A Place to Call Home
Julius Caballos (kah-BAH-yos) spent his days wandering the streets of Cebu (say-BOO), Philippines. He never knew his father. His mother died giving birth to his younger sister. Without someone to care for him, Julius seemed a certain candidate for a life of drugs, crime, and gangs.
But God had different plans for Julius. A street vendor took pity on him and helped him go to Happy Horizons Children’s Ranch. The ranch, which was started in 1994 by missionaries Glenn and Nancy Garrison, provides a loving home and a Christian education for needy boys and girls in Cebu and the surrounding area.
All of the children at Happy Horizons come from abusive home situations. Most have lived on the streets. Some children were left at “drop-in centers”—places where parents abandon their children when they no longer want or can care for them.
Julius has lived at Happy Horizons Children’s Ranch for several years. He enjoys school and is eager to help other children. One summer he attended a teen mission camp and sensed God calling him to full-time ministry. God’s plans continue to unfold as Julius seeks His will at Happy Horizons.
Two brothers, eight-year-old Sonny Boy and eleven-year-old Florence Pacris, have found new life at the children’s ranch also. Their mother abandoned them first, leaving their father to raise them alone. After awhile their father left them too. The boys came to Happy Horizons from a drop-in center in the area. Both boys suffered from abuse and neglect. Without someone to care for them, they likely would have ended up on the streets.
But Happy Horizons Children’s Ranch made a difference. Today the brothers are in school. Both have glowing testimonies of God’s love for them. They enjoy singing, reading, and playing with their friends.
Julius, Sonny Boy, and Florence came to Happy Horizons Children’s Ranch without a family or a future. But today they are part of God’s family, and their future is bright. They are thankful to have a place to call home.
BGMC has invested a lot of money in the Happy Horizons Children’s Ranch in order to help the missionaries care for the children. BGMC has provided the school curriculum and lots of the needed supplies to run the ranch. Thank you, boys and girls, for giving to BGMC and for being a partner in caring for the children at the Happy Horizons Children’s Ranch.
Information for this story was supplied by missionary Glenn Garrison, and is used with permission from Assemblies of God World Missions.
©2005 The General Council of the Assemblies of God. All rights reserved. Permission granted to reproduce and adapt lesson components for exclusive use in the local church. Any other use requires written permission.
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