Thirsty...???

What are you thirsty for??

Below looks like a bottle of water?? But it's not ... it's what's destroying the bodies of these kids on the street. It is paint thinner, the kids buy it and sniff it.. breathe it in (usually through the mouth) and live in a stupor.

On a Tuesday morning we have what we call 'Open House'. We use a room in a Church building in the centre, close to where the kids hang out. We go to wake up the kids and invite them to the church. There we offer breakfast, activities, dramas, and a 'word' for the day. This week was a particularly difficult week as each of the kids that came were very high on drugs (they had probably been sniffing all night). We found out two of the boys had bottles full of the paint thinner that the kids use (like the bottle above). Usually the kids have a bottle with a tiny little bit in the bottom of the bottle or they use a rag or the end of their jumper or tshirt - they soak this in the thinner and sniff on it. But it was obvious the boys had somehow got their hands on a lot of thinner and therefore were completely high.

They stayed in the church for a while (they are not allowed to bring their thinner in whether it be a bottle or a rag. But after about an hour they left. But they didn't go. They went out the front of the church and started to sniff again and buy and sell more thinner. these boys were 11 to 14 years old.

First the negotiate a price and amount.

Usually R$1 (about 38p) for a little bit

in the bottom of their bottle.

Then it is bought / sold.

It is so sad to see the desire for more and the arguments that can start through this... one takes their take of thinner but doesn't pay. Another is unhappy with not enough thinner for the R$1 or another took too much for the money he paid. With these boys already in a drugged stupor, the fights start easier and evolve quickly. When everything is settled they start sniffing again and return to their stupor:

It is heart breaking to see the kids in this state, and this is usually how it is with them. Especially in the evenings, so I was shocked to see how high they were at this time of the morning. These kids are so broken and destroyed that they spend their days like this... for them it is better to be like this than to face the reality of their lives.

I was reminded of being thirsty, these boys are thirsty to sniff this thinner to live a life of stupor. These bottles of thinner just look like a bottle of water, water which quenches thirst. I was reminded of what God says:  

“Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come;

let the one who desires take the water of life without price."

Revelation 22:17

What we offer these kids is "water of life." These kids are thirsty, it is obvious, and God offers water of life - something to quench their thirst and he offers then 'life' and it's free. They don't have to come with their R$1 to buy it. The problem is they are so blinded by the 'things that quench' of the world, but these things only quench for a short time.

Pray with me as we try to reveal to these kids that there is one greater to quench their thirst and they can go to Him, without paying, and it will quech their thirst for eternity. Pray that these kids will open their hearts to experience Our God, the Living Water.

Psalm 34:8
Taste and see that the LORD is good; 

blessed is the one who takes refuge in him."