But Now What?

Well, our trip is coming to a close. We've finished the painting job sooner than expected and hung out with the boys of Hope Mountain much more than we thought we would. But now what? Clearly, we had some impact on the boys and they have made an impact on us, a hundred fold. But the question has been asked numerous times: What do we do now? How do we make you all understand being that you haven't seen it?

Our last day with the boys consisted of any Easter Egg Hunt, soccer games, and a trip to the beach one last time. Philip Smith, Dayane and Rogerio, (one of the house fathers) shared some of the boys' stories. No surprise some of them included abuse of all kinds, murder and drugs. But all of the boys experienced neglect and abandonment. One has been adopted seven different times. Another was left in a closet and beaten for years. But we don't share this with you to make you feel bad for the kids. Because if you saw their eyes, you wouldn't see all that deep pain and scarring. You'd see happiness; you'd see boys trying to be boys who enjoy some horse play, playing practical jokes on each other, eating VERY well, and make farting noises. Even Josue, who definitely has deep rooted issues enjoyed a simple game of peek-a-boo on the bus ride to the beach. They are just boys looking for love and who have found hope in their new life at Hope Mountain. It was more than a pleasure to serve them these past four days. It was an honor to meet them and fix up their home.

Pray for the future of Hope Mountain. As of right now, it will stay open until July. Then, only God knows. But what is happening there certainly has eternal impact. Pray for wisdom for the leadership, that they will have the discernment to make the right decisions and that their eyes would be open to the opportunities God might provide. And most of all, pray for the boys. Pray that they will continue to grow in faith and courage so that no matter what happens to the residence, they will bring the message of hope to wherever they wind up.

Oh, remember William? Well, he gave a few of us hugs today. Talk about miracles happening at Hope Mountain.