This Christmas, redemption in broken families
For Christ-followers, the arrival of the Christmas season places God’s redemption at the forefront of our minds. We set aside time every year to celebrate our Savior’s birth, remembering that Jesus came to us humbly in the form of a child and later bought us with the ultimate price, His atoning death on the cross.
Yet in the mundanity of everyday life, it's easy to miss God’s continued work of redemption in action. I've been blessed with a mission that lets me witness tangible examples of Christ's dramatic redemptive work almost every day, and it's an honor to share these stories of hope as an encouragement to fellow Christians. Our goal at Agape is to reconcile orphaned and vulnerable children in East Africa to God and back with their families through the Gospel and transformational love of Jesus Christ — and with God’s help, we’ve seen beautiful success.
Take the moving story of ‘Simon’ as an example. Agape rescued Simon from the streets of Kisumu, Kenya when he was only 10 years old, bringing him into our short-term shelter with the goal of reintegrating him back into his family. We soon learned that Simon’s father had recently passed away, and Simon, his mother, and his baby sister were driven from their home by Simon’s paternal family due to local cultural beliefs and traditions. In desperation, Simon’s mother turned to prostitution to support her children. The instability of his mother’s new lifestyle pushed Simon from his home, and he quickly ended up fending for himself on the streets. Kenyan children often flee dysfunctional homes seeking material opportunity or relationships on the streets, only to be exposed to crime, violence, addictions, and exploitation.
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As Agape began ministering to Simon’s physical, emotional, and spiritual needs, we likewise began ministering to Simon’s mother’s needs. We reconnected her with her family and with her rural community. We taught her of the redemption that she could receive through faith in Jesus Christ. We connected her with a local church that helped her to build a house on her late husband’s land. And when they were ready, we reunited Simon with his mother and baby sister.
Eleven years later, Simon is finishing his university coursework with the goal of becoming a high school teacher next year. He calls us periodically to see how we’re doing. We are so proud of and grateful for him, but his story is far from unique.
An overwhelming majority of Kenyan “orphans” have a living parent, as Simon did, and seek a new life on the streets or within an orphanage because of family breakdown. Many are fleeing severe dysfunction in their homes: divorce, addictions, abuse, alcoholism, neglect, poor parenting, or insufficient social networks or resources.
That surprises many Americans. We often think that children on the streets or children in orphanages are all alone, and that their parents have passed away or don’t care about their children. In Kenya, and many other countries, children who are identified as “orphans” actually have parents who love them — but many of these parents don’t have the skills or resources they need to build and maintain a strong family.
While building orphanages has been the go-to solution for vulnerable children for decades, Agape’s experiences suggest instead that these children overwhelmingly need the strengthening of the families they fled or were driven away from. No family can function on its own, and we see the consequences of inadequate support every day in broken Kenyan homes. This is true in other countries around the world, as well.
These families need the support of extended family, churches, and the local community — the same networks we saw Simon and his mother benefit so dramatically from. Investing in family and community strengthening efforts is an indispensable part of our work to uplift vulnerable children.
And most importantly, these families need the redemption found only in the Gospel. God accomplishes the impossible in reconciling us to himself through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ — a free gift, received by faith, and available to all mankind. Likewise, God can accomplish the impossible within broken families — children can forgive parents, and parents can forgive children. Families can be reunited as one.
This Christmas, I wanted to share the blessings given to me and offer Simon’s story as a powerful demonstration of the redemption that can be seen in broken families. And I ask any follower of Christ to recall the importance of their own redemption and to extend that opportunity to the lives of children and families in need. Redemption is a real and essential activity of God and of man, and it’s at work right now, every day, all over the world.
Chris Page serves as the Country Director for Agape Children’s Ministry. Since 2010, Agape has reunited over 4,700 children living on the streets and in governmental custody back with their families throughout East Africa. Chris and his family reside in Kisumu, Kenya.
