“…faith like a child.”
Imagine being a child,
with no parents, abandoned because parents have been killed, don’t want them,
or can’t afford them. Imagine having
younger siblings to watch over. Imagine
wondering why you have been left behind or forgotten?
Most of these kids in the
orphanage are in this situation. Their
parents have died, rejected them, or can’t afford them. Many of their fathers have died, and the
mother can’t afford to raise children by themselves. But God knew before they were even born that
He had a plan for each of them. He knew
they were treasures to Him and worth enough that He would die for them.
Jeremiah 1:5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
before you were born, I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the
nations.”
As I observe these
children in action, I am amazed at how they live! Even though money is tight at the orphanage
and the prices of rice and other essentials continue to rise, they don’t fear
where their next meal will come from, they just pray and believe that God will
provide. When chores need to be done
around the orphanage such as carrying water buckets, cooking food, sweeping
floors, feeding animals (ducks, cows, dogs…), trash, security, cleaning
laundry, helping younger kids wash…they do it willingly without
complaining. When there is no one around
to lead them in their daily meeting time, which includes praying, singing, and
sharing, they lead themselves. The older
kids naturally take care of the younger ones by protecting them, hugging them,
loving them, washing their clothes and helping them take showers, helping them
get ready, and almost being parents to them in many ways.
Not only do they take care
of the physical needs of each other, but they encouraged each other
spiritually. They took turns leading
their worship time together, and even the young six year old prayed sung in an
intense way I’ve never seen kids pray and praise like before. They know the God they serve and what it
means for Him to be a part of each day.
They fully rely on God for each meal everyday, trusting He will provide
their every need.
As I was admiring the
mamma chicken with her many baby chicks following her around the orphanage
grounds the last three weeks, I realized Vanny, his wife, ‘Grandma,’ and ‘Grandpa’
are kind of like the mamma chicken leading these 27 kids in life, showing them
how Jesus loves, training them in the ways of the Lord, and pouring out love
onto them. Just as the baby chicks
follow mamma around, these kids follow and watch what their leaders do-just as
we watch what Jesus did.
(sorry it’s hard to see the baby chics under all the grass)
John 15 “You did not choose me, but I
chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit…”
Just as Jesus chose us and
adopted us as His children, Vanny and the others took these abandoned children
in and welcomed them as their own. He
chose them and accepts them just as they are.
Just as Christ chose us, He loves us and accepts us just the way we are.
Ephesians
1:5 “He predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ,
in accordance with his pleasure and will—”
