I recently met up with supporters of Operation Restoration, to join in celebrating 30 years of ministry to the street children in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. One of the “by-products” of the pandemic is the increased connectivity with friends 1000s of miles away.
We had an overview of the work of Operation Restoration, and time for payers and reflection. Mixed in amongst this were “real time” interviews with two of the young people who have come through the home, and with Yovana,a key-worker who has dedicated her life to meeting the children on the street, working and building relationships with them, encouraging them to leave a life often scarred by drug addiction, hardship and abuse of all kinds, and come into a home where they are loved, valued and allowed to flourish.
I had the privilege, along with 6 others from Elmsett, to visit the homes in Bolivia in 2016. We had a great time of learning about the ministry first hand, sharing fun and laughter with the youngsters, and hearing about their hopes and dreams for the future.
There was one young teenager who was coming to the end of her High School education, (many of the youngsters have had no education and are illiterate when they come off the streets). She was hoping to go on to further education and study either medicine or dentistry.
This took me back to the time when I was having to decide on my future as a teenager. I came from a privileged, comfortable and loving home. I had benefited from a full time education, and was supported both financially and emotionally through my university days.
As we listened to the presentation at the celebration evening recently, we heard from one of the teenagers I had met 5 years ago who was now finishing his university degree, and it was his sister who we had met in 2016. We learnt, that she has indeed been able to take that next step in her dream of the future and is training in dentistry.
For me, this was a blessing to see how this sad and traumatised child has been able to grow and blossom into a confident and bubbly young lady, able to reach out and attain her ultimate dream.
There are so many ways that we are made aware of the blessings we have received along life’s journey, and in turn how we can help others reach out and step nearer their own aspirations and dreams.
Prayer: Loving Father, we give thanks for the Ministry of Operation Restoration and for all the children who have passed through the homes. We never cease to be thankful for the blessings you have showered on us, and ask that we might in turn play some role in turning the lives of those children on the streets of Santa Cruz around, so that they can, in turn achieve their full potential, living healthy, safe and fulfilling lives, in the knowledge that they are loved and cared for. AMEN
If you would like to know more about the work of Operation Restoration click this link: https://ywambolivia.org.uk/