SANTA CRUZ, BOLIVIA - For some of the nine boys Ken Switzer (40) "parents" he is the only father figure they've ever known.
Switzer lives and works with abandoned or orphaned young men aged 18 to 21 who have graduated from high school and are now pursuing further education. Each of the boys in his home must be studying and working part-time. Switzer personally finds the money to fund their education, transportation needs, and room and board. The boys work to pay for their own clothes and for spending money. That's the deal. Switzer raises $1200 for each boy per year.
"These are an amazing group of guys," says Switzer. "They all still have issues but it is amazing to me the healing that God has brought."
One example is Saul (19) whose mother told him to wait on a street corner when he was 5 or 6 years old while she went to buy food. Saul waited for a week. She never returned.
When David (19) was four, his father died and his mother abandoned him and his three brothers. He thought he would die on the street. He lost touch with all his siblings. He was brought to a boys home when he was 15. Now he's back in touch with his siblings and on the way to creating a new life for himself.
Switzer's "baptism by fire" happened when he arrived in Santa Cruz in 2001. He worked at Nacer Boys Home, a facility that cares for 70-80 boys run by a married couple, a retired pastor and 2 social workers. They were short on staff and Switzer was asked to supervise the boys for 3 days. Some boys had drug problems.
It was here that Switzer first met 13 year-old Jose Roberto. When Roberto was 16 he was arrested for drug trafficking. He spent 3 years in prison. While in prison, Roberto and his girlfriend's baby died.
Roberto received significant support from a ministry at that time. Recently Switzer bumped into Roberto and was amazed that he is now 22 years old, working on construction and a believer. Roberto told Switzer, "One night I felt tempted to go back to drugs so I prayed and I felt a warmth come over my whole body and then the temptation was gone."
Jose Miguel (21) is another young man with a drug problem that Switzer met at Nacer. Miguel made a commitment to Christ and then started going to a bible study.
"Jose ate everything up. He was so excited to learn. He still struggles but he's been clean for one year. It's really neat to see God setting him free," Switzer said.
Moreover, Jose has a heart for suffering people and believes God is calling him to be a missionary.
Switzer meets one-on-one with each of "his" nine boys every week or so for a devotional and to talk through problems. He laughs when he thinks about himself in the role of parent because he'd always teased his friends when they became parents about the increased responsibility and loss of freedom.
"I hope to be an example of unconditional love and grace for the guys," Switzer said, "and to help them understand that they have freedom in Christ." BLM
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Switzer lives and works with abandoned or orphaned young men aged 18 to 21 who have graduated from high school and are now pursuing further education. Each of the boys in his home must be studying and working part-time. Switzer personally finds the money to fund their education, transportation needs, and room and board. The boys work to pay for their own clothes and for spending money. That's the deal. Switzer raises $1200 for each boy per year.
Switzer's "baptism by fire" happened when he arrived in Santa Cruz in 2001. He worked at Nacer Boys Home, a facility that cares for 70-80 boys run by a married couple, a retired pastor and 2 social workers. They were short on staff and Switzer was asked to supervise the boys for 3 days. Some boys had drug problems.