Modern day tax collector converted!

This is a completely normal outfit for Phillip

Phillip is easily spotted at GSF.  Just look for a skinny 10 year old boy with a big belly, bandage on his left ear, shuffling his feet as he runs using one of his hands to hold up his shorts.  He is hysterical.  He can point with his lips and have entire conversations using different facial expressions.  He is fashion forward and loves to accessorize.  Phillip is end stage HIV/AIDS.  His most recent CD4 count was 4 and his viral load over 300,000.  Doctors say he is a ticking time bomb.  A couple months before I arrived at GSF, everyone thought Phillip was on his death bed.  Throughout Phillip’s life, he has had no desire to become a Christian.  During Phillip’s fragile state, many people shared the gospel with him, but he stuck to his guns and wanted nothing to do with Jesus.  Beginning in September, Phillip slowly began gaining strength…enough strength to now cause trouble.  

Phillip is what I like to call a modern day tax collector.  He is a thief.  He steals constantly from his housemates as well as from the missionaries.  Phillip also has the reputation for torturing other kids.  His main target is little Sam who’s paralyzed from the waist down.  He has burned Sam and beat him up on multiple occasions.  Today was like many other days in that one of the missionaries spotted Phillip wearing a Timex watch carrying 10,000 Ugandan shillings (~$5).  It was very apparent that neither one of these things were his.  Phillip fessed up when confronted.  He went to Uncle Mark the director for punishment.  After disciplining Phillip, Mark shared the gospel with him.  This time Phillip said he did want to accept Jesus into his heart.  We pray that this was a sincere decision and that his kleptomaniac and pyro behaviors are of the past and Phillip experiences newness of life in Christ!  We don't know when God will take Phillip, but we can rejoice knowing we will see him in heaven one day!