standing up, speaking out...

Local Outreach

Posted by Amanda , Monday, February 1, 2010 8:16 PM

Every week I feel like I love our outreaches more and more. This week we went back to play and hang out with the foster care kids. This time, we were able to take care of a baby who is about 6 months old. He was so adorable and none of us wanted to let go of him! It’s so cool because we have these four brothers and their sister who are all in different foster homes and once a week we are able to bring them together just to spend time with each other. We drive around and pick them up from their homes and get to see the joy on their faces when they see their brothers or sister. For me, that makes it worth it.


The kids are all so great though. One of the little boys is about five years old and this past week he made me smile so much. His two older brothers were kicking soccer balls outside and he wanted to play so badly. He and I started to play a game where he hid in the bushes and threw the ball out “mysteriously” from behind the bushes and tried to score a goal. It was so precious just to see his excitement each time he threw the ball and thinking that no one else could see him. To see his excitement, his smiles, his happiness…it makes me wonder how anyone could have ignored him, not wanted him, left him behind.


Also this week, we were able to go to Jaco (a beach town about two hours from San Jose) and see some of the different ministries they were doing there. Jaco is known for its prostitution and many children get trafficked into Jaco for this very reason. We were able to meet with a woman named Blue who is working with a poor community that is located on a river bank. She has started an after school program there, so we were able to go with her and meet some of her kids.


They all ran up with smiling faces and lots of hugs to give her. It was cool to see what she was doing there and the relationships she has with the kids and their families. She was telling us about all the changes she has seen in the community just since she’s been there and it reminds me how much friendship and love really can produce transformation.


We don’t know yet where our outreach will be after the lecture phase, but Jaco is another place that is open for us to go to. Some of us were interested after going there, meeting the kids and seeing the needs. I’m praying that God will show me if that’s where He wants me and if so, what I can do there.