Andreas' Story continues ...

Andreas' house has had an open door since the day it was completed.  In his owns words, it has become a Rehabilitation Centre within his community.  Day after day, night after night, young men, whose identities have been wrapped up in their drug and gang culture, come ... and hang out at Andreas' place.  They are a brotherhood, some of whom fear no one, and some who put fear into the hearts of even the police.  These young men have, among others, two things in common.  One is the lives they've lived with hopelessness and drug dependency ... the other is a certain respect they have for Andreas himself.  The former drug and gang leader who once had them trapped in a desperate lifestyle is now showing them a different way.  A way where respect is not based on how fearsome or tough you are, but on the fact that you are an individual who is loved by God, just as you are.

Bold in his faith toward Jesus Christ, Andreas tells these young men about the transforming love of God.  He doesn't "couch" what he says to make it easy to accept.  He doesn't make it politically correct in order to get them to listen or water it down so that they don't reject him, should they not like what they hear.  No!  He tells it like it is.  He calls them to repent of their sins and seek the forgiveness of God.  He calls them to account for what they are doing.  Bold and un-hypocritical, he gives an honest message that delivers honest hope.  A message of God's gift of love and life ... free ... but it will cost them everything.  And ... some are listening ... some are responding.  In the last month, at least 4 of these young men have given their hearts to Jesus Christ ... and several have been baptized.  Why?  Because Andreas lives the life he preaches.  And he demonstrates his love by accepting each one of them into his own home giving them a place of shelter and a place of refuge.

Confined to a wheelchair, a bullet still lodged in his spine, not knowing if he will ever walk again, Andreas' continuing motivation is that God represents change, and that God wants to and can evoke change in the lives of his friends.

In the last month, there have also been some physical changes to Andreas' place.  An addition of about  16' x 22' has been added to his home, specifically to offer more room for shelter to the young men in his community.  With Andreas' and Santiago's vision, a little outside financial assistance, and a houseful of young men, they took ownership of this project for themselves and made it happen.  When we visited them yesterday,  we learned  that they don't have beds for the new dormitory.  They are all sleeping on the hard concrete, some with some thin foamies, some with nothing more than a blanket.  We have a heart to see them get beds, so we will see what can be done in the next little while to provide beds for them.

We also met Andreas' son, Victor, and his former wife,  Rosalinda.  The bond he has with his son is something very special to observe.  We can't help but wonder if he isn't trying to make up for lost time with his son, time his former way of life robbed both him and his family of.  Unable to run and play with his son, it's not hard to see that he would love to be able to walk again in order to do physical things with his son.  But even more than that, Andreas' prayer is that his family will one day be restored.

Andreas has received an invitation by parents in the neighboring community of Triqui to come and speak to the youth there.  A community with it's own rival gangs and drug culture, where kids as young as 9, 10 and 11 years old are already sniffing glue and being lured into a lifestyle of hopelessness and depression.  Andreas' invitation will take him into the neighboring "turf" to help effect change.  It's a big step for him to go into rival territory, some might even say it's a big risk.  But then, he doesn't go alone.  God has already gone before him to pave the way.  And God is the one who will equip him with the words to speak and experiences to share.

Pray for Andreas as he reaches out to help those caught up in a culture within which he lives, but which he is no longer a part of.  Pray that the youth of these communities will see there is hope beyond what they know to be a reality.  Pray that they will see that Andreas is an example that God is about the miraculous.  God IS about the miraculous ... and God IS about changing lives.