Surviving to Shepherding

There are stories that remind us just how fragile life can be—and how powerful redemption truly is. Evelon’s story is one of them.

Evelon warmly welcoming us into his living room as we talk about how far the Lord has brought him.

At just ten years old, Evelon’s life had already been impacted by deep loss. After losing both of his parents at a young age, he was left to navigate the world on his own. Survival, not childhood, became his daily reality. With no one to care for him, Evelon found himself selling bottles he would find and working illegally in the local mines—dangerous, exhausting, and unforgiving work that no child should ever endure.

But even in the darkest places, grace has a way of finding us.

Evelon’s life began to change the day he was taken out of the mines and brought to Lusungu Children’s Home. For the first time in years, he experienced safety. Stability. Hope. It wasn’t just a roof over his head—it was a new beginning at the age of ten as he found himself deeply loved and in the care of Bishop Caddie Ng’ambi and Mum Rhoda Kunda Kg’ambi.

He shared with us that when he first arrived at Lusungu Children’s Home, he had never been to school, he wasn’t speaking or understanding English yet, and couldn’t read or even write his name.

In August of 2015, a member of the Mercy Kids Africa missions team sat with him and did something simple, yet profoundly life-changing: they taught him how to write his name. Evelon didn’t even speak or understand English yet—other than ‘yes’ and ‘no’ which he recalls saying ‘no’ often when he couldn’t understand. He now laughs looking back realizing he was accidentally refusing good gifts people wanted to give him like an education.

At ten years old, Evelon held a pencil and, for the first time, began to understand that he was created for more. Writing his name was more than learning letters—it was reclaiming identity. It was the beginning of dignity, of purpose, of being seen.

From that moment on, something inside Evelon began to grow.

He leaned into every opportunity to learn. He embraced the love and structure around him. And most importantly, he encountered the transforming power of God’s grace in a deeply personal way.

Years passed, and the boy who once fought to survive in the shadows of the mines began to step into the light of a calling far greater than anything he could have imagined.

Today, Evelon is a pastor.

Under the leadership of Bishop Caddie N’gambi, he now shepherds others—guiding, teaching, and loving people in his community with the same compassion that once changed his life. The child who once had no one is now a spiritual father to many. The boy who didn’t know how to write his name now speaks life, truth, and hope over others. During this past visit I got to meet his discipleship group!

His story is not just one of rescue—it’s one of transformation.

It’s a reminder that no life is too broken, no beginning too humble, and no story too far gone for God to redeem. Evelon’s journey shows us what can happen when someone is given a chance… when love steps in… when faith takes root.

Because of that moment—when someone chose to invest in a ten-year-old boy—generations will be impacted.

Evelon is no longer defined by loss or survival.

He is defined by purpose.

And his story is still being written.