The Romanian peasant was on his knees, frantically gathering the half-rotten apples strewn all over the mountain road. In the pitch darkness, our rickety little car had plowed into his cart, throwing him off and somersaulting his two horses. As a cold rain and snow fell on this surreal midnight scene, I had never felt less in control. I asked myself, “What in the world am I doing here?” At age 12, I had accepted Christ. The preacher in the big tent at the summer Bible Camp helped me to understand that I was a sinner and needed to receive God’s forgiveness through Jesus Christ.

It was cold in the living room at six in the morning. The coffee was warm, but I was very tired. I wanted to die. It was even colder at seven. My coffee was ice-cold and I was totally exhausted.  At half  past seven I only felt warm sunshine and I was full of energy. I hugged my friend and wept. I was happy! I was saved!

In High School, I realized that life was passing me by. I became determined to change things, to find fulfillment.  I looked to people who I felt were successful and started to imitate their ways. I changed the way I walked, I learned the "in" things to say and jokes to tell, and I got myself a girl friend. Still, deep inside me, I knew that I was missing out on something. 

You have been in how many countries? This was the response of a businessman that I had been talking with. He had asked me earlier when he discovered what my job was how many countries I had been in. My response was more than a hundred.

What is in the heart of a little boy who has no father? No father to run to and say, "I hurt myself today" or "I had a fight today, but I won" or "Will you play soccer with me today?" And then, after getting a step-father, having the mother say, "Never disturb him, he is too busy."

This had a powerful effect on one little boy, me.