The Rubber-Band

During these past few days, I've been able to witness several different things. One of them being how little most of these children have. I'm sure most of you have been told/heard of the poverty that exists around the world. Let me introduce someone to you, a boy named Derick. He is 10 years old and he lived on the street for 2 years, before coming to Agape. Two days ago, he gave me a gift. This gift's monetary value compares to the things I own that are worthless, yet also compares to the things I own that I consider priceless. The gift? A single rubber-band. This rubber-band is much much more then a band made of rubber, it symbolizes love, friendship, and, trust. You see, most Agape boys have the clothes on their back. A school uniform. A PE uniform. A church uniform. And a pencil or two. No Wii's or computers or laptops or iPads, or iPods, or cell phones, or even a radio. Sad some say. But they don't think so, to them, they have everything in the world. Because they have Jesus. Jesus is a father to the fatherless. Because of Jesus the boys are almost always joyful.


Derick probably found the rubber-band in the garbage. But it is a symbol of the thing we all want, look for and find in Jesus, LOVE. Jesus's love for us is so crazily huge that we can't imagine it. All of us love something, a person, a thing, a book, a movie, anything really. But would you die for that thing? Most of the things i say i love, like the movie Black Hawk Down, the book Eragon or the band Mumford and Sons, i wouldn't die for, but God so loved the world that he sent his one and only son to die FOR US. And what do we do for God in return? Go to church on sunday and maybe give a few bucks every now and then to the man or woman on the street. God deserves so much more. I know its hard sometimes. I've found it hard to be giving God all the glory in every part of my life; school, sports, family, money, relationships, everything :) God is such a good God, He loves, and forgives. So why shouldn't we show our appreciation to those we love?  Even if it's just a Rubber-Band:)


Let the praises ring!

The little dude, Richard.

Richard is a 4 year old orphan and he's the first child I met in Kenya.

Richard's mother was a house helper for a rich man and he raped her.  Soon,  she found out that she was pregnant and Richard's father threatened to kill him. She tried to keep her newborn son, but when it wasn't safe anymore, she gave Richard to his Grandmother. After a couple months Richard was costing too much to keep and he found himself on the street at the age of 3. Thankfully, soon thereafter he was picked up by First Love Kenya, a orphanage in Nairobi, were he now lives, eats, learns, plays, and grows in a safe place. I will always remember the look on his face when he beat me at car racing; lit up like a Christmas tree. Richard taught me something. Even when life is messed up, even when we don't have any parents, we really should be happy, no matter what is going on. This little dude always smiles at everything. Everything. Which made me think,  even though I have so much more, I find myself complaining at some stupid stuff, but I have more then physical things.  Have the gift of Jesus's love, He loves us so much that we should be happy, no matter what. 


Isaiah 61:7


Stephen Kj:)