This I Know
How do kids cope with living in an orphanage in an impoverished country?
Dear Friends,
Not many things are for certain in Haiti, but most can count on poverty and death.
So how do children, most of whom are orphans, survive such depressing realities while also living in an orphanage? I discovered the answer when I visited Haiti earlier this month with my wife, Kayla, and Orphan’s Tear director Elisabeth Walter.
We went to check on 2 orphanages—Mt. Zion and Mt. Carmel—that Orphan’s Tear has sponsored for many years. We also took photos of the children and received letters they had written to their sponsors as part of our initiative aimed at improving communication and relationships. And lastly, it was a great opportunity for me, as the administrative assistant for Orphan’s Tear, to see firsthand the lives we are impacting.
The answer to my question came as I read some of the letters the children had written. In message after message, the phrase “Jesus loves me” kept showing up. It was everywhere. That’s when I realized their “secret.” Although these orphaned kids live in one of the poorest countries in the world, they are some of the richest children you could ever meet. Their wealth goes far beyond this world, because they know they are dearly loved by their Savior in heaven!
I recalled Jesus’ words in Matthew 6:21 that say, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” The only treasure many of these children have is Jesus Christ. There is much we can learn from these precious boys and girls.
For Christ and for the children,
Jesse Walker
Administrative Assistant for Orphan’s Tear