Abandoned Boy Finds Hope

After another long day at work, young Naveen walked back to his home just as he had done since the day he turned 10 years old. This time, however, his father wasn’t there. This normally would have been a relief for Naveen because his alcoholic father had a habit of beating him when he arrived home.

But on this particular day, his father was nowhere to be found. The neighbours later told Naveen his father had sold their house and left with the money he’d made. He had given Naveen no warning, and now the boy was stranded.

Nowhere Else To Go

Naveen’s thoughts went to his sister Rochi, who had moved some time ago to live with her husband. Although she was living in a distant state, she was Naveen’s only hope.

The only thing Naveen could do was try to earn enough money to make it to Rochi’s home. As he travelled, what little money he had quickly ran out. He started begging at a crowded railway station, and things quickly turned from bad to worse.

Naveen started sniffing bleach and smoking with the other children and teenagers at the railway, allowing him a temporary escape from the dark reality he found himself in.

One day the police showed up and took Naveen into custody. They asked him if he wanted to be taken to a place where he would receive food and care. He happily agreed, and they took him to a home for abandoned and runaway boys staffed by Gospel for Asia-supported workers

Hope for the Future

“It was way better than my own home,” Naveen says of the home, where the staff treated him kindly.

He attended evening devotions and morning Bible classes; there, the adults explained stories from God’s Word. He was amazed at the way they cared for each child.

Bibek, one staff member, gave Naveen extra attention and asked him about his life. After Naveen told him about his sister, Bibek said he would do whatever he could to help him find Rochi and her husband.

After two weeks of searching, with the help of the police chief in Rochi’s town, Bibek got in contact with Naveen’s sister. She planned to come for her younger brother shortly.

A New Life

When Rochi came for Naveen, he was both excited and sad to be leaving his new friends. He’d grown in every way since arriving at his temporary home five months earlier. His life changed from one of hopelessness to one of joy and freedom because of the love given to him by Christian workers like Bibek.

“I have understood that God is the only answer to all my needs,” Naveen said while waiting for Rochi to take him home, “and I am happy to be known as His.”