Participants:
Series Code: HIM
Program Code: HIM000205A
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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 00:25 and those who are in need, serving communities in India, 00:28 Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, 00:32 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 the 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. 01:32 Welcome to Myanmar. 01:34 Child Impact International has been sponsoring 01:36 over 600 children in Adventist schools 01:39 all across the Southeast Asian nation. 01:45 Over 95% of the population here in Myanmar practices Buddhism, 01:49 in fact, Myanmar is one of the most religious 01:51 Buddhist countries in the world. 01:54 The Seventh-day Adventist Mission 01:55 was established here 115 years ago, 01:58 and Adventist education has played a central role 02:01 in spreading the gospel in Myanmar. 02:06 The challenge is that a decent education is expensive. 02:09 Most people can't afford it. 02:11 This is where an organization 02:12 like Child Impact has such a great impact. 02:15 They are concerned and committed 02:16 to the welfare of children in need here. 02:20 Today, we joined Jim Rennie 02:22 on a visit to Myanmar Union Adventist Seminary 02:25 and see what Child Impact is doing to bring hope, 02:28 salvation, and a future to needy children in Myanmar. 02:43 Well, I'm back here in Myanmar, 02:45 and I've just had a four to five-hour drive here 02:48 to the seminary. 02:49 And on this trip, 02:50 we really want to meet some of the students 02:52 that you have sponsored and see the difference 02:55 that we're making in their lives. 02:57 Come and join me on this trip as we meet these students 03:00 and see the impact on their lives, 03:02 which is very real. 03:04 Come with me. 03:12 Myanmar Union Adventist Seminary, 03:14 or MUAS, as it is commonly known, 03:17 is the only Adventist institution 03:19 of higher learning in Myanmar, 03:21 and it plays a very important role 03:22 in developing young minds 03:24 who are the future torch bearers of the church. 03:27 Presently, there are 600 students 03:28 at the college taking religion, education, 03:31 and business as their fields of study. 03:33 Most of them come from financially 03:35 difficult backgrounds, 03:36 and 160 students are sponsored by Child Impact. 03:41 These young people come from all over Myanmar, 03:44 and Child Impact is making it possible for them 03:46 to be able to learn and acquire skills needed for employment. 03:50 I'm here at Myanmar Adventist College, 03:53 where there are group of over 160 students 03:56 that are sponsored by Child Impact International, 04:00 and just meeting with them and just talking with them, 04:03 it's so exciting to see the real difference 04:05 that sponsorship is making in their lives, 04:08 standing behind me are the future doctors, 04:11 the future dentists, the future nurses, 04:14 teachers, and pastors, 04:15 and this will impact on their lives. 04:18 This will impact on their family's lives, 04:20 and but most of important, 04:22 have a big impact on the church in Myanmar. 04:25 Just looking at their faces you can see the difference 04:28 that sponsorship is making 04:30 not only in the lives of their children 04:32 but of their families, their community, 04:34 and the church, 04:36 just shows the success of sponsorship. 04:40 For us, in our union, 04:42 the Child Impact sponsors, 04:46 international sponsorship is very important 04:48 because it is among the many sponsorship programs, 04:53 it is the biggest, 04:55 it sponsors more than 600 students 05:00 in our union. 05:02 We have more need 05:07 for the sponsorship. 05:11 The Child Impact International can sponsor most of them, 05:17 most students can learn, 05:19 and most students can be, 05:22 what to say, in one or other way, 05:27 they can help the child 05:28 when they finish their education. 05:37 Education is vital in this country. 05:39 It is important education is subsidized 05:41 so that we can create the environment 05:43 in which children have an opportunity 05:45 to learn and achieve their dreams. 05:47 And the Adventist school system 05:48 not only helps children grow mentally and socially 05:51 but they also have an opportunity 05:53 to grow spiritually. 05:55 Well, as we all know, 05:57 Seventh-day Adventist education was prepared and launched 06:02 through very intensive information 06:06 that God gave through Ellen White 06:08 as to how Seventh-day Adventist education 06:11 ought to be different from other places. 06:13 It was to reach the head, the hand, and the heart. 06:18 It was to help people following in Christ's ministry, 06:22 helping children, young people, physically, mentally, 06:25 socially, and spiritually, 06:27 helping them to become a whole person 06:30 so they can be sent from those schools 06:32 to be wonderful testimonies for the Lord. 06:35 Seventh-day Adventist education is unique and it is powerful 06:40 because it's from heaven. 06:43 To move forward with its focus in Myanmar, 06:46 Child Impact has established the Educate Myanmar Fund. 06:49 The purpose of this fund is to help sponsor children 06:52 in Adventist Mission schools here in Myanmar 06:54 and help with resources and other needs 06:56 such as classrooms. 06:58 The college has many needs, 07:00 and Child Impact also address 07:02 another important issue of congestion in the dorms 07:05 and other infrastructural needs. 07:07 Currently, it is helping the college 07:08 in finishing the building of classrooms 07:10 for theology students. 07:24 It's quite exciting to see 07:25 what is happening with this building. 07:27 Yes. 07:28 I'm here with Dr. Connolly, 07:30 who is the president of the Myanmar 07:31 Adventist Union College, 07:33 and I'm talking with him, 07:35 I can now see how important 07:37 that the theology and religious training is 07:41 from the Myanmar Adventist Union College. 07:44 It's the only source of Bible workers and pastors 07:48 for the country of Myanmar. 07:50 And so Child Impact International 07:52 is real excited that, with the help of our sponsors, 07:56 we can sponsor Bible students and theology students. 08:00 But also, if possible, 08:02 we can help with the finishing 08:04 of this new theology department building. 08:27 The Educate Myanmar Fund is fully committed 08:29 to helping Adventist schools in Myanmar. 08:31 But more importantly, 08:33 it is committed to helping give young boys and girls 08:36 from difficult backgrounds an opportunity 08:38 to receive an education through sponsorship. 08:42 I'm here in the boys' dormitory at Myanmar Adventist Seminary. 08:47 It's a large room with over 20 boys sleeping on the floor, 08:51 which to us is a little strange but, in fact, culturally, 08:54 this is how they probably live at home, 08:57 in their village house, and they sleep on the floor. 09:01 I'm here with Sangha, 09:03 who is an inspiring story from sponsorship. 09:07 He comes from a very large family of seven siblings, 09:11 and he's the only one getting an education. 09:14 His father is a farmer, a poor farmer, 09:17 and the rest are at home, working in the field. 09:21 Sangha, at an early age, 09:22 was given the chance to go to an Adventist school, 09:25 and he's been through the high school, 09:28 and now he's at the seminary doing the religious studies 09:32 and theology course. 09:34 And we're real proud of his achievements today, 09:37 just to show the pressure for finance 09:40 and how poor his family is, in those three years, 09:44 Sangha's only been home twice 09:47 because he has to do a job on the holidays, 09:50 he has to work 09:51 just to cover the rest of his overhead and costs 09:55 in getting through college, and he's really got a dream. 09:59 And, Sangha, tell us about your dream. 10:02 What do you want to achieve? 10:06 I want to be a good pastor, so I'm religion major. 10:12 Right. 10:13 So Sangha wants to go onto do his MA in theology, 10:17 and he wants to be a pastor, 10:19 and he wants to be a successful pastor. 10:21 And once again, that's really exciting. 10:24 And we want to support Sangha as he goes ahead. 10:27 And it really shows you how sponsorship 10:30 through the different facets of education 10:33 is now turning this young man into a real success story. 10:38 And we're so proud of what he has achieved. 10:42 Sangha is one such story 10:44 of how sponsorship is having an impact 10:47 on the lives of these students 10:50 but also on their families and their communities. 10:53 And as I travel around, 10:54 it's just so exciting 10:56 to be able to meet these students. 10:58 And shortly, I'll introduce you to two young ladies, 11:02 one who's doing a business major 11:04 and wants to have her own business. 11:06 And it just shows the impact 11:08 that sponsorship is having beyond the education. 11:12 It's giving their families hope, 11:14 it's giving their communities hope, 11:16 and it's having an impact totally on these 11:19 Adventist mission schools and seminaries. 11:22 I'm so proud of the work 11:24 that I see sponsorship is doing, 11:26 and I want to thank you for your support. 11:35 Imagine, with me, for a moment, 11:37 that you're a small child living on the streets of India. 11:41 The sandals on your feet lost their comfort weeks ago, 11:44 your favorite shirt just got another hole. 11:47 It's sad, Mommy died last year, 11:49 but what makes you feel even worse 11:52 is that your dad chose not to be your dad anymore. 11:56 Hey, I'm Shawn Boonstra, 11:57 honorary ambassador for Child Impact International, 12:00 an organization that is a supportive ministry 12:03 of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, 12:05 something like 15 to 25 million little girls and boys in India 12:09 share similar stories to the one I just told you. 12:12 Many are orphaned at a young age 12:14 with little food to eat and no hope. 12:17 Child Impact serves to bridge the gap 12:19 between hardship and education. 12:23 It's a unique ministry that serves children in poverty 12:26 in Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. 12:31 Over 3,500 children are provided 12:34 an Adventist education and lives are changed 12:37 through the numerous development projects. 12:40 Working in these countries, 12:42 Child Impact has come face to face 12:44 with issues like child slavery, poor, or no education, 12:48 child trafficking, abandoned babies, 12:52 lack of clean water, and a high number of orphans. 12:55 This list is not short on challenges, 12:58 yet the needs are being met. 13:01 You know, my family sponsored Sheila, 13:03 a young lady 13:04 at the Sunrise Orphanage in India. 13:06 For the past couple of years, 13:08 I'm proud of how my family has been able to impact 13:10 her life for the better. 13:13 Word has it, she just started college. 13:16 What I've come to understand 13:18 is that the children Child Impact supports 13:22 are more than just names 13:23 or faces on a screen or a flyer. 13:26 They are people with a story, 13:29 a story whose ending has not been written, 13:32 instead another chapter is being composed. 13:36 It reminds me of something that Jesus once said, 13:38 "Whatever you do for the least 13:40 of these brothers and sisters of Mine, 13:42 you do for Me." 13:45 Join me and others like me throughout the world, 13:48 who are sponsoring a child monthly 13:50 to provide like Jesus did, 13:52 to support like Jesus did, to love like Jesus did. 13:57 You too can make a lifelong impact 13:59 on the life of someone 14:01 who was waiting for you to say yes. 14:03 Yes, today you will consider sponsorship 14:06 right now with Child Impact 14:08 or one of our other projects, 14:10 yes, to give hope to a precious child today. |
Revised 2019-05-06