Written by Corina Clements and reprinted with permission from The Gospel Message 2002 Issue 3, a publication of Gospel Missionary Union.

“What do you want and how many?” the man on the phone was asking. He was from the meat plant and had telephoned earlier in the week to say he wouldn’t be able to give us any meat this year. Now he was calling again, offering cow stomach, liver, heart, udders, innards, feet, and I’m not sure what else. 

“Exactly what do you want and how many?” he asked again. 

How do I answer a question like that? I don’t know how many we will feed Christmas dinner to this year. When we started feeding the street kids in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, on Christmas in 1995, we fed about 75 people in a small, dirty abandoned building. I never guessed it would become such a tradition. By Christmas 2000, our help had increased and we shared a Christmas meal with nearly 700 street people. For Christmas 2001, six local churches and Youth With A Mission (YWAM) volunteers offered to take meals to locations all across the city. Many others helped with donations and the preparations. 

“We are preparing around 900 meals,” I answered the waiting man. When he heard how many people we wanted to feed, he offered 50 livers and 50 stomachs. 

“Do you want anything else?” he asked. 

I countered with 20 livers and 20 stomachs, and since I didn’t feel like preparing udders, I asked for 20 hearts as well. In the end he sent 30 of each. So the preparations began.

What does it take to feed 900 people who usually don’t even know where their next meal is coming from? We had: one small cow; 90 chickens; 66 pounds of beef; a small pig; 110 pounds of cow liver, stomach, and heart; 200 pounds of rice; 150 pounds of potatoes; and seven stalks of frying bananas. We had also put together 900 small gift bags filled with a tract, cookies, and candy to go with the meals. 

“Christmas on the Streets” is only one of the outreaches of El Jordán, a center developed with the focus to help kids who are struggling to get out of the trap of drugs, delinquency, and the streets. Having just celebrated its second birthday, El Jordán is doing just that. 

The name “El Jordán” is very significant, representing the heart of our ministry. In the Bible, the Jordan was the river the Israelites had to cross, after years of slavery in Egypt and wandering in the desert, to get to the land God had promised. El Jordán desires to be a crossing ground where kids on the streets of Santa Cruz, who really want to change their lives, can find direction and support in their journey. Our purpose is to guide them towards the life God promises those who choose to follow Him.

Reality of the Streets

The problems faced by the kids who live on the streets in Santa Cruz are overwhelming. Many are stuck in a trap of drug addiction and delinquency.

Poverty is a huge struggle, contributing to a lack in education and separation from family. This can lead to children and young people literally having nowhere to sleep but on the street, with only a curb as their pillow. Thinking there is nowhere else to turn, the kids find their only sense of family amongst others in the same situation. The lack of love, food, and shelter, often pushes them towards drugs as an escape from the reality they face. 

What do we offer?

Using Christian volunteers from local churches, El Jordán offers many services to help street kids find a better life. One effective way is by teaching practical skills with which they can make a living or which will open doors to future job opportunities. Depending on available volunteers, El Jordán offers typing, sewing, computer, baking, and English courses. 

Another class taught at the center is a five-month macramé course. The students learn to make purses and other products they can sell to support themselves honestly. The underlying goal of all classes at El Jordán is to provide an atmosphere where our volunteers not only teach something practical, but most importantly, where they can offer informal mentorship to ultimately develop disciples of Jesus Christ. 

Dental care is another necessary service El Jordán provides. Our volunteer Christian dentists provide professional dental care at prices the kids can afford. This service is also offered to children’s homes in Santa Cruz and to kids who are already rehabilitated. 

The center also offers library services and of course, a warm, friendly atmosphere where kids are welcome to ask advice, talk, or pray with someone.

What else do we do?

One of the most amazing things about El Jordán is its sense of community and cooperation as it networks between many other like-hearted ministries in Bolivia. Donations arriving at the center, such as clothing, shoes, and hygiene products, are distributed as needed to children’s homes and rehabilitation centers. 

The Conquering of Jericho

When the Israelites crossed the Jordan into the promised land, their first battle was Jericho. It seemed impossible in man’s eye, but when they followed the Lord’s instructions, the walls came tumbling down. 

At El Jordán, we’ve grown into our building, seen a need to expand. We prayerfully refer to the place next door as “Jericho.” We plan to build a large building to provide classrooms and a place to care for children while their parents study at El Jordán. The addition would include a large meeting room and simple living quarters for short-term volunteers, as well. 

How many lives will be touched by “Christmas on the Streets 2002”? Only God can take this practical act of love to meet a physical hunger, and use it to reveal a spiritual hunger that only Jesus Christ can satisfy. 

Corina Clements, daughter of GMU missionaries Don and Jan Clements, grew up in Bolivia. She returned in 1995 as a short-term worker and then was appointed by GMU in 1997 for long-term service in Bolivia.  

Reprinted with permission from The Gospel Message 2002 Issue 3, a publication of Gospel Missionary Union.