If you have been around HCO for awhile, you will remember our HCO Boys’ Program – the 5 boys that lived with me (Trena) from 2011 to 2016…Humphrey, Patrick, Maina, Freddy and Collins. We are family. They have been in our lives from Julia’s earliest memories; she does not remember life before “the boys,” or her “brothers” as she called them.
Well, we could no longer call these guys “boys,” as they are growing into handsome young men. Each of them is on a different track and a different point in life. Some we see more than others. A few of them are in our daily lives and others we see every so often. Still, we are family. They are boys who have grown up with challenges that most of us would consider overwhelmingly devastating, but they resiliently plug along, putting one foot in front of the other, looking ahead to the good that God has planned for them.
As each of these young men have each transitioned into new phases of independent life, our role changes in their lives. We guide, support, walk with and watch. We are family. Sometimes we help these guys make their next big decision; sometimes we cheer as they bound over their most recent hurdle; sometimes help pick up pieces of choices gone wrong; sometimes we celebrate achievements of walking into their next grown up adventure with success and confidence. Just like all parents, we have moments of sadness as we watch them hit hard places, and sometimes we swell with pride as we see them lead on the Lord and rise to their amazing abilities.
We are family. And this weekend, we had a few extra fun family moments. We don’t get to do it as often as we once did, but when the boys come over for a cookout or a movie night or just to check in, we love it! And Josie especially loves when one of them will have some jump time on the trampoline with her. Thanks, Maina!