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<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Vinod was five years old when he ran from home to escape the strong hands of his stepmother. A railway ticket collector found him hungry and crying at a train station. Taking compassion, he adopted the boy as his own, naming him Vinod, which means “happy” or “joyful.\u201d<\/p>\n
Vinod largely raised himself due to his adoptive father\u2019s busy work schedule. Lonely, he jumped into a gang of friends who taught him to steal and use narcotics. Before long, he was a wanted man, addicted to every drug on the market.
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Vinod lived life as a beggar and addict on India\u2019s trains for the next 10 years. His life turned around at 35 years of age when he encountered a Teen Challenge rehabilitation program in Delhi. There he found the joy and happiness his father spoke over him many years ago. He is a proud graduate of the program and dedicates his time to helping old friends find freedom from their addictions.<\/p>\n
The hope of Vinod\u2019s story today encourages us as we reach out to many who are still in the struggle for freedom.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Vinod was five years old when he ran from home to escape the strong hands of his stepmother. A railway ticket collector found him hungry and crying at a train station. Taking compassion, he adopted the boy as his own, naming him Vinod, which means “happy” or “joyful.\u201d Vinod largely raised himself due to his…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n