Former child returns after 50 years with 5,000 lbs. of supplies

As a truck driver, Ken Worcester has traveled hundreds of thousands of miles making deliveries. No journey would be more important than the one he took on July 9, 2024, as he rounded the corner and pulled onto the Show-Me campus in La Monte. He was returning home to the place where he first arrived as a scared and angry boy 50 years ago. The place that God used to divert him from the rocky road his life was on to a path of purpose.

To honor and celebrate Show-Me Christian Youth Home for its role in transforming his and his brother’s lives, Ken overwhelmed current Show-Me families by delivering a semi-trailer with over 5,000 lbs. of food and supplies. “I wanted to be a blessing because God has blessed me far more than I could ever have imagined 50 years ago,” stated Ken. “Every aspect of my life that is good traces back to Show-Me: marriage, family, a good work ethic, and most importantly, my salvation.”

Chained to a  Painful Past 

Ken did not always feel like his life was a blessing.  In fact, for a long time, Ken believed life had cheated him. Why did his mom and oldest brother have to die? Why in 1974 did his dad leave him at the age of eight and his older brother, Pat, at Show-Me? Why was life so unfair? 

The answers would not become clear until well into Ken’s adulthood. “For years, I paid the cost of unforgiveness – chaining myself to my painful past,” said Ken. “When I finally gave my past to God and nailed it to the cross, I realized that by placing us at Show-Me, my dad fulfilled my mother’s last wish to ‘take care of those boys’ in the best way he knew how.”

Music and Mission

Ken described the nearly eight years that he lived at Show-Me as life changing and lifesaving. He found his love of music, learning to play the piano and trombone. Hymns ministered to Ken. “I felt the emotions of the music and the lyrics explained truths of my heart that my own words failed to speak.” He stepped forward to be baptized and gave his life to Christ as the song “I have decided to follow Jesus” played.

At the age of 12, he felt called to ministry. He preached his first sermon in eighth grade at La Monte Christian Church. In high school, Ken would sometimes preach on promotions for Show-Me. His oratory skills won him a scholarship to Central Christian College of the Bible. For the next three decades, he pastored churches across Missouri, Iowa, and Illinois. He still actively shares his gift of playing the piano with each congregation he serves.

Pat would go on to serve 20 years in the Air Force. Today, Ken lives in Camp Point, IL, with his wife, Joni. The couple enjoys spending time with their five children and four grandchildren.

A Contagious Passion

“God was the one constant in my life, the one thing that was sure,” stated Ken. “Through the tears and tragedy, I knew I was never alone, He was there.”

For years, Ken thought about ways he could show his gratitude to God and give back to the children’s home that helped raise him. In 2023, after becoming a truck driver for Dot Foods, the largest food industry redistributor in North America, he approached his supervisor and told his story.  Ken asked if he could buy food from the company and use their equipment to deliver it to Show-Me. His employer loved the idea.

Ken’s passion became contagious. Starting with a donation of his own, he approached his missions’ team at First Christian Church of Camp Point, IL. The church challenged its members to help fill the truck raising $7,100. Between his family and community, Ken raised $12,600. Dot Foods contributed an additional 800 lbs. of items to the cause.

Stocking the Pantries

“This is the biggest blessing of supplies I have ever seen in my 26 years at Show-Me,” stated Executive Director, Chad Puckett. “It will go a long way to refilling our pantries.” 

Kids and parents from all eight Show-Me families helped unload and sort the 300 cases of groceries. From pasta to canned fruit, toilet paper to cooking oil, the tables were filled with items a growing Show-Me family needs. Each family consists of a husband-and-wife houseparent team and six to eight children. Once the minivans were loaded to take the goodies home to enjoy, the remaining food was stored in the campus food pantry for all the families to share.

Not the Gift He Wanted

Following the distribution, Ken sat down to have lunch and cake with his bigger Show-Me family. He shared his inspiring testimony of how, after the death of his mother and older brother, God took the broken pieces of his life, and brought him to Show-Me. He recounted how the gift he received 50 years ago when he came to Show-Me was not the gift he wanted. But, now 50 years later, he realizes that it is the greatest gift that he could have been given because it gave him a testimony and an opportunity to make a difference in the world.

Beauty Out of Ashes

“Young people, I want to encourage you – I have no idea what your backgrounds are or why you are here – but I can tell you, based on my life, what I know to be fact: God makes beauty out of ashes if you will let Him,” stated Ken. “God takes our brokenness and our tragedies – ones that sometime happen to us through no fault of our own. When we surrender them to Him, He in His time, in His way – and sometimes it takes 50 years – but He turns it all out for our good and for His glory. My life is a testimony of that.”