Anista Thevakumar, of Jaffna Girls’ Orphanage in Sri Lanka

Dear Friends,

I returned from Sri Lanka (off the southern tip of India) just nine days ago. I had a wonderful time visiting all three orphanages that Orphan’s Tear assists in Sri Lanka, but it wasn’t easy. Civil war has displaced tens of thousands of people, and there was no end to military checkpoints which we had to stop at during our journeys. In Jaffna I listened to artillery fire much of the night. But the orphans were so precious. I took portraits of almost all 140 of our Sri Lankan orphans. If you are a sponsor of one or more of these orphans, expect to receive a photo (or photos) within the next few weeks. At the end of this update are a few of the portraits.

Both Jaffna Girls’ Orphanage and Eastern Children’s Orphanage have doubled in population since we began helping them. So there are lots of orphans now needing sponsors. They will all be posted at Orphans’ Tear within a couple of weeks. Please pray that the Lord will send people to sponsor of these orphans.

Because of contributions to the Special Gifts Fund, I was blessed to leave $1,500 with the director of Jaffna Girls’ Orphanage for six new bunk beds (12 of the 21 girls were sleeping on floor mats) and for some building repairs. They have a nice big house that they use rent-free, so that is a huge blessing. And I also left $1,500 with the director of Christ’s Children’s Home for repairs for a house that has just been given to them that will be used as the new boys’ dormitory.

Pies for Jesus!

Six days ago I returned from a two-day trip to Defiance, Ohio, where the congregation of Family Christian Center held a pie auction for the benefit of Shalom Children’s Home in Yangon, Myanmar. Shalom is an orphanage that we featured in a video earlier this year that really needs their own building. (View the Shalom Orphanage video.) Because of contributions to the Special Gifts Fund, earlier this year we were able to purchase some nice land for a new building, but that was all. Now the orphanage has moved to a rented house while they wait fot the funds to put a building on their new land.

To everyone’s amazement, the 160 pies that were sold at the auction brought in a total of $10,006. And since there was a matching gift of up to $5,000 by a couple of business people in the congregation, the total raised was $15,006! So that will be more than enough to complete Shalom Children’s Home. Praise God! This encourages me that God will supply what is needed for all the orphanages that we currently have under construction in Myanmar, Pakistan and Tanzania.

The highest-paid price for a single pie was a little over $300. The average price per single pie was $62.50. (I got a blueberry, a red raspberry, and a chocolate peanut butter pie for $200.)

Myanmar This Month

I’ll be leaving on the 23rd of this month with fourteen others for Myanmar, where because of our sponsors, Orphan’s Tear assists 28 orphanages every month. We’ll visit with all the orphans and bring back some good photos. We won’t be able, however, to send every sponsor a portrait of his or her child (or children), as we did last year. That is a massive undertaking with 515 sponsored orphans there. So we’re going to attempt to take individual portraits for sponsors every other year.

Christmas for Your Sponsored Orphan

Unless we do something, very few of our orphans in Myanmar, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Tanzania or Kenya will receive anything for Christmas this year. So we make it our goal to try to send $10 per orphan (sponsored and unsponsored) for Christmas, but that amounts to more than $10,000, which is money that we don’t have lying around!

The directors usually buy the children new clothes with the money we send them, something the children don’t often receive. It would be wonderful if you could contribute an extra $10 for each orphan you sponsor so that they can receive at least one Christmas gift this year. Just write “Christmas” in your check’s memo, or contribute by credit card online. Thanks so much.

You can also help us reach our $10,000 goal by giving a gift to Orphan’s Tear in honor of a friend or loved one. We’ve set up a Christmas Gift Card section at Orphan’s Tear. The gift cards are beautiful (see sample below). We can mail your card to your address or directly to your loved ones.

It only takes a minute to order your cards using the simple form at Orphan’s Tear, and you can use your credit card or check to make a payment. And as always, nothing is taken for administration of your gift.

A Few More Sri Lankan Orphans…

At the bottom of this e-update I’ve added a few more portraits of some of the precious children who are being helped each month in Sri Lanka because of compassionate sponsors. Make sure you take a look!

Thanks to every sponsor and to everyone who has recently contributed to the Special Gifts Fund. Currently, 779 orphans are sponsored because of the love of God working in you!

For the Children,

David