Mully (not rated)
****

Mully is a well-made documentary style film telling the incredible true story of Charles Mully, a Kenyan orphan, who was used by God to save more than 12,000 orphans.
Scott Haze writes and directs this film, which also includes some dramatic reenactments from Mully’s life, some of which would be too intense for small children. The film is narrated by Charles along with his wife, seven children and his parents.
Charles’ father was an alcoholic who would brutally beat his mother. When Charles was just 6 years old, he woke up one morning to find that his parents and siblings had abandoned him. This led to a life of begging. He was bitter and depressed and wanted to take his own life. He resisted that temptation and soon after he was invited to church where his life was changed spiritually and he became hopeful for the future.
But he was still poor, so he decided to make the 50 mile walk to Nairobi to look for a job. Finally on his third day in the city a wealthy Indian woman took him in and offered him a position as a dishwasher and gardener. He did a good job and is later promoted to be manager over 800 farm workers, one of which was Esther, a beautiful young woman who would become his wife.
Charles then decides to start his own taxi/bus business. That business is successful, and then he launches business after business, all very successful. He is a millionaire, and he and his family live in a large home, host parties and live the good life.
Then one day in 1989, Charles is confronted by three homeless teens, who ask for payment in return for watching his car. He refuses and when he comes back his car is gone – he has to take his own bus home. Charles is moved by the homeless teens and later we see him drive many miles away from Nairobi, deep in thought and prayer.  He is wrestling with God over God’s call on his life to help orphans and ultimately, he bows his knee in obedience. He stuns his well-to-do family that night at dinner, telling them he is going to sell his businesses and instead provide care to the orphans on the streets. They think he is crazy.
He not only wants to provide food, shelter and an education, Charles wants these children to be part of a family and to be loved.  Within a week, the first three children show up at the Mully home. We then see Mully walk the streets of Nairobi and bring orphans home to live in the Mully mansion, which would become known as the Mully Children’s Family (MCF). Mully’s children are interviewed and they are honest in saying that they were not initially on board with their father’s plan and were resentful.
Mully would face many challenges along the way, but God provided for the growing ministry to orphans. God brought them very low, to the point of not having food for the children, only to see their need provided by the hand of God.  Quite the lesson in relying upon God’s provision.  We see MCF becoming self-sustaining, moving into farming and other sources of income. Since 1989, MCF has become the largest children’s rescue, rehabilitation and development organization Africa. This is an incredibly inspiring true story; all of this started with Mully asking God to use him.  More than that, after watching it, each of us can ask, “What is God calling me to do?” “How can God use us to serve him and his people?”
This film would probably be rated PG for some scenes of violence.  Prior to the film, Jon Foreman of Switchfoot and Lauren Daigle perform a moving acoustic version of Switchfoot’s song “I Won’t Let You Go”, a song about unconditional love.
After a three-night run in theatres, the film will be available on DVD. You can order it here.
You might also be interested in Mully’s book My Journey Of Faith: An Encounter with Christ: And How He Used Me to Spread His Love to the Poor. You can order it here.