A Recap of Part 1:
When Timothy was a child beggar at a railway station, one day a pastor from the Flaiz School was waiting for his train. Timothy was standing next to him, and the pastor noticed his poor condition. He told Timothy about the ICC Sweet Home Children’s Village, where children get food, clothes, and an education. The pastor asked Timothy if he would like to go to this home. At first, Timothy refused. But when he saw the train approaching, he picked up the pastor’s briefcase and said, “Sir, that is our train, let us go.”
The next morning, when seven-yearold Timothy arrived at the Sweet Home Children’s Village, the staff welcomed him warmly. They found out he didn’t know his last name, the names of his parents, or the name of the village where his parents lived. He could not remember anything about his family. He had lived on the railway station platform since the death of his parents.
One day something happened that caused me to run away. I had been at Sweet Home Orphanage for three years, and one night some boys were misbehaving after the lights were out. Mother’s helper, whom we called Auntie, came to see who was misbehaving. She could not find the guilty ones, so she punished all of us. I had not been misbehaving, but I was punished with the others. I felt bad that I was punished when I had done nothing wrong. I did not understand that Auntie was tired and did not intend to be mean. I just knew that she hurt me.
The next morning, instead of going to school, I ran to the train station and jumped on a train going to another town. I did not think about how much I would miss Mr. Raj or Mother or my friends. I just wanted to leave. I hid myself on the upper bunk in the third-class car, where no one would bother me. I fell asleep up there.
I woke up just as the train slowed to a stop. Quickly I climbed down and jumped off the train. It was very early in the morning. A police officer walked over and asked me my name and where I lived. I told him.
“What are you doing on the train platform at 5:00 in the morning?” he asked.
I did not want him to know that I had run away, so I told a lie. “I am waiting for my parents,” I said.
Somehow he knew that was not true. Who would let a ten-year-old stand on a train platform in his school uniform at 5:00 in the morning?
LONG JOURNEY HOME
The police officer put me on the next train back home. He even rode with me to make sure I did not run away again. All the way back to school I was afraid that I would be in big trouble when I returned. So as we neared the train station where I should get off, I told the police officer another lie.
“I am not really from here,” I said. “I am from [another city an hour away].” We got off the train, and we waited until another train came that would take us to that station. While we waited, I tried to hide behind the police officer so no one would recognize me and take me back to school.
We boarded the train and arrived in the city where I said I lived. But as we stepped off the train I said, “No, this is not the place.” I guess I just wanted the police officer to get tired of me and let me go.
He was tired—tired of my lies. He became angry and asked, “How many times will you trouble me like this?” Just then my belt buckle fell to the ground. It had the name of my school on it.
“Is this where you live?” he asked. I nodded my head. We had to wait the rest of that night for a train back to the school. By now I had been gone almost two days.
HOME AT LAST
When we reached the school, I was very nervous. Would I be disciplined? Expelled? What would they say? The principal opened the office door, and I braced myself. But instead of giving me a thrashing, he welcomed me back and said he had missed me! I was surprised when no one was angry with me or wanted to punish me.
A few minutes later, Mother came. She did not yell at me; she just hugged me tight and cried. “We missed you so much! Please don’t run away again, Timothy.” I promised that I would not run away again.
I knew then that this was my home. The people here loved me. I also learned that Jesus loves me. I have given my heart to Jesus, and I belong to Him. Even though I do not know who my parents are, I know who my family is.
Someday I want to help other children who are lost and alone. When I am grown up, if I see a child in rags standing in the street, I will ask if they have a home. If they say no, I will ask if they want to go live in a nice place and go to school. Then I will bring them to Sweet Home and let Mother love them as she has loved me.
FROM BEGGAR TO PROFESSOR
“I never ate fresh food on a clean plate.” That is what Timothy said about his life before he went to Sweet Home Children’s Village in India when he was a child. Today, the boy who began life as a beggar living on train platforms is a college professor. Timothy’s life is an amazing example of how you can dramatically change the life of a child and how education plays a vital role in preparing a young person to lead a productive life. Here is the rest of his story.
Timothy attended elementary and high school at the Flaiz Adventist School. After his high school graduation, Timothy studied theology at Spicer Memorial College (now Spicer Adventist University). He received a bachelor’s degree in 2014 and successfully completed a master’s degree in 2016.
Recently Timothy returned “home” and joined the Flaiz College as a teacher in the theology department. He is now “paying forward” the support he received by teaching at the same school where he was a student. Timothy is recognized as a good teacher and a talented preacher. Timothy said he is grateful for the prayers and financial support of his sponsors. He is an example of how investing in children is paying a wonderful return as they pay forward the blessing in lives of service.
Timothy Patrick Roane is a theology professor at Flaiz Adventist College, Narsapur, Andhra Pradesh, India.
