Number 22

Meet Abraham!

This is Abraham.  He officially joined us on Friday last week, but has been staying at the house for about a month now.

I know without a doubt Abraham is supposed to be with us.  How?  I was leaving Arizona to come back to Indiana about a month ago.  I don't get internet on my phone unless there is wi-fi.  Most airports don't have free wi-fi.  I almost didn't check to see if there was wi-fi, but as I sat at the gate I felt like I should try.  What do you know?  I could get on the internet.  Coincidence?  I think not!  So I checked Facebook and saw a plea for help from a friend.  He was asking for someone to take Abraham in until he could get better.  He was really sick and not doing well.  I found the friend on chat and asked a few questions and immediately offered help.

Just like with Jimmy, I extended the help knowing I couldn't send him away after he had been at the house.  All of my fears quickly disappeared, and I anxiously awaited a response to see if Abraham made it to the house.  He finally did the next day.  It took him a couple of weeks to recover, so we all agreed it wouldn't be ok to send him back to the streets.

Last Friday was the first time I got to talk to him.  I was impressed with his English and how polite he was.  I asked him many questions and found out a lot about him.  When I asked him if he wanted to live in the home and go back to school he was so excited.  When I told him he had sponsors and would get to write them letters, he squealed!  He giggled and I could hear the happiness in his voice.  I imagine his face looked a bit like the smiling face above.  He told me how happy he was because he never had a chance to have a sponsor before.

I can't wait to get back to Uganda and actually meet him.  When I asked him if we knew each other, he told me I have seen your photos.  I can already tell he is going to fit in around here.

Some basic info:  He is 17, finished secondary 2, wants to be a lawyer, loves to sing, and left home 5 years ago.

P.S.  The photo was taken last Thursday when the friend that asked for help for him saw him in the city on his way to buy new clothes.  A huge thank you goes out to SIR CASE!  They sent their first donation from the first two cases they sold about a week and a half ago.  That allowed all of the boys to get new clothes.

What happens when...

help doesn't come?

Let me tell you...

I already told you what happened to Patrick.  His story isn't unique.  It happens all the time.  Far more than it should.

But what happens even more frequently is...

they get taken to prison.  If the boy is small and young enough(doesn't look like he is over 18), he will go to a remand home(child prison).  These places are terrible places and the kids will tell you horror stories of things that have happened to them there.  I think every boy in the house has been to the most notorious one, at least once, and some several times.  They get picked up, not for doing anything wrong, just for being a kid that has no where to live except the streets.  It is worse when something big is happening in the city, like someone important from another country is visiting or an important conference.  Then they will do sweeps of the streets to "clean" them up.  By clean, I mean get rid of all of the street kids.

So what happens when a boy is bigger in size and looks like he is 18 or older?  They get taken to adult prison and since they cannot prove their age, that is where they remain.

Today, I found out that is what happened to a boy.  He has been there for at least a month, but probably longer.  He is alone, probably scared, and sure that no one is ever going to come and rescue him.  At least in the remand homes, the boys can get a chance to escape.  In prison?  Not a chance.

Please be praying that we can get him out with the help of a friend.  It won't be easy.  The last time I was involved with getting a kid released from prison, it took several weeks and then court dates for months.  Please be praying for him while he is still in there, that he won't lose hope.  Please also be praying the process is easy as we try to get him and that the effort would be successful.