Sierra Leone
Clean water wells
For more than a century the people of Maharigoh Village struggled for water through the long dry season. Today a clean, accessible well flows there all year round.
Victor's Story
A life others might overlook
Victor's story is about far more than disability. It is a story about belonging, family, purpose, and the surprising ways God can use one life to touch people far beyond what anyone imagined.
Looking for Home
Born into circumstances he did not choose
Before Victor ever drew his first breath, he had already been exposed to drugs and alcohol. He entered the world with profound challenges. He could not swallow. He could not use his arms or his hands. A wheelchair and constant, tender care would be part of every day of his life.
He entered state care at just six months old. Relatives cared for him for about six years, and then a devoted foster mother loved him for several more, until the care he needed became more than each home could give. Once more, Victor's future was uncertain.
Yet in another state, there was a family quietly being prepared to meet him.
A Brother Reaches Out
No words were spoken. None were needed.
In that family lived a boy named Alex, also born with profound disabilities. Doctors once told his parents he was unlikely to live even a month. He proved them wrong, growing up wrapped in the love of parents and siblings who cherished him simply because he was theirs.
When the Rakers saw Victor on “Wednesday's Child” they heard God speak, “That is your son.” They had one essential question. Would Alex accept Victor as his brother?
The day the boys met, their wheelchairs were rolled side by side. Alex reached over and took Victor's hand. That single gesture was the whole answer. At fourteen, Victor became a Raker.
One Word
“Mom.”
And then came something no one expected. In every home he had passed through, Victor had never spoken. Not until now, not until he finally had a mother to say it to.
Victor had a beautiful smile and a loud, boisterous, contagious laugh. He and Alex shared school days and bus rides, and laughed at things only they understood. Their little niece was sure the two were twins.
He belonged. He was wanted. He was loved.
When the Laughter Became Silent
It seemed, for a time, that Victor had lost his voice
In 2022, Victor suffered a catastrophic medical event that left him permanently dependent on a ventilator to breathe. The young man whose laughter once filled a room grew silent.
His family could still see his smile and surround him with love. In the years to come, they would discover that his life could still speak, and that this new voice would travel thousands of miles.
“My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.”2 Corinthians 12:9
