choosing hope

Today I spent some time hanging out with Usman and Mohammad. They are two of the boys that I wrote about who make their living selling small items off of the main street in Freetown. Usman was sitting on the railing of the street with his ball cap on to protect him from the sun and a pile of colorful towels in his hand to sell. He sells them for 5oo or 1000 leone (one US dollar is the equivalent to 3000 leone). Interrupted only be the occasional customer or two, I heard some of his story this morning. He is making money to survive. He is 19 years old and has big dreams of going somewhere that will allow him to work hard. He said he would gladly do any job asked of him in order to make money to invest and be able to use it for good back here in his country and to take care of his family. He is selling on the street because his father could no longer pay his school fees. He had to drop out of school and take care of himself, this was about three years ago and he has been on his own since then. He sits on the street day after day in the hot sun or in the rain selling small hand towels. The police harass him and embarrass him often. (It is technically illegal for them to sell items off of the street like they do.) I sat there with him and Mohammad, as he was telling his story...watching as other children in their school uniforms walked by, and was overcome with sadness....not hopelessness just sadness. Usman has one of the sweetest and most tender countenances I have ever been around. I think anyone who talks with him, will love him in about 2 seconds!! :) He is always all smiles and has the warmest brown eyes I have seen. My insides ache for him (and Mohammad and Kande and Charles) to be able to see their dreams become a reality! They are so young and still so full of hope. I pray with all that I have in me that the Lord would make a way for them in a place where it seems impossible that things will ever change. I pray (and ask you to pray with me) that the Lord provide for them and bless them beyond what they could even hope for and that the hope that they have now would not die! I have to confess that hope is not something that is my first response when I look at their situation, but I have to rest in the fact that as much as my heart is full of love and ache for them - I know that the Father's heart is much more than mine!