Chris and Isaac share much in common. Both are quiet-natured boys raised in foster homes. Each of them accepted Christ as their Savior but failed to show evidence of spiritual growth. And both have had their struggles with poor grades in school and a lack of self-discipline.  Today they can add another line to their list of commonalities: Good News Boys Home Academy graduates.

The 18-year-old boys – Chris from Kentucky and Isaac from West Virginia – received high school diplomas at a graduation ceremony held on May 10. Each spent their junior and senior years living and attending classes at the 145-acre Boys Home campus in rural Putnam County. In those two years the boys turned their academic woes around and turned their eyes again on God.

“In the couple of years I’ve been here it has changed me and I’ve grown to be a better Christian,” Chris said. Isaac voiced similar sentiments: “Being here I’ve become a lot closer to God.”

Like other Academy students, Chris and Isaac were disobedient, belligerent and sometimes had outbursts of uncontrolled rage. In Isaac’s case his behavior was so erratic he was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) at age 7 and prescribed medication.

Adapting to Academy rules and regulations wasn’t overly burdensome for the boys but they did face challenges. For Chris it was living all day, every day, for nine months with 11 other teenaged boys. For Isaac it was learning how to deal with others when they got under his skin.

Bible study and counsel from Boys Home staff eased the transition. Isaac took a liking to the book of Job and its life lessons in patience. “For me it was James 3,” Chris said. “It talks about how no man can tame the tongue.”

Academically, the change in the two was like night and day. Chris raised his grade point average from 2.19 to 3.50 and Isaac, who had been making mostly D’s before, finished with an Academy-leading GPA of 3.70.

Our Boys Home Director witnessed the changes as Chris and Isaac each grew in character and their walk with God. “We’re super proud of their academic performance,” he said. “By the end of the school year they were actively participating in Bible studies and small group discussions as part of Bible class.”

Other positives have followed. Isaac has been off ADHD meds since coming to the Boys Home and has been chosen as a recipient of the Cindy Evans Memorial Scholarship Fund, which covers $7,000 of college tuition a year. He plans to attend Pensacola Christian College this fall, where he’ll major in mechanical engineering. A few days ago Chris entered a two-month vocational discovery program for high school graduates at a Christian ranch in Montana. His future plans include studying biology at Eastern Kentucky University, in hopes of one day becoming a marine biologist.

Please pray that these young men will continue to follow hard after the Lord and His will for their lives, and that the Word of God will continue to shape their worldview in today’s ungodly culture.