Meet Pascal

I know it’s been long since I’ve blogged, but a lot has been going on around here. Building is underway and there is lots of work to check up on there. There are so many kids that we are working to support their parents to give them proper care from their homes and all the kids closed school and we have a full house for the holidays. There are so many stories to tell, but one has been stuck in my head these last few weeks. 
Pascal came to the house about two months ago. He left his some and set out to live independently on the streets of Kitale town. Boys who live in town struggle to survive, they fight with each other, they sniff glue and they are so used to hardship that it seems like the norm. Pascal has been doing great, working hard in school and adjusting well. Last week he had a minor setback. The littlest things can set him off and he bursts into tears, but this time it was too much for him to take and he ran back to town. 
 
I heard the news and set out to find him, which was easier than I expected. He had been gone a little over an hour and he was already filthy, sniffing glue again and running around town with his old friends. The other boys helped me find him and brought him to me. He was scared and confused and instantly burst into tears. A few little things set him off and the only way he knows to cope is to run. We talked, told him we would sort out his issues and that he needs to be open and honest with me and the other staff if there is a problem so that we can help him address it in a more appropriate way. I gave him a choice to stay in town or come home. I knew that forcing him to come back would only result in the same behavior. He grabbed my hand and started walking out the door and said “Let’s go home.” Since then he’s been doing well and hasn’t tried to leave again and is back to his normal joyful self.
 
I couldn’t help but think that this is how we act with God. He’s taken us from the gutter of life and introduced us to the good life with him. But when we have a minor setback, something goes wrong or someone discourages us, we run. It’s the only way we know how to deal with such a big God being directly involved in our seemingly insignificant lives. But God takes us back lovingly. Gives us instructions and welcomes us back with open arms. As I was talking to Pascal that was all that I could think of. That God loves each and everyone of us as much as I love these kids at the house. He doesn’t just let us go, he looks for us and gives us the choice to come back for him. If not, he will patiently wait for the time when we decided on our home to run back into his open arms. 
 
Please keep Pascal and the other boys that have recently made the choice to start a new life and adjust to that new life that God has provided for them. 

, ,

One Response to Meet Pascal

  1. Mark Wuebben April 18, 2014 at 3:39 pm #

    praying for Pascal and thankful that you shared this

PO Box 2021-30200, Kitale, Kenya

%d bloggers like this: