Mookh Gear Gojteh boodeye ke joloio mecrem. "To the brainwasher. we told you we would stop you."Because of the van, we have been sleeping on the streets on cardboard. Hotel Cardboard is a great place to really connect with the young refugees from the middle east.
It continues to be too amazing for words. Most of these boys are from Afghanistan, but had been living in Iran. One young man is filled with grief and anger over what he experienced in the military in Afghanistan. His stories of inhumane treatment of people are beyond comprehension. D, is very wise in the way he speaks and treats these guys.
The men have been listening to LOTS of Bible stories - asking lots of questions, talking about different religions and talking about how they doubt God's existence. They cannot fathom how God could exist after seeing what they've seen. But the Lord gave me some words that really seemed to make sense to a young man named "M".
A few times M would say,
"Wow, we have to talk."One of those times was when I said,
"The only way YOU are ever going to know if God exists as when he slaps you on the head like this (I playfully slapped him.), given all you've been through."This young man is always smiling and friendly and he told me he just wants to see his dad again. I said something like,
"How is it that you are such a nice young man? Why haven't you killed me but instead you've treated me with such kindness and respect? Why do you smile all the time? Where does that come from given what has happened to you? Why do you love your mom and dad so much? Follow those feelings you have inside. That is love!!! Follow that love because that's the light that will lead you to Christ who said, 'I am the light of the world!' God HAS slapped you on the head and said, 'Here I am!' Jesus said, 'I am the way the truth and the light, nobody comes to the Father but by me.'"At some point, while we were gathered in a circle sitting on rug, M gestured to me,
"Can we talk?"I said,
"Of course, I'd love to talk with you."We had a great time talking until he finally left around 2 am. He wants to talk more.
Another night, a group of kids surrounded me and began setting up a place we could sit and talk. One young man who had arrived in Rome from Afghanistan only 2 days before, began to talk to me.
I said,
"How are you? Are you OK? Did anybody hurt you? Welcome to Italy."He said,
"Why are you here?"I said,
"Because you boys don't have your parents so I come here to see how you are doing and talk with you."He was genuinely grateful and we enjoyed our time of visiting each other.
