Participants:
Series Code: HIM
Program Code: HIM000201A
|
00:07 Child Impact International is an organization giving hope,
00:11 previously called Asian Aid. 00:13 Child Impact International is an organization 00:15 fostering permanent positive change 00:18 in the lives of disadvantaged children 00:20 and their communities. 00:21 Child Impact is committed to making a difference 00:24 in the lives of children and those who are in need. 00:27 Serving communities in India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, 00:31 Myanmar, and will soon expand to other countries. 00:34 For the last 50 years, 00:36 Child Impact has invested in the futures of people 00:39 and their investment has proven infinite returns. 00:41 Driven by their dedication to helping those 00:44 who have the least, 00:45 Child Impact is an organization 00:47 focused on the welfare of children, 00:49 implementing diverse development projects 00:52 and sponsoring thousands of children. 00:54 Their outreach spans from child rescue operations 00:57 to providing an education for orphans, deaf, 01:00 and the blind children, 01:01 giving them a sense of place, a home. 01:04 But above all, Child Impact is an organization giving hope, 01:08 giving hope to children, giving hope to communities, 01:11 giving hope to the ones who needed the most. 01:14 This is Hope in Motion. 01:26 Myanmar is a big country and one gets to realize this 01:30 only when traveling by road from one place to another. 01:33 We left Mountain View Academy early morning 01:36 and took a seven hour drive to Southern Myanmar 01:38 to the Southeast Adventist Seminary 01:41 or Eric B. Hare School as it is commonly referred to 01:44 by the locals and visitors. 01:46 Pastor Eric B. Hare was an Australian missionary 01:49 who established the Southeast Adventist Seminary 01:52 to serve the Karen people, 01:54 one of the major tribal communities of Myanmar 01:57 more than 100 years ago. 01:59 Here I get an opportunity today to sit at a very important spot 02:03 on the Southeast Adventist Seminary campus. 02:07 This spot has been chosen to commemorate a vision, 02:10 a seed planted 102 years ago. 02:13 I'm sitting in front of a very special memorial 02:16 to the person who God gave this vision to. 02:20 And for the last century or more 02:22 lives have been transformed. 02:24 Let me share with you what is written 02:25 on the Centennial Jubilee Commemoration. 02:29 It says, "The Centennial Jubilee 02:31 of Southeast Adventist Seminary, 02:33 Eric B. Hare Memorial Academy, 1916-2016. 02:39 In honor of Pastor Eric B. Hare, 02:42 a devoted missionary among the Karen people, 02:45 a master storyteller, a health worker, 02:49 and educator 02:50 who planted the seed of true education 02:53 in this community, 02:54 in the township of the Karen people 02:56 by establishing the Southeast Adventist Seminary 03:00 in June 1916. 03:02 He lived in this community from 1915-1934 03:07 and nurtured the school by his presence." 03:11 What an amazing story. 03:13 The Lord chose Pastor Eric B. Hare 03:15 102 years ago to plant a seed in this community. 03:19 And for more than a century, lives have been transformed 03:23 in the classrooms, on the walkways, in the halls, 03:26 in the dormitories of young men and young women 03:29 in whose life this very seed of ministry has been planted. 03:34 The Karen people have been affected 03:35 in a beautiful way 03:37 by the messages proclaimed from this campus. 03:39 And we're gonna get a chance today 03:41 to see in a very real way 03:43 how that seed planted is being watered 03:45 by Child Impact International 03:48 and transforming lives not only for time 03:51 but also for eternity. 03:57 Child Impact International 03:58 considers it a blessing and a privilege 04:00 to be supporting an historic institution 04:03 that was established a century ago. 04:05 Child Impact sponsorship program 04:07 helps this school continue 04:09 to be of service to the children 04:10 from the community, especially needy children 04:12 from Adventist lay members' families. 04:16 Here at the Southeast Adventist Seminary 04:18 there are about 500 children, of those 500 children, 04:22 Child Impact International sponsors about 25%. 04:27 So Child Impact International is a key part 04:31 of giving support to these students, 04:33 it's a key part of the school's funding, 04:36 it's a key part of the impact on the community 04:40 that this school serves. 04:42 And I'm really proud of the support 04:44 that we get from our sponsors. 04:46 So not only child by child we're making a difference, 04:50 but we're having a big impact on the finance, the future, 04:54 and the effectiveness of this school. 05:00 Child Impact's funding is crucial 05:02 as there is an influx of students wanting 05:04 to join the school each year. 05:06 This being a boarding school, 05:08 the steady stream of students 05:09 from Adventist and non Adventist backgrounds 05:11 has, over the years, 05:12 made it difficult to find accommodation for them. 05:16 This difficult situation became more striking 05:18 as Pastor Lomacang and Angela met with Khin Khin, 05:21 the girls' dean who was overcome with emotions 05:24 as she narrated the struggles the girls go through 05:27 in a crowded living environment. 05:30 The most important and the urgent need 05:33 is for the girl's dormitory 05:37 because we need... 05:40 Before we have only 160 or 170 girls, 05:45 but today we have 200 above. 05:49 So the place is getting very crowded 05:51 and we really need to expand 05:54 or build a new hostel for the girls. 06:00 It is a challenge 06:01 to provide quality accommodation, 06:03 especially for the girls 06:04 but parents really want their children to be educated. 06:07 And this desire to give them quality Christian education 06:10 overcomes any temporary discomfort 06:12 their children may face in the dorms or classrooms. 06:23 Sala Lawah 06:24 is a ninth-grade student at the school, 06:26 and she considers it a privilege 06:28 to be studying at the school. 06:29 She is thankful 06:30 that someone is able to sponsor her education. 06:36 Although Sala is a boarding student, 06:38 she visits her grandparents who live close by the school. 06:41 She graciously invited Pastor Lomacang 06:43 to visit her grandparents. 06:45 Her parents have moved to Yangon for work 06:47 and so Sala visits her grandparents every day 06:50 just to help with the chores and look after them. 06:52 We're glad to get a chance to meet you. 06:55 Onji, so good to be here today. 06:57 How old are you? 07:02 Ninety. 07:03 Ninety years old. 07:05 And what did you do throughout the years? 07:07 What was your occupation? 07:17 He used to be a farmer. 07:19 A farmer, in an agricultural way? 07:22 Yes. Yes. 07:23 And now he's retired? 07:25 Yes. 07:26 See, Onji was a farmer, but he's now retired. 07:29 He was helping planting seeds, harvesting crops, 07:33 but now the crops 07:34 are being harvested in a different way 07:36 through the life of their granddaughter, 07:38 Sala Lawah. 07:40 The crop of the seeds that the gospel presented 07:43 are now coming to fruition 07:45 as we see generation after generation, 07:48 I believe they said they have about 10 grandchildren 07:51 and two sons, 07:52 and Sala Lawah is the product of one of their two sons. 07:57 And I also found out something else 08:00 that in her class of more than 60 students, 08:04 Sala Lawah is ranking fourth, 08:07 which means she takes her education 08:09 very, very seriously. 08:11 So you can see that sponsorship 08:12 is not something that is received lightly 08:15 but it's received very humbly, 08:18 and the lives are being transformed 08:19 of young people just like her, just like her siblings, 08:23 and the impact on her family and on the future, 08:26 it's something that we can all be excited about 08:29 and thankful about. 08:30 So whenever you participate 08:32 in any kind of sponsorship for Child Impact International, 08:35 these are the families that you're changing, 08:38 young people like Sala Lawah, 08:40 the impact on her grandmother and grandfather, 08:43 on their generations to come. 08:45 As he was a farmer planting the seeds 08:48 that brought forth crops to bless many lives, 08:50 the Lord through your sponsorship 08:52 is planting the gospel seed in Sala Lawah's life 08:55 through former students like Khin Khin, 08:58 who is now one of the teachers at the Eric B. Hare Seminary. 09:03 Thank you for all you do to make a difference. 09:06 Impacting lives not only for now 09:08 but for eternity. 09:27 Today, the Southeast Adventist Seminary stands 09:30 as a true testament 09:32 to Pastor Eric B. Hare's vision. 09:34 This school that was established by him 09:36 to sow the initial seeds of true education 09:38 among the Karen people 09:40 continues to educate and nurture young minds 09:42 for tomorrow and for eternity. 09:54 Children and their future are very important 09:57 to my wife and to me. 09:58 Those are the things that are close to our heart. 10:01 That's why we enjoy traveling 10:02 with Child Impact International. 10:04 A few years ago, 10:06 they invited us to go with them to India. 10:08 This time, we're in Myanmar. 10:09 And since we've been here, 10:11 we've seen some amazing stories 10:12 coming to fruition. 10:14 We went to Mountain View, the academy 10:17 where we saw young children and their teachers 10:19 working hand in hand together, 10:21 their eyes brightly lit with hope and a future 10:25 seeing that somebody cares 10:27 about what happens with them tomorrow. 10:29 Not only is sponsorship making a difference, 10:31 but the places they are educated, 10:33 the places that they live, 10:35 the dormitories, their educational supplies, 10:38 but more important than that, 10:39 the relationship that they have with their teachers, 10:42 people that are dedicated to their well-being. 10:45 Here on the Southeast Adventist Seminary campus, 10:47 I've witnessed the very same thing. 10:49 We've also saw a student 10:51 who was at one time going to school here, 10:55 Khin Khin, she's now a teacher teaching mathematics. 10:58 She's also the dean for 219 girls. 11:01 And I spoke to her and had a chance to find out 11:03 why she would come back to a campus 11:05 when, in fact, she can make more money elsewhere 11:07 around this country. 11:09 She said, "This place has transformed my life, 11:12 and I want to give back 11:13 to transform somebody else's life." 11:16 Your sponsorship and your support 11:19 is where the future is going to be secure. 11:21 So when you think about 11:22 how you can be participating in this mission, 11:25 think of a child here in Myanmar, 11:27 a child in India, throughout Southeast Asia. 11:31 One day, you're gonna stand before the Lord 11:33 and I'm looking forward to hearing the phrase, 11:35 "As much as you have done it 11:37 to the least of these my brethren, 11:39 you have done it to Me." 11:40 So thank you, thank you from the bottom of our heart 11:44 for all that you do for these children 11:46 here in Myanmar and in India. 11:48 The kingdom is going to be a beautiful and a bright place 11:52 because the Lord has reached out 11:53 and touched your heart and you've responded 11:56 by touching the hearts and lives 11:57 of these young children. 11:59 What a wonderful thing to do knowing that our Lord is near 12:02 and He's called us to stand 12:04 at this very beautiful and challenging moment. 12:07 Child Impact International is committed to the vision 12:10 that was started here in Myanmar 12:12 and the vision of Southeast Asia. 12:14 Thank you for all that you do, and may God richly bless you. 12:31 A couple of years ago, 12:32 my daughters and I had a wonderful opportunity 12:35 to travel to India, 12:36 and while we were there, 12:38 we met yet another part of our family 12:40 and that's our sponsored daughter, Sheila. 12:42 We had the privilege of sponsoring Sheila 12:45 through Child Impact International 12:47 for more than three years now. 12:49 And you know, while we were there, 12:51 she shared with us 12:53 that her dream was to become a nurse. 12:56 Now, what a wonderful privilege it is for us 12:59 now as a family to know 13:01 that she is fulfilling that dream. 13:04 Sheila is now studying to be a nurse. 13:06 She is in college 13:08 and we could not be happier for her. 13:10 It's been wonderful 13:11 to be part of that journey with her. 13:13 And, you know, sponsoring a child 13:15 through Child Impact, 13:17 it's made an incredible difference 13:18 for our family. 13:20 And I know that for you sponsoring a child 13:22 can make a difference for you too. 13:24 And most importantly, it can make the difference 13:27 in the life of a child every day. 13:38 At Adventist mission schools like this one in Bangladesh, 13:41 Child Impact International sponsors hundreds of children. 13:45 We often think that sponsorship only impacts 13:47 on the life of the child, 13:50 but it's much wider than that, 13:52 it impacts on the parents and on the community. 13:55 But more important, it impacts on the school. 13:58 It becomes valuable income for the school, 14:02 and then in turn, 14:03 it impacts on hundreds of other children. 14:05 I just ask that you would consider 14:08 sponsoring a child with Child Impact 14:10 or supporting one of its valuable projects 14:13 that will improve education in Adventist mission schools 14:17 like this one in right here. |
Revised 2019-04-19