Participants:
Series Code: HIM
Program Code: HIM000053A
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00:12 Asian Aid is an organization giving hope,
00:15 an organization fostering permanent positive change 00:18 in the lives of disadvantaged children 00:20 and their communities, 00:22 an organization that is committed 00:24 to making a difference in the lives of children 00:26 and those who are in need, 00:28 serving communities in Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, 00:33 and India. 00:42 For the last 40 years, 00:43 Asian Aid has invested in the futures of people 00:46 and their investment has proven infinite returns. 00:50 Driven by their dedication to helping those 00:53 who have the least, 00:55 Asian Aid is an organization 00:56 focused on the welfare of children, 00:59 implementing diverse development projects, 01:02 and sponsoring thousands of children. 01:04 Their outreach spans from child rescue operations 01:08 to providing an education for orphans, deaf, 01:11 and the blind children, 01:13 giving them a sense of place, a home. 01:16 But above all, Asian Aid is an organization 01:19 giving hope, giving hope to children, 01:22 giving hope to communities, 01:24 giving hope to the ones who needed the most. 01:27 This is Hope In Motion. 02:16 I'll always remember my first day in India. 02:18 Here I was thousands of miles away from home 02:21 walking into a slum 02:22 in the middle of Vishakhapatnam. 02:24 Anxiously, I strode into its narrow alley 02:27 as my colleague Shawna 02:28 and I were led to a nondescript building, 02:30 a community school project run by Asian Aid 02:33 situated right in the middle of this slum. 02:38 This trip was a chance for Shawna and me 02:40 to experience firsthand how Asian Aid's projects 02:43 and its sponsorship program are having a positive impact 02:47 on the underprivileged children in India and Myanmar. 02:51 For me the impact is very evident 02:52 here in the slum 02:54 as I saw a bright, bubbly children 02:55 sitting in the classrooms. 02:57 Even though learning conditions 02:58 were not what I was used to seeing, 03:00 these children were being given an opportunity 03:03 to get an education in a very unlikely place. 03:06 This school is an oasis 03:08 in the midst of extreme hardship. 03:12 Asian Aid involvement is very important 03:14 here in this slum area. 03:16 The children need education. 03:19 There was previously no school here, 03:21 all children working for the shops 03:23 as a daily laborers and child laborers. 03:26 After Asian Aid started this school, 03:28 all the children are going to the school, 03:30 get a very good education, and getting good food, 03:33 and the parents are happy, community is happy, 03:38 children are so happy 03:39 and enjoying the daily activities. 03:42 Talking to Naomi, the headmistress, 03:45 I was able to better understand 03:46 how important this school is to the children 03:49 who live in this slum, 03:50 and how Asian Aid sponsors and well-wishers 03:52 are making a difference 03:54 in the lives of children like Kavya. 03:59 That's nice. 04:01 This is Kavya 04:02 and she's in the second standard here 04:04 in this school here that Asian Aid is providing. 04:07 She's one of the students at this school 04:09 who does not have a sponsor but because of the people 04:12 who provide monies for the unsponsored children, 04:15 she's able to attend a school. 04:18 Her father collects coal alongside the train track 04:21 that runs right past the school. 04:23 Her mother sweeps the grounds and the roads, 04:26 but neither of these jobs are permanent. 04:28 They don't bring in money at all, hardly, 04:31 and sometimes the families in the area 04:33 have to provide food for them. 04:35 But because of Asian Aid, because of your support, 04:38 she gets fed here at school, she gets an education, 04:42 and she's going to be able to go on 04:44 and become something 04:45 more than what her parents have done with themselves. 04:49 Just like you would want something better 04:51 for your children, 04:52 they want something better for their children too, 04:54 and Asian Aid helps that to happen. 04:56 And the community is very happy 04:58 to have this school in their midst, 05:00 so thank you for being a part of Asian Aid 05:03 and helping Kavya come to school here. 05:10 The heat and humidity were stifling 05:12 but meeting these lovely children and the staff 05:14 at the slum school energized me, 05:16 and I was looking forward to more experiences 05:18 as we headed toward Bobbili. 05:35 I've always wanted to ride on one of these. 05:38 We're in Bobbili 05:39 and Bobbili holds a special place in our hearts 05:41 because our school for the blind 05:43 and Sunrise Children's Home are located here. 05:46 Through our work, 05:47 these two very important institutions 05:50 are demonstrating God's love to the people in Bobbili 05:54 and the surrounding area. 05:56 Here we are witnessing for the Lord 05:57 and having a mighty impact on the lives of people, 06:00 especially the children. 06:04 The Asian Aid School for the blind 06:05 is a beautiful campus surrounded by paddy fields 06:08 just outside Bobbili town. 06:10 This special-needs school cares 06:12 for the visually challenged children 06:13 through specially designed programs 06:15 that not only provides them with an education 06:18 but also helps a blind child build self-esteem 06:20 and gives them hope for a future. 06:23 In the society where physical disability 06:25 is considered a curse, 06:26 the school for the blind plays an important role 06:29 in dispersing these unfortunate notions 06:31 in the community. 06:35 It's type of, you know, cultural thing that 06:39 if my child go outside, people will point out, 06:41 "See this man was cursed by God, 06:44 that's the reason this boy was, 06:45 you know, born with blindness or this girl was born blind." 06:50 So that's how they hide things. 06:52 So they don't let their children 06:54 to have education or anything, you know. 06:58 So this school plays a key role in motivating 07:02 such kind of parents 07:04 and tell them that this is not correct, 07:07 this is not the correct way of thinking. 07:09 You send your child to a school and we will teach them 07:12 how differently able they are. 07:15 And we tell them that they can learn 07:18 and they can be competitive along with the normal children. 07:21 So we teach them everything. 07:25 The Asian Aid School for the blind in Bobbili 07:27 is very important on a number of levels 07:29 for Asian Aid and the community. 07:32 First of all, the children that come to our school 07:35 are from very, very poor villages. 07:38 Quite often these children are rejected by society, 07:41 quite often the parents are in a real dilemma 07:44 of what to do with their child. 07:46 Sometimes they hide their child. 07:48 Sometimes they lock their child away. 07:51 So first of all, it gives the parents huge satisfaction 07:56 and a sense of worth 07:57 that their child can go to school. 08:00 Secondly, it gives the child an education 08:03 that they would have never had. 08:05 And thirdly, it gives them chance for work, 08:09 and it gives them self-worth, 08:11 and it makes their family feel very proud. 08:16 As I was given a tour of the campus, I met Poliah. 08:20 Poliah is a 10th grade student 08:21 and like the majority of the students at the school, 08:24 he was born blind. 08:27 My parents were working as farmers, 08:30 and when I was born, 08:34 my mother was passed away 08:37 and after that, there is... 08:42 I had a grandmother. 08:43 She used to take care of me 08:45 and my father used to go to in farm and work. 08:50 And after few years, 08:54 he married one... 08:56 I have a one stepmother. 09:03 Poliah comes from a small village 09:05 about one hour's drive from the school. 09:07 Having already lost 09:09 their firstborn son at childbirth, 09:10 Poliah's parents were looking forward 09:12 to the birth of their second son. 09:35 Before Poliah's father and his family 09:37 could recover from the shock of him being born blind, 09:39 his mother died within a few days. 09:42 The responsibility of caring for him 09:44 fell on his grandmother. 09:45 But while he was still young, 09:46 his grandmother too passed away. 09:49 Poliah's father remarried 09:51 just so he would have someone to take care of his son 09:53 while he was away working in the fields. 09:56 Taking care of a blind child for a farmer's family 09:58 can be a big burden. 10:00 Even though they love their son in spite of his disability, 10:03 they cannot always provide for special needs. 10:06 Fortunately for Poliah, 10:07 a headmaster of the local village school 10:09 informed Poliah's family about Asian Aid School 10:12 for the blind in Bobbili 10:13 and convinced them to take him to the school. 10:16 Thanks to the Asian Aid sponsorship program, 10:18 Poliah now aims to complete his education 10:21 and become an employee of the Indian Railways. 10:27 We want to study because we are blind, 10:31 and we want to stay like a sighted person. 10:37 And we want to be like them 10:41 and achieve something in our lives. 10:47 So you've had a tremendous story. 10:51 I have really enjoyed listening 10:53 to your experience. 10:57 Meeting Poliah has been a tremendous blessing to me, 11:01 and I'm looking so forward to hearing more about him 11:05 as the years go by, 11:07 and I'm especially looking forward to the day 11:11 when I could meet him in heaven, 11:13 and we can talk, and he can tell me, 11:16 and we can meet together with his sponsor, 11:19 and we can tell each other the stories 11:22 of how God has worked in his life, 11:25 and we can see everything come together, 11:28 and Poliah can hold hands with his sponsor, 11:32 and we can make it... 11:35 It'll be an amazing day 11:37 when we're all together in heaven. 11:40 The Bible tells us that one day we'll meet in heaven, 11:43 and I'm looking forward to that day 11:44 when Poliah will be made perfect 11:49 and we'll be able to spend eternity 11:52 with our Father. 11:54 Poliah, you are perfect as you are. 11:57 You may not be able to see as I can see, 12:00 but you can see better than I can see 12:02 because you have abilities that I don't have. 12:06 Your vision is better than my vision 12:10 in different ways. 12:13 And I'm just so looking forward to learning from you, 12:17 and I think that we can all learn 12:19 from each other and know 12:20 that we all have different abilities. 12:24 Poliah is not disabled, he's differently abled 12:28 and that's what makes you unique and special 12:31 in the eyes of God. 13:02 The next day, we drove through mountainous terrain 13:04 to the town of Jeypore, 13:05 where lies Immanuel English medium School, 13:08 an Asian Aid supported school in the state of Odisha. 13:12 The school, as I was told, is situated in a tribal region 13:15 and the children that attend this boarding school 13:17 are from these poor tribal areas. 13:19 Thanks to sponsorship, these children 13:21 from Adventist and non-Adventist backgrounds 13:24 have the opportunity to attend a school like this 13:27 and receive quality education. 13:29 And for someone like Ruth, attending school here 13:32 has had a personal impact on her life. 13:34 She has learned much more 13:36 than what is taught in the classroom. 13:39 I learned about the Moses. 13:41 Again, in 10th class I learned about true Sabbath day, again, 13:46 how we will prove that true Sabbath day, 13:49 Saturday is the true Sabbath day. 13:52 Again, I learned about crucifixion, 13:55 my tears rolled down. 13:59 Again, I told my father that one about the crucifixion 14:03 and I told to my grandmother also. 14:05 She was non-Christian. 14:08 After I told, she accepted as a personal Savior, 14:12 my grandmother. 14:17 It's amazing what you're doing when you sponsor Ruth. 14:21 You're not just sponsoring her for her education, 14:24 you're providing evangelism, true evangelism. 14:28 Ruth, I think it's just amazing what you were able to go home 14:31 and share this message with your father 14:34 and your friends as well. 14:35 I'm just looking forward to the day 14:37 to be able to hear more about you, 14:40 and to see you when you become a nurse, 14:42 and that maybe I'll be hurt someday, 14:44 and you can be my nurse, and my doctors, 14:46 and I would be proud. 14:48 And to know that Asian Aid had a part with this, 14:51 and that I could really have a part to help you 14:54 learn about Christ, and to learn to be evangelists 14:59 as you went home and did that with your family. 15:04 Ruth and her friends Anjali and Mimi 15:06 consider a privilege to live and attend school here. 15:09 How old are your brothers and sisters? 15:11 For someone like Ruth, sponsorship is very important. 15:16 Without sponsorship, 15:18 she would not be privileged to study over here, 15:22 and it is because of this sponsorship 15:25 that she could complete her studies. 15:31 She is going to complete this year. 15:34 And after that, she is planning for a bright career ahead. 15:38 Without sponsorship, 15:40 she would have remained in the village, 15:42 and by now she would be married, 15:44 and she might be settled 15:47 like any other child in this area. 15:50 So the education here has made a difference 15:53 and she is hoping for a bright future 15:56 because of sponsorship. 15:58 The girls' hostel. Okay. 16:00 The center is the dining hall and kitchen. 16:02 Okay. 16:04 And the staff quarters around. Okay, wow. 16:08 Mr. Panda is the principal here and he told me 16:11 that it was a beautiful sight 16:13 to climb up on this hill 16:14 and look over this beautiful school, 16:17 the beautiful buildings. 16:19 But what good is a beautiful campus 16:21 without students. 16:22 Over 900 students come to school here 16:25 because of the sponsor who makes it possible. 16:29 Earlier today, I talked with Ruth 16:32 and Ruth told me her story, how she has learned 16:34 about Christ coming to school here. 16:37 She went home and told her father 16:39 in this area which is very much a very Orthodox Hindu area. 16:45 Her father has begun to accept Christ 16:47 and has changed the family dynamics. 16:50 Not just education is happening here 16:52 but evangelism as well. 16:55 This beautiful campus, these wonderful students 16:58 because of the sponsor, 17:00 this is just an amazing, amazing campus. 17:05 Asian Aid is proud to be associated 17:09 with you here, 17:11 and we're so proud to have sponsors help us 17:15 make this happen for you. 17:17 This is just a wonderful campus, I love it. 17:25 This has been a very emotional journey for me so far. 17:28 We've only been in India for a few days, 17:30 but yet I'm already seeing changes 17:32 in the lives of young people, children that is. 17:36 I could see all the movies, I could read all the articles 17:39 but nothing prepared me for what I would feel inside 17:42 when I touched the hands of the children, 17:44 when I looked into their eyes, and saw the hope 17:46 that is being given to them. 17:48 It just really made me realize how important Asian Aid is 17:51 and how important you are to our ministry. 17:54 It makes me even more excited 17:56 when I think we're traveling to Myanmar, 17:58 and I'm going to see more projects, 17:59 and see more young people, more children 18:02 that I can look into their eyes and feel their hands and say, 18:05 "We've made a difference." 18:14 I just got a letter 18:15 from our sponsored daughter, Sheila. 18:17 And I've got to tell you, there is nothing like 18:19 getting one of these letters. 18:20 Our family has been able to sponsor her 18:22 through Asian Aid, 18:24 and because of that she's got a great place to live, 18:26 she's got great meal, 18:27 she's got great clothing, and best of all, 18:30 I found out she is now in college, 18:32 she is in nursing school. 18:34 There is nothing like getting a letter like this. 18:36 You need to start getting these letters too. 18:38 Listen, through Asian Aid, you can make a huge difference 18:42 in the life of a child, and I promise you, 18:45 it's going to make a huge difference 18:47 in your life too. 19:02 A few years ago, 19:03 I had the privilege of visiting India 19:05 to see how the Asian Aid projects 19:07 are making a difference in that country, 19:09 how lives are being transformed, 19:12 lives of abandoned children, tribal children, 19:15 orphan children, children that are being raised 19:18 without the advantages we have here in America 19:20 and sometimes we take for granted. 19:22 And I discovered one very important thing, 19:24 because of sponsors like you, 19:26 these lives are being transformed, 19:28 the future is made brighter 19:30 because of your prayers and your financial support. 19:33 Because of what you do, they now have nutritious food, 19:37 clothing, and they are able now to propel themselves 19:40 with education to look to the future 19:43 with hope and courage. 19:45 And so on behalf of Asian Aid, 19:46 I want to thank you for all you do, 19:48 your sponsorship. 19:50 And now because of you, they have hope, 19:52 hope for brighter future. 20:33 Our journey took us to our next destination, 20:36 Myanmar. 20:38 On a balmy Sabbath morning, 20:39 we reached Myanmar Union Adventist Seminary, 20:42 the only Adventist College in all of Myanmar. 20:45 How fortunate we are to belong to the family of God. 20:49 Here I am thousands of miles away from home 20:51 and yet I'm not a stranger. 20:54 Across the street from the college 20:55 is an Adventist Academy 20:56 and I was privileged to be part of the Sabbath services 20:59 with the children and the staff at the school. 21:12 We're in Myanmar now, 21:13 at Myanmar Union Adventist Seminary. 21:16 Well, actually just across the street 21:17 at one of its feeder schools, 21:19 where we've just completed worshiping. 21:22 Even though on this beautiful Sabbath day, 21:24 I'm thousands of miles from home, 21:26 I felt as though I was part of the family of God. 21:28 The spirituality here is fantastic. 21:31 Myanmar Union Adventist Seminary 21:33 is the only Adventist College 21:34 in the entire country of Myanmar. 21:36 The students here are, will be preachers, 21:38 they'll be teachers, 21:40 and they'll be business people going out into Myanmar, 21:42 spreading the gospel that they're learning here. 21:45 I'm so proud to be part of Asian Aid, 21:47 and I'm sure you are as well to know 21:49 that your sponsorship dollars are not just educating, 21:52 but they are evangelizing 21:54 and they are teaching the future leaders 21:56 of the Adventist Church. 21:57 These are the future of the entire Adventist Church 22:01 is learning here at this one and only college 22:04 of the Adventist Church in Myanmar. 22:12 Back at the college, I met Tin Tin, 22:14 and I learned how attending college here 22:16 has had a profound impact on her life 22:18 and that of her family. 22:20 Her story reminded me of Ruth back in India. 22:25 What is it you want to become? 22:26 I want to become a teacher. Okay. 22:31 I'm here with Tin Tin, 22:32 and she's been telling me her story. 22:35 She wants to become a teacher. 22:36 She wants to go back to her very poor environment 22:40 where she's come from and teach to the children 22:42 not only to read, and to write, 22:45 and to do arithmetic, 22:46 but she also wants to teach them the love of Christ 22:50 that she's come to know. 22:52 The sponsorship program at Asian Aid has enabled her 22:55 to get an education 22:56 and she wants to use that education to teach others. 23:00 The ripple effect has gone on. 23:01 It's beyond what you've given to her, 23:04 it's beyond what she's learned, it's now going forward, 23:07 it's not just education, it's evangelism. 23:18 Meeting Tin Tin 23:19 and learning how attending Adventist schools and colleges 23:22 bring these young girls and boys 23:23 closer to God was uplifting. 23:26 And as we move to our next destination, 23:28 it emphasized the important role 23:30 that Asian Aid and its sponsorship program 23:32 are playing in the mission 23:34 of the Adventist Church in Myanmar. 23:53 This is the farthest I've come so far. 23:56 We're in the central region of Myanmar now, 23:58 at Mountain View Academy. 24:00 This afternoon I was able to tour 24:01 the grounds of the principal 24:03 and he showed me the dormitories 24:05 and the classrooms where the students learn. 24:07 All this is made possible because of donations, 24:10 donations given by donors just like you. 24:13 But what really brought a smile to my face 24:15 was when I saw the students interacting with each other. 24:18 I saw them playing and laughing, 24:21 and it just brought joy to my heart 24:22 realizing this is far more than a school, 24:25 this is their home. 24:53 Someone who has made this school her home is Mishar. 24:56 Mishar comes from a remote village 24:58 which is about a two-day bus ride from the school. 25:02 Both their parents have gone through second marriages 25:04 and they are uneducated. 25:06 They live a simple life 25:07 attending to their small patch of land. 25:10 Mishar came to the school three years ago 25:12 and has not gone home for the annual holidays 25:14 and her parents have not come to see her either. 25:19 And your friends are kind 25:21 and you have good teachers here? 25:24 Yes. It's nice. 25:28 As a father, Mishar's story just astounds me. 25:32 It makes my heart ache when I think of all 25:35 that I've been able to learn about her. 25:37 She's 13 years old, she's in the fourth grade, 25:40 and she's not been home in over three years, why? 25:44 Because it costs $100 to travel two days to her home, 25:47 where she came from. 25:50 A $100 and she could be able to see her family 25:54 and her father and her mother, but she's not able to go home. 25:59 Mishar is just one of 20 or so students at this school 26:02 who are not able to go home. 26:04 It just really breaks my heart to think 26:07 that she's getting a great education, 26:10 that's a great thing, 26:11 but the idea that she's not able to go home 26:13 and her parents are not able to see her, 26:16 as a father that just, 26:19 it just really tugs at my heart, 26:21 it really makes me long for my children 26:25 and I see them all the time. 26:26 I can only imagine... 26:28 I can only imagine 26:30 what her parents are going through 26:31 with her here away from home. 26:34 Although her story touched me deeply, 26:36 I took joy in the fact that I found her happy. 26:39 I'm hopeful this is a temporary separation 26:41 from her family. 26:42 I'm hopeful she'll grow up to be a strong woman, 26:44 and with her sponsors continued support, 26:46 I'm hopeful she'll have a bright future. 26:49 After all, isn't this what sponsorship 26:51 is all about? 26:56 What a trip this has been, a whirlwind trip. 26:59 I came to India and Myanmar looking to see examples 27:03 of some of the hope that Asian Aid is bringing 27:05 to the children in this region. 27:07 But what I saw was far more than hope. 27:09 I saw lives being transformed, 27:12 lives being transformed by the people 27:14 living right here. 27:16 People who work with these children 27:17 on a daily basis, with the children, 27:20 with the abandoned, with the orphans, 27:23 with the truly needy, 27:24 these people are the real missionaries 27:26 in this real-life mission field. 27:29 But what really touched my heart 27:31 was when I was able to visit with some of the Asian Aid 27:34 sponsored children to shake their hands, 27:36 to sit with them, and listen to their stories. 27:39 There was Poliah at the blind school, 27:41 and Ruth in Jeypore, 27:44 and Mishar, who is so far away from home 27:46 at Mountain View Academy. 27:49 I'm so proud to be a part of Asian Aid, 27:51 bringing smiles to these children, 27:53 bringing hope to them. 27:55 Working together with sponsors like you, 27:58 we can bring more smiles and more hope to these children 28:02 as we work with them. |
Revised 2018-08-09