Gestures of kindness and friendship

It's summer in the Philippines so we're daily experiencing near 100°F
temps in Manila with humidity above 50%. The other day I saw a street
boy walking on scorching hot pavement like it was nothing! I've said
for years that one of the ways to tell if a child is truly living on
the streets is look at their feet. If they're black with grim, have
thick callouses, have many sores and cuts and can walk on all kinds of
debris then most likely they're street living. I've also learned that
to provide flip-flops to street kids could be a waste of money because
they'll either sell them for food or drug money or they'll be stolen.
Currently the Street Impact Team is regularly giving a hearty snack to
60 street kids we're befriending in two locations so yesterday we were
able to buy 70 pair of good quality flip-flops at 1/2 price which
we'll give to kids we're befriending who need a pair. The extras we'll
give to those in need we encounter as we go about the crowded streets
of Manila. Perhaps our gestures of kindness and friendship with those
considered to be "eye-sores" and "trash" will be used by the Holy
Spirit to open their hearts and minds to the transforming gospel as we
share it with them.