Worshipping God at Life Concern Orphanage in Myanmar
Dear Compassionate Ones,
I’m so happy that I’ve got good news to share with you once again. But this is going to be a shorter-than-usual letter, as September is proving to be quite busy. (I’ll only be home a total of five days this month.) So here are six quick praise reports:
1.) When I returned from Eastern Europe in August, I brought home with me the photos and bios of six precious orphans, all with heart-breaking stories, who had been welcomed at a “Home of Hope,” in Melesini, Moldova. We posted their photos at our website and I mentioned them in September’s Heaven’s Family newsletter. Within a few days, all six were sponsored! So starting in October, we’ll be able to help that small orphanage with $120 every month. Praise God!
Five of the adopted orphans at the Home of Hope in Meleseni, Moldova
2.) Another piece of good news is that in late August, Heaven’s Family received the largest grant we’ve ever received—$109,000—from a Christian foundation in England. Much of that was designated to provide rice and roofing for survivors of Cyclone Nargis, but $43,000 was designated to build three orphanage dorms in Myanmar for orphanages that had suffered damage due to the cyclone. Another $7,700 was designated for the repair of orphanage buildings that had suffered damage due to Nargis. Needless to say, there are some very happy orphans and orphanage directors right now in Myanmar! And God bless the British!
3.) Late in August, we received a special gift of $10,000 from some friends in England for the Rice Fields for Orphanages Fund. (The British again!). Combining that with $7,000 that we received the previous month from some missionaries in Macedonia (can you believe it?), along with other gifts that we’ve received for that same fund over the past two months, we now have a total of $21,000 in the Rice Fields for Orphanages Fund. So our friends in Myanmar are now looking at large parcels of agricultural land to purchase, so that we can divide one large parcel into four. That way, four of our orphanages will have about 8 acres each on which to grow rice. That will be a major blessing for them.
4.) Because of recent gifts to the Orphan’s Tear Special Gifts Fund, we disbursed another $7,000 this month—to help a few of our orphanages build solid and sanitary toilets, purchase clothing for their children, buy a used hand-tractor for rice field plowing, pay some children’s hospital bills, and purchase a mini-hydroelectric generator.
5.) As of today, 927 orphans are sponsored in nine nations! Praise God for this! May God bless every sponsor. Now, 233 children are still waiting for sponsors. The primary way that children find sponsors is by current sponsors telling their friends and family about Orphan’s Tear. Keep up the good work! Tell everyone you know!
6.) In November, a total of 28 people are traveling in two teams to serve at our 31 orphanages in Myanmar. One of our tasks there will be to take portraits of every sponsored child, of which there are currently 602 in Myanmar. Then, in the months that follow, we’ll be emailing updated portraits to everyone who sponsors a child (or children) in Myanmar. This is usually exciting news to all the child sponsors, but it is a monumental task for our staff! Please be patient with us, and don’t forget that none of your $20-per-month sponsorship pays for administration of Orphan’s Tear! (That should earn us some mercy!) And consider planning on joining us next November in Myanmar on our annual trip. We’d love to have you join us.
OK, have a great rest-of-September. As always, thanks to everyone who is investing in the ministry of Orphan’s Tear. While the earthly financial world seems to be shaking, those who are laying up treasure in heaven know their investments are secure!
For the Children,
David
