Participants:
Series Code: HIM
Program Code: HIM000200A
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00:09 I'm sitting in one of the classrooms here
00:10 on the Southeast Adventist Seminary 00:12 in Myanmar. 00:14 Child Impact International has chosen this 00:16 as one of the locations where they have sponsored 00:18 more than 600 children across Southeast Asia. 00:22 Ninety-five percent of this country is Buddhist. 00:25 That makes it very difficult for the gospel 00:27 to be shared among people that do not know the name Jesus 00:30 or have chosen through cultural reasons 00:32 to not understand who Jesus is. 00:34 But the Seventh-day Adventist Church 00:36 has been established here more than 115 years ago, 00:39 yet there is a tremendous challenge. 00:40 How do you get the gospel out to those individuals 00:44 who have been influenced by quite a different religion? 00:47 This is where Child Impact International 00:48 has come aboard. 00:50 And so you're going to join me today 00:51 as we see the difference that this ministry has made 00:54 in carrying the gospel among the Karen people 00:57 and throughout Southeast Asia. 01:09 Child Impact International is an organization giving hope, 01:13 previously called Asian Aid. 01:15 Child Impact International is an organization 01:18 fostering permanent positive change in the lives 01:21 of disadvantaged children and their communities. 01:24 Child Impact is committed to making a difference 01:26 in the lives of children and those who are in need, 01:29 serving communities in India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, 01:33 Myanmar and will soon expand to other countries. 01:37 For the last 50 years, 01:38 Child Impact has invested in the futures of people 01:41 and their investment is proving infinite returns, 01:44 driven by the dedication to helping those 01:46 who have the least. 01:48 Child Impact is an organization 01:50 focused on the welfare of children, 01:52 implementing diverse development projects 01:54 and sponsoring thousands of children. 01:56 Their outreach spans from child rescue operations 01:59 to providing an education for orphans, 02:02 deaf and the blind children giving them a sense of place, 02:06 a home but above all, 02:08 Child Impact is an organization giving hope, 02:11 giving hope to children, giving hope to communities, 02:14 giving hope to the ones who needed the most. 02:17 This is Hope in Motion. 02:38 Child Impact International is an organization 02:40 that is committed to making a difference in the lives 02:43 of needy children 02:44 by providing them with an education 02:46 through its sponsorship program. 02:48 Child Impact is an organization that believes in fostering 02:51 permanent positive change in the lives of children 02:54 and their communities, 02:55 and a primary way of bringing about this change 02:57 is through education. 03:02 Child Impact has been active in Myanmar 03:04 for the last few years, 03:06 sponsoring over 600 students 03:08 through its Educate Myanmar Fund, 03:09 helping poor children from various backgrounds 03:12 attend Adventist mission schools. 03:14 In mission fields like Myanmar, 03:16 Child Impact Sponsorship Program 03:18 not only helps fund children's education 03:20 but has a bigger role in supporting 03:22 the mission of the church. 03:44 My wife Angela and I have had an opportunity 03:46 to travel to many mission fields 03:48 around the world in many countries 03:50 to see how the church works. 03:51 But we have never been to Myanmar. 03:53 So when Jim Rennie invited us to come to Myanmar, 03:56 we were very excited to begin to see a country that, 03:59 up until that point, was a great mystery to us. 04:02 Myanmar formally known as Burma is located in Southeast Asia. 04:07 It borders China, India, Bangladesh, Laos, and Thailand. 04:11 And for that reason, 04:13 it has absorbed many other cultural impacts, 04:15 both religiously and socially. 04:18 For many years, it was ruled colonially, 04:20 and then military rule, but now civilian rule. 04:25 It has opened the doors to the outside world, 04:27 and Myanmar is now free, 04:30 and friendly, and peaceful. 04:32 And, friends, that's very good news 04:34 for the Seventh-day Adventist Church 04:35 and for Child Impact International. 04:46 Pastor John Lomacang and his wife Angela 04:49 are longtime supporters of Child Impact's work. 04:52 And today, they are traveling with Jim Rennie 04:54 to the Mountain View Academy in Central Myanmar. 05:26 It's Monday morning here at Mountain View Academy. 05:28 You know what's exciting? 05:29 The day begins with worship. 05:32 As I was walking and I was listening 05:34 to the young boys and girls 05:35 singing to the top of their voices 05:38 to the glory of God, 05:39 they were smiling, they were excited, 05:42 they look so wonderful in their uniforms, 05:44 and I was so excited to be able to be here 05:46 and begin the day with them. 05:48 What a difference it makes when you begin 05:51 your day with Jesus. 05:52 So I'm going to join them for worship now 05:54 and have the same blessing that God is preparing for them. 05:59 Their visit begins promisingly as they attend morning worship 06:02 with the children, 06:03 but their main objective in visiting the school 06:05 was to see for themselves the impact 06:08 sponsorship is having on underprivileged children 06:10 in Myanmar. 06:12 For Pastor Lomacang and Angela, 06:14 this impact was very evident as they were taken 06:16 around the campus. 06:18 They saw bright, bubbly children 06:20 sitting in their classrooms, 06:21 even though learning conditions 06:23 were not what they were used to seeing. 06:25 These children were being given an opportunity 06:27 to get an education in a very unlikely place. 06:30 This school is an oasis 06:31 in the midst of extreme hardship. 06:35 One thing that moved me coming to this school here in Myanmar 06:38 is the children. 06:40 I love children and I love to see children 06:44 that are content and happy. 06:46 And the children here at this school 06:47 seem to be content and happy, 06:50 and it gives me such joy 06:52 to see the smiles on their faces, 06:54 the peace of God in their hearts. 06:56 So I just praise God for being here, 06:58 for giving me the opportunity to be here, 07:01 to be with Child Impact International 07:03 and for the work that they're doing worldwide. 07:08 Myanmar is a poor country where families struggle 07:11 to provide for their children. 07:13 In a world where they strive to make ends meet, 07:15 sending their children to school 07:16 becomes very difficult. 07:18 But all parents want the best for their children 07:20 and they do view education as a catalyst for change. 07:23 This is where organizations like Child Impact step in 07:27 to make it possible for hundreds of children 07:29 like Esther to attend school 07:31 and receive a quality education. 07:33 Thank you so much. 07:35 Here I am standing with a wonderful family. 07:37 Ethita, whose name in English means Esther, 07:41 her siblings, her mom and her dad, Santu, 07:44 a wonderful family reaching out in their own way as layman 07:49 in this community sharing Jesus. 07:51 But the challenges are great 07:53 because Santu is the only one 07:54 bringing in income into this family, 07:56 and sponsoring their children in the endeavors 07:59 of Christian education is a wonderful 08:01 but a challenging thing. 08:03 The mom is not as well as she'd like to be. 08:05 So how can that possibility, how can that challenge be met? 08:09 Here's where you come in. 08:11 With your prayers and your financial support 08:13 of Child Impact International, 08:15 these lives can be sponsored, 08:16 not just for education, but for eternity. 08:20 I want to invite Chin to come in 08:22 and answer some questions for me 08:24 because she understands the language very well. 08:25 Chin, come stand with me right here. 08:27 Okay, sir. Appreciate it so much. 08:29 I want to ask the father, 08:31 how is it possible, 08:32 how are you providing the needs for the family? 08:43 He works for part-time and do some constructions 08:46 and do the farming. 08:47 Okay, he works part-time in construction and farming. 08:51 And how difficult is it for him on a monthly basis financially? 09:05 They have to be very good 09:11 in managing the money and also very, 09:13 use little amounts for the family as well, 09:16 so it's very hard. 09:17 It's not enough always. 09:19 Not enough always. 09:20 Not enough always, very difficult, 09:21 very challenging to make the ends meet for this family. 09:24 A lot of prayer, I bet so... 09:26 A lot of prayer, 09:27 putting their lives in the Lord's hands, 09:29 and so far he has sustained them wonderfully. 09:32 But what you can do will make amazing differences 09:35 in the lives of all these children. 09:37 I'm sure that Santu and his wife will really, 09:39 deeply appreciate that. 09:41 So thank you for reaching out. 09:43 And in your prayers and your financial support, 09:45 changing and transforming lives 09:47 for this family. 09:54 Esther is studying in the third grade at the school. 09:57 And along with her siblings, she embodies to dreams, 10:00 promises, and the possibilities 10:02 of what good education can provide. 10:04 Even though her parents struggle to educate them, 10:07 they are steadfast in the belief 10:08 that educating their children is the only way out 10:11 and do their part to support them. 10:29 Mountain View Academy has about 360 students 10:32 enrolled at present 10:33 and Child Impact sponsors 60 students. 10:36 There is always a need for sponsorship in schools 10:38 such as this which were mainly established 10:40 to cater to the needs of lay members' children. 10:43 But these schools also have other pressing needs. 10:45 And for organizations like Child Impact, 10:47 it becomes a challenge to strike a balance 10:49 between providing education to the children 10:51 and helping fund infrastructural needs 10:54 at the school. 10:55 As I visit Myanmar, 10:57 I can see that some people have done 10:59 some amazing work here. 11:01 There's been some large donors who have stepped forward 11:04 and invested in infrastructure. 11:07 And now we have a golden opportunity 11:10 to use this infrastructure, 11:12 and sponsorship is a key way that we can ensure 11:15 that children come from the non-Adventist villages 11:19 and from communities, 11:21 and their lives are impacted by the resources 11:24 that we do have here. 11:29 These resources that were envisioned 11:31 by church leaders and generous donors years ago 11:34 continue to be a blessing to hundreds of children 11:36 that pass through its gates. 11:38 It is indeed a golden opportunity 11:40 for us to ensure 11:41 that it continues to benefit needy children 11:42 and their families in this region. 11:44 Sponsorship is a key way to make certain 11:47 that these facilities are not neglected 11:49 and fall into disrepair. 11:51 For Esther's friend, Thine Siet Shey, 11:53 Mountain View Academy has been her home 11:55 since she was brought to the school 11:56 when she was just a child. 11:58 Her parents live far away and have never come to see her. 12:01 Today, Child Impact sponsorship has not just given her a place 12:05 to live and learn, 12:06 but it's given her a chance to know 12:07 and accept Jesus as her savior. 12:10 Having a good day? 12:12 Friends, here I am sitting down with Esther's friend, Thine, 12:17 who's been on this campus for five years. 12:19 She's been here since kindergarten, 12:21 and now she's in the second grade. 12:23 What an amazing story. 12:25 One of our local pastors became aware of her story 12:27 and her family's plight and then he brought her 12:30 to this campus where she's been, 12:32 now in the second grade. 12:33 Not only is she in the second grade, 12:35 all that time, she's not been able to see her family. 12:38 But her life has been transformed and changed. 12:40 And the smile that you see today 12:43 is because she's not only been here 12:45 but she's been baptized, 12:46 she's been able to meet Jesus as her personal Savior. 12:49 And the difference has been because of what you've done, 12:51 her life is being transformed and changed. 12:54 Her world is not what it used to be. 12:56 Her world is expanding and growing. 12:58 And the donations may seem small 13:00 but the impact to her life is something 13:02 you'll never be able to measure in this life 13:05 but maybe in eternity. 13:07 So thank you for all that you do 13:08 for Child Impact International and thank you for what you do 13:11 to make a difference in the lives of young ladies 13:14 like Thine and Esther. 13:19 Ellen White says, 13:21 "True education is the harmonious development 13:23 of the physical, the mental, and the spiritual powers. 13:27 It prepares the student 13:28 for the joy of service in this world 13:30 and for the higher joy of wider service 13:32 in the world to come." 13:33 What an opportunity for us 13:35 to impact the lives in the mission field. 13:38 Your sponsorship is not just preparing 13:40 these precious children for the world outside 13:42 but for the world to come. 13:44 Sponsors have a huge role in the mission field. 13:48 What it does, 13:51 it goes a long way, sponsorship, 13:53 it helps with their books, their education, 13:56 food, a dormitory, but most of all, 13:59 it prepares them for eternity. 14:01 They're learning about the Jesus 14:03 they have never known at home. 14:05 But when you sponsor a child, 14:08 it is truly preparing them for eternity. 14:11 And that's what this is all about. |
Revised 2019-04-15