I think God has built a special room in my heart for each of my sons. There is no room which is better than another, but they are all unique. They all have their own feel, and my love for each of my boys is equally special. God built these rooms in His own time and way. Sometimes they were instant, and sometimes construction took a few days or weeks. But for each of my boys, from the moment I lay eyes on them, God began making them their own forever space in my heart. The exception to this was Sabote...
God built Sabote’s room before I ever met him. I knew I wanted to open Joseph’s House, and I knew
I wanted a certain number of kids (at that time 5, which is now 6- you’ll get to read about that when its Waswa’s story :) I wanted the hardest and most challenging boys. I wanted the kids who had been through the most, and who had no other hope. When word got out that these were the kids I wanted, I started hearing about a boy called Chenge. Chenge is the drug they do here, and when I child is nicknamed Chenge, it says something about the amount of drugs they do. So I began searching for this Chenge (who’s real name is Sabote). Sabote stays deep in Kisenyi. He is high all the time, and has no use for our programs. He has a solid community in Kisenyi, and has no reason to leave it.
My search for Sabote was an event, let me tell you! I told just about every street kid I knew that I wanted Sabote to come to Kivulu for street programs. I searched Kisenyi for him several nights in a row. I bribed kids, and had pretty much the whole street community looking for him. All of this started out as an attempt to meet him, and to find out if God would place him on my heart. But God did something bigger; in the time it took to find him, God was already building his room in my heart. After a few days of searching and praying for him, I realized I didn’t need to get to know Sabote; God had already given me my answer. Needless to say, on the day Sabote finally showed his face, I was overjoyed! I was at the church, and all the sudden a dozen boys ran in, shouting “Auntie, Sabote is here! Sabote is here!”. Sure enough, in walked this boy of about 12, looking very shy and also very happy. I walked over and introduced myself, and that was that.
Sabote is charming. He is funny in that good natured kind of way. He has a genuinely sweet heart, and gentile disposition. He is honest. He doesn’t care what other people think. Sabote has been hurt a lot in his life. At only 12, he has already been on the streets 4 years. He has serious brain damage from his drug use, and is slow (I mean that literally, his movements are just delayed). But he is bright and happy and I love him. The best part is that even though Sabote has a hard time trusting people, God was also preparing Sabote’s heart for me. In my searching, Sabote learned that there was an auntie in Kivulu who loved him. I hadn’t met him, but I love him so much! And he knows that, and he loves me too. He lights up with a smile whenever I see him.
It is devastating for me to leave Sabote in Kisenyi each night. It breaks my heart to see him stay in that terrible place. There have been many nights I wish I could just bring him back with me. I know that day is coming soon, but it cannot get here fast enough. Sabote is my wonderful, precious little boy. God loves him more than I do, and I love him more than I can begin to say. Soon, I will not have to leave him alone at night. I will not have to worry about him being safe, or what he will eat. I will tuck him into bed myself, in his own room in our house. But until that day, I will love him with all I have. I will keep him safe within the walls of my heart.
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| Just look at that bright smile! |
I wanted a certain number of kids (at that time 5, which is now 6- you’ll get to read about that when its Waswa’s story :) I wanted the hardest and most challenging boys. I wanted the kids who had been through the most, and who had no other hope. When word got out that these were the kids I wanted, I started hearing about a boy called Chenge. Chenge is the drug they do here, and when I child is nicknamed Chenge, it says something about the amount of drugs they do. So I began searching for this Chenge (who’s real name is Sabote). Sabote stays deep in Kisenyi. He is high all the time, and has no use for our programs. He has a solid community in Kisenyi, and has no reason to leave it.
My search for Sabote was an event, let me tell you! I told just about every street kid I knew that I wanted Sabote to come to Kivulu for street programs. I searched Kisenyi for him several nights in a row. I bribed kids, and had pretty much the whole street community looking for him. All of this started out as an attempt to meet him, and to find out if God would place him on my heart. But God did something bigger; in the time it took to find him, God was already building his room in my heart. After a few days of searching and praying for him, I realized I didn’t need to get to know Sabote; God had already given me my answer. Needless to say, on the day Sabote finally showed his face, I was overjoyed! I was at the church, and all the sudden a dozen boys ran in, shouting “Auntie, Sabote is here! Sabote is here!”. Sure enough, in walked this boy of about 12, looking very shy and also very happy. I walked over and introduced myself, and that was that.
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| Me and Sabote during a night outreach to Kisenyi |
Sabote is charming. He is funny in that good natured kind of way. He has a genuinely sweet heart, and gentile disposition. He is honest. He doesn’t care what other people think. Sabote has been hurt a lot in his life. At only 12, he has already been on the streets 4 years. He has serious brain damage from his drug use, and is slow (I mean that literally, his movements are just delayed). But he is bright and happy and I love him. The best part is that even though Sabote has a hard time trusting people, God was also preparing Sabote’s heart for me. In my searching, Sabote learned that there was an auntie in Kivulu who loved him. I hadn’t met him, but I love him so much! And he knows that, and he loves me too. He lights up with a smile whenever I see him.
It is devastating for me to leave Sabote in Kisenyi each night. It breaks my heart to see him stay in that terrible place. There have been many nights I wish I could just bring him back with me. I know that day is coming soon, but it cannot get here fast enough. Sabote is my wonderful, precious little boy. God loves him more than I do, and I love him more than I can begin to say. Soon, I will not have to leave him alone at night. I will not have to worry about him being safe, or what he will eat. I will tuck him into bed myself, in his own room in our house. But until that day, I will love him with all I have. I will keep him safe within the walls of my heart.
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