What Are the Benefits of Developing Creativity in Children?
What parents do and say will affect what their children do and say. Whether direct or indirect, intentional or unintentional, what parents live out every day will influence their children. This is seen in the life of Nado.
Continue Reading ›Bring an Empty Cup
When I come with an empty cup, the poor teach me about the faith required to truly depend on God rather than for me to try to solve all their problems by reaching for my wallet. When I come with an empty cup, the poor teach me how to get the best use of the resources around me instead of wasting so much.
Continue Reading ›Removing Education Barriers (Why We Love the Church)
For most parents, the trip to the school may seem death-defying to them, but those trips usually only consist of a quick drive or a walk to the school gates. But the families of Ngandong village, in central Java, Indonesia, take their lives in their hands every day walking to school.
Sponsors Really Do Exist!
Matthew never stopped smiling as the children swarmed around him and wanted to shake his hand. Even though he was not their sponsor, the children were thrilled to meet the very first sponsor to visit their child development center.
Without Mentors, Our Ministry to the Poor Is Just a Concept
Not everyone is qualified to be a mentor. Mentors must be committed Christians, committed to the local church, have passion to minister to the children, have basic teaching skills, and have good relational skills.
How Can the Presence of Clean Water Improve a Community?
Children’s hygiene is often neglected because they can’t bathe or wash their hands as often as they need to. Health issues like skin diseases are common among people due to the lack of clean water.
“I Want to Reach My Dream”
“I want to reach my dream. I want to become a doctor someday because I want to help people in this village,” says Nathan.
Giving Birth in the Developing World
Most Papuan women still give birth with traditional methods in a traditional Papuan house made of wood with a grass bed. They prefer to give birth at home because they are also afraid of the service from health workers who are not always friendly. Many believe that it is more efficient to give birth at home alone or with help of someone who lives nearby.
Your Sponsored Child Prays for You
“We hope we can always uphold our sponsors in our prayers. I hope our sponsors also want to tell more about struggles that they face every day. It will help us not just know them better, it will help us to have better relationships with them and Christ through our prayers.” And so prays Megawati, one of the sponsored children from Sola Fide.
An Indonesian Idol
Knowing Nyopon’s dream to become a singer, Mustika, one of the staff members at the child development center, offered him the opportunity to join the “Idola Cilik” contest. Idola Cilik is a national children’s singing contest inspired by “American Idol.”
How Valuable Is a Little Encouragement in a Person’s Life?
Now a successful man who owns a large egg-selling business, Wolly Towoliu was once known as a little boy who had a very bad attitude. Wolly liked to hit his friends, sometimes even with stones. His mother once even said, “It would be better if you just went to the forest. I can’t stand any more of your attitude.”
What Impact Does Access to Clean Water Have on a Community?
No one would think people who live in an area rich in natural resources would have a problem getting water. But for many years, struggling to find fresh water was a way of life in Meagama Village in Papua, Indonesia’s largest province.
Longstanding agreements with other villages limited the sources where each community could draw water. For the villagers of Meagama, accessing water meant a two-hour journey on foot. Because they usually used a bucket to transport their water, obtaining enough water to meet their needs often required several trips.
But the difficulties didn’t stop there; the water the Meagama people put so much effort into getting actually caused them harm.