Bryann’s eyes light up a room. At first glance, you wouldn’t know what this precious little boy has been through.
Not yet in his teens, Bryann was already a troubled runaway. After having an argument with his mother, he impulsively fled his village with no plan and no support system waiting for him outside the confines of all that was familiar.
Bryann’s family immediately reported him to the government as a missing person and frantically made pleas for his return on several popular news stations. After some time had passed and hope was wearing thin, his family eventually made the grueling journey to the local mortuary to see if their son was truly gone forever.
Believing their son to be dead, Bryann’s mother developed high blood pressure from the stress and grief that plagued her following his disappearance, and Bryann’s father was fired from his job after failing to regularly report to work during Bryann’s absence.
With their sole income gone, despair set in – until, in March of 2019, Send Relief partners finally found Bryann at a shelter.
He was remorseful when partners rescued him from the streets and had been looking for ways to make enough money to get back to his village. Then, at the beginning of April, Bryann was reunited with his community.
The social worker who accompanied him home said that he had never before seen such a welcome: the entire village flooded out of their homes to greet Bryann and collapsed into tears of joy upon his safe return. Women and children flocked around Bryann, eager to embrace him and make their love known. When word of his homecoming spread, even people from surrounding villages traveled in to join the celebration and praise God with their neighbors!
After being reunited with his family and seeing the profound care they have for him, Bryann is now thriving at school and home alike.
His is truly a story of redemption and hope. In the end, the prodigal son came home. The family forgave. The village welcomed him with open arms. To God be the glory!
To help bring more kids like Bryann home, donate today!
Published December 2, 2019