The Asias Children orphanage home has been knocked down by a storm. We have not received complete information about the disaster yet, since the government clamps down on travel and communication when events such as this occur. We do know that the children were moved out of the home by a foresighted caretaker and that all survived the storm. When we know more about the current circumstances of the children we will report that.
This storm highlights the need for a permanent orphanage to be built in a better area. Since it will require time to raise funds for that new facility, we are going to try to implement a temporary solution of partnering with an existing orphanage in the new area by giving them funds to add capacity for our children, then send the monthly money there until a more permanent solution can be arranged. We are still waiting to hear if that is a possibility.
If we cannot arrange things in time, we may have to invest in another temporary orphanage on the old site. This is not as good of an option since it uses up funds that would be better spent getting the children to a safer area. Please pray about this, and help financially if you can.
Lost in a storm
And Hupasha’s wife wanted the people across the mountains to know about Jesus. So she told Hupasha that she would go. So Hupasha, with his wife and children set off across the mountains to tell the people the good news. They knew if they started right away, that they could reach their destination before they were trapped in the snow.
So Hupasha and his family left their comfortable mountain village and climbed up and over the high mountains. They drank out of streams, and ate the food they brought with them. When they had travelled for many days the snow started to softly fall. Soon the wind blew harder and harder, and a blizzard had started. The snows came very early that year, and the family was about to be trapped in the mountain. Even though they were in a snowstorm, they trusted in Jesus. They yelled and screamed His name in the blizzard. They said, “Jisu! Jisu!”, which is how Hupasha and his family pronounced the name of Jesus.
Suddenly they heard voices, and some people appeared out of the snow. The people had heard them, and they had come to the end of their journey! They were so happy that Jesus had sent people who could hear them! They prayed to God and thanked Him for saving them, and giving them a chance to tell the mountain people about His Son. The chief of the village sent for Hupasha to ask him why he had crossed the mountains in a snowstorm to visit his village. Hupasha
The devastation in Japan is a sober reminder that our orphans in the low-lying delta region of Burma are at risk of harm from events such as the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami and Typhoon Nargis which deprived them of their parents in 2008. I received an email from Jeremiah today that highlights this danger:
Hello Family, I got the money which you sent. Please pray for the children, nowadays, here in Asia, there are so too much rains and strong wins, so our children are not safety at the moment … our children are in the area where mostly storm come, sea flood and easy to blow wins there … we must move to safety place like inside the city of Yangon … We do need to [do] something urgent for the safety of the children. What do you think? I wish to hear from you soon. Please do cooperation for the children to get safety. Jeremiah. In Christs’ Name.
Reader, will you help us bring these children to safety and provide sustenance and a future for them? I know God will be pleased by your love and care for these children. We have been expanding our outreach during the last few months, so your gift of just 10 or 25 or 50 dollars per month will be enough to build a brand new orphanage in a safe area for these children and provide them with food, medical care and an education. Will you do it?
Hupashas family starts into the high mountains
Once upon a time, long ago and far away, there was a man named Hupasha. Hupasha lived in the high mountains with his family. Hupasha and his family should have been happy, but they were always afraid. They were afraid of ghosts and spirits in the mountains. Every time something bad happened, they would have to give a gift to the witch doctor. Every bad thing that happened made them poorer. Hupasha did not want to be afraid anymore, but he did not know what to do.
One day, Hupasha heard about a man from far away. Some people he knew told him he should go listen to this man from far away. So Hupasha set out across the high mountains, and travelled for many days. The sun was shining, but he was glad to reach the end of his journey. He listened to the man from far away tell him about Jesus, the Son of God. The man from far away told Hupasha that if he followed Jesus, he would not have to be afraid of spirits any more. Hupasha was very happy to hear this. He told his family about Jesus. They decided to follow Jesus.
Hupasha tells his family about the journey
Hupasha and his family became very happy, because they followed Jesus. But one day, Hupasha remembered some people far away who did not know about Jesus. He knew that they were still afraid of evil spirits. Hupasha knew that he must go to these people and tell them how to be free. Hupasha told his wife about his idea. Before she became a Christian, she would have been afraid to cross the mountains, because winter was coming. Hupasha told her that God would take care of them. And Hupasha’s wife wanted the people
(to be continued)
Preparing to travel to the village
A Lisu child plays on the ground beside a rickety house with dirt floors and wooden walls. At first the noise is so faint that she cannot hear it- whoarh, whoooarh, whoooooarh- but soon she gets up and looks around. Whooarh, arh, arh, whooooooarh. Louder and louder comes the sound, and the dogs begin to bark! The big red truck roars around the corner and into the village square trailing a choking cloud of dust, which overwhelms the vehicle as it comes to a stop. Out of the truck and out of the dust appear smiling Lisu Bible College students- happy to arrive after a twisty, turny five-hour trip into the mountains!
Wide-eyed, the little girl watches in wonder as the students greet the village Christians and set up for the evening evangelism and instruction. Soon the villagers are laughing at the antics of Seru, Grace and twenty-three other LBI students as they dramatize contemporary living problems and point the way to Christ as the only Way. The drama is followed by singing and preaching and the village enjoys the once-a-year visit late into the evening. But the sleeping child is carried back into the ramshackle hut. Johana with children
She wakes the next day, and is led by her older sister to the church building for a special adventure. Never before has Fulida village seen a Sunday School- but the LBI students plunge in- teaching the children songs about Jesus, clapping along with them, and cradling the smaller ones. Smiles everywhere! And after church- the first Thanksgiving feast ever held in Fulida village! Pumpkins and fruit and corn are stacked high in front of the church pulpit. Bamboo mats are rolled onto the floor of the church, and the LBI students share a meal with the village Christians.
Afterward, the remains of the feast are cleaned up, the students pile into the back of the pickup, and the little Lisu girl sees Mah Pah (teacher) Laine and Mah Mah (teacher) Christy climb into the front of the truck. Vroom, Vroom! Whoarh, whoooarh, whoooooarh. The billowing dust hides the truck as it disappears around the corner. Dust and silence settle over the village like a blanket. And little black eyes stare down the road as memories of fun dance in a little head.
Note to friends of the Lisu People of Southeast Asia: This is a pretty close account of what a trip to a remote village is like. Your continuing support of Asias Children will help keep these students in contact with the orphans.
The Asias Children Yangon orphange is now in its third year of operation. The orphanage currently provides shelter and support for 15 children. These children lost their parents to Typhoon Nargis which struck the coastal areas on May 2, 2008.
Working with a contact who immediately traveled to the disaster area with a relief team, Asias children was able to purchase land and build a temporary orphanage to help some of the orphans who were rescued in the disaster area. The orphanage opened with a community ceremony in October 2008 with 33 orphans. 13 children were eventually placed with relatives, and 5 of the older children were moved to an affiliated orphanage near the city where they could get more advanced schooling.
Support for the orphanage needs to be increased from $400 per month to $800 per month so that the children there can be trained in useful occupations like teaching and nursing to support themselves. A new, permanent orphanage needs to be built away from the temporary shelter in the disaster area so that the children will have more opportunities and their welfare can be more closely monitored. The new orphanage is estimated to cost about $42,000.
Autee (John) and Warin Bee
Asias Children has been working with a dynamic Lisu tribal leader named Ahtee Bee since 2009 to establish an orphanage and educational center at Hwi Nam Rin village in northern Thailand. This plan was delayed when typhoon Nargis struck southern Burma in May 2008 and substantial resources were directed to that disaster. Funding for the Burmese orphans increased and stabilized in 2009 and 2010.
With the Burmese orphanage out of crisis mode, Asias Children turned again to the promise of an orphanage in Ahtee Bee’s village of Hwi Nam Rin Thailand. In 2009 and 2010, funds were raised to purchase land for the orphanage. Villagers cleared the land and in early 2011 the land was leveled to prepare for an orphanage building that will accommodate up to 12 orphan children as well as functioning as an educational center for the village. To date, Asias Children has invested almost $10,000 to prepare to house and care for up to 12 orphans at Hwi Nam Rin village. The next hurdle for this project is to raise $5,625 for the concrete foundation of the structure. This will be the second largest expense for the $42,000 project. New Coat
Asias Children has been providing some support for Hwi Nam Rin children while the orphanage and educational center is being developed. In November, Asias Children provided funds to purchase warm clothes for six children, since the weather was turning cold.
