Peter.

I never wanted kids. Ever. No question. And then I found myself in a matter of a few months, to have 80 kids. 80 kids. When they fail, I fail. When they are happy, I am happy. When they are sad, I am sad. They are my kids…I am with them all day, every day. They are my kids. I am responsible for 80 kids. They are my kids. And then one runs away. And I’ve lost a kid. I lost a kid. And the policies go out the window, and the rules mean nothing to me. He is my kid. Once he leaves, he can never come back. And I understand for the sake of the rest, but I hate it for the sake of him. My kid. And when the others talk about running, I feel like I’ve failed them. They are my kids. They are KIDS. And running away back to the streets back to the dirt back to the abuse back to the hunger back to the addictions back to people who are only interested in using them makes no sense to me. But maybe it does to a 12 year old. And my kid can never come back. And maybe my kid will wake up tomorrow on the street and realize the implications of what he has done. But tomorrow will be too late. And my kid will be stuck on the streets and in all reality, will most likely be stuck on the streets for the remainder of his life. Maybe my kid will wake up on the streets at 40 and realize the implications of what he has done. But 40 will be too late.

 My kid. My kid was amazing at art. And he loved his iPod more than anything. He liked basketball. When I first met my kid he told me his name was Pedro. And the next time he said it was Ken. Then Adam. Then Eric. It took me the longest to figure out his real name. My kid was in the advanced class. My kid was brilliantly smart. My kid had a future. But I’ve lost my kid. I don’t know if my kid is safe or hurt or regrets running but I know where my kid comes from and I know what he’s gone back to. And the odds are against my kid. And maybe it’s best I don’t know exactly where my kid went because I think if I did it would take all my strength not to go get my kid and bring him back home. Whether he wanted to or not. I would bring him back. Because he’s my kid.

 

Please pray for all of our kids. A lot of them have been discussing running away, they miss their families and street life in general. Street life is an addiction like any other drug and the temptation of street life can be too much to resist sometimes. Please pray that the kids will have the strength to resist these temptations. It is incredibly difficult to wake up and find out one of your kids has left. And there is nothing good for our kids on the streets. Please pray for the staff to have strength to not become overwhelmed, we are all extremely involved in the lives of these kids and I cant even imagine those who have worked with these kids for years feel when they run away. Please pray for those who have run away that they will be safe and that maybe they will beat the odds.