choices

ferney has not returned. unfortunately rumor amongst the kids at school is that he has been passed off by his mom to another relative. i was hoping that his mom would decide to take him in. i wonder how he is doing? is he satisfied with his choice to leave? will he be showing up at our doorstep anytime soon?

coincidentally, one leaves, and two more show up at the door unanounced. this past thurday morning i opened the door to a timid, scared looking teenage girl. she described her situation; that she was looking for a ministry connected with "bienestar familiar", the colombian social services department. i asked her to come in, only to find out that she wasn't alone. she went after her brother, and together they returned to the house with their bags in hand. as her story unfolded, i pieced together that 7 years ago, as little kids, they lived at our house and were in the ministry for 2 years. they had returned to bogota and the only house, our house, they could remember in a city of 8 million, becuase they lost the telephone number to the uncle that they came to visit. so they said.

fast foward a few days...

we found out they did not come just to visit an uncle. in fact, they ran from home, tired of being abused. 14 and 15 years old, they had had enough. given that we worked with them for a substantial amount of time in the past, and their current situation - no money, no contacts, nothing - we were happy to bring them in for a short time while trying to come up with the right thing to do.

the right thing to do...

these two kids find themselves on a list that is unquantifiable. a list of children that are seeking a refuge, a safe place, a place to live. unfortunately, others have already been presented to the ministry in hopes that we will be able to take them in. a mom dying of cancer with three kids under the age of 10, and an abandoned 11 year old boy are at the top. not to mention ferney, who may still return. how does one decide who to take? is the decision to offer refuge, safety, and new opportunities really ours to make? our choices now could possibly have lifetime effects. yes, on the one hand, the effects of some of our decisions could be minimal. for example ferney. he was with us for one month, left, and now finds himself in much the same situation as before: abandoned by his mom, trying to make his way outside of the family structure. however, i can look at the many kids that spent a significant amount of time with the ministry and now find themselves heading in a different direction; towards hope, with an entire extended family along side them to lead, love, and encourage them. what if they were told no? how was that choice made? was it luck that brought them to the lap of the worker that told them they were loved and jesus cared for them?

all to say that to choose one kid who has zero options over another is difficult. praying for wisdom and the revelation of god's will has to be the way. how else can we justify making decisions with such serious implications for kids that have run out of options and find themselves lost?