For Ever, Amen!
Ever is the first person mission partner Steve Poulson has mentored through to adulthood. It’s an incredible discipleship journey.
Steve Poulson shares the joy of being part of the life of a young man named Ever over many years – and celebrates seeing fruit even in challenging times.
By Steve Poulson
I work with street children and help run a mentoring programme at Street Kids Direct in Honduras, with a vision to place a caring and consistent adult in the lives of every high-risk child.
Locked out of education
2020 wasn’t easy – from 15 March it was illegal for anyone under age 14 to go out. Many of the kids we work with are no longer keeping up with school – without access to a smartphone and regular internet, they can’t do the homework schools send through WhatsApp.
There’s no indication that classes will be back in January (when the school year starts here), so we’re desperately trying to figure out how to help them maintain essential skills and get back into education.
Ever hopeful
But there is hope on the horizon. Recently, the other volunteers and I met up in person for the first time since lockdown began and started chatting about ways forward.
And God is still at work in the lives of those we work with, even in lockdown…
We’ve been working with Ever for a long time. He is now 21 and Street Kids Direct has sponsored him through school from the age of 13 or 14. Ever and his brother are the first in their family to graduate not only from secondary school but from primary school.
Pursuing dreams
Ever really wants to be a mechanic within the police, a role which requires basic police training. He was accepted into the police academy during lockdown.
I’ve been taking him through more intense discipleship over the past few months, and about a month before going to the police academy, he decided he wanted to be baptised.
The pastor, Dionilo, and I baptised him a day before he left for training.
He’s the first person I’ve seen all the way through from early teens to adulthood, taking steps of faith and being successful.
A police job means a regular income once he passes his training. The one problem is the corruption in the police, but Ever is determined that if he feels forced to start compromising on his Christian values, he will leave the police.
A natural disciple
Ever has now been in police training for six weeks. He’s already been promoted to assistant to the head of the training programme and leads prayer and devotions for his friends most evenings.
It’s so encouraging to see a young person who is really growing and taking concrete steps, and now loving it so much that he’s naturally sharing it with the people around him.
