My kid stopped, and told me he wanted me to meet his friends. He had told them to follow him because he wanted them to meet me. Turns out I already knew who his new friends were :)
That night I hung out with 3 of the boys for several hours. We played pool, I bought them dinner, and was able to spend some time with their moms as well. When it was time for me to go, two of the boys told me that they wanted Muay Thai Boxing shorts. They are 11 and 12 years old, and love watching the Muay Thai fights in the boxing ring in the center of the red light district. "Me, him Muay Thai Champions" one of the boys told me with a huge grin on his face. I told the boys maybe, and went home.
I was praying about it on my way home, not knowing if I should buy the shorts for the kids. Knowing that if I bought the two older boys shorts, I would have to buy some for the youngest as well - I knew I would be spending a fair amount of money on this. My ministry expenses have gone up quite a bit in the last month since the kids have begun to trust me more. I've been buying them dinners every night, and some nights their moms ask for dinner as well. They've also been bringing friends some nights. Some nights I end up buying dinner for 7 or 8 people. Wanting to be wise about how much I was spending I battled if buying them something they didn't need was right or not.
As I prayed I just felt like God was saying, "Let them Dream."
I thought more about that, processed it, prayed about it more.
These kids have grown up in darkness. They've been working jobs since they were 5 years old. When I was their ages, 8, 11, 12 years old I had all kinds of dreams about what I wanted to do. i wanted to be a writer, a teacher, a professional soccer player. I would dream about what I wanted to become in my life. These kids don't dream. They grew up before they got to dream.
Many of them come from the hill tribes. They don't have Thai citizenship, and aren't able to get good jobs in the city. not only have these kids had to grow up before they got to be kids, but they have very limited options. But a viable option - being a Muay Thai boxer.
If this was something that they really wanted, they could do it.
I decided to buy the shorts for the boys and brought them last week. A Thai friend of mine comes out with me sometimes, and hangs out with the kids and translates for me. She helped me to tell the kids that they can't lose their shorts because I'm not buying them more. But I bought them the Muay Thai boxing shorts because if this is something that they want to do, I want them to do it. I told them to practice, and that when they are in a Muay Thai fight, I would come watch them.
The kids smiled, thanked me, and compared their gifts.
Let them dream.
Who knows, in a few years maybe I will be back in Thailand watching them win a Muay Thai fight. I can't wait to cheer them on! They know I don't like watching Muay Thai - it stresses me out... but I would watch it if they were fighting.
Until then, I'll cheer them on as they work towards their dream.
No comments:
Post a Comment