It's Progress Report Time at Mercy Home
In the coming weeks, our young scholars will begin receiving their midterm progress reports. For some, this time of year is nerve-wracking, to say the least. But for others, it's the first opportunity for our kids to see their hard work begin to pay off.
Most often, the young people of Mercy Home have grown up without anyone really caring about them, let alone taking an interest in their schoolwork, and ultimately in their futures. But all of that changes when they join our Mercy Home family.
They have the tremendously compassionate friends of Mercy Home to thank for this remarkable change in their lives. Through their prayers and faithful generosity, these kids find something they've never experienced before--hope.
Before Thomas came to Mercy Home, school was the furthest thing from his mind. For much of his young life, he was too busy worrying about his parents to give much thought to academic subjects.
Thomas' dad had a gambling problem, and spent much of his time, and nearly all of his money at off-track betting facilities. Meanwhile, Thomas' mother did what she could to make ends meet, but her lack of education and poor health left her with so few options.
For years, Thomas suffered through his parents' vicious fights over their ever-dwindling finances. Their relationship deteriorated right before Thomas' eyes, and he couldn't help feeling that he was to blame. Each parent began trying to use young Thomas against the other in increasingly hateful ways.
By the time he was eleven years old, Thomas couldn't take it anymore--and so he ran away.
For six months, Thomas slept on park benches, in shelters, and undiscovered on neighbor's covered back porches. During this time, his grades went from A's and B's to D's and F's. Thomas was a bright student and was an especially talented artist-but his attendance was sporadic and he bothered less and less with homework and studying.
When an art teacher became concerned about Thomas' decreasing interest in school, his instable home life was finally discovered. And this teacher knew exactly where to send him--to Mercy Home.
Thomas has only been within our care for a few months now. His caregivers here at Mercy Home get the sense that he still doesn't completely trust us, that he's still expecting to be rejected or forgotten. But slowly he's coming around to realize Mercy Home is here to help him--to guide, to love, and to support him.
Thomas will be bringing home his first progress report soon--and he and his Mercy Home family are confident that his grades have gone up since he's started to apply himself again. Of course, he acts like this is nothing special--but deep down, we know he is secretly proud of himself, as he should be.
We shared this story with you today, because we hope you'll share in Thomas' pride, too. Because without your prayers and faithful support, Thomas--and all of our kids--would have no chance to succeed.