kids shouldn't get HIV

Today I visited El Shaddai - the elementary school here in Dondo, Mozambique. It's a private school that is many ways the backbone of the entire Ray of Light project. As children receive an education they are more likely to escape the poverty around them and change the culture. They are doing a great work. Our student ministry back home just started supporting 3 children here in Mozambique who are or will be receiving an education at El Shaddai as a result. So it was with great interest that I hung around the school today. No agenda or plan...just to be there and pray for the kids as they walked by.
About an hour into my visit and I was asked to pray for some of the kids who the teachers felt needed extra prayer. So in they came... One with some aggressive behavior issues, one with some learning difficulties, and then some more with behavior problems. I introduced myself...we conversed a little, and then I prayed for them.
Then they brought in a child and they told me to pray for him because he has HIV. With compassion in my eyes I tried to converse and let him know I loved him more than he could maybe imagine. That I wasn't afraid of him. Inside I was breaking apart. I wish I could've walked out and taken him home with me.
I struggled through the prayer, but I could barely finish without crying. Kids shouldn't get HIV.
It was a hard sight to see and I'm not sure I'll ever finish processing it. I'll never forget his name or the look in his eyes. This one may keep me up tonight.

Wordless Wednesday

Lord, please don't ever make me a senior pastor

that's a prayer that i've prayed for over 5 years now ever since i stepped into youth ministry and saw all that senior pastors "really" put up with (including us youth pastors that can be hard to handle at times). i'm thankful for a great senior pastor and i love his leadership in my life, both personally and professionally.

i saw this video promo for NYWC this year and made me think of all this... i'm more sold on this other conference, but this video is a 10 all around!