Sunday, May 27, 2007

Saturday Night

Luke 14: 11 "For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted”

This is one of the things that worries me about telling stories on the blog, I don’t do it to exalt myself, but I must admit I often think, “this will be good to put on the blog”

But most of the time I feel my motivation is good, just got to keep checking it and examining myself.

We went out last night and had some really good conversations with a lot of people. At one point Ben and I got to chatting with 2 pr’s they are on such low wages and work on a commission only basis of getting paid for every customer they manage to attract into the bar. Anyway these two young girls were doing pretty badly so we decided we would become their customers and sat down for a beer. Whilst we sat outside we got talking to 5 chaps from Toronto Canada. We talked for a while and then Rachel and Becky, who are on the team came along, they jumped into the conversation and it went really well. After a while Ben and Becky were going great guns. So Rachel and myself went for a walk, we went to two of the clubs in San An, Eden and Es Paradis. (Becky ended up praying for the Canadian guys) Whilst in es Paradis a big fight kicked off in front of us, I was going to step in and try to break it up when a guy dressed in a superman costume reached out and stopped me from stepping in. That tiny moment of intervention stopped me enough to make me think and kept me from getting embroiled in a fight which the bouncers quickly sorted out. Thank God for Superman.

We then walked back into the West End, this time we found two girls a sleep outside Kentucky Fried chicken, people were laughing at them, taking photos and generally mocking these two comatose girls. Then to our surprise there father came over he had taken his 14-year-old and 17-year-old daughters out for a drink and some one, he thought, had spiked their drinks. It was mayhem, there were so many people trying to get involved, we took control and dragged them out of the westend to the taxi rank, more puking along the way. The taxi drivers wouldn’t take them in the car so I left them with Rachel and some other members of the team and went to get my car!

Upon my return the father had gone to find some water, which we had already provided (he was also drunk) I saw him running up the road so jumped out of my car and ran through the crowds after him. By this point he was covered in blood and looking a little beaten up. It transpired that he had confronted some of the West African drug dealers and they had beaten him up. He was lucky he hadn’t got stabbed. Anyway I turned him around and started to walk him out of the west end towards his daughters, as I escorted him to the car we were confronted by about 7 very angry looking west African chaps ( I shouldn’t really call them drug dealers! But we all know they are) at this point I though we are going to get the pooh kicked out of us. So I put my hand up to them and said “it’s okay, I’m taking him home” The lead guy winked and nodded at me and they let us both pass.

We then got the guy and his two daughters to the car, as we got his youngest daughter in she wet herself on my back seat. My car now smells of urine!

We got them back to their hotel, one of the girl’s bags had gone missing, nothing we could do there! We got them sorted I talked to the dad, he cried and I felt tremendous pain for this man. We went back to the prayer room, I didn’t know how to pray, so I just recited the Lords Prayer and cried.

I got home at 5am, read my bible for a bit(seemed like the right thing to do), then went in to my sons room to watch them sleep and remind myself that there is still innocence in this world.

9 comments:

roast honey said...

wow how mental - i'm glad the encounter didn't discourage u. I thank God for how he has blessed u and for all u know not to take for granted, i pray too that ur seat will smell better real soon-maybe u cud try febreeze or spilling some concentrated air freshner on it or something?

Lisa said...

Brian, was praying for you guys yesterday morning... you came to mind as I was taking a long walk through a local park...
I love to hear the stories, don't stop sharing them!

Globegirl said...

I love the stories. I check your blog every day looking for them. Really heartbreaking about that dad. Can't imagine the shame isn't beating his heart to a pulp right now. I pray God's drawing for this man.

Isn't it hard to connect with people and know you will likely never see them again? In similar ministry situations I always want to know what happened with people later, and wish I could know. Guess that's one of the things that will be so fun in heaven. At least you also have the ongoing relationships with the workers.

dave wiggins said...

i have just found you're abusive comment on estelles blog. i'm not going to fight back, just to say that i saw it and he has your ears.

Unknown said...

Brian, I sit at work, in my beige-walled office with a 65 year old man on the other side of my deskspace, reading your blog and it gives me hope to dream that maybe God will use Dave and I to do something like this some day...

You guys are not to be put on a pedestal, but I believe your faithfulness to peeling back the layers of junk in peoples lives and on that island to reveal Gods Kingdom of truth is making marks beyond the tangible things you see right now. Keep 'er lit.

john heasley said...

Its so real, what you do, I now know your reality a bit more and just want to shout at people about the work you all are doing there.

Anonymous said...

What a night. I'm glad you were there for that family. You might try washing the seat with a solution of water and vinegar. Likely you know that but vinegar is great at taking smells out.

Anonymous said...

What a night. I'm glad you were there for that family. You might try washing the seat with a solution of water and vinegar. Likely you know that but vinegar is great at taking smells out.

Anonymous said...

i was also there.... i felt really bad for the father and the daughters.. before that..,when the older sister was still fine and the other one was still conscious but could hardly stand up.. the older daughter came to kfc ( i was workin there at that time) then she ordered some chips and some soda... and she told me that she needed to take care of his sister and father 'coz they were both drunk.. minutes after that i was shocked to see her and her sister unconscious sittin' infront of kfc.. then people began to take pictures of them... i felt really bad.. but i couldn't do anything afterwards.. i've seen people tryin to help who took them away.... after that i just prayed they were all fine...anyways..hope their father learned his lesson! ...he should have taken car ebetter of his daughters..