Praying For a Happy Reunion

I wanted to tell you a bit about Bananee, the 11-year-old Tor and I met in the Company Gardens with Joe. We found him sleeping, and when the security guard woke him up, he noticed us talking like "Americans" and asked us for money. I had made chocolate chip "biscuits" for this reason and to hand out to them, so I gave him one, and Tor asked him halfheartedy if he wanted his coffee. Wouldn't you know, he did! So we talked to him for a bit and managed to get out of him that he and his brother have been living on the streets for 3 years, but still stay in contact with his mom. His dad got killed in some fight and his mom had a new boyfriend that drank a lot and abused him, so they left the township (a place that looks like a bunch of tiny, tiny shacks close together, like a ghetto). We asked him if he would like to go back home, and he said yes. We asked him why he didn't, and he didn't really reply. He changed the subject and asked us if we wanted to go to the South African museum because it had giant animals. Tor and I hadn't been to it yet, so we took him and it was sooo fun! He lit up at the giant whale skeleton and we sat listening to whale sounds in the whale booth. When we got out of the museum, he was in a hurry to get to the currency exchange so he could exhange his Euros he had received on the street the night before. He asked us if he would see us again and we said probably. We gave him hugs and reminded him Jesus loved him. I have to admit, he stole my heart! :)

The next morning we saw him again sleeping on the lawn, but when we woke him up, he wanted to sleep. One more time when we tried, he was too tired to go eat, so Tor and I left him sleep. This last weeked I went away with some girls, so Tor stayed in town and did ministry alone. He hung out with Joe, and had an amazing conversation about "turning the other cheek" with an old boss who owed him a lot of money (I mean, wow, what a heart...the guy's homeless and needs the money!). Tor also met up with Bananee and his brother. He found out his mom was no longer with the boyfriend, so Tor bought him bus tickets to go home and saw them off....so cool! I pray that the reunion was like in Luke with the prodigal son and that his mom welcomes them with open arms!