Indiana was culture shock for Elijah. Not surprising when you consider he was born in the Republic of the Congo, a whole world away on the western coast of Africa. His uneasiness was multiplied by the fact that he’d been adopted by an American family at age 5 and had never known his birth parents.

His new family didn’t look like him and he wasn’t sure how he would fit in. “But coming here shows how God is looking out for you,” Elijah said. “There was no way that I was chosen by accident, because after I was adopted they actually closed down adoption in that area” of his native country.

God continues to keep His eye on Elijah. From adjusting to life in the U.S. and accepting Jesus Christ as his Savior, to living a superficial Christian life, eventually rebelling against his adoptive parents and ending up at the Good News Boys Home, God was gradually molding Elijah into the Spirit-filled young man of 17 he is today. Elijah will enter his senior year of high school at the Academy this fall, and is serving as operational staff during this summer’s 40-Day Challenge.

Elijah accepted Christ his freshman year but his fire for God began to wane. Instead of worshipping God with all his heart Elijah placed football on the throne of his life. Under an avalanche of lies, disobedient behavior and a sense of entitlement, Elijah’s relationship with his Christian parents deteriorated.

Then tragedy struck. Elijah’s adoptive mother was diagnosed with stage four colon cancer in 2018. She died in 2021. Although stunned, Elijah’s defiant behavior remained. His adoptive father finally had enough and sent Elijah to the Good News Boys Home 40-Day Summer Challenge after his freshman year and then to the Academy that fall. Having now completed his sophomore year and junior years at the Boys Home, the change in Elijah has been dramatic. He’s been baptized, is more responsible and respectful and is doing well in school. Above all, God has replaced football as Elijah’s first love. When he graduates next spring Elijah wants to become an auto mechanic. He also plans to work in youth ministry — a once misguided youth guiding youth to Christ.