Richard is a 12-year-old boy who’s been running from something his whole life. He’s traveled from his village home, to the streets of Kisumu, to Agape and back again in an endless cycle for over two years.
When I came to Agape seven months ago as a 16-year-old teenager, I befriended the comical boy and we were attached at the hip. I grew to love Richard, and the cycle of running stopped. But all good things come to an end…“Your boy ran away,” our social worker told me one morning. And the sequence started again. Back and forth he ran, from the street to Agape and back again, it continued for four painful months.
Every time he was sorry, every time he promised not to leave again, and every time he repeated his actions despite trying so hard.
This child of God, this confused, silly and rebellious boy just couldn’t be settled, and it broke my heart more than anything had ever broken me before.
In late June, Richard showed up at the Agape gate for what was likely the 10th time since the spring. He wanted to come in, but because of the influence he had on so many boys, it wasn’t wise, so a hard decision was made. “My boy” was so ashamed he wouldn’t even look at me, but I didn’t care. I grabbed his grubby little hand and walked him to the car that would take him to the Juvenile Detention Center. I gave him a kiss on the cheek and told him ,”Jesus would never leave him”, in all the Swahili I could muster through my shaky voice. I watched as the car drove away, and then I just sat down in the dirt and cried. I cried for Richard, I cried for Kenya, I cried for all poverty in this world and I felt like I would never be able to love someone again. But life hurts, and even though it does, we come to a point where God’s victory always overcomes our hopelessness.
Richard lived in that children’s jail for over a month and I visited him every week. Kenyans say, "once a street kid always a street kid", and I saw this to be true with my boy.
From what I hear though, today Richard is a changed boy who, Lord willing, will stay home in his village attending school and faithfully going to church. Pray with me that he will continue to be settled and that he would have a strengthened relationship with Christ that would never die. Love never fails!
"to change someone you must love them, and they must know it." -jedd medefind
