A HOPE AND A FUTURE/by Rev Eric Fung

At 10, Maung Aih Oo is like any other girl her age. She loves to draw and dream of becoming an artist one day. Such dream would not have been possible 5 years ago. She was living on the streets, had no recollection of who her parents were and don’t even know her own name. A kindly policeman found her scavenging for food at the marketplace and brought her to the New Generation Home run by Pastor Abraham and his wife. Under the loving mentoring of the Pastor and his wife, she slowly blossomed into the lovely young girl she is today, full of hope and joy. At the Home, she found something far more precious than just a full belly or roof over her head – she found Jesus Christ. In Him she found forgiveness, freedom from sin, a hope and a future.

Maung Zin Min, now in Grade 5, shares a similar story. She was abandoned in a train before her first birthday with signs of abuse and a deep cut in her neck. No one has any idea where she came from or who her parents were. She was sent to the Women’s Federation Centre but, being not an orphanage, they cannot keep her. She was then brought to the New Generation Home to be cared for by Pastor Abraham and his wife. When she first came to the Home she was frightened and insecure but one day she encountered the redemption power of Jesus Christ and it transformed her life.

 

     

13 year old Cing Sian Huai lost her beloved father and her home during Cyclone Nargis in 2008 and her whole life changed drastically. Two years later her mother eventually remarried and her new step-father did not want her so one day her mother took her far away and left her at a preschool. Teachers took turns to look after her but they themselves had families of their own so she was sent to the House of Hope. The love she received there and having come to know the Lord has changed her life and given her a new purpose. She is a good student and studies hard winning the prize for best student last year.

Sarah Cing Cing, a 12 year old Muslim girl is also another victim from Cyclone Nargis. She lost both her parents and her neighbour took her in but could not afford to keep her so she too was sent to the House of Hope. She knows that it was the Lord who brought her to this Home so she could come to know Jesus as her Lord and Saviour. She declares that she is now a child of God.    

At present, there are 55 children in the House of Hope and 76 children in the New Generation Home. Majority of them are from the neighbouring states of Kachin, Chin and Rakhine where prolonged warfare has torn the land apart. Many have been abused, forced into drugs and slavery and the list goes on. Myanmar has the largest number of child soldiers in the world and this number is growing at an alarming rate. Both the national army and opposition recruit children as young as 11. Over the years, many Christian organisations have worked hard to rescue as many boys from this environment as possible. All the children that came to the Home were broken beings – emotionally traumatised and physically underdeveloped.

It took a lot of patience, love and discipline to help these children overcome their situation. Above all, it is faith in God that kept us going. Many have accepted Jesus Christ and it is a humbling experience to witness the transforming power of God at work in them and through them. Some excelled in their studies, coming out among the top 5 in their class; others hope to enter universities and one even dream of becoming a future leader where she can give back to society by helping to eliminate poverty and hunger. They are excited about their futures and now dare to dream about their futures and thanks to you they now surely can. More importantly, all of them hunger for the Lord and is eager to serve Him.

During worship time in the evening, watching these children with their eyes closed, smiles on their faces and hands lifted up in praise to God, I am filled with a sense of God’s immense love for us. It is truly an awesome sight. Every child deserves a “safe haven”, to be free and to grow up without fear. It is thanks to your support and generosity that we were able to offer this to so many children. My prayer for these children is that every one of them will have the opportunity to have a good future and live Godly lives so they will be powerful witnesses to others around them. As I mentioned before not all the children are orphans and those who have family have been witnessing to their families and some of them have also come to the Lord. Will you continue to partner with God and together with me help to transform a whole generation for the glory of His kingdom?

I was in Myanmar in December and the children have insisted that I convey their thanks to you for all that you have done for them.They are indeed grateful that in Christ you have given them a hope and a future. 

Matt 18:2-6

He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me. “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.