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“I’m living my dream,” 27-year-old Atit said over the Zoom call, a huge smile on his face.
His face lit up like that the moment he started talking about his favorite subject—music. After studying music in college, he now teaches children music at a school.
When he was their age, around 9 or 10, he had just entered the Family Homes Program with Love Justice.
Today, Love Justice operates 14 family homes in South Asia, and each home has loving houseparents who care for about 10 orphaned and abandoned children. Beyond meeting physical needs, the program allows kids to grow up in an environment where their dreams and passions are supported and encouraged.
Few things are more satisfying than seeing the long-term fruit of these efforts reflected in a thriving young adult like Atit.
Atit’s childhood
Atit was born in a Nepali village to teen parents—his mom just 16 years old, his dad a year or two older. Young as his parents were, perhaps unready for the responsibility of parenthood, they left him in his grandparents’ care.
Many years later, Atit’s mom got in touch with her son and apologized. 
“I forgive her because it's the thing we learn in Christ, you know, forgiveness and all. And that's what it looks like,” Atit said.
But as a child, he didn’t know his parents. His grandparents loved him dearly but ultimately could not afford to care for him properly, so a kind-hearted neighbor referred the family to Love Justice.
Adapting to a new home
“Do you remember the first day you came to the family home?” I asked.
“Yeah. How could I forget that?” he replied, laughing.
Atit arrived in the morning for his first day in the home, ate a quick breakfast, and headed off to school.
“It was all very new for me, and quite odd,” he said. He kept using words like “exciting” and “good memory” as he recounted those early moments, chuckling a bit.
I sat on the other end of the Zoom call, a bit perplexed. Here was a 10-year-old kid going through a massive transition, leaving home, family, even language dialect to live in a place where everything was unfamiliar. Wouldn’t that be terrifying?
“On the one hand, I was excited, but some days it was very hard for me. Not every day was perfect, you know?” he conceded. “After some time, it got easier.”
Though his village was far from the family home, his grandparents traveled to visit him whenever they could.
A growing passion for music
Growing up in the home, Atit met Jesus—and coincidentally, this also sparked his love for music. During times of devotionals and singing praise songs together as a family, Atit learned to play guitar and sing.
“I never knew God had gifted me with the songwriting skills,” Atit said. “But one day I just tried with some lines, and then I started writing and rhyming. Music is kind of this thing inside me and the melody used to pop up in my head easily, at the time when I didn't know about music.”
Even without professional music training, an innate hunger began to grow. He started practicing for hours every day, honing his newfound skills. When he grew older, he went to college and studied music there.
”The very first day I was so happy that now I can study music,” he said. “I was carrying my guitar and just going to college, and it was so exciting. I can't describe that in words, you know? It was a very happy moment for me.”
Atit reflected on the support that brought him to that point. His houseparents encouraged his talent, praising his skill and suggesting he seek further training. They purchased instruments for him and covered school fees so he could pursue his dreams. Without them, he believes he might have fallen in with a bad crowd back in his village. Instead, they gifted him the freedom and support needed to chase a dream he never expected to be possible.
“If [Love Justice] hadn’t accepted me, I would never be where I am today,” he said.
Now, as a music teacher, he gets to share his passion with the next generation. The kids love it, running to him eagerly as soon as he enters the gate, grabbing his hands and pulling him toward the classroom.
A song to honor his grandfather
I asked if he might translate one of the songs he had written into English so I could understand it. He jumped up to grab his guitar and sang a beautiful song dedicated to his grandfather—both his grandparents have now passed away.
“This one in particular is [my students’] favorite one; they always cry when I sing this song,” said Atit.
The song recalls Atit’s childhood: his grandfather carrying him as he slept; winter days kept warm on his grandmother’s lap; small steps forward, fueled by their love; and the ache of wanting to do something good for them, only to lose that chance after they were gone.
“There was no one in this whole world loving like my grandparents, you know? They used to love me so much,” he said.
Listen to Atit sing the song here below.
He dreams of recording his own songs one day, but not for fame.
“Fame is temporary,” he said. “I’ll do music for myself only, and I’m happy for that.”
Radiant contentment
I was so impressed at the joy and gratitude radiating off of this young man, no matter what he spoke about. What would our world look like if more of us had that kind of contentment?
We are proud of our Family Homes Program and the incredible adults these children are becoming.
Because someone gave, Atit’s life was changed. You can make that possible for another child. Support a child for $100/month or give a one-time gift at the button below.
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