A shepherd has great responsibility. It takes a special person to faithfully care for his sheep. A good shepherd also loves his sheep and is concerned for their well-being. Sheep are totally reliant on their shepherd for food and safety. 

Nathan, the young boy in the story below, takes his shepherding job very seriously. His shepherding didn’t stop with shepherding his sheep though.  He was also able to use all that he had learned in the fields, to care for and shepherd his illiterate father, as Nathan read to and explained the Bible to him.  

A true bond takes place through this kind of intimacy. This is the same way that our Good Shepherd loves and cares for us. He is faithful to meet our needs and guide us down the right paths. He draws us close and cares for us, as He provides for those who already know Him, but also for those who might be lost or have gone astray. We also see this same kind of shepherding within SGA-supported Summer Bible Camps where Nathan was able to go and participate as one of the sheep. 

Please pray for Nathan. He is young, yet he already exemplifies the qualities that will help him be a great witness of who Jesus is to many others. 

From our SGA Storyteller Elizabeth in Central Asia…

Nathan is 12 years old and has a loving family. They all try to help each other, despite the difficulties of life. His mother is a housewife with a school education. His father comes from a dysfunctional family. As a result, he cannot read or write, but he is very good at math. Due to his illiteracy, it was difficult for his father to find a job, but recently he met a religious brother who got him a job as a water distributor in a large field. Money is tight, so the boy started helping his family by working as a shepherd. In his daily life, he does adult work. Nathan helps his family and takes on a serious burden that is not appropriate for his age.

Nathan is accustomed to hard work, independence, and discipline. Immediately after school, he goes to the pasture, takes his books with him, and stays there until late in the evening to herd sheep. For three years, he has worked every day and done his schoolwork in his spare time. The boy takes his job as a shepherd seriously. He knows how to care for sheep, what medicines to give them when they are sick, and how to look after them properly. He has 45 sheep that he looks after.

At the age of five, the boy suffered a severe burn to his leg, which left a large scar, and now he must protect himself from the sun’s rays, but despite this, he continues to work and actively help his family.

A believing brother invited Nathan and his father to go to the mountains for fellowship and rest. There they studied the book of Daniel, but since his father cannot read, the boy read and explained the meaning of the book to his father. It was a pleasant moment when father and son learned about God together. 

When we invited the boy to camp, we learned that it would be his first camp ever, and he took it very seriously. For him, it was a rare chance to take a break from his daily responsibilities. He enjoyed his time there, actively participating in camp life, attending clubs, swimming in the pool, and eating delicious food. It was clear that the opportunity to simply be a child and enjoy his childhood was a real gift for him.