*A note from our director in Mexico
In just a few weeks, we will be celebrating 1 year with our Marked soccer team.
And what a year it has been.
Never in my life have I seen more growth and desire to belong than I have in these boys.
Never in my life have I seen the impact of family form so quickly and so intentionally.
And never have I seen such dramatic change among a group of boys and men so quickly.
This past week, we celebrated by taking the boys back to play against our friends at Colegio Once Mexico, the first school to say ‘yes’ to the risk of hosting this group of boys from the ‘barrio’. We drove them to the Chiva stadium in the city to dream once again, and shared a meal around the table at The House, the same thing we did less than a year ago, for their first time out of the villages where they grew up.
Left to Right: May 2018 - February 2019
But what was so profound was reflecting and celebrating with them about how far they have grown and changed.
“A few days later, as I sat on the sidelines of our weekly Saturday games, one of the boys who started the year with us but chose to go to work in the city instead of taking us up on college courses came and sat next to me and began asking about each of our players on the field and where they are now:
Four of our boys are all in their last year of secondary school (middle school) and will start prepa (high school) in the fall. One is working with us part-time and going to school part time to make up for 17 years of missing out on an education. Another is going to school part time as well to pick up where he left off when he dropped out of school 2 years ago, but is now also attending carpentry school where he not only is learning how to be a master carpenter but was just asked to come on with them for a couple hours after class because of his outstanding work ethic and skills. In addition, we have another who still struggles to stay out of trouble but we continue to cheer him on at every success. He just signed up for GED classes with us and will keep encouraging him until he finishes.And lastly, Gabriel now helps coach the team, he will start barber school in a few weeks, in addition to volunteering his time keeping our boys looking fresh. He dreams of opening the first barbershop in his village, where he can support his family and little boys to dream and grow in wholeness.
And as I sat almost awestruck at what they’ve accomplished in a year, I turn to see someone else listening as well. ‘R’. He is a brother, cousin, friend, and a bad influence to several of our boys. I half jokingly commented to them both: “see I always accomplish my word.” ‘R’ very bold faced replied that's the way it always should be. He said it as if not one single person in his life has ever lived up to what they said they would do. But that he was dead set on if he said it, he will accomplish it. He acts as though he hates everyone, won’t depend on anyone, do what I want, when I want, how I want and there is nothing anyone else can do about it. Except here he was, yes on his own terms, but here he was on my side of the story. Better yet where he is beginning to realize he’s been written into life, a story so much bigger than his own and where the words and promises spoken over him are a part of God’s story and that His Word is unfailing, everlasting, and “pursuing him like that Shepherd and that one sheep.”
Then he wanted to know about ‘P’ and why he has stayed. The newest member of our team. He is from the neighborhood our new community center is in, only 3 miles away from our original base but considered a completely different barrio. He goes to school with a few of our other boys, since it’s the only middle school in the area. Though they were not friends, our boys had invited “P” to come out to practice one day when they noticed he was having a hard time at home. ‘P’s dad left their family for another life in the US. New family, new wife, new kids and left ‘P’, his 3 other brothers and sisters, and his mom to fend for themselves. They knew ‘P’ left school early once a week to go to a doctor that helped him with his anger and questions. But they insisted and brought ‘P’ to practice a few weeks before Christmas. And has been with us since.
After practice we pile all the boys in the truck and drop them off one by one at their homes, because of the threats they receive walking home at night, down the only road that runs through the villages. Since this team was inaugurated by the death of one of their young men, I always made a point to yell at them out the window Te quiero ‘J’ (I love you, J), Te quiero ‘R’ and so on as each one hops out of the back of our truck.
One day I couldn't make it to practice and the boys took it upon themselves to make sure each one was told that they were loved as they were dropped off. And now 10+ boys ride down the road unashamed to tell each other they love one another so much that they yell it out the window, each and every Wednesday and Saturday. Family. That's what ‘P’ found, thats what each of these boys have found. Family. Not by blood. But by choice and love. And that is what has kept them here.”