STREET CHILDREN AND ADULTS MINISTRY
I have purposely used this old and not very clear photo of some children on the street from an earlier ministry.
Some people make the mistake of grouping all children who appear to be living and/or working on the street, as "STREET CHILDREN" and that it is somehow OK for them to be mistreated, feared, despised and rejected. BUT, this attitude MUST change!!
It may come as a surprise, but, in this picture, some of the children regularly went to school, then worked on the street to earn money for the family, but returned each night to their home. Others may have had no home or family to go to, so their home was the street. Whereas, others may have worked and slept on the street with only occasional visits and/or short term stays back with their families.
I believe every child and child's family deserve to be treated with proper respect, regardless of their income, race, religion or where they sleep. Each one should be respected and not exploited for personal gain. Please be very cautious of individuals who post many photos of the poor and needy, including street children, in an attempt to gain financially.
WHAT DOES THIS STREET CHILDREN AND ADULT MINISTRY LOOK LIKE?
Up front, and very simply, it is a wonderful but awesome privilege to be used by God to share the wonderful gospel message and truth of His Word, The Bible to all people, whether living on the street or not.
However, since most street people get regular "lectures" from passers-by, shop owners, well-meaning people, social workers, government officers etc., I believe the most effective approach is a lot of PRAYER, then simply listen, observe, learn and do by working hard in providing for their needs in a very real, honest and transparent way. Street children and adults are SUPER-FAST in identifying any form of falsehood, and will exploit "to the max" those who come with hearts motivated by an emotional response.
This ministry includes street feeding, but I have discovered that addressing a street child or adult's medical needs is probably much more important (many have regular food sources, but of course, this needs to be assessed n a case-by-case basis).
Sometimes this medical assistance is very simple - merely a Band-Aid or some Betadine - but in other cases, I will accompany the person to the hospital for a Doctor's consultation and pay for the cost of x-rays, treatment (including injections and/or antibiotics).
Those living on the streets often lack access to proper washing and cleaning facilities, so personal hygiene and living in dirty surroundings are often the root causes of many of the medical needs.
In Butuan City there are some government and NGO operated facilities that are sometimes available for street children and adults to stay at. Often, those living on the streets are encouraged to live at these facilities, but this is usually considered very short term by most who live on the streets.
Depending on the individual's circumstances, some children and adults on the streets are given opportunity to study, either as a student in a regular school or as an older student in a special class (ALS - Alternative Learning System) designed to accelerate them to a more age-appropriate school level.
A SUCCESS STORY: In 2013-14, I spent a reasonable amount of time and effort assisting and tutoring a 17-18 year old who academically had not even graduated Grade 1. As a result of attending a weekly ALS class, and studying and sitting for the test, achieved a result that allowed him to be officially accelerated to a mid level High School grade.
MISSION PARTNERSHIP:
To partner in this challenging and often potentially dangerous ministry, PLEASE PRAY, PRAY, PRAY for me to be always obedient to God and to be daily desiring to simply follow Jesus in His perfect leading.
Also...
To make a donation, please simply click on the relevant "Donate" button below. This opens a secure PayPal payment page allowing for payments to be made through PayPal, your credit/debit card or Bank Account. Alternatively, go to the "DONATE" page for a link to EquipNet.org to receive a US tax deductible receipt for donations made through that site.
Sincere thanks
Paul Smith
I have purposely used this old and not very clear photo of some children on the street from an earlier ministry.
Some people make the mistake of grouping all children who appear to be living and/or working on the street, as "STREET CHILDREN" and that it is somehow OK for them to be mistreated, feared, despised and rejected. BUT, this attitude MUST change!!
It may come as a surprise, but, in this picture, some of the children regularly went to school, then worked on the street to earn money for the family, but returned each night to their home. Others may have had no home or family to go to, so their home was the street. Whereas, others may have worked and slept on the street with only occasional visits and/or short term stays back with their families.
I believe every child and child's family deserve to be treated with proper respect, regardless of their income, race, religion or where they sleep. Each one should be respected and not exploited for personal gain. Please be very cautious of individuals who post many photos of the poor and needy, including street children, in an attempt to gain financially.
WHAT DOES THIS STREET CHILDREN AND ADULT MINISTRY LOOK LIKE?
Up front, and very simply, it is a wonderful but awesome privilege to be used by God to share the wonderful gospel message and truth of His Word, The Bible to all people, whether living on the street or not.
However, since most street people get regular "lectures" from passers-by, shop owners, well-meaning people, social workers, government officers etc., I believe the most effective approach is a lot of PRAYER, then simply listen, observe, learn and do by working hard in providing for their needs in a very real, honest and transparent way. Street children and adults are SUPER-FAST in identifying any form of falsehood, and will exploit "to the max" those who come with hearts motivated by an emotional response.
This ministry includes street feeding, but I have discovered that addressing a street child or adult's medical needs is probably much more important (many have regular food sources, but of course, this needs to be assessed n a case-by-case basis).
Sometimes this medical assistance is very simple - merely a Band-Aid or some Betadine - but in other cases, I will accompany the person to the hospital for a Doctor's consultation and pay for the cost of x-rays, treatment (including injections and/or antibiotics).
Those living on the streets often lack access to proper washing and cleaning facilities, so personal hygiene and living in dirty surroundings are often the root causes of many of the medical needs.
In Butuan City there are some government and NGO operated facilities that are sometimes available for street children and adults to stay at. Often, those living on the streets are encouraged to live at these facilities, but this is usually considered very short term by most who live on the streets.
Depending on the individual's circumstances, some children and adults on the streets are given opportunity to study, either as a student in a regular school or as an older student in a special class (ALS - Alternative Learning System) designed to accelerate them to a more age-appropriate school level.
A SUCCESS STORY: In 2013-14, I spent a reasonable amount of time and effort assisting and tutoring a 17-18 year old who academically had not even graduated Grade 1. As a result of attending a weekly ALS class, and studying and sitting for the test, achieved a result that allowed him to be officially accelerated to a mid level High School grade.
MISSION PARTNERSHIP:
To partner in this challenging and often potentially dangerous ministry, PLEASE PRAY, PRAY, PRAY for me to be always obedient to God and to be daily desiring to simply follow Jesus in His perfect leading.
Also...
- please pray for the families of every street child, that God will bring lasting transformation and restoration;
- please pray that I will be given eyes to see the real needs of those I meet, and the wisdom to properly address those needs;
- please pray for those in positions of responsibility and oversight of street children and adults to have a Christ-like heart towards their work and fulfillment of their obligations;
- please give your financial support ONLY if you believe God is drawing you to do this.
To make a donation, please simply click on the relevant "Donate" button below. This opens a secure PayPal payment page allowing for payments to be made through PayPal, your credit/debit card or Bank Account. Alternatively, go to the "DONATE" page for a link to EquipNet.org to receive a US tax deductible receipt for donations made through that site.
Sincere thanks
Paul Smith
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