Thursday, May 31, 2012

A TIME TO TICKLE


It was around nine o'clock Saturday night in Emmanuel orphanage and we had just finished our teaching session. The last group of kids, dressed in their P.J's, headed down the darkened upstairs hallway, and slowly disappeared into their small rooms. Three bunks to a room.

A little later on my way out, I walked down the dark hallway toward the big door and the stairs. The thirty-five boys were quiet at last. I decided to drop into one of the darkened rooms. Leaning over the middle bunk I said "Hi" to Carlos, a ten year old boy laying there. He turned my way and said, "Hi von." I put my hand on his head and ruffled his hair, quietly asking him about his family ... his mom and dad.

He said he had no mother, but he has a father and younger brother and sister, and said he was doing good in school. I grabbed his leg and started tickling his foot. He giggled and laughed as he pulled his foot back. That's when I noticed a foot come down from the top bunk and then another little foot coming up from the lower bunk. Three neat kids that deserve homes, love and fathers that could tickle their feet. (Yes, those three kids in that room were sufficiently tickled that night.)

On my way out, I continued down the hallway and on down the stairs. I can still hear several of the kids in hushed voices calling to me from their rooms,

"Hey, von come in here."

Friday, May 25, 2012

THE AMERICA I USED TO KNOW


Am I disappointed in the direction America is going? Of course ... I'm old and have experienced, to some extent, what America was. I lived in a good America. They say a man my age is the last of the Great Generation.

Because I lived in that era, I'm more sensitive to the contrast of those days and today.

The key word here is contrast.

Unlike the Baby Boomers and even younger generations, I can see a contrast they are unable to see. Why? The younger were born into the broken system. They live now knowing nothing better. Indeed bonded to the system. Skillfully prepared to become ‘politically correct' college educated Lemmings.

Liberal, progressive and politically correct Lemmings by the millions!

I highlight the word system.

Believe me, Once upon a time America was a radically different country. America was different In a good way; in a sense society was "good" the people were "good". There seemed to be a little honesty and patriotism left. We were proud of our country and proud of the flag, which we saluted every morning along with giving the pledge of allegiance.

We were a church going people in those days. The Judeo-Christian ethics our nation began with continued spreading among us. Not that America was truly "Christian" but we were brought up with those ethics. There was a general agreement on what was right and what was wrong.

Praying in school wasn't unusual. Bible Clubs in school were popular. This was before C L U; before the Civil Liberties Union started twisting and corrupting the interpretation of our Constitution.

Especially the definition of separation of Church and State.

Pure evil!

Oh yes, in the past there were criminals and crime but evil tended to be isolated in parts of society rather than a growing leaven running through main-stream society. We can't ignore the shadow side of America. The "black pages" in our history were the result of a perverted evil taught by so called "Christian" Seminaries and "Christian" Pastors; indoctrinating their "Christian" churches against blacks as fellow humans.

The Judieo Christian ethic that today's atheists, liberals and progressives love to hate, tended to bring a richness and goodness to America of old. Who can deny it?

We learned ethics early; I remember there were several wrong things we did in school, and we were sternly disciplined for them; chewing gum in class, talking in class, smoking, sassing the teacher ... admittedly different from today's school violations; such as coming to school with a weapon, drugs, raping a girl, or the random shooting of students and teachers.

Wow! What a change in just a few years. Change for the better? You decide!

Fortunately I lived my younger years on the tail-end of the "good" America. For these years I'm forever grateful.

Sadly, the predictable was obvious.

Unfortunately America's unique momentum of Judieo Christian ethic, like a rolling wheel, slowed down in the sixties ... wobbles and falls into ... today.

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

UNLOVED


Some kids, like this cute little girl, are so easy to love. Then there are the hard to love kind of kids, someone like a kid they call 'Lemon.' Many in our world have nicknames; his is 'Lemon'. We've known him since he was about ten years old. He has spent most of his life in incarcerated. He is greedy, loud and belligerent. Un-loveable. Un-lovely. Un-loved!

'Lemon' is now sixteen and on his way to a life in the penitentiary. He reached his hand and arm out of his cell bars yesterday to say hi and shake my hand. I gave him a smile and shook his hand and twisted it (as I often do) to see his wrist. I noted about eight scars along his wrist. 'Lemon' is a cutter. It's apparent that he has attempted eight times to end his life, and if you look a little closer you can see where each scar is deeper than the last. Unfortunately 'Lemon' isn't the only cutter in the CMI.

Why is it so hard to express God's love to a rather ugly kid who doesn't even love himself? We have worked for years in Tijuana's children's jail called the CMI. We call it kindergarten . . .because the next step is the penitentiary. At any time there are two or three hundred kids in this CMI. Believe me when I say it's as secure as any maximum-security prison can be.

It's seems only right that Spectrum would follow these kids from the streets and tough barrios to this jail. The kids respect us and they willingly listen to us as we plant seeds that will hopefully develop in their future, wherever it may be. Most of these kids have a father problem. Many have a father that is in the penitentiary.

The Tijuana penitentiaries are really bad. These kids pay their time in the CMI until they are eighteen, then it's penitentiary time.

How bad?

On occasion an older looking kid will be placed into the penitentiary if he can't prove his age, (they strip him and if he looks eighteen, he's in.) I remember, in the CMI, talking with one of these teens that spent a short time in the penitentiary and was returned to the CMI because he could prove he was sixteen. He was calmly telling me of a 'mock' soccer game he witnessed; the men in the penitentiary were playing using a human head as the ball.

Life in our world is dirty and hard. We make it a point to be where the need is.

Thursday, May 10, 2012

LOVE IS SPELLED IN DIFFERENT WAYS


We spend time at different orphanages ... I remember being poked in my backside, and looking down, here was a little kid with a wide chocolate smile offering me two pieces of chocolate he won in one of our games.

When I visit Emmanuel orphanage; often two young teenage girls will pull me aside, sit me down and massage my back while another brings me hot coffee. (Spoon, sugar and cream included.)

It's nice being spoiled.

In the name of love I even endure the kiss of death (as I call them.) Kisses, generally from little girls with running noses, hugging me and insisting on kissing me ... on my lips!

At night, when I finish speaking to the kids in an orphanage, I generally get hugs from the kids as they leave to go off to bed. Tight hugs, not token hugs ... and always a "thank you."

Up and down rickety wooden stairs and old tire stairs, there are always one or two kids trying to help me and keep me from tripping and falling. (Unfortunately with them helping me, I'm more apt to trip.)

Tribo Jesus Orphanage has a lot of kids that hate cold showers and baths in general. The orphanage has no hot water, so we drag in hot water and provide weekly hot showers. Often, in the process, my feet get wet so I have to change shoes and take my wet socks off. Last night at the orphanage one of the13 year old boys volunteered to help the old man take off his shoes and change socks and then he asked me if I would like to have my feet massaged.

"Massaged?" I asked. "Si," (yes) he replied, "well ... O.K."
So he started massaging my very white and cold, wet feet. I sat there remembering years back when I had my first foot massage in Singapore, not by a loving kid but by a professional foot massager. This massage was free too.

I'm both amazed and grateful for the variety of ways in which these kids express their respect and love to this old man. Oddly enough, and as old as I am, they don't call me grandpa ... it's still von.

Thursday, May 03, 2012

THE FATHERLESS KID


Watching some YouTube videos tonight, I rambled through the plight of thousands upon thousands of street kids existing in almost every major city in the world. Trashy urban areas. These rapidly growing groups of feral teens are the result of a world-wide moral virus; the fatherless Kid. A type of tough human vermin ... indeed rogue survivors.

As some say it and see it ... worthless social sewerage.

Indeed you-tube brings the truth home, to any who are willing to honestly look that way.

Street kids are street kids wherever you find them. A sub-culture that follows a similar pattern worldwide. Father missing! Father despised. Often, a feral teen, comes from a single parent family.

Male children growing up without a "respectable and mature male" to bond to. These male kids simply become "disoriented" In time, he becomes a danger to society.

Disoriented boys start becoming feral at an early age. Having to orient to their young peers.

Gangs, worldwide, grow by adopting disoriented boys ... kids seeking attention and needing discipline, acceptance, and purpose. They get it all in a gang.

Survive they will, and problems, they will become.

Society and their efforts to catch and change these feral teens just hasn't worked. Society's approach; institutionalize them, indoctrinate them and turn them into good citizens, has been tried in every major city world wide, and for the most part the dollars and programs have proven to be an expensive failure!

For the most part these kids gravitate back into drugs and the street.

Society's "solution" is simple:

  1. APPREHEND
  2. INCARCERATE
  3. INDOCTRINATE AND RELEASE
  4. REPEAT

And the cycle goes on ...

A proven cycle of failure!

In Brazil, for a time, the off duty police took care of the troublesome teens ... by simply shooting them and burying them in mass graves.. I might add, this did prove effective! I won't mention the city.

So I'm one of the guys that has spent forty years of my life working with feral kids in at least eight areas of Tijuana. (And other Countries.)

My frustration doesn't stop me ... it drives me forward!

For the most part I'm willing to work with "losers." Young social scum with no redeeming value ... except to God

God can change even the most vile life.

God just needs His man; a man that will love the unlovely. A man that will give a damn, put away his excuses and move into ministry.

Think: Thousands upon thousands of troubled boys and unfortunately, more in the making!

Tuesday, May 01, 2012

EXPLETIVES!


How profane can we Christians get? ("Father, forgive them, they know not what their doing!") Maybe we fall into that category. Grace at the cross!.

Thank God for that His grace!

I'm tired of hearing professing Christians using God's name in vain simply because it's common usage. In the days of the old Testament, God's name was so revered it could not even be uttered! God and His Holiness was never profaned!. Never! But today it's so different.


True, I've become used to non-Christians using God's name in vain and Christ's name in vain; however it seems today even the Divine Trinity is under attack ... and often by those of us claiming to be Believers.


This shouldn't be. "OMG" or "Oh my God!" Is commonly used by us Christians. This is wrong; Swear words like "God Damn!" and "Jesus Christ!" have been common for years ... now it's an attack on God's Holiness; "Holy Moly!" down to "Holy Crap!" and I've even heard "Holy S**t!" It's hard to write these terms.


When I hear that, it hurts! This is an uncomfortable issue: Is anyone dealing with it? The Church and church leaders are awkwardly silent. I think this is an issue that needs to be dealt with.


It's just too much! Is there anything in our culture that's sacred' God? ... His Trinity, even marriage ... sacred sex has been reduced to the "F" word.


The cheapening of God by His own Believers! The cheapening of Jesus Christ, His Holiness, His concept of marriage and sex ... will be tolerated by God only so long.


Even dangerously worse; when God's professing Christians fall into the norm of secular communication that places God and His Holiness in the toilet ... and flushes Him out of their mind.


Today, more than ever, we Christians need to watch what we say.


As for me, I'll not be a part of it!