Orphaned but not forgotten

Raising up mentors for the orphaned child

Navigating life as a child or teen without your parents can feel like wandering along broken roads and across collapsed, hanging bridges. There are so many expectations pressing around you, doors gaping in front of you, and voices telling you which way to go, telling you the "right thing to do." All the while, all you want is for someone to understand you, silently wishing you knew how to live but not daring to let anyone see that you do not know.

For those wanting to help, the question is often raised: How do you reach the heart of an orphaned child? That very question often hangs in the air with the silence of a thousand words begging to be said. It is a wonderful and frightful question. The conversation begins here. Everything begins with a willing person. The one necessary thing is love.

Over the last couple of years, we have pivoted from making trips to orphanges to organizing efforts to ensure children and young adults have one-on-one mentors and are included in small-group gatherings. For those living in the orphanage, mentorship is the best way to bring about life-changing transformation, since many are not legally eligible for adoption. Those who have already aged out of the system usually move to a government-run transition dormitory as they work or attend a local college.

As we begin to make ground in closing the gap between child and mentor, we are likewise seeking to open an alternative housing option for those leaving the orphanage system. If they are ready to live in a community that values personal development, we would like to provide a house and program that offer the support they need for success!

Helping Train and Support New Mentors

With the help of friends, Anya has begun developing and facilitating training programs run in partnership with the municipal government to provide certification for volunteers, which will allow them to become mentors to children currently living in orphanges. Progress is already being made, with the last training seeing 13 people successfully complete the program. There is a lot of excitement right now about the potential to expand this program to include more people eager to work with orphaned children, but who do not know where to begin!

We are excited about the possibility of cultivating a supportive community for those who have gone through the training and are involved in a child's life as mentors. We hope that this will become a space where we can continue to dialogue with others who share the same passion and receive additional help and resources to support their progress with the child they are mentoring.

Learning life together

Throughout the last season, we have seen kids who grew up in orphanages come to our community and join our events. Our team has begun visiting the gov.-run dormitories where they live and getting to know them so we can invite them to our base for our Saturday night events. These evenings have been full of life! We play games and talk through intriguing topics that touch on a variety of life issues and social skills. The more we get to know each other, the deeper our friendships grow, and the more transformation continues. Some of the sweetest moments we cherish come together when formal connections bud into real relationships.

It is exceptional to see the youth we invite to our Saturday nights begin coming to our Bible studies and worship nights! Recently, a couple decided they wanted to go deeper in their faith. Now, we are starting to walk them through understanding and receiving water baptism, and a few others may be joining them soon!

Please pray for our community! For the volunteers and missionaries who are taking to heart the mission in James 1:27, and for the youth we are reaching. We have some big steps coming ahead of us, too! We hope to share progress toward securing a home to open a transition home for orphan graduates in our coming updates! Your prayers are greatly appreciated!

With love, in the Son,