How the Love of Jesus Changed Four Children's Lives!

Francis was at the end of his rope. He was young and carried a yoke of responsibility he didn’t know how to shoulder. For sure, his entire life had been a struggle, born into poverty and void of opportunities, but things were different now that both of his parents were dead. First, his father had passed and now his mother. This left Francis as the head of his family with two younger sisters and a three-year-old brother.

With no education, land, or assets, the only thing Francis could do was earn a small income working in other people’s gardens and herding their cattle. But no matter how hard and long he worked, there was never enough food to put on their table. Francis felt stuck, overwhelmed, and alone. His sisters and little brother felt hungry, afraid, and insecure . . . and they all missed their mother.

But the eyes of the Lord were on this child-run family, and His intervention soon began when one of our community discipleship leaders reported their struggles. Soon after, members of our staff visited their home and instantly fell in love with all of them. The first thing they did was take Solomon, the three-year-old, to live at our children’s home. It was with this decision that the domino affect began.

A US family immediately sponsored Solomon, and after reading his biography, they wanted to help all the children. Through their support, mattresses, blankets, sheets and lanterns were delivered to their home, as well as building materials to construct a latrine and repair their dilapidated huts. Those materials didn’t sit idle long . . . members of our nearest discipleship group showed up to do the labor. The men did the construction work and the women washed and cleaned everything in sight. Francis and the girls were so overwhelmed by these acts of kindness that they began to attend their discipleship meetings every week, never missing. There they heard about Jesus and received the love and guidance that they so much needed.

We thank God that more blessings were still to come. The youngest sister, Cinderella, was adopted by a loving family, and our staff in Uganda joined together to sponsor Joan, the older sister’s education. The family in the US provided Francis with vocational training to be a mechanic and a bicycle to travel back and forth to the place where he was studying.

So much has happened over the past months. . . four children have gone from being hopeless and alone, to having a future and being surrounded by the body of Christ. Even Solomon's frowns are now turning into smiles.

Francis told us, “I have never known love like this. How could people who didn’t know us do such kind things for us? It has made me to know how much I want to be a part of God’s family and follow Jesus.” And so without reservations, Francis and his sisters have done just that!

How we praise God for this story, and so many others, that tell of the transforming power of the love of Jesus!