Why does Kenny believe the new kids are his personal saviors?

Kenny, who is a bit of a nerd, is the target of kids' abuse on the bus until two new kids show up to take the bus. From attending Sunday school, Kenny is aware of the idea of a savior—someone who can take away your problems and save you from pain. He regards the new kids as his personal saviors.
When the two new kids show up on the bus, it is clear that they are outsiders. They speak with what Kenny describes as a "down-South accent," and one of the boys wears a ripped-up jacket, jeans, and dirty, worn tennis shoes. Because the new boy is so skinny, badly dressed, and overly polite, Kenny is sure that the kids will start to pick on him. His little brother is similarly dressed and also wears a big, corny smile. One of the bullies on the bus, Larry Dunn, says, "look at the nappy-headed, downhome, country corn flake the cat done drugged up from Mississippi, y’all!" All the kids on the bus begin to laugh at the new kids, and Kenny knows that he has been saved from being the target of their bullying. The new kids are even greater outsiders than he is. Therefore, he regards the new kids as his saviors.