Van Kung and Dawt Par, wearing traditional Chin tribe clothes, are now happily married.

One of the questions most asked from sponsors is: What happens to the orphan I sponsor when they turn 18?

Well, in the case of Van Kung and Dawt Par, they decided to get married!

Van Kung and Dawt Par, both 19 years old, grew up together at Love in Action Children’s Home in Kalaymyo, Myanmar. The director had cautioned them to wait at least another year before making such a big commitment at their young age, but they went ahead and decided to elope. Love wasn’t going to wait!

They came back to visit their friends at Love in Action after they tied the knot, and a small service of dedication was held for them. I thought you might enjoy seeing photos from the ceremony.

Elisabeth Servant
Director, Orphan’s Tear division

A pastor praying a blessing over them

The happy couple with the director and a few of the workers at Love in Action Children’s Home

New Hope Orphanage in Nepal sent us a package with a special Christmas letter from each of the children to their sponsor. (Mail is slow from Nepal, so we just received the package.) If you sponsor a child at New Hope Orphanage we’ll be mailing you a card like the one below from your sponsored child.

As always, thanks for your compassion for little followers of Jesus around the world!

Elisabeth Servant
Director, Orphan’s Tear division

The children in Yesu Ngwadidi Children’s Home in their new Christmas clothes.

Many times the trials today are the ones we laugh and tell stories about years later. This was the case for Yesu Ngwadidi Children’s Home. The director, Leslie Guta, tells the story:

Everybody in the house was happy to start this month. In the evening as we were chatting, we talked about what happened the last two Christmases. We reminded one another of the things that took place, like games and the food we ate. Esnati reminded us of how the chicken we wanted to kill for dinner was stolen by one of our neighbors. We laughed when we thought about it, but on the day it happened we were all upset.

I hope that you can laugh at your troubles today…or maybe by tomorrow, anyhow.

Elisabeth Servant
Director, Orphan’s Tear division

I hope you had a blessed Christmas! This special holiday is celebrated in many different ways around the world, yet with some similarities. For example, while we might go to the store to buy a ham for Christmas dinner, many of our orphanages raised a pig throughout the year just for a Christmas Day feast.

I’m happy to report that Christmas for our 1,008 children was very blessed this year due to the special contributions that were given to our Christmas Gifts for Orphans Fund. In this update, I want to first show you some photos of children with their new Christmas clothes.

Lots of new clothes!

The children of Love in Action with their new Christmas clothes (the director Photoshopped in one boy on the far left who as absent for the group photo!)

Here is a thank-you letter we received from the director at Love in Action Orphanage in Myanmar:

In Myanmar, most of children are not enjoy in Christmas and New Year Eve, even if they are living with parents, as they don’t have Christmas clothing.

But His amazing Hand is obviously found in Love in Action children home during Christmas and coming New Year Eve. All the children had gotten new brand clothing. They could live among their friends with self-confidence and remembering His Grace.

We are sure that His heart is on these little children and never allow them to live inadequately.

May God bless upon all your deeds.

The director of Canaan Orphanage sent this message:

We enjoyed the last Christmas with your lovely gifts and the children are getting each of their shares. “We are not orphans but have parents those who are nurturing and caring us not only in inland but also from abroad,” said the young orphan called Biak Tha Cung.

Below are some more photos sent by our orphanages to show how happy their children are with their new clothes. They are all looking sharp! (In some photos the children are wearing their Christmas clothes, and in other photos the children are holding their new clothes.)

For the children,

Elisabeth Servant
Director, Orphan’s Tear division

Dear Friends,

I love to see children having fun, don’t you? —Especially when they are orphans! Sonny, the director of Beulah Orphanage in Myanmar, is quite creative when it comes to games. He stood up a tall bamboo post with 2,000 kyat (about $2.50) at the top of it. I don’t know about you, but I myself am quite scared of heights. You couldn’t get me to climb to the top of that post to get $2.50! Van Ro Cung was the only brave one who succeeded at climbing the post, with the help of his friends, to get the money.

Elisabeth Servant
Director, Orphan’s Tear division

Dear Friends,

My dad and I spent two weeks in Myanmar last month. Every day we visited several orphanages sponsored by Orphan’s Tear—38 in all.

At each orphanage, the children usually sang a song or two for us. In addition to the usual song at New Heritage Orphanage, however, we witnessed a special show highlighting the talents of two of the boys. Using only their hands and teeth, each husked a coconut—in less than 60 seconds—as the other children cheered them on! When they were done, all that was left was the nut and shreds of the husk littered about the floor. Here are two photos that show the action:

Ready, set…GO!

Husking machines at work!

The children are doing well at all the orphanages we visited. Your help is making a huge difference in their lives. Thanks so much!

Elisabeth Servant
Director, Orphan’s Tear division

Dear Friends,

I just returned from Myanmar, where I visited all 38 of the Orphan’s Tear-sponsored orphanages there. It was wonderful to be with the children again and meet with all the directors individually to discuss moving forward with our Foster Care Initiative. All of the directors had attended a November conference hosted by Orphan’s Tear, where they learned more about the benefits of foster care and how micro-loans can help foster parents start small businesses to provide for themselves and the children in their care. Many of them were very enthusiastic about the plan.

Better Blankets

The children at Shalom Orphanage in Myanmar can’t hide how happy they are to receive new blankets

Although the winter season in Myanmar is warm compared to the sub-freezing temperatures many of us are currently experiencing, it’s cold compared to the climate there during the rest of the year. (When we visit Myanmar, usually in November or December, we are always amazed to see people wearing hats, sweaters, and jackets when the temperature drops below 75 F!)

We sent new blankets to Love in Action Orphanage and Shalom Orphanage because their old ones were worn thin. Now, all of the children have a warm blanket to snuggle in at night. As you can see, they are pretty excited about them! Thank you for giving to Orphan’s Tear’s Special Gifts Fund and keeping orphans warm this winter.

Foundation of Faith

Living Hope Orphanage’s current kitchen doesn’t offer much protection from the elements

When the bellies of children at an orphanage begin to growl, cooking is usually done over an open fire without the aid of electricity. No stoves, ovens, or microwaves—just smoke and, many times, exposure to cold and rain. We recently received the following email from Living Hope Orphanage, asking for our help to build a simple but protected new kitchen. (I haven’t corrected his broken English.)

I would like to let you know that we are cooking every thing at outside and many flies and if there is rain we have to cook in the water. We thought that it is not good to cook all the time at outside even for our health. The children are very excited to have new kitchen and eat in it and they could not wait any more so today, we measured 16 feets x 18 feet and after reading the bible Mat 7:7-8 by me, and pray by all to God, we put and dig the ground for the foundation for our new kitchen. We do hope that by your love and concern for us we will have a good and new kitchen soon through you. This is our special asking for your help. Please, help us and support us for our new kitchen.

By faith, Living Hope’s director and children started to dig the foundation for their new kitchen

After receiving this request (before my visit to Myanmar), I told the director I would be personally coming to his orphanage in just a few short weeks to discuss building a kitchen. Little did he know, however, that I was really planning to tell him and his children in person that, thanks to generous gifts to Orphan’s Tear’s Special Gifts Fund, their prayers for a new kitchen would be answered! It is being built right now as you read this, and next month I hope to be able to show you their finished building.

Next Year…

In 2012, keep an eye out for updates on our Foster Care Initiative. We are hoping to help several of our orphanage directors also become micro-bankers, and place some orphans with loving Christian families. The process is slow, but we know the best place for a child is with a Christian family that can better care for his or her needs.

Thank you so much for caring for orphans and unwanted children during this past year. Your obedience and compassion have touched the heart of Jesus. I’m looking forward to serving alongside you as we serve orphans around the world together.

Parting Shot

These two cuties are the children of one of our orphanage directors and his wife. I’m not sure if one is crying and the other is laughing, but they sure are adorable!

For the children,

Elisabeth Servant
Director, Orphan’s Tear

I hope your Thanksgiving is a blessed time with friends, family and fellowship, not to mention good food! We have so much to be thankful for.

Speaking of being thankful, I can assure you that your sponsored child (or children) is thankful for your consistent support. A number of our staff members just returned from two weeks in Myanmar, where they visited our 40 sponsored orphanages. They spent time playing games with all the children, and gave them all donated candy and small toys. It was like Christmas in November.

Speaking of Christmas, every year around this time we ask our child sponsors to consider sending an extra $5 for each child they sponsor so that our orphanage directors can buy new Christmas clothes for their orphans. If the Lord provides, well over 1,000 orphans and unwanted children in the eight nations where Orphan’s Tear serves will receive new clothes on Christmas morning, which they all excitedly wear throughout their simple, day-long celebration of Jesus’ birth, and all the following year.

Great stories are worth repeating, so I wanted to share one that I shared with you last year at this same time. It is a letter I received just after Christmas of 2009 from one of our orphanage directors in Myanmar named Sonny. We had just begun to help his orphanage, Beulah Children’s Home, when we visited Myanmar in November 2009, but we had not yet found sponsors for his children. Below is his letter. Get ready to shed some tears.

Dear Loving Friends,

Greeting to you in the precious name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Peace and Joy of New Year to you all. First of all, I humbly request you all to read what I felt in this time Christmas.

For me and my family, it was an unhappy day that I could never forget. If it were possible, I would postpone Christmas day for Beulah Children Home.

We woke up early in the morning on Christmas morning and gave thanks to the Lord for what He has done. But my children were not happy that much. I know why they are downcast. But I said to them,”OK, take a bath and wear your clean clothes (not new clothes).” And they obediently took a bath and wore their cleanest clothes. And then we went to the church to praise and worship God. On that morning I was to preach. I was pretty excited to preach on Christmas day.

When we arrived to the church, I saw many other children wearing their new clothes and coming to the church. But my children are wearing their old clothes.They were happy but not wholeheartedly. Because they were jealous of them as they are children, orphans who never wear a new shirt. They have a new father and mother and they will rely on us totally, but when I can not do anything for them, how disappointed thing for my children. I asked myself so many questions.

When I saw them, my children, sitting by other children with their old clothes, I dared not to look at them. My heart was totally broken. I said to myself I am nothing to do God’s work. Since time was passing on, Chairperson called upon me for preaching. As standing on the pulpit I read my chosen Bible verse (Micah 5:2). My tear were flowing down on my cheek. I could not speak a little while. After that I took a new strength and spoke and said,”Though we are poor, small, orphans and have nothing today, we have Jesus Christ who has been born today. How blessed people we are. Today Jesus has been born for the poor, the orphans, widows, and the oppressed.” Then I stopped my preaching.

We went back to home and I called all of them and said to them,”My beloved children, please forgive me (your father) for my poverty, I know I am very poor but the God whom I am believing, I am worshiping and praising every day is very rich. He has a plan for you and for me in the day to come.” After that only we all felt happy and tear of joy flowed down on our cheek.

Dear loving friends, Christmas is a precious and a happy day for some, but for us, Beulah Children Home, we who are fatherless and motherless, it is a day of crying in human side.

And also if it were possible, we Beulah Children Home want this coming New Year to be postponed. We are afraid of this New Year though I used to be eager to reach Happy New Year before. The reason is that our agreement for renting our house will be ended in January. We do not know what situation will come to us in this New Year, for other Happy New Year.

Dear Friends, it is a humble request from Beulah Children Home to pray for us that the exact need we have may be met.

I wish you all a blessed happy New Year…

I’m happy to report that we were able to help Sonny and his orphans with the rent payment that was needed. And just a few months ago we helped him buy a home for the orphanage—complete with a fish pond! All nine children at Beulah Children’s Home have been sponsored by compassionate friends like you. And this year we’re trusting that all nine children will receive Christmas clothes, as well as the rest of the orphans in our sponsored orphanages.

A new group photo by their new fish pond, and a happy boy, Aung-Aung, with his first catch!

Will you help us give your sponsored child his or her only Christmas gift this year? 100% of every contribution to the Christmas Gifts for Orphans Fund is used to provide gifts for the children living at our 51 orphanages around the world. $5 provides clothes for one child. If you feel led to contribute more than $5 for each of your sponsored children, that will be great, as it help make up the difference for sponsors who don’t read this email! Just click here to contribute by credit card or bank withdrawal. Thanks so much!

A couple of happy children with their new clothes

For the children,

Elisabeth Servant

Dear Friends,

This month I want to share with you some good updates and photos that we received from a few of our orphanages.

Orphans Serving Widows

Mephibosheth Orphanage in Myanmar believes that even though they are orphans, James 1:27 still applies to them as well! The director reports:

For two weeks, our young ladies cook food for an old widow (one of our neighbors) because she was in a sickbed and our boys help her in feeding her pigs.

Some of the orphans taking care of pigs

Love in Action

Love in Action Orphanage takes the name of their orphanage very seriously. Recently, they went house-to-house, telling their neighbors about Jesus. Here is what the director wrote:

For our very first trip we were distribute gospel tracts in house to house. Our ministry field is not so far away, just only 10 minutes walk.

We were visited in not only Christian houses but also non–Charistian houses. We have distribute two kinds of tracts and gave as their conditions. If the family is non-Christian, we gave the tracts about “Salvation” and if a house is Christian we gave “Encourangement for Chritian life”.

In every houses that we have been visited, they tell the praying points and then children have pray for them.

Children from Love in Action Orphanage praying for a neighbor

Beulah’s New Home

We recently were able to help with the purchase of a new home for Beulah Orphanage in Myanmar. They are very happy with their new home as you can tell in the following letter we received from them…

Our family jumped for joy yesterday.That day was the day we have been happiest in our family’s lives. We could not buy another house better than this house. More space. It is far better in everything. Today we are in our own house. Praise the Lord. Nothing is impossible with God. When you see our house I hope and believe that you will say good. It is wonderful how God has made the way to purchase this house. It is unbelievable.

The Beulah children waving from their new home!

Thanks so Much!

As always, thanks to every orphan sponsor, and to everyone who has given to any of Orphan’s Tear’s focused funds! Your gifts are making a difference in the lives of orphans, and we are eternally grateful.

For the children,

Charity McDaniel

Hello Friends of Orphan’s Tear,

This month I’m sharing with you a brief sampling of the reports we’ve recently received from our orphanages.

You can read updates from the specific orphanage where your child lives by logging in to your online account at OrphansTear.org. Then click on My Account>Sponsorship and Giving History>My Children>View This Child’s Orphanage. You can also download pictures of your sponsored children to print or use as desktop wallpaper on your computer.

Celebrating Independence Day in Malawi

Children at Yesu Ngwadidi Children’s Home in Malawi, playing “house”

The children at our orphanage in Malawi celebrated Malawi’s Independence Day by “playing house.” Here is what the director wrote to me:

This year once again, our kids gathered together with other friends and neighbours and built small huts out of branches on the Yesu Ngwadidi property. There were about 20 kids in all and a whole village of little huts, each shared by two or more kids. Everyone cooked in their own hut and they did not let us cook any meals at the house all day. It was wonderful to see them acting as mothers and helpers, making their own choices of what to buy, eat, and cook for all meals. House-mother Mrs. Mchacha helped by giving one chicken for every two of our kids. They also had vegetables and rice and other things. Mrs. Guta took some photos of them outside their huts or cooking. In the evening they all sang songs and played tag.

Sounds like fun!

Growing Spiritually

The children of Zion Orphanage in Myanmar having their daily devotions

Although we want to take care of the physical needs of orphans, we want even more for the children to grow up learning about the Savior who loves them. That is why all of the orphanages supported by Orphan’s Tear are directed by devoted Christians. It makes my heart glad to hear reports like this one, from Zion Orphanage in Myanmar:

All children are also growing their spiritual walk. They all are happy to pray and worship together. They all are obedience to God as well as parents [directors]. Some children can share short message during our family devotion hour. Majority decided to be involved fully in ministry.

Flooding in Kalaymyo, Myanmar

Joshua, the director of Shalom Orphanage in Myanmar

The rainy season has been rainier than usual this year in Kalaymyo, Myanmar. Everyone there is looking forward to the drier season ahead—as are we, since we are taking a team of 17 people to Kalaymyo in just over a month! Our team, made up of Heaven’s Family staff members and Orphan’s Tear sponsors, will be visiting the 23 orphanages we help in Kalaymyo, as well as the 15 orphanages we help in Yangon. Our team is looking forward to a wonderful time visiting the orphans, and will be bringing back lots of pictures to share with you!

Thanks so Much!

As always, thanks to every orphan sponsor, and to everyone who has given to Orphan’s Tear! Your gifts are making a difference in the lives of orphans, and we are eternally grateful.

For the children,

Charity McDaniel