New bricks building new walls

So I have settled into a new set of bricks! I am still with YWAM but have moved ministries; I am no longer part of the Rescue House (although I still go with them to the streets). I am now part of the ministry called 'The Restoration House.' 

This house used to be a shelter for boys coming off the streets and many boys have passed by here and have transformed lives because of their time here. But God has a new time planned for this house - it is no longer a shelter, but our focus continues; teenage boys. Since the house closed as a shelter there has been only a few workers who stayed around and tried to discover what was on God's heart for the ministry with teenage boys.

(Working together to have a camp for these precious boys - March 2013 - there is a blog about this camp!)

Now for some 'new walls!' Since last year we (as a Rescue House) started working with the teenage detention centres, as many of the boys that we know from the streets ended up there. I always felt in my heart that it was Gods will to work with these boys but there was no time to really invest. I started talking with the leaders and discussing what was best... the director of the base helped me see that what I was trying to do was in the area of 'restoration' not 'rescue.' He encouraged me to talk with Geke (dutch), the leader of the Restoration House. After a long chat about what was on my heart, she accepted me to work with her!! 

A date was set, I packed all my things and the move began......

I said good bye to my old room, my old team (although would see frequently) and my old neighbourhood.

And then I got to work turning an empty room into a home:

When all my things were finally inside, it looked like it was made to fit!!







One of the amazing privileges I have is a great view over the city and every night there is a beautiful sunset to admire:

My new team: 

With Geke my new leader (middle) and Guilherme

Now I have been here 2 weeks with lots of discussions and planning, putting our visions together and now we are ready....

So what is the plan??

Visits
We have a list of 19 boys that we will work with. Five of these boys used to live in the shelter and of the other 14, one boy is back at home and the other 13 are in the detention centres. 

Our plan is to visit with these boys (there is at least 2 per detention centre) at least once every two or three weeks. The visit will involve some chit-chat to see how they are doing, where they are struggling etc and then do a bible study with them. 

Workshops
Also in our schedule we will visit 2 other detention centres to teach English in one and helping with school work in the other. This is our open door into these places to build relationships, with these relationships built we will do a second workshop on discipleship.

Discipleship Group
Every Friday afternoon will be an open afternoon, all boys who we are working with are invited to the Restoration House to have some time together: chit-chat, play football, do activities and have a time of discipleship and prayer. 

Weekend Camps
Then the final area of our discipleship work here will be the continuing of the 'Weekend Camps.'  Where all boys are invited to participate for an entire weekend with us where we will have fun activities planned and times for one-on-one and discipleship and prayer. 

Phew!! Seems like a lot of work for a small team, eh? But in the Lords strength we can do it. We believe this plan for the Restoration House is God's plan, and so therefore as the Harvest is large and the workers are so few, we rely on His strength but also Hope in him that He will provide more workers to complete this work.

Please commit all these activities and the lives of these precious boys to prayer, you are part of our team!!