Amazing Kids

This month, I introduce you to another amazing kid in our Agape Home—John. Here, we call him skinny because he is the skinniest of all. John came to us from Juja in Kiambu County near Nairobi. We brought him in together with his older brother Gabriel. When he came, John, six years old did not know Swahili, Kenya’s national language. All he knew was his mother tongue—kikuyu which he spoke fairly well for a six year old. So, part of the problem he had was communicating with the other kids at the home because unlike him, they could not speak kikuyu—only Swahili. What was interesting was that John thought everybody speaks kikuyu and so he talked to the kids like they understood what he was saying. It was interesting watching him speak to the kids and getting so frustrated because they did not respond.

John was so famished when we got him. He was not accustomed to varieties of foods and so, one of our challenges when we got him and his brother was introducing him to our menu. Then after he tasted the foods, our next challenge was to tame him—to tell him he could not have more because of the inevitable—digestive problems. The kid wanted to eat and eat because he feared that was all there was.

John and his brother had never slept on what most of us take for granted—a bed and a mattress. How did we know this? Well, when the boys arrived, we showed them their room and beds. Here at CPAM, we teach the kids to make their beds and John and his brother were no exception. The beddings were on the beds and the matron went ahead and asked them to try and make their beds. To her surprise, the boys just stood there looking shocked. She asked them whether they’ve ever made a bed and guess what John said: “We have never seen or slept on a bed or mattress. We always slept on a cardboard.” When I heard that, my tears came down and I said, “Thanks be to God for CPAM. We may not do much, but just to hear such stories gives me satisfaction. Today, John is so thankful he sleeps on a bed, he is also fluent in speaking Swahili and is no longer crazy about food because he realized there was plenty of food for each day.

John’s need: John is healthy and very intelligent. He also loves to pray and I love listening him pray. Please pray that he keeps healthy and grows to become an intercessor.

Again, all this is happening because of men and women who have chosen to deny themselves and stand with us. We are forever grateful.