In the past few days I have been spending a lot of time with eight certain boys, two sets of four to be exact. One of the sets is the four Umuryango boys who are in secondary school - Jean Pierre, Ndahimana, Thierry, and Daniel. They left for school yesterday and I miss them a lot.
Getting to know them has been so pivotal for my experience here so far. They know English the best out of any of the boys, so I have had some great chats with each of them. Their stories are so inspiring because they have come from misery and tragedy. Three of them don't have parents and the other one does, but they are extremely poor. I was listening to the song "Beauty From Ashes" last nite and thinking about these four spectacular boys - well, men. Thinking about where they have come from. I didn't know them when they were living on the streets, but I see other streetboys and can only imagine these mature men in that predicament - begging for food, shivering, imagining a bleak future or not one at all. Getting to secondary school is very difficult and only about 10% of Rwandans get in. Of those 10%, not all attend because of the expense. So, for these four to get in is very remarkable.
I contrast these four men with the four streetboys whom we have had the privilege of getting to know - Fies, Hasane, Olivier, and William. They are always around in Gitarama when we are out, asking for food or water. Two days ago Fies and Hasane came to the house because they had each been sliced with a razor by one of their other friends. They wanted medical care and Theresa and Valerie were both out, so Hadija (our housekeeper) and I tended to them. Hasane had a 3 inch gash on his forehead and nose and Fies had one on his wrist. When I opened the gate to let them in, each one of them hugged me so tightly that I felt as if he was my son whom I hadn't seen in a long time. It was glorious. As Hadija and I tended to them, I couldn't help but think about the difficult life they had - to be slashed by a razor by one of their friends because he wanted the little money they had acquired by begging, to be wondering when the next meal will come from, to hope that it won't be another cold night under the open air. Hadija gave them our leftover dinner from the night before, they ate up, and I let them out.
The next morning they came back so Theresa and Valerie could have a look at their wounds. Hasane's wounds were infected, so Theresa re-treated them. I held Hasane as she put hydrogen peroxide on his open wound, and he was in so much pain. He wrapped his little arms around me and held on to me so tightly, and whimpered for a bit. As they left, I thought about how incredible it would be for them to turn out like the four secondary school boys. They will most likely be moving to Umuryango in the next month or so, and will have the opportunity to attend school. I thought about the song "Beauty For Ashes" and how I am so thankful that God acts in the lives of all of his children to make beauty out of misery, tragedy, and ugliness. Below are the words to Beauty For Ashes:
He gives beauty for ashes
Strength for fear
Gladness for mourning
Peace for despair
When sorrow seems to surround you
When suffering hangs heavy oer your head
Know that tomorrow brings
Wholeness and healing
God knows your need
Just believe what He said
He gives beauty for ashes
Strength for fear
Gladness for mourning
Peace for despair
When what youve done keeps you from moving on
When fear wants to make itself at home in your heart
Know that forgiveness brings
Wholeness and healing
God knows your need
Just believe what He said
He gives beauty for ashes
Strength for fear
Gladness for mourning
Peace for despair
I once was lost but God has found me
Though I was bound Ive been set free
Ive been made righteous in His sight
A display of His splendor all can see
He gives beauty for ashes
Strength for fear
Gladness for mourning
Peace for despair
Getting to know them has been so pivotal for my experience here so far. They know English the best out of any of the boys, so I have had some great chats with each of them. Their stories are so inspiring because they have come from misery and tragedy. Three of them don't have parents and the other one does, but they are extremely poor. I was listening to the song "Beauty From Ashes" last nite and thinking about these four spectacular boys - well, men. Thinking about where they have come from. I didn't know them when they were living on the streets, but I see other streetboys and can only imagine these mature men in that predicament - begging for food, shivering, imagining a bleak future or not one at all. Getting to secondary school is very difficult and only about 10% of Rwandans get in. Of those 10%, not all attend because of the expense. So, for these four to get in is very remarkable.
I contrast these four men with the four streetboys whom we have had the privilege of getting to know - Fies, Hasane, Olivier, and William. They are always around in Gitarama when we are out, asking for food or water. Two days ago Fies and Hasane came to the house because they had each been sliced with a razor by one of their other friends. They wanted medical care and Theresa and Valerie were both out, so Hadija (our housekeeper) and I tended to them. Hasane had a 3 inch gash on his forehead and nose and Fies had one on his wrist. When I opened the gate to let them in, each one of them hugged me so tightly that I felt as if he was my son whom I hadn't seen in a long time. It was glorious. As Hadija and I tended to them, I couldn't help but think about the difficult life they had - to be slashed by a razor by one of their friends because he wanted the little money they had acquired by begging, to be wondering when the next meal will come from, to hope that it won't be another cold night under the open air. Hadija gave them our leftover dinner from the night before, they ate up, and I let them out.
The next morning they came back so Theresa and Valerie could have a look at their wounds. Hasane's wounds were infected, so Theresa re-treated them. I held Hasane as she put hydrogen peroxide on his open wound, and he was in so much pain. He wrapped his little arms around me and held on to me so tightly, and whimpered for a bit. As they left, I thought about how incredible it would be for them to turn out like the four secondary school boys. They will most likely be moving to Umuryango in the next month or so, and will have the opportunity to attend school. I thought about the song "Beauty For Ashes" and how I am so thankful that God acts in the lives of all of his children to make beauty out of misery, tragedy, and ugliness. Below are the words to Beauty For Ashes:
He gives beauty for ashes
Strength for fear
Gladness for mourning
Peace for despair
When sorrow seems to surround you
When suffering hangs heavy oer your head
Know that tomorrow brings
Wholeness and healing
God knows your need
Just believe what He said
He gives beauty for ashes
Strength for fear
Gladness for mourning
Peace for despair
When what youve done keeps you from moving on
When fear wants to make itself at home in your heart
Know that forgiveness brings
Wholeness and healing
God knows your need
Just believe what He said
He gives beauty for ashes
Strength for fear
Gladness for mourning
Peace for despair
I once was lost but God has found me
Though I was bound Ive been set free
Ive been made righteous in His sight
A display of His splendor all can see
He gives beauty for ashes
Strength for fear
Gladness for mourning
Peace for despair
2 comments:
God bless you, Matthew and everyone over there who is sharing God's love and hope. You and the others from Calvary are in my prayers today. Jeremiah 29:11 :)
Matthew, can you contact me via email? I need to talk to you ASAP about a neighborhood issue. I met your new renters and they are very nice, so don't worry about that.
Thanks! Kelly (kelly.thedoglady@gmail.com)
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