Myanmar Day 12: The Final Orphanage

24 Nov

Myanmar Day 12: The Final Orphanage

The children at the final orphanage of our trip

Dear Friends,

Today we flew to yet another unnamed city in Myanmar to visit one final orphanage and meet with some strategic ministry partners. After we checked into our hotel and had lunch, we headed straight for the orphanage. I was proud of our team for their enduring enthusiasm, as we’ve visited well over thirty orphanages on this trip. This one had children from at least six different ethnic groups/tribes (although we couldn’t tell any difference between them). That includes Burmese, Chin, Lahu, Karen, Pa-On and Kayah.

Although the children at every orphanage we’ve visited are either orphans or for some reason unwanted, they all have seemed to be happy, well-adjusted, well-behaved and getting along with each other. We have witnessed very little selfishness between them and, although the children naturally gravitate to other children who are close to their own age, we have been pressed to find any who are “left out” from their peers. They are very obedient to their directors. Comparing them to American kids, I find myself often thinking that they are, in many ways, better off.

As the team members played games with the children at today’s orphanage, I spent some time talking with the director. The local authorities have recently attempted to shut down his ministry on some technicalities. The orphanage owns a nice facility outside the city on several acres which they have built up over the years, but they have recently been forced to move closer into town, allegedly because “the children have no security” at their old location. The director’s father-in-law donated his personal home that is closer to town, and it now houses about thirty children. The authorities are now threatening to take the children and place them in Buddhist orphanages if another dorm building is not built to separate the boys and the girls.

I did my best to try to relieve the director’s burden by telling him that we would do what we can to help him construct the necessary building, but I didn’t tell him that, unless the Lord helps us, we won’t be able to help him. Everything is in His hands. — David

A sincere face

One of the director’s four children

Wearing a balloon halo

Amazed at team member Stephen Servant’s ability to “remove” his thumb

View from the orphanage at dusk

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