Fulfilling His Vision | Street Children

By Denise McCarthy:  We all want the best for the “little ones” all around the world.  The Lord commands us to take care of them.

AND IF ANYONE GIVES EVEN A CUP OF COLD WATER TO ONE OF THESE LITTLE ONES BECAUSE HE IS MY DISCIPLE I TELL YOU THE TRUTH, HE WILL CERTAINLY NOT LOSE HIS REWARD. Matt. 10:45

Street Children tear at all of our hearts especially us women. We want to help all of them like right NOW!!!

When the Lord started planting His Vision into my heart it was through another missionary who was working with street children.

It took 5 years for me to be able to be totally convinced that opening a day center in Dakar, Senegal was the Lord’s vision and not my wish.

Nine months before I could even start my full-time ministry with street children the Lord provided the perfect house, at the perfect rent in a perfect area overflowing with talibé street children.  That was the beginning of my faith being truly put into action. And exactly when “He” wanted us to open our doors of the Xaley Boroom Bi Center (Children of our Lord), it was ready and boys were begging to come in!!

Before that date He also provided two national long term believers who now tell me “We have always loved children and wanted to help lotso of them.” These two also had this vision and didn’t even realize it until our boys came through those doors.

We try to give these boys a family-like home atmosphere even if they can only come for 2-3 hours per day.

These boys are very different street children. They aren’t on the streets because they ran away or want to. They are there because their parents gave them as a gift to Allah. The boys at first think it is an honor and it is ok that they are abused and forced to beg 24/7. They are told it humbles them for Islam. If they were to try to escape it would go against their culture and disgrace their families. We know Jesus doesn’t want this for these boys. HE LOVES each of them very much.

Our concept is holistic in nature. Starting with helping them stay clean through handwashing, teeth brushing, showering and providing clean clothing. We try to feed them a healthy meal or two and give them a daily vitamin. We provide them with first aid even for the ones that only want to be pampered and don’t actually have a boo-boo. They don’t have a mom or grandma to go to. No sisters even. There are 0 females in a daara (Koranic school). We notice when they don’t act themselves or don’t feel well and take them for medical care and provide medicine if necessary.

They are also treated with physical exercise through weekly Soccer games and daily basketball. (God gave them their OWN half court)

We challenge them mentally with a school day to learn their French alphabet and they are able to color or draw or just “play and build” like most 4-12 yr. olds. They get to watch a video or dance and sing to the sound of a jembe or their favorite musician’s cd.

One of their Favorite times is hearing the new Bible story and then getting to answer questions about it.

The daily rewards we are receiving are in seeing these lost and homeless boys gazing in the kitchen window and smiling when we smile back at them. Kids of all ages enjoy the kitchen and watching a loved one preparing something yummy to eat.

It is such an honor to be “Tanta Xadi” to each one of the over 80 boys that have visited XBBC.

Our future dream(the Lord has not confirmed it as His vision yet)is to provide full time care for the boys that can leave their teachers and for rescued boys and to find the boys’ biological families and reconnect them.

To those of you that the Lord has told to Go and help the little ones especially in a foreign land, my devotions every day always include Oswald Chambers, My Utmost For His Highest. I will quote a few of his pages which sum up my advice to you as well.

March 4th- Acts. 20:24 It is easier to serve God without a vision, easier to work for God without a call, because then you are not bothered by what God requires; common sense is your guide, veneered over with Christian sentiment. You will be more prosperous and successful, more leisure-hearted, if you never realize the call of God. But if once you receive a commission from Jesus Christ, the memory of what God wants will always come like a goad; you will no longer be able to work for Him on the common-sense basis.

March 11th – Acts 26:19 I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision” If we lose the vision, we alone are responsible, and the way we lose the vision is by spiritual leakage. The only way to be obedient to the heavenly vision is to give our utmost for God’s highest, and this can only be done by continually and resolutely recalling the vision. Waiting for the vision that tarries is the test of our loyalty to God. It is at the peril of our soul’s welfare that we get caught up in practical work and miss the fulfillment of the vision. Watch God’s cyclones. The only way God sows His saints is by His whirlwind. Are you going to prove an empty pod? It will depend on whether or not you are actually living in the light of what you have seen. Let God fling you out, and do not go until He does. If you select your own spot, you will prove an empty pod. If God sows you, you will bring forth fruit.

It is essential to practice the walk of the feet in the light of the vision.

Related posts:

Consortium for Street Children (CSC) Structure for Children A Report from Gentle Hands Orphanage Counseling Children Who Have Experienced Loss