I don't really know how to write about a very sad situation that is happening here. A young (14 years old) boy is currently spending his daytimes here, and returning to his aunts house to sleep at night. Why? Because nobody wants him. His mother left him with his father, his father returned him to his mother, she gave him back, he ran away..... (this story goes on like this over a course of many months). On Friday, his father pushed him out of the house and said not to return, he came here. Some other workers here have contacted his mother, hoping for him to return to live with her, she refused to accept him. The social services doesn't work at weekends (or if they do they are very difficult to get hold of). This boy is just hanging around, flying kites with Gideon and Josiah, he doesn't seem particularly upset by it (maybe he is numb to it all), yet he is hardly talking at all.
It could be very easy to judge these parents, yet we also know how difficult this boy can be. He has caused many problems in his family, he can be extremely aggressive and has some type of personality disorder. I can understand that they are unable to cope. Yet, here is a boy, completely abandoned, how does he feel? What is his future?
I am very thankful that because of the work of the community centre here he feels that he can come to us, he must feel safe here. In the past, several people have worked alongside this family, maybe they have failed, maybe there is still something that God will do. Where else would this boy be? On the streets? Being used and abused by the older boys?