Date Night in Myanmar
DATE NIGHT IN MYANMAR
JUNE 1, 2014 NATALIE 1 COMMENT
Friday was by far the best day yet on this trip. I sponsor two kids through Uncharted International, and when you are over here you get to take the kids you sponsor out to dinner. Friday was my night.
We went to a Chinese restaurant where they served the food family style. We had all the favorites: cashew chicken, sweet and sour, pineapple chicken, hot and sour pork, etc. I have never seen such little people eat so much food! They ate and ate and ate, and just when I thought they were done, they gobbled down some ice cream. I have never enjoyed a meal so much in my life as that one.
They had a playground inside the restaurant, one with plastic slides similar to what you would see in a park in the U.S. When we were finished eating I took the kids over to play. At first they looked at it and looked back at me, not quite sure what to do. It seemed like they had never seen a playground before. But they caught on pretty quickly. Even my older girl, who is sixteen, ran up and went down the slides several times. The joy on their faces was astonishing. You would have thought they were at Disney World.
As the evening ended, their bellies were full, they were exhausted from playing, and they had a box of leftovers to take back to share with the other kids. I was so glad they had a good time, but to me it was so much more than just taking a night to spoil them. I know that seeing these kids again is not a guarantee. Unforeseen things can happen and this might be the last time I get to hang out with them. I desperately want them to know that, no matter what they may face later in life, they are loved. They live in a country where life is hard. As they get older and may face tough situations, I hope that they will be able to look back on this night. I hope it shows them who they really are: loved, wanted, and accepted, not for anything they have done but just simply because they are mine. And more than that, I hope that through my love they can see the love that Jesus has for them as well.
If you have never sponsored a child, you should consider it. These kids aren’t just cute kids on a postcard. They are real children with very real, unmet needs. It is through the sponsorship program that these kids are able to eat, go to school, and get medical care. It is through this that the orphanages are able to exist. But the sponsorship is more than just financial support. It is a relationship with kids who need to know that they matter. It is a very tangible way you can make a lasting impact on a child’s life. Consider it.
Natalie Jaranowski, Executive Director, One Life Network
If you would like to learn more about the sponsorship program, click here.