David woke up to his father screaming one morning. His goal for the day was to make it to school and back home to his room without his father beating him. He makes it to school, sheew. Now the trip back home, he is not as lucky today. At the mercy of his father, his little eight-year old body can’t take it. I can’t stay, he thinks. I have to get out of here. How do I do it? I’ve seen other boys leave town by clinging to the undercarriage of big trucks that are passing through town. I can do that too, he thinks. His mind is made up. He is leaving. He risks his life climbing under this truck and clinging on to the undercarriage for dear life as it drives down the highway to Medellin, Colombia where he heard there were more opportunities for education. He arrives in this city in a valley surrounded by mountains. Am I here? He wonders. He looks around for some kind of a clue. He then sees a sign that says, Medellin.
He and two of his friends walk into the Centro de Acogida, a center for children. I don’t know about this, he thinks. But what other choice do I have? No drugs and good behavior serves him well at the center and they send him on to a boys farm in San Pedro called Abrazos Abiertos, Open Arms, where he meets Don Guillermo.
Who is this tall man with a strange accent? He thinks. The kindness and generosity of Don Guillermo and his family overwhelms him. These people are so different than the people I’ve known all my life. What is different about them?
He arrives on the farm in San Pedro, an hour outside of the city. All the cows on either side of the road seem to face the same direction. As they pull up the drive way to the farm, he sees a few scattered buildings on either side of the dirt road. Three log cabins sit on the right side of the road with a field behind them. Cow pastures and a few horses are hiding behind the buildings on the left. There is an open area for playing in the center. Looking beyond the farm, he realizes that the vibrant green pastures roll across the landscape for miles. Also, on the other side of a valley to the right sit two houses that seem to serve as good resting places once the trek across the valley is made.
The farm quickly becomes his home and remains his home for ten years while the workers feed him, clothe him, and love him with the love of Jesus.
As he studies in school, he dreams of going to college in the United States.
“If you study hard and make good grades, I will do my best to ensure that you go to college in the United States when you graduate high school,” Don Guillermo assures David.
That is all the motivation I need. I’m going to do it, he thinks. He works hard for the next several years making good grades and excelling in soccer. His soccer skills and grades carry him further than he thought possible as God blesses his humility, obedience and hard work.
He receives a letter in the mail from West Virginia Tech accepting him into the school. Not only that, but he is offered a scholarship to play soccer! “I am going to college in the United States!” He shouts with joy, as he thanks the Lord for blessing his life.
He walks on the campus, standing out in more ways than one. He is unique. His English is minimal at first, but his English improves daily as he studies and practices conversation with his classmates. Even with this daunting obstacle in his path, he still makes some of the best grades in his class, motivating his classmates to study harder! Jesus is with him, giving him the endurance and strength for whatever is before him.
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13
In an interview with David, he tells me a little bit about what life was like on the farm.
“God put people in my life. People I didn’t know and they cared about me. That is something I don’t understand,” expresses David.
“I lived in all the houses. All of them! Probably twice. I probably repeated them. There are six or seven houses,” he conveys animately. “I know the farm like the back of my hand. The other boys and I would go down to the creek to go swimming. We ran around like we owned the place,” he fondly communicates as he remembers his childhood on the farm.
“What is one of your favorite memories about the farm?” I ask him.
“Every year the Americans came and they would bring candy. We would wait until June for the candy and also to spend time with them and play games. Also, just being a kid, playing on the farm, having horses, playing soccer, having food, and not having to worry about anything was awesome.”
God took the crumbling pieces of David’s life and put them back together, creating a beautiful mosaic. His life is a testament to the glory of God and what God can do with our lives IF we surrender to Him.
“When I go to the farm, I feel like a kid again. I know that God has me in His hands.”
