Jesus in J-bay

I’ve been home from Africa for almost 2 weeks.  I was there for about 9 days involved in a
leadership conference we were holding for our Africa First Year Missionary’s
(FYM).  We were in Jeffrey’s Bay – a beautiful
sea-side town where one of our FYM teams minister year ‘round.  I’d like to tell you about one story that happened
while I was there.

 A group of the staff were having a
going away meal for those of us leaving the next day.  The cell phone rang and it was one of the FYM’s
who were part of the training.  Her name
is Michelle and she had come across a street boy who was inebriated and cold –
sitting in the grass along the street.  She
didn’t know what to do for him since he was unable to walk and was crying.  I had seen these kids wandering around town
over the few days I was there – hard life kids who lived a life somewhere
between being dangerous thieves and innocent children. 

 I was leaving the gathering headed
to a meeting and I happened across Michelle and the boy.  There they were – crying together while
sitting along the road.  I was as lost as
Michelle as to what to do.  I called our
full time staff member Chris Via to ask him if there was someplace we could
take the boy – who appeared to be around 12. 
This is where the story gets interesting.

 Chris was standing next to Matt –
one of our Jeffrey’s Bay FYM’s.  Matt has
a ministry to the street boys in town. 
Matt wanted to know the boys name and have me ask him if he knew
Matt.  I asked for his name and he told
me Patrick.  I asked if he knew Matt and
he brightened up.  Matt said he knew
Patrick and would be right there.

 Before Matt arrived we did what we
could – as it was getting cold and dark, we gave Patrick a warm coat to
wear.  We asked him his story – and he
was able to tell us his other had died and he did not want to live any
more.  His “friends” had robbed him and
he had been drinking and probably sniffing glue to get away from everything.

 Once Matt arrived he knelt down beside
Patrick and talked with him.  He told
Patrick he would be his friend and he would not leave him.  He gave him his own coat.  At one point Patrick reached out and took
Matt in his arms in a strong embrace. 
Matt returned the hug and there they were – sitting in the grass and
holding each other for some time.  Matt
was able to stay with Patrick for a few hours to help him sober up and make
sure he was able to get back to his cardboard house behind the department
store.  Patrick is 16 years old and Matt
is a college kid waking up to his destiny in life.

 When I stood there watching this
embrace I could not help but think of Jesus and what he would have done with a
drunk, smelly, homeless street kid who was hurting with some of life’s deepest
wounds.  He would come along, stay He
would not leave, and hold him in his arms with everlasting love. 

 It was cool to see Matt be the
literal arms of Jesus to Patrick.  For
those readers who partner with us in this ministry, thanks for making it all
possible.  And for those of you around
hurting people, take a lesson from Matt and be Jesus to someone today.