Rescued to Rescuer

After being accused of a crime he didn’t commit, John was forced into a life on the streets of Kitwe, Zambia at a young age. He learned to fend for himself and turned to the local drug, sticka, for comfort, a sense of safety, and escape from the cold. He took odd jobs and learned to live with the fear of being attacked when he slept.

Then he met the staff of the future Abba’s Heart Zambia and found a different path. He would meet the bus in town and travel out to the property for a program we now call Mayompapa where he and the other boys would bathe, wash their clothes, eat, hear a simple bible lesson, be prayed with, and spend some time in simple safety. After some time, he accepted the invitation to join the residence program. John showed a sensitivity to the Lord early and accepted Jesus as his Savior. He grew in his faith and quickly became known as a kind servant with a big smile.

John completed high school and earned an upward scholarship to study construction in a nearby city.

While there, he started a ministry with the local street boys playing soccer and teaching them about Jesus. John also met a very special woman named Helen.

After graduation, John returned to Kitwe, built his own house, and married Helen.

Now, John serves the Lord in many ways through his church and in his community. He serves the street kids and the impoverished children in the local compounds and shares the Gospel with them. John even participated in the baptism of several of our boys earlier this year. He wants to reach the kids that are stuck in the cycle he was once stuck in. John has a wonderful wife and five amazing children, three of whom were orphans they adopted.