second chances.

maybe you have already heard this story, but it continues to melt my heart. this is a story about a boy and a God whose specialty is redemption. a story about a boy who the world had forgotten, but whose God was pursuing with lovingkindness. this is a story about Mandla*, a 14 year old boy who has seen the worst of life. growing up in poverty, fending for himself most his life because of a neglectful mother, experiencing the murder of his older brother, living on the streets with gansters... he has seen more than my eyes will ever see and more than my heart could bear.

last year when Mandla ran away and began living with the gansters we had to drop him from the Vulnerable Children program (in which i was his mentor) because his family had no contact with him and we had no way of locating him. but we did not give up on Mandla. we continued to pray for him and believe for a complete miracle in his life! in August we began to really contend and ask the Lord to restore him to his family. in September we found out that he had returned home and was living with his mother and sisters! since then we have seen such a change in Mandla. his neighbors have been telling us that he is no longer going out with his gangster friends and that he is very helpful around the property he lives.

he came to us and told us that he wants to go back to school! but when his mother went to register him they would not accept him because he had been expelled two years ago for drug use at school. we began speaking with the administrators, advocating for Mandla and testifying that he is truly changing and that we will support him. the administrators decided to admit him to school! we took Mandla to purchase a school uniform and supplies, and he began school the next day! It was such a beautiful experience to see him prepare to go back to school. i was so overwhelmed with thankfulness watching him pick out school supplies, proudly carry his full sack of new clothes for school and have so much fun just pushing around the shopping cart through the mall. i was so overwhelmed by it all and so thankful to be able to be a voice for the voiceless.

so a week after getting back into school, i received a phone call from Mandla’s school. he was in the principal's office and they needed me to come to the school. oh dear. he had skipped school and smoked marijuana. oh Lord! after spending several hours being sent to speak to practically every person in that school, Mandla was given a second chance! this child needs much, much more than being put back into a classroom with a nice uniform. he needs support, healing, love, time. so i began to ask the Lord for a plan. since then i have been spending a lot of time with him; i have pursued him like crazy. and he is melting. i see it. his sweet heart is emerging from behind all the hardness of life. he just needs to be loved, to know he is worth something, that he is seen and cared for. my friend, lucas (a local who is a part of All Nations), and i met with Mandla the other day to ask him how we can support him. he told us that he gets into trouble because he is bored and his neighbors are always drunk and influencing him. we started throwing out ideas: soccer team, helping us with kids clubs, starting a bible study with his friends. he was eating it up. he wanted all of it. he wants to be freed from his old life...he just needs people to walk with him.

i am thankful. i am thankful that this is the Jesus i follow. the One who meets the broken where they are, restoring them with his lovingkindness, and picking them up time and time again.

his love shatters our darkness and heals our hearts and draws us to life with him.

i am so in love with this Jesus! and so expectant for the miraculous in Mandla's life.

*name changed