A Holistic Approach to Restoration

 

Within the first three weeks at Capstone I’ve uncovered many different outreach and in-reach programs. I will not attempt to tackle them all in one article, but I’ll tell you about a scenario that will connect some of the programs in the diagram above.

Chris is an 11 year old boy that took to the streets in January of 2012.  He went out to tend to the cows for his parents (a common chore here), and never returned.  Chris ran to the nearest city to look for a better life; one without an unkind step mother and an often absent father.  Here he finds no bed, no food, and the harsh realities of independence.

George at the Capstone Youth Center

An older street boy soon meets Chris and offers him protection and a bit of food Chris desperately needs.  But, this will come at the price of homosexual favors and labor.  Chris takes to the street to start begging for handouts to share with the older boy.  Younger boys have a greater success at begging because of their innocent demeanor.  Older boys will also show younger boys where free food is given out during the week.  On Monday morning, the place to be is at the Capstone Youth Center. Here, Chris is given soap to take a shower, detergent to wash his one set of clothes, a Bible study to hear the word of God, and bread and juice to nourish his body.  Capstone staff, George and Isaiah, encourage Chris to go home.  George tells him that if school fees are needed Capstone can help, and if you want Capstone staff by your side when you return home you can have that too.   Monday morning at the center is coming to a close and Chris sees his fellow street boys leave the center one by one.  He wonders if he should stay behind and take George’s offer.  Chris gets up from his desk and leaves the center. 

Later in the week, George travels to “the stage,” where boys are known to congregate, and carries out Street Work Outreach & Rescue operations.  “The stage” is a transportation staging area where boys can work illegally and obtain a small amount of cash for washing vehicles, or carrying luggage. He walks up to a group of 12 boys. Most already know George by name.  He recognizes the new boy Chris and asks if he can speak to him. As the other boys move on, George talks one on one with Chris.  Chris talks about the broken relationships he has at home.  But he also mentions how hungry and tired he is.  Chris agrees to let George take him home.

George calls another staff member to help facilitate the rescue operation.  It is too late in the day for the boy to return to his home this evening. In order to protect Chris from hostile street conditions, Capstone staff calls on their ally Pandpieri, a local shelter that works with Capstone when needed. Chris will have a safe place to stay and a bed for the night.

In the morning, George sets out to transport Chris home.  The boy does not know his parent’s phone number, so they set out in hope that his parents will be home and that the reintegration process goes well.  The Lord has been on Capstone’s side and this has not been an issue thus far, so Chris reunites with his family.

One month later, George visits Chris at home for the Family Follow Up and Restoration of Relationships.  George is relieved to see that Chris still remains at home.  As the family and George greet one another they open their meeting with a prayer. During follow up visits Capstone records family lineage, school status, birth date, and other information.  They also look for signs of a possible relapse. George is able to communicate the best with Chris because of the rapport that they built on the street.  George records reasons for the family’s strained relationship.  Chris’s parents also tell George that Chris’s behavior is deteriorating a little.  This is one sign that their son may take off for the streets again.  George also notes that Chris’s spiritual life could use some improvement. A common view among parents in households Capstone has entered is that parents do not see the need to grow spiritually.  Capstone relies heavily on prayer to change the hearts of parents and children. George closes the meeting with prayer again, and will visit in another couple of months.

This narrative touched upon 3 of the 11 parts in the diagram above.  In future articles, we will be exploring Capstone's programs further.  ~Jen