R. B. Mitchell - Castaway Kid: One Mans Search for Hope and Home

Wow. The moment I read the first page, I was crying. I couldnt put the book down. I have a little boy who just turned four, and cant imagine ever leaving him for longer than I have to. All I wanted to do was grab my little boy out of his bed and hold him. I am deeply humbled by this story. I hope it will change the lives of millions of people. It has mine.

BRIAN LITTRELL
Recording artist
Member of the Backstreet Boys

Castaway Kid is an awesome story of the power of Jesus to redeem every facet of our lives. This is a great book that reminds me personally of Gods love. I cried real tears reading this; it is a must read.

DAVE RAMSEY
New York Times bestselling author
The Total Money Makeover

Before you sit down to read Castaway Kid by Rob Mitchell, I would suggest that you obtain a box of tissues. This compelling story grabs from the first page and helps you to understand what real loneliness and rejection feel like. More importantly, it puts into perspective the most important things in life, such as a relationship with God. This is a splendid example of how the hand of God can heal all wounds and boost us toward the goal of realizing our innate potential. When you finish this book, you will be ready to put down the tissue and pick up your conquerors helmet.

BENJAMIN S. CARSON, SR., M.D.
Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions
Author, Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story

A powerful, compelling message that points to the unimaginable grace of our heavenly Father.

DAN T. CATHY
President and chief operating officer
Chick-fil-A, Inc.

In an era espousing self-esteem, Rob Mitchell points out with actual experience how badly all of us need Gods help in our lives and endeavors. An important read!

BEN EDWARDS
Retired chairman
A.G. Edwards & Sons, Inc.

This is a remarkable work of contemporary literature that quickly gets inside the readers head, then heart. The book starts out as a little boys struggle with abandonment but quickly becomes the readers own struggle with universal themes of loneliness, fear, rejection, anger, bitterness, and how to forgive others and ourselves.

DOTTY HOOTS
English educator, Wesleyan Academy
High Point, North Carolina

Castaway Kid
Copyright 2007 by R.B. Mitchell
All rights reserved. International copyright secured.

A Focus on the Family book published by Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188

Focus on the Family and the accompanying logo and design are federally registered trademarks of Focus on the Family, Colorado Springs, CO 80995.

TYNDALE and Tyndales quill logo are registered trademarks of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the New AmericanStandard Bible. Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org)

Scripture quotations marked (TLB) are taken from The Living Bible (paraphrase) copyright 1971. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwisewithout prior written permission of Focus on the Family.

Cover photo copyright 2007 Joseph Sapulich
Photo illustration: Joseph Sapulich
Model: Joshua Sapulich

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Mitchell, R. B. (Robert Bivings), 1954

Castaway kid : one mans search for hope and home / R.B. Mitchell.

p. cm. (Focus on the family)

ISBN-13: 978-1-58997-434-0
ISBN-10: 1-58997-434-4

1. Mitchell, R. B. (Robert Bivings), 1954- 2. OrphansIllinoisBiography. 3. Children Institutional CareIllinoisCase studies. 4. Parental rejectionIllinoisCase studies. 5. Adult children of dysfunctional familiesBiography. I. Title.

HV990.I36M57 2007
362.73092dc22
[B]

2006035652

Printed in the United States of America
11 12 13 14 15 16 / 14 13 12 11

Build: 2013-09-16 10:01:34

To the lonely who have wounded themselves or
been wounded by the abuse or apathy of others

and

to those who pray without ceasing,
trying to bring hope.

Contents

Acknowledgments

God, who leads beyond imagination if I listen.

Susan, my wife and helpmate: Your outer beauty is overshadowed by your intelligent, sensitive, and caring inner beauty, which has strengthened me on our journey together.

Alicia and Luke: Being your father has been the joy of my life.

Paul: Once only a sojourner, now a brother.

My Rockford folks: Art, Paul, Marge, and the girls.

Joe and Mary Davis, deceased: Susans parents and wonderful in-laws.

Also, thank you to

Those in Princeton not listed in the book, but who tried: Carol, Colleen, George, Helen, John, Ralph, and Tim, as well as the Swanson and Malm families.

Those in college: the Eds, Barbie, David, Doug, Gerry, Jimmy, John, Kate, and the New Garden youth group.

Missionaries Ruth and Brad Hill, and Jan and Bob Thornbloom. Mbote!

The men who keep me accountable: Barry, Jay, Pete, and Steve.

The men of CBMC, especially Pat ONeal.

The Cathys of Chick-fil-A and their at-risk kids organization, WinShape.

Kiwanis members who reach out to at-risk kids and invite me to help.

The Red Pen Partners of Massachusetts.

Dotty Hoots and her students in Wesleyan Academy class of 04, the best.

Phil Downer of DNA Ministries, and our buddy, Ken Walker, for encouragement.

Ronda, Ruth, and Vivien, who keep things running.

Nanci and John, my guides at Focus.

And Barbara Winslow Robidoux, my writing coach who became my friend.

THIS IS A BOOK OF HOPE. Even so, with recent furors over memoirs that have contained questionable facts, its valid to ask whether this really is a true story.

Speaking at a fundraiser for the Covenant Childrens Home in the early 1990s, I learned from the director that having never been a ward of the state, I had full access to my caseworker files. I tagged a number of documents for my records, often thinking, If you everwrote a book, people would think you made this up.

But all the events occurred. Theyve been recalled not only as faithfully as I can remember, but also as other adults involved have remembered and documented in caseworker notes, recorded interviews, and my grandmother Gigis journal.

So they can tell their own stories when and if they choose, other kids from the orphanage are not namedexcept one, and with permission. No names in the book are made up, though a few are nicknames.

Ive been told I have an unusually accurate memory. No ones recollection is perfect, of course, but the dialogue in this book is in keeping with the essence of each situation and as close to word-forword as possible. All the living adults who are quoted and whom Ive been able to reach have confirmed my memories of the events in which they were involved.

Yes, this story of hope is true. You can find further details on the Web at www.amillionlittleproofs.com.

Character, not circumstances, makes the man.

BOOKER T. WASHINGTON