A FORMER STREET boy who once ran with the wrong crowd is now preparing to become a leader to show other young people the right way to go.
Eighteen-year-old Edilson is one of several thousand children and teenagers traveling to the United States from around the world, next month, to take part in an international youth event for "tomorrow's leaders."
He is among a group of 50 Brazilian youngsters due to attend Target World '96, being staged in Atlanta, Georgia by Youth With A Mission's King's Kids movement.
Up to 6,000 participants are expected for the event, which begins with a week-long training conference and celebration before groups are sent out to work alongside local churches in Atlanta, and other cities across North, South and Central America.
Organizers believe that by sharing their faith through performing arts, sports programs and practical help programs, the multi-national youth teams will be able to leave a message of hope for the future in some of the urban areas troubled by crime and racial tensions, and see young lives turned around - like Edilson's.
One of ten children, he never knew his father and ran away to the streets of Recife after years of abuse by his stepfather. "I thought he would kill me," he said.
"In the beginning it was kind of fun," he recalled of life as one of an estimated six million homeless and abandoned children in the country. "It was another kind of life...there was no daddy to spank me..."
Joining a street gang, he learned to rob and steal, and to sniff glue to dull the hunger pangs and feelings of loneliness. But when he decided that he didn't like life on the streets any longer, he could not find anyone to help him. "It hurt me a lot that normal people looked at me like I was an animal. The street kids would turn on you, too."
Things got worse. A friend was killed by police, and Edilson himself was beaten, and twice taken to jail.He heard the gospel from a woman who befriended and fed him, and finally found his way to a Christian-run rehabilitation home.
"Jesus set me free," he said. "I had no desire to go back on the streets, or to smell glue and rob." Since taking part in the King's Kids movement - a discipleship and evangelism program for ten- to 18-year-olds - he has visited his jailed stepfather to forgive him, and tell him about Christ.
Now Edilson is making final plans for Target World, as a member of one of around 150 teams already booked for the event, which runs from July 8 to August 4.
"This young man typifies what King's Kids and Target World is all about," said operations director Brent Droullard. "We believe that many young people in the world today are looking for hope in their lives, and that we need to be helping prepare Christian young people for the challenges and responsibiltiies they are going to face as tomorrow's leaders, not only in the church but in their local communities and wider society, too."
Following the first week's Target World Celebration - to be held at Sun Valley Beach, a leisure resort outside Atlanta - teams will disperse to scores of outreach locations. They link up again - by video and radio - on July 27 for the Hope For The Americas rally, which will see them gather for prayer in city centers.
Target World '96 is the second of three major youth missions gatherings being organized this decade by King's Kids. The first took 3,000 participants to Barcelona, Spain during the 1992 Olympics, and a third event is planned for 2000.
Last updated: 1996, July 21 /pf