“There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event
under heaven: A time to give birth, and a time to die; A time to plant, and a time to uproot what is planted…..” (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8)

“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”- Mark 1:15

Everything has its appointed time. Our challenge is knowing the right thing to do at each given time. Sometimes, it means that we do absolutely nothing. Perhaps, this is the hardest thing for us. We want to be able to do something to help or even change a
circumstance, but alas, there is an appointed time for everything and we are limited
beings. Yet, God can still use us.

We have the gospel. It is the good news for all seasons. In every situation, the gospel
has something relevant and life-transforming to say. However, we need to be sensitive and wise to present the gospel in the right way in each particular season. There is no written manual to teach us how to do this. It takes time and patience. As Christians, we don’t just let each season pass by passively. We go through them with attentive eyes and ears, observing and learning how to manifest the gospel in every situation.

In the past year, there was a time when the children and teens did not speak to us; we
did nothing, but wait. Eventually, they learned to trust us and started opening up to us. There were times they were only interested in drugs and crime. We had to sit and wait. There were times when they were open for changes. There were times when they were closed to any new possibilities. Sometimes, they saw us as people who perhaps walk with them in the path of change.

There were times when they returned to their homes. They wanted us to go with them and visit them in their homes. There were times they were imprisoned. We visited them. There were times when they felt their lives were aimless. We had hope for them. There were times when we felt nothing was changing. We persevered and waited. There were times when our lives were in danger. We trusted in God to be with us during these times. There were times when the children died alone in the streets. We cried with them. There were times that they were just forgotten. We remembered them.

We experienced these times with them. Most of the time, we weren’t sure what to say and to be honest, there was really nothing much to say. Most of the times, we just waited with them for a word from the Lord because only He could say the healing word for each season.

Jesus said,”For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say.” (Luke 12:12)

Most of the time the word that came to us was silence. Being silent is a powerful
way of saying something significant. Jesus was silent for many years before He
preached about the Kingdom of God. Of His silent years, the author of Hebrews tells us that He participated in all the sufferings and temptations of humanity. This made the most perfect High Priest and He has given us an example to follow. Before we can assume our priestly role in this place, we need to pass through these seasons of Life in silent waiting. Waiting is not passive, but participatory. We participated with these children in their seasons of life and we are waiting together with them to discern the Word of Healing from the Holy Spirit.

A Time to Remember

I am sure that by now most of you have heard about the tragic death of Mateus. I wrote about him in my first blog post this year and I won’t repeat the incident here for the sake of brevity. The post had the highest readership on my blog. Many expressed their shock and sadness that such a young child had to suffer such a brutal death. Some people expressed the sense of hopelessness as it was impossible to find anything redeeming in the situation.

One of the questions that the children and teens wanted to know after his death was whether anyone was arrested. Unfortunately, there is no ongoing investigation, due to the simple and brutal fact that Mateus was a nobody to society. No one would miss his presence except us. He is even buried in an unmarked grave because no one from his family claimed his body.

His death struck a nerve among the older teens. It reminded them that their lives do not mean much to society. Each time a child or teen dies in the street, their passing is not observed in any way. Usually, they are forgotten after a week. Many times no one even sheds a tear for them. In the light of this, a homeless young adult asked me if their existence made any difference in this world. His name is Paulo.

I told Paulo that I wrote about Mateus in my blog and the response I received from people all over the world. To my surprise, Paulo was almost in tears. He said that perhaps we are here to remind them that even though their society might forget them, God would send people from the ends of the world to prove that their lives are

important.

In these simple words, Paulo brought a new perspective on missionary work. The gospel is a gospel of reconciliation. These children and teens are disconnected from the world, but the gospel connects them to the living Kingdom of God. Only the Holy Spirit can use the simple act of someone reading the story of Mateus thousands of miles away to drive home the point that the lives of these children are important.

In a way, this whole incident made me realize that the purpose of our blog and newsletter is not just to tell stories about the children and teens. It is to reconcile these lost sheep with the church. Your simple act of reading and praying for these children and teens makes them realize that their lives mean something for this world. The sense of sadness when we read and hear about a tragic life like Mateus is one of the ways the Lord uses to show these children and teens that their lives are important to us. We want to thank you for participating in this way with us.

Time to Acknowledge

In the past newsletters, I have been urging people to continue their support of this
ministry financially. The need is still there, but it is also appropriate to acknowledge in this newsletter that the very fact that we are still here in the streets is because of your participation in this ministry. This is not Stephen & Mary’s ministry, but it is our ministry. People have expressed in many creative ways that they want to do more than just send money. One kind person wrote about knitting sweaters for the children to keep then warm in the cold winter months. Although the cost of shipping would not make this idea feasible, the love and concern behind this thought was communicated to the children and teens. Each time we are able to share God’s love with these children and teens is because of your love and concern for these forgotten ones. God uses people thousands of miles away to remind them that they too are His sheep. You have sent us here to be His arms and legs to look for them. We are grateful to God for giving us such a wonderful church family. God bless you in this season of Lent. Pray for us as we continue to be grateful to be part of this wonderful ministry God given to us as a church.

Time for Prayer

In conclusion, I would like to ask for your prayers for these children that have passed
away last year. Depending on your religious convictions, you can pray for their souls
and also give thanks for their lives. We have only their first names and we would
appreciate it if their names were read out aloud in your prayer groups or churches.
Their names: Oliver (19), Gean (19), Natasha (17), Raio de Luar (17), Julio (18),
Marquinho, Analia (15), and Mateus (14).

The Link for the Blog Post on Mateus:
http://spmercyministry.com/2015/01/07/unkind-reminder-for-the-new-year/