Hope of Glory rescues children from the streets and brothels of India. We wanted to show these children how precious and beautiful they are by creating a beautiful mural in their home.
Video: Time Lapse Painting for Indian Children’s Home
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Category Archives: Children at Risk DTS 2011
Just add glitter
by Bethany, Children at Risk DTS student
Bethany and one of the children in Ethiopia
I was full of questions when I walked into the Women at Risk home. Full of fears that what I was about to do would be so insignificant compared with what these women had been rescued from. How would these women, who had just been brought off the streets and out of prostitution, respond to five white girls with some crayons? I doubted they would accept us and feared that their past would shut them off from me.
My fears were confirmed when we got there. I looked around at the room of 16- to 30-year-old women, and all I could see in the eyes that met mine was coldness and judgment. My friends and I put aside our fears as best as we could, and started our program. But I just knew this was going to be bad.
I sat next to one of the women, Hanna. She drew a house and some bushes on her paper–not what we were trying to do at all. I was so frustrated. They didn’t get it! They were supposed to write their names and decorate them, not draw houses!
Then for some reason, I turned my page over and started to draw a house just like Hanna’s. She looked over and smiled. Then I watched as she drew a person and messed up. Laughing, she tried to erase it with her finger. I couldn’t help but laugh with her at her silly expression. She grinned at me and showed me her deformed stick person, and then we were both laughing out loud together.
I decided to show her how I would draw a stick person and she copied my every stroke. I smiled and told her that she did a good job.
Then I looked around me with a completely different outlook. I was shocked at what I saw when I really opened my heart AND my eyes.
Sitting around me on all sides were ex-prostitutes, smiling and laughing and having a great time coloring with the crayons and markers that I had deemed too childish. These women had their childhoods stolen from them and now they were just enjoying being free. They were learning to do things as adults that they hadn’t been able to do as kids.
When they took glue and glitter to their pages, they transformed them from stick figures to pieces of beauty.
Just as their drawing gave them a chance to be free and laugh with abandon, the glitter showed how their bare childhood was being changed into a thing of beauty. The lives of these women now held sparkle and hope that they could only have dreamed of before coming to Women At Risk!
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Thank you, Art for the Nations, for donating craft supplies for all our outreaches!
I never heard a sweeter sound!
by Ashley, Children at Risk DTS Staff
How do you fit eleven YWAMers and eleven rescued orphans into a small pick-up truck (sungtow) that has three benches in the truck bed?
A little something like this…
Yep, 22 people fit in here.
We pile in and squish together. When there is absolutely no room left for anyone else, we drive to church. A couple minutes into our ride, someone starts singing. Soon, everyone sings along to fun kids’ songs. After a quiet moment, one of the children starts the next song, one of my favorite worship songs.
I look around me and my heart just melts. Some of the kids close their eyes, some sing at the top of their lungs, and others gently lift their sweet little voices toward Heaven. Tears come to my eyes as their song wraps around me.
The song splits into two parts, with the kids taking the harmony and melody, and I’m surrounded by a heavenly choir!
Worship with Thai orphans (click to download, it’s an .m4a file that should open with iTunes.)
As we worship together, I think about how we come from such different places: Them–orphaned, then rescued to another country to live a better life. Their future is unsure, with no family to call their own but each other. Us–families at home, many people missing us, praying for us, and awaiting our return. Yet as our voices blend together, so do our worlds.
My heart is overwhelmed with the sweetness of the moment and I am overtaken by the realization of God’s goodness, His redemption, His grace.
Here we are, all the same to Him: just a bunch of His kids singing in the back of a truck. It’s like I can feel God’s smile. And I wonder, maybe tears are coming to his eyes, too, as he listens to His kids from totally different worlds become a family and sing to their Daddy.
These kids who once had no hope now know the One who brings hope. They are safe, protected, loved.
They know it too, and in response they just sing.
With God, there is hope
by Jenna, Children at Risk DTS student
"We are going to make friends with the women in these bars and I'm excited to show them not everyone is out just to use them." -- Jenna
My two friends and I walk through the red light district of Patong, Thailand. Bars flank us on both sides and heavy club music pulses all around. We are going to make friends with the women in these bars and I’m excited to show them not everyone is out to use them.
But the deeper we go into the district, the heavier I feel. It’s like the very atmosphere is thick and dark. I push through the feeling and my friends and I pray quietly as we walk down the next alley of bars.
Girls dressed in next to nothing dance on the tables while others pull passers-by to come and sit with them. At this point, I’m really feeling uneasy and unsure what to do next.
We finally arrive at a bar with five girls and an older woman, who I’m assuming is the bar manager. We sit down, order a Coke, and then pull out Connect Four.
“Do you want to play?” I ask one of the girls nearby.
Her face brightens and she sits down by me. That’s when I realize I really have met my match at this game–I’ve never seen someone so good at Connect Four in my life!
As we play the game, we chat and get to know each other. Her name is Pane and she has been working here for five days. Pane’s demeanor is fresh and innocent. She’s one of the sweetest people I’ve met. When it’s time to pack up our game and go home, I tell Pane that I’ll be back in a couple of days.
“Will you remember me?” she asks.
“Of course!”
Grinning and laughing, Pane tells me she’s looking forward to seeing us again. And I’m really excited to spend more time with her. I want to show her what true friendship is about. I want her to know she’s valuable for who she is — not just for her beauty or her body. And I want to introduce her to the God who created her, who gave up everything for her to be free.
I’ve never felt so much love and compassion for someone I have just met. I know there is hope for Pane and for all of the girls who work here. With God, there is hope!
I feel the presence of God all around me with these kids
by Lo, Children at Risk DTS student
The words flare up as the kids sing and dance around the courtyard. They sing their favorite song: “I am free, free to dance, free to live for you.” I close my eyes as I feel the presence of God all around me with these kids.
For three days we had the privilege of spending our time at a home for children devastated by HIV/AIDS. We shared the importance of value, prayer, and letting your light shine. We made crafts, sang action songs, and played puppet shows and games with them.
All of these children touched our hearts immensely. I could go on and on explaining what we did with them, but my team and I believe the best way for them to be remembered is by sharing a little bit about who they are and our personal time with them. (Click their photo to read their story.)
 Shekhar |
 Sheetal is a high energy, 10 year old girl. Her mother left her orphaned by AIDS. |
 Sonaji and Kara play and laugh together |
 Eunice & Ana |
Sheetal
by Amy, Children at Risk DTS student
Sheetal is a high energy, 10 year old girl. Her mother, a prostitute, left her orphaned by AIDS.
Sheetal had so much energy I could hardly keep up with her! She never stopped moving, talking, playing, and demanding that I do the same. I soon felt exhausted by her endless supply of energy. But then I realized she was simply lonely and craved loving friendship. Sheetal just wanted someone to laugh with her, play with her, and love her. And so the majority of the time we were at the home, I spent time with Sheetal.
Even though it broke my heart to know that I would only be able to be her friend for three days, God reminded me of something. I needed to spend each day with her to the fullest! What we were doing with these kids is important, something they won’t forget.
One our last day, Sheetal looked at me with begging eyes.
“Please come back on my birthday, April 25th!” she said.
“I’ll see if I can,” I said. I knew it was unlikely that I could come back then, but how can you say no to a question like that?
As we drove away from their home waving goodbye, I prayed, “God, show Sheetal that you are her friend, but that you will never leave her.”
Shekhar
Shekhar
My friendship with Shekhar began with me helping him get water to wash his school socks.
When I looked at him, I didn’t see an orphan who was abandoned as a baby–just a boy with a lot of energy who was small for his age. He’s six, but is about the size of a four-year-old. When I hugged him or held his hand, I thought his bones felt thin or frail. But Shekhar sure didn’t seem to notice. He could run, jump, and climb with the best of them. He didn’t just walk somewhere, he sprinted at top speed to his next “adventure.” And Shekhar’s laugh came so easily!
At the end of our second afternoon together, Kara snapped a Polaroid picture of me and Shekhar. When our picture magically appeared, Shekhar asked if he could keep it. Then he ran around, showing it to everybody.
“Can you tape it here?” he asked. He pointed to the wall near his pillow on the bottom bunk.
I just loved every moment I got to spend with Shekhar—from spinning him around in the air to the quieter moments when he sat in my lap with my arms around him. There’s nothing quite like watching a little kid sing and dance to Jesus, or run around and laugh with his new shark beanie baby.
It was hard to tell him goodbye after three short days. I’ve wondered how long he’ll be healthy and what his future holds. I’m so thankful he was rescued from the streets and given a place to live and thrive. And I pray that he will continue to change the world around him—I know he’s already changed my world.
What will happen to these boys in ten years?
by Linnea, Children at Risk DTS staff
Most of the seventy kids who have been coming to our Vacation Bible Study are from very poor and broken homes. A lot of them don’t know how to behave, or act out to get attention from us.
I just wanted to hold each of their faces to mine and somehow download into their hearts the love God has for them. I tried my best to love them, hold them, play with them, hug them, and teach them.
This whole week, we’ve shared with them truths from the Bible, using stories like David and Goliath or Daniel in the lion’s den. We shared skits, made crafts, played games, and led discussions with the kids. Today, our last day, we felt like God told us to share the gospel and invite the kids to make a commitment to Him.
I had no idea what to expect—and it seemed like the kids were more excitable and chaotic than usual. At the end of our session, when the children had settled down a little, I asked if any of them wanted to choose to live their lives for Jesus.
Ten boys raised their hands and then crowded close around where I sat on the floor. They scrunched their eyes closed and prayed with me, asking God to forgive their sins and to help them be like Jesus. As I prayed for each of the kids and put my hand on their heads, my heart went out to them. It’s like I could feel God’s heart for them individually. I felt so strongly that God wanted to be there with these boys through the hard times, to walk with them, to never leave them.
“This isn’t just something you decide just today,” I told the boys, looking them each in the eyes. “Choosing to follow Jesus means you make a choice every day to follow God instead of just doing what you want to do. Or doing what everyone else around you is doing.”
They held eye contact with me and I could see sincerity in their faces. I know God was pleased with their hearts.
I imagine what their lives will be like in ten or fifteen years. Right now, they’re just children with tender hearts, eager to learn and talk about God. But in ten years, what will happen? Will their circumstances harden them, woo them to drugs, gangs, violence, and sex to ease the pain in their hearts? To find a place to belong? Will the wounds of abandonment and abuse turn their hearts from God?
For some of them, the answer is probably yes. But I know that even if only one of the kids applies the truths we taught them this week, it will have been worth it. This week, we’ve scattered a lot of “seeds” in their hearts. I know that some of these have fallen on fertile soil and will bear fruit.
I pray that more people will come and build on what we’ve begun. I pray that they will continue to hear the truth that God loves them and has planned good things for their lives. I pray that many of the kids we met this week will escape the cycle that their families are trapped in, and that these children will be world changers!
I had to do more than just say I would pray
by Hannah, Children at Risk DTS student
When Yapseelah was seven, she was running down a path like all kids her age, when she fell and hit her head on a rock. Since then, she has had debilitating headaches.
We returned to Kore, the community that lives in the garbage dump, to check on the families again. This ministry has been really sad, but I felt good about today, like something special might happen.
I walked down the rocky path with a guy we call Chef. A very thin woman greeted us and welcomed us into her home. The first thing I noticed about her was how warm her eyes and smile were. Her eyes looked tired and sad, but she didn’t look hopeless like so many others we had met.
Her home was one room with a wooden bench, a small TV, and a dresser. Behind a curtain was a bed. I sat on the bench and made as much room for the rest of my team as I could. That’s when I noticed someone was on the bed. I could only see a dark figure in the shadows.
Eventually, the woman, Mulee, told us about her daughter, Yapseelah. Yapseelah is 17 and very ill.
When Yapseelah was seven, she was running down a path like all kids her age, when she fell and hit her head on a rock. Since then, she has had debilitating headaches. The further along she got in school, the more her head hurt. Finally, she had to quit school because concentrating hurt too much.
Mulee pulled back the curtain and we saw Yapseelah there on the bed, curled into a ball.
I glanced at Yapseelah and my heart started to pound. I didn’t know what was happening, but I was overwhelmed by love and concern for her. It got hard to breathe. I tried my best to listen to what was being said around me—more talk about the doctors and her prognosis—but it felt like something was pressing hard on my chest.
This morning, she was taken to a hospital to get a scan of her brain. The doctors discovered that her brain is still bleeding from the fall—but the doctors don’t know how to treat her. Today, they quadrupled her medication, but no one knows how she’ll respond to it.
“I’m so worried for her,” said Mulee.
“We’ll keep her in our prayers,” said Tesefaye, our translator, just before we had to go.
I knew I had to do more than just say I would pray for Yapseelah on my own. I had to pray for her right then and there. Maybe that would make my heart go back to normal. I knelt at Yapseelah’s bed and put my hands on her shoulder and head. I had never done anything like this before, and it felt both strange and completely natural.
“God, will you heal her?” I cried out.
And then it was like my heart couldn’t hold the love that God had for her—I began to shake as I prayed for her. In that moment, I wasn’t aware of anyone else in the room. All I saw was this girl a few years younger than me, who was simply being a kid, who took one wrong step that has left her in pain for ten years. So I prayed for her for a few more minutes until that feeling of urgency went away. I stood up and my team and I said our goodbyes.
While we kept walking along the path, I thought about what had just happened. I’ve never prayed like that before, nor felt what I had for this girl. Yapseelah didn’t “get up and walk” that afternoon, and I don’t know how or when God will answer our prayers. But I got to feel a little of God’s overwhelming love He feels for her, and I know He is holding her. And yes, I will keep praying that God will heal her.
Sonaji
by Kara, Children at Risk DTS student
Sonaji is a curious seven-year-old who was abandoned by his parents.
The first child I saw at the orphanage for kids devastated by HIV/AIDS was a little boy with a crusty nose. I could see curiosity and fear in his eyes as he scanned our group. I’m a really friendly person who loves to draw out shy people — especially kids. So I walked over to him, but he just turned and ran away. I kept my distance until he could feel more comfortable with us, but I still followed him around the building. He bent down to pick up a dirty, plastic bag. I thought he was just being helpful, cleaning up the garbage. But then it hit me — this bag was his toy.
The second day we were there, this little boy still looked worried and afraid of us. Everything inside of me just wanted to scoop him up and hold him, but I let him have his space. We had a dance party for the kids–so much fun! The music blared, kids sang, we danced together. And then a small hand slipped into mine. I looked down and saw the little boy, his eyes wide open and staring at me.
One our third and last day at the orphanage, this little boy sat outside waiting for us. He immediately grabbed my hand and tugged me behind him. We played for the rest of the afternoon! I learned his name was Sonaji. We had so much fun playing–bubbles, chalk, tag, card games! Everything we did brought such joy to his face.
When it was time to go I picked him up and said goodbye.
“Come tomorrow?” he asked, looking me right in the eyes.
“No,” I said, shaking my head.
Sonaji furrowed his brow and scowled. I understood how he felt.
Sonaji and Kara play and laugh together
I walked back to the office and scanned the board of names with life-threatening illnesses, this time matching their names to the faces I had come to love. My heart sank as I saw the name “Sonaji” written in bold letters on the board.
The ride home was silent except for the quiet sobs of some of my team mates. Even now as I write, I feel a lump in my throat.
My visit to this home has left my head swimming with 1,000 questions. All I can do is rest with a peace that God loves these kids even more than I do. I close my eyes and pray, “Dear God, I pray for healing of little Sonaji, I pray that he would feel your comfort and that he would live a long happy life. Please be close to him. Amen.”