“But why should I trust a God who allowed me to be taken from my mother?”

Too often, working with children is reduced to smiles, treats, and nap time.  But 11-year old Luiza is living proof that this vocation is far more than songs and coloring pages.  These difficult questions though, did not deter the bold team from California Baptist University. While the outright hostility from other teenagers caught the team off guard, they turned to the Lord for courage and focused on building relationships in ways they could.

Yet in the Transit Center, this proved to be a greater challenge than they had anticipated.  “The youth could be ‘there today, gone tomorrow,’” wrote team leader Kerri Horton, in an e-mail.  They decided to share the gospel and the love of Christ as much as they could.  Kerri mentioned, “One student on our team determined he would share his testimony with every teen boy before he left, and he did.”

Their determination paid off.  Luiza, who regularly heard about and discarded Christian God, thrived under the love and attention of the dedicated team.  In a letter written after the students returned to the United States, Luiza shared: “After all the stories that you have told us and after the fact that you came to us, I have started to trust God more and believe in Him. “

Over the course of their stay, the team found the work far different than they had anticipated.  Arriving at the Transit Center, they found a flock of young children “desperate for love and attention,” shared Kerri.  The signs of abuse and neglect were regularly confirmed as the young ones shared their stories.  Remarkably, in spite of their hardships, they regularly took joy in simple things, just like children around the globe.

“Playing and running outside, seeing [a] familiar face, or creating dandelion wreaths and bracelets for friends,” Kerri wrote.  “The team fell in love with these little ones, and their hearts broke to know of the uncertainty of the children’s futures.”

It is disconcerting to recognize how uncertain the future can be.  Lola, a 14-year-old found working in St. Petersburg, brought by the police to and now lives in the Transit Center.  She had been supporting herself after escaping a violent stepfather.  Without official paperwork, she waits to be moved to Uzbekistan, the country of her birth, even though her mother and baby sister live in the city.   The team continues to pray for Lola: “We pray Lola will learn to put her faith and trust in the only one who will not fail her or abandon her.”

Luiza and Lola are living reminders that the people we send money to are more than hungry mouths.  Each and every child has a unique history, complex emotions, and an uncertain future.  Too often their stories are lumped into the vast category of “needy children,” but for teams like California Baptist University, each youth and child they interacted with has a name and a story.

As you continue to partner with SunErgos, remember: we strive to promote change for individuals, even as we pray for the system to change.  Keep Luiza, Lola, and the other children in your prayers; that they may all come to know the Christ who died just for them.