Photo via renner.org

A boy raised by dogs is transformed by the power of God's love

For several years now, the House of Mercy has been a refuge of love and hope in the city of Moscow where orphans and street kids can live and be discipled in Christ. The Moscow Good News Church is an integral part of this ministry, supporting it with both finances and volunteers, reports Christian Telegraph and Rick Renner Ministries.

Of the many powerful testimonies of young lives changed through this effective outreach, the story of a little eight-year-old boy named Vita stands out as one of the most powerful. When Vita was only 18 months old, he was abandoned by his mother and left to be raised by dogs. For four years, Vita and the dogs ate out the same food out of one plate, slept together, cleaned themselves together, and went to the bathroom together. In December 2006, this little boy's reprehensible situation was discovered, and city officials had him placed in a Moscow hospital. Hoping to relocate this troubled child to a rehabilitating environment, government representatives contacted the House of Mercy and asked if they would take him in.

Vita joined the House of Mercy in December 2005. The first couple of weeks were extremely tough. Unable to sit up for more than five minutes, Vita would just lay down and mumble to himself. Instead of walking, he would crawl around on all fours. He was afraid of using the toilet, and if someone tried to help him use it, he'd make a high-pitched screech. He had never eaten real food or even thought about using silverware. All day long, he would lay on the couch and mumble to himself about running away to the forest or about eating spiders and feces. However, two years later, all that has changed. Vita is now involved in school and is making tremendous progress by the grace of God.

Over the course of this fall and winter, God has been healing Vita's emotions. For his first year at House of Mercy, Vita never displayed any emotional reactions or attachments. Whether someone spoke affectionately to him or reprimanded him, his facial expression always stayed the same. He spoke about himself in the third person and never reached out for anyone. Only very recently did the House of Mercy staff see Vita act like a normal boy. He cried because he wanted to participate in a dance with the other kids, and he became angry when another little boy took a box of candy away from him, exclaiming very loudly, "That is my candy. That is Vita's candy. Give me my candy!" This is such a new response for Vita, and it demonstrates how much progress has been made in this little boy's life. When someone opens his or her arms to Vita, he now knows that it means "hug-time," and he even smiles as he is being hugged. God is actively renewing healthy emotions in Vita's life.

Vita is also having great success at school. At the beginning of the school year, his teacher reported that Vita often ran away during class time, was unsocial, was unresponsive to instruction, and laughed for no reason. But last month, she wrote a new report concerning Vita, in which she stated, "Vita's progress is evident. He can understand, differentiate, and write shapes, colors, and numbers. He is kind and affectionate with his classmates and has acclimated to the classroom environment." Vita's fine motor skills are continuing to increase as well. He is currently learning how to hold a pen correctly between two fingers instead of with his entire palm.

At home, Vita loves to jump. He jumps from the time he gets out of bed until he is asleep. He likes to be in the air and always attempts to jump higher and higher. He plays by himself and with the other kids, and he now desires to be included in what the other boys are doing. If they are drawing, he wants to draw too. If they are watching TV, he sits down in the middle of them, and they all watch TV together.

In addition, Vita loves spending time in prayer. Each morning and evening when we all join together in prayer, Vita prays for a long time - calling on God to bless everyone he can think of. Everyone in the House of Mercy, at school, and at church loves and enjoys Vita. He is a delightful miracle.

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[03/04/2008]

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