Gabi can't remember how long he stayed in each home before moving on to the next. When he was little, the children he played with the most were his sisters. He got along well with the other children in his neighborhood, but because he was constantly moving from one home to another, he always had to get used to new friends.
When his mom and dad would come to him and say, “We're moving into a new home,” Gabi would stay up all night trying to imagine how nice the new place would be. But his optimism always met disappointment when he walked in. Each new place was always smaller and dirtier than the one before, and there always seemed to be fewer children his age to play with. But none was worse than his last home; it was the place where his mother died. He was about six years old. He knew that his mom was ill, but he didn't know how serious it was. Actually, he remembers being glad that his mother was “sleeping” more often. He believed that more rest was what it would take for her to get better. But not long after moving into the new home came the night that would change his family's life forever.
It was two o'clock in the morning when Gabi's grandmother came in and woke up everyone in the house. Gabi was led into his mother's room where he found his dad, who was crying. His mom called each of them to her, gave them a hug, told them she loved them, and asked them to take care of themselves. Gabi had no idea what was happening at that instant. They were all in tears at the moment when his mother left them forever.
The death of his mother was devastating for Gabi; and the event only led to more tragedy in his life. Gabi's father soon began to drink and rarely came home. When he was at home, he would beat Gabi and his sisters. The children ended up running away to their grandmother's house, but Gabi didn't like it at his grandmother's. He craved a real family and stability in his life. Ironically, Gabi's need for a family began to draw him to the streets, where he met friends that would fulfill these desires.
Before the streets became home and the street children became his family, Gabi was taken into a partner organization's children's home. There he found the security and love that he longed for. Still, Gabi wishes for something more than a home full of 25 boys. He desires to have his own parents back and to have his sisters with him again. But where can Gabi find the One who would make the sacrifice to fulfill his needs for family?
