Dr. Charles Mully was a self-made millionaire living in one of Nairobi's wealthiest enclaves when God called him to dedicate his life to caring for impoverished children.
And that's exactly what he did.
Giving up his life of comfort and wealth, Mully established the Mully Children's Family (MCF), a charitable organization helping tens of thousands of the more than 2.6 million children living on the streets of Africa.
"I walk by faith and not by sight, and everything I own really belongs to God," Mully, 68, told The Gospel Herald in an exclusive interview. "So, it was not difficult to give everything up. When I surrendered to him, He never let me down, and many lives have been changed as a result."
Mully's amazing story of faith, sacrifice, and determination is the subject of the forthcoming documentary, Mully. From October 3-5, the film will be shown at about 750 theaters across the United States.
The desire of the Kenyan-born entrepreneur to transform the lives of vulnerable children stems from his own experience. At 6 years old, he was abandoned by his family and forced to survive by begging on the streets.
"I was raised very poor; my father was an alcoholic who abused me and my brother," he recalled. "One day, I woke up and discovered my family had left. That was a very difficult time in my life."
After ten difficult years on the streets, Mully, now-teenager, was on the verge of committing suicide when a man invited him to church. There, Mully heard the Good News of the Gospel for the first time.
"When I heard the Word of God, it changed my life forever," he shared. "It gave me a purpose and a motivation to live."
As a young man, Mully walked to Nairobi, where he landed a job and met his future wife, Esther Nthenya. Against overwhelming odds, he found incredible success as a businessman, soon providing a comfortable lifestyle for his wife and their eight children.
Still, Mully was convinced that God had something more in store for his life. Leaving his company behind, Mully moved back to Kenya, where he and his wife opened their home to orphans who had nowhere else to turn.
"People thought I was crazy," Mully admitted. "It has not been an easy journey. My wife and I have experienced rejection and mockery from those around us. But, God never fails. He is a God of love, of peace, and deliverance, and He calls us to obedience."
Since 1989, Kenya's "Father to the Fatherless" has transformed the lives of over 15,000 children through rescue, holistic rehabilitation and reintegration. Today, it's the largest children's rehabilitation organization in Africa.
Many of his children, Mully said, have gone on to become successful businessman, doctors, and lawyers.
"The Bible says, 'I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me,'" Mully said. "Yes, this organization has seen great success, but it is not because of me - it is because of the Lord, who gives me strength. Through God, anything is possible for the benefit of mankind."
Through his story, Mully hopes Christians worldwide are inspired to take seriously the words of James 1:26 - "look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."
"Many people in the Western world are about working hard to acquire wealth and money, money, money," he said. "When God calls us, we need to listen. There are so many poor brothers and sisters around the world, and we are called to help those in great need, to share what little we may have."
He continued, "That is the love of God. If don't have love, if we don't care for those God loves, we cannot please God. That is my challenge and advice to my brothers and sisters in America."
To learn more about the film, visit http://mullymovie.com/.
