Welcome to our BIG BOYS!

We are so excited to see how God continues to direct and open doors for HCO. Our newest project is working with BIG kids! We’re moving up in age and taking in some older boys. I am super excited about what the Lord has in store for these boys and how this can potentially change their futures.

I will share more in the next week about how this came about and how the Lord has been working things together in this new ministry opportunity, but for now, I just wanted to introduce you to the newest members of the HCO family.

 Moses - Richard - Joseph - Patrick

We have known, or known of, most of these boys for some time. I have just been praying about what role we should take in helping them. In the past few weeks, the plan started coming together as God began to give some direction, and now we are set and ready to take in six orphaned boys! The boys will be living with one of our groundskeepers, Joshua, and his wife, Hellen. They will be the parents of these boys, taking care of their basic needs as well as building relationships and sharing the love of God with them. We have four boys in the home right now with two more coming this week.

None of these boys have been in school for some time. Education is highly valued and not taken for granted in this country. This is a gift we are able to give these boys that will truly make a difference in their lives. You should have seen the faces of each of them when they put on their uniforms for school. They were beaming! We are still waiting for Patrick’s uniform which will be ready tomorrow.

Outside the shop where they got their school uniforms. I am not sure if the pride and happiness shows on their faces, but they truly were excited about getting ready for school.

The picture doesn't really show it well, but notice Joseph's (the smallest child) torn and tattered clothes. This is absolutely the ONLY thing he has to his name. He came straight from the streets. If he finds new clothes to change to, his old ones are stolen by other street boys. This is how they operate. 

So, meet the boys!!

Moses

Moses (14 years) – Moses’s mother left him and his father when he was a baby. Though it was not a good situation, he lived with his father until over two years ago when his father remarried and the new wife refuses to have him in her house. The father is a drunkard who has never taken good care of Moses. He has been on his own for almost two years. Moses is the “big brother” of the house and has assumed the responsibility of the elder sibling. He is highly motivated and has great ambition. He was on the streets, but would rather work sweeping a shop or carrying bags than to beg for money.

Patrick

Patrick (15 years) – Though he is older than Moses, he came after Moses and the “sibling order,” if you will, was already established. We will see if things change as they all settle in. Patrick’s parents both died when he was young. He has been living with an extended family member for the past few years. However, as her husband recently died, she is now responsible for her family, consisting of seven biological children. Some of her own children are not even in school now due to lack of school fees and uniform/school supplies money. Patrick is quiet and very polite. He is in Standard 8 (8^th grade) and will hopefully be sitting for his exams this next month. The Standard 8 exams will determine what kind of high school he could qualify to attend. He is very much looking forward to getting back into school.

Richard

Richard (12 years) – Richard is also an orphan. He has been staying with a lady who has been taking care of him, but is unable to send him to school. She sells vegetables on the street in effort to provide for her family, but is still unable to meet their needs. Richard is a very sweet boy who has such a grateful heart.

Joseph

Joseph (approx 9 years) – Joseph is a victim of the post election violence. He watched his entire family burn to death in their home during the clashes. His mother sent him to the shop to buy milk and when he returned, his home had been set on fire and the family was trapped inside. He jumped on a tractor full of people that brought them to Nakuru. He was taken to an IDP (Internally Displaced People) camp and was subsequently shuffled around as camps closed until he eventually ended up on the streets of Nakuru. A lady shopowner in town has been feeding him two meals a day for almost a year.

As this ministry develops, I will be sharing more about the boys and how they progress. I just wanted you to “meet” them and see their faces so that you can be praying for them as they begin their new lives in a secured, safe environment with a new hope of a future.