When he tapped me on the shoulder and asked me for permission to give his testimony to the large crowd, I was surprised. Noel had never before given his testimony in public, and Central Plaza in downtown Tegucigalpa is a daunting place for a debut.
The Parque Central is the heartbeat of any Latin American city. In most places, it contains an old Catholic Church and a statue of the nation's hero. In Tegucigalpa, the beautiful colonial cathedral and the rearing horse of Francisco Morazán give the centuries-old square an historic feel, while the Burger King and Little Ceasars on opposing sides of the cobblestone square lend a touch of modern globalization! Every day, thousands of people pass through the square: students on their way to school, businesspeople and laborers headed to or from work, and vendors selling a variety of wares.
Two weeks ago, the Micah boys took over the stage in the middle of Central Square along with forty enthusiastic Christians from the Central Presbyterian Church in St. Louis. The young people and their leaders came to share in a week of ministry with the Micah boys. Together, they spent the week leading evangelistic services in schools, orphanages, and jails. As we set up our sound equipment in the Central Plaza, people began to gather around the stage wondering what so many "gringos" were up to.
The St. Louis group attracted a growing crowd with their presentation of the gospel through skits, songs, and testimonies. Then, the Micah boys took the stage to perform their skit. Based on a song called "Child of the Street," the skit is a powerful enactment of what each one of our boys has suffered in his past life, complete with the familial abuse, the drugs, the anger and the loneliness that the kids feel. Jarvin, the lead mime, performed with tears rolling down his cheeks, as he undoubtedly thought of his younger brother Darwin and his friends who are still living on the streets of Tegucigalpa. At the same time, Marvin sang the chorus: "I don't need your money, I don't need your pity, what I need is your love."
After the stunning performance, Noel walked up to the microphone. His normally easy-going smile was replaced by a look of intensity that we had never seen in him before. "I was once a street kid in this very Central Plaza. I used drugs; I begged for money; I stole things from people in the square. But Jesus has given me a new life; he has forgiven me the things of my past and has made me new. He has allowed me the chance to get an education, and to live in a place where I can learn to serve Him."
Noel began to cry as he spoke to the crowd in Central Plaza. "I just want to say, if I hurt any of you out there, if I stole anything from you or scared you, that was before I knew Christ. I want to ask for your forgiveness--I hope you will find it in your hearts to forgive me."
The tears of the crowd bore witness to the impact that Noel's testimony had: a street kid publicly asking forgiveness?!? Many Hondurans view street kids as lost boys who are too far-gone in drugs to be helped. Even worse, others view street kids as vermin that litter downtown Tegucigalpa with their presence. But here was a glowing fifteen year-old ex-street kid, proclaiming that Jesus had given him new life, saying that he was deeply sorry for his past.
Last week, as we reflected on the week of service and evangelism , I soon realized that our boys were profoundly changed by the week's events. The boys shared that, as they led people to Christ and shared their testimonies, they felt God's power in their lives in new and amazing ways. Two boys mentioned that, at times, before performing their skit, they felt tired, sweaty and lethargic, but that God's energy and love filled them as soon as they began to minister.
The boys learned of God's power in ministry and expressed a desire to continue to be used by Him. They have decided to begin regular ministry at the juvenile prison, one of the places we visited with the St. Louis group. After our presentations at the prison, one of the incarcerated boys went up to a couple of Micah boys. The boys spoke intently with him for several minutes, and then prayed with him with their arms around him as the guards began to usher us out. Ministering to the juvenile offenders living in squalid and sub-human conditions at the prison (boys who came from very similar backgrounds as the Micah boys), truly created a passion in our boys to continue the work.
As directors of the Micah Project, we stand amazed by what God is doing in and through our boys. Though we try to dream big and pray hard for God to transform our boys and use them as his ministers, He continually surprises us in the ways he works in them!
We hope that you will keep the Micah Project and our boys in your prayers. Pray that God will continue to give them a thirst for ministry, and will open doors so that their ministry may expand. We are certain that your prayers are the underpinnings of the great work that the Lord is doing in the lives of our boys.
The Micah Project is funded solely by private donations. If you would like to make a tax-exempt donation, you may send a check written to the Central Presbyterian Church at the following address:
The Central Presbyterian Church
c/o Mr. Randy Mayfield, Missions Director
7700 Davis Dr.
Clayton, MO 63105
(314) 854-0133
On a separate note, please indicate that the donation is to support the Micah Project. While Central Church graciously accepts and administers donations to the Micah Project, they do not take any fee for this service; thus, 100% of your donation will come directly to the project.
We would like to thank each of you for being a part of the Micah Project team. Your faithfulness in prayer in support is a great encouragement to us. As we see God's ministry through the Micah Project expanding, we want you to know that you are an invaluable part of this work.
On behalf of Marvin, David, Olvin, Noel, Cristino, Danilo, Jarvin, and Miguel...God bless you!
Michael Miller, Aminah Al-Attas
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