Waterloo – Home To Hundreds of Street Kids

I just returned from a trip to Sierra Leone and I can say I’m unashamedly fired up about the ministry God is allowing the 25 Project to be involved in there.  He has opened the door for tremendous impact upon street kids in a community just outside Freetown named “Waterloo”.

Hundreds of boys wander the streets of Waterloo everyday, doing odd jobs to get enough money to buy a plate of rice.  Some days they eat, some days they don’t.  Their daily to do list includes one primary thing…survive.  At the end of the day as markets close, they search for a place to sleep, be it on a market table or in a corner of a market stall.  The existence these boys live is difficult to imagine.

Despite the experiences I’ve had and stories I’ve been told through the years, I found myself at the point of getting overwhelmed with sadness and disbelief as I learned of story after story of children who have encountered such heartbreak and loss at such young ages.  Yes, some are on the streets because of their own immaturity and inability to make good decisions, but most are not there by choice.  They were forced there, and as a result, they had no option but to grow up way too fast.

The good news in the midst of such tragedy is that I believe we have an amazing opportunity to make a difference in the lives of so many of these precious kids.  Only God knows how many are there, but we know the number is in the hundreds.  Most have never had the privilege of hearing of Jesus or had the assurance of knowing someone would be there who would never leave.

God has opened the door and we are following His leading to make much of Jesus among the street kids of Waterloo.  I’m excited for what is to come and look forward to sharing in the next few days exactly what our plan is to begin bringing Hope and Healing to these children.  Check back on Tuesday when we’ll share the plan moving forward and ways you could potentially be involved!

Kent Jones