Shining in the Concrete Jungle
Twon Mai was a neglected 9-year old when the Lord directed his path to the Children’s Homes. He came from a broken home with a mentally unstable mother who separated from his dad before Twon ever had any real memories with him. His mother moved them from California to Mobile on a Greyhound bus where they at first found shelter in a motel for a few days.
From Twon’s perspective, he thought his life was pretty normal . . .
“I didn’t think anything of it. After the motel, we ended up in a small shed in the Alabama Village. I didn’t know how to shower. I never brushed my teeth. I never took care of myself. I was always out on my bike and am surprised I didn’t get killed or involved with drugs.
I guess people started to take notice of my condition because one day I got home from riding my bike to find a cop car waiting to take me and my brother and sister from our home. I didn’t understand. I loved my mom dearly. I was bawling. I don’t know that I even believed in God back then, but I remember praying, ‘Why? Why me? Why is this going on?’
I remember stopping at this house, the Alabama Baptist Children's Homes. I met Mr. JR and Ms. Diane—the Robinsons, and it was the first time I felt the tangible love of Christ. They gave me new clothes and taught me how to take care of myself for the first time. On that first day, I learned how to shower and brush my teeth. I realized that what I had thought was normal, was not.
They made me feel welcome and part of the family right away. There were challenges of course, but through that hard time, they loved me. They made me smile and laugh through the pain, and I needed that. At ABCH, they always did the best they could to give you the best life possible. And it was there that I first heard the Gospel and eventually accepted Christ.
Living at ABCH influenced my passion for building relationships and made me more extroverted. It helped me to understand no one is perfect and to believe in people. The Children’s Home was vital in my life because I’m definitely not a self-made man—I’m a God-made man. He provided to me the Children’s Home, his church to really pour into me, and a great city like Mobile to be involved in and serve.
I went on to graduate from the University of Mobile with a degree in theology, and this year, I’m transitioning to New York City to do church planting with the Dream Center. They’re going to train me in how to be an urban missionary. If it wasn’t for the Children’s Homes providing me with a stable home and a college education, I know nothing about this move would be happening. But now I’m going to share the Gospel with the nations because all the nations are in New York City!
I was raised up to be a missionary, and my story is not over. The legacy ABCH passed onto me, I want to pass to other people. God’s done a lot of great things in my life, but I’m believing even greater things in the next chapter.”