Julius’s earliest memory was when he was five years old. He
was already living on the streets at that point and he has no memory of any
relatives or parents. Julius does not know his tribe, a remarkable thing in
Kenya. He has no “mother tongue.” He speaks only English and Kiswahili. Julius grew
up completely and utterly alone.
To survive, Julius spent his days either begging for money
with other street boys or selling scrap metals on the roadside. Due to the
terrible conditions on the streets, Julius contracted a disease that caused his
entire body to shake.
For 4 years, Julius lived with a kindly neighbor, but her
house burned down and he was back on the streets again. Julius began to spend
the night at a video store that closed at one in the morning. His health
decreased as he struggled daily to survive.
Three years ago, Julius entered the Christian Relief Fund
sponsorship program, went to live at the Kimbilio Christian Academy, and got a
sponsor. For the first time he had security in where he lived. He had a real
chance to go to school to stay. And he had a sponsor who would become the
closest thing to family to him.
God sets the lonely in families. There is no truer
definition of lonely than what Julius has faced in his life. But he is in a
family now—his church family, his school family, his CRF family, his sponsor.
In a few days, Julius will meet his sponsor for the first
time. They will go on a safari together. They will embrace and talk,
face-to-face.
God sets the lonely in families. He brings together families
from across the globe, across cultures, across languages.
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved
you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my
disciples, if you love one another.” –John 13:34-35
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