simply amy: April 2010

Monday, 19 April 2010

That surreal feeling.

The first day that I landed in Mazatlan now seems like an eternity ago. It is so surreal to think back over that arrival and those events, and know that it seems like an age ago. Which, in reality, it was.

Wednesday, 14 April 2010

2 months and counting....

So the 2 month countdown has began. 2 months until I step onto a plane bound for Mazatlan, Mexico. Oh yes.

The story behind the picture.... ->

....The picture of me and the little boy (to the far right) is, I have to say, fast becoming one of my favourite pictures!
I met him when I was on outreach in Mexico City (for my DTS)His name is Andreas. He is 5 years old. He lives on the street with his mom (who can't be any more than a couple of years older than me), and his two younger brothers.
Their house is a blanket. Seriously. A holy blanket tied at one end to a pole, and weighed down at the other end with stones. They sleep on newspaper. Their blanket is on an island in the middle of a busy Mexico City road. To top it all off, Andreas and his brothers live surrounded by other teenage kids who are on drugs. They look out for Andreas, and he looks up to them. You can see where that will lead. I just want to take him home with me and give him a chance at another life, away from that of drugs and poverty. Ever since I met these street kids, they have been on mind, especially Andreas. He doesn't know what he is missing out on and what he doesn't have, but despite his circumstance, I have never seen such an innocence and joy in a kid as I did in this one.For me he sums up what Jesus said in Matthew 19:14 "Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them, for the kingdom of Heaven belongs to such as these"He was so full of life and laughter. He loved spending time with us - he even insisted on praying with us even though he didn't understand. He sat in one of the boy's lap, and listened intently as bits of the prayer were translated for him. Then when one of the older kids feared we were getting to close to him, she came and led him away. Influence. The language barrier made no difference as I played chase with him, and spun him around, and watched the big grin spread across his face. He loved my camera and having pictures taken. Out of all the kids I have met, I have remembered his name and his face.