Sweet 16
Today we celebrate 16 years of giving HOPE! Last year we took a walk down memory lane, and named 15 accomplishments we were the most proud of and thankful for (which you can read here, here, and here). This week we shared an incredible update from India about Abigail & Akhsa, two girls we’ve supported their whole lives (15 years and counting!) If you take the time to look around our site and learn, you’ll see one theme that we’ve carried through year, after year, after year, after year, after year, after year, after year, after year, after year, after year, after year, after year, after year, after year, after year, after year (if you’re counting, that’s 16!) – and it can be summed up in one word…
FAITHFULNESS
Running an international nonprofit is no easy task. The work is heavy and heart-wrenching. But through it all, we’ve learned the importance of faithfulness. We have had years with an abundance of funding and years we have pleaded for each dollar. We’ve had steady monthly donors who have faithfully given (some all 16 years!) and been surprised by generous one time gifts. We’ve had years with growth – adding many new projects and partnerships. We’ve had other years where we fought to stay stable (through global pandemics, recessions, and more.) Some years we’ve had a dozen or two kids in our care… others we’ve had more than 200 children we were responsible for. In recent years, as our capacity to travel has decreased, we’ve honed in on the two homes that need us the most: Asha House in India, and Baan Choo Jai (the Girls Home we founded) in Thailand. Both of these homes are run by House Moms we’ve known for more than 16 years, and their stories of overcoming obstacles and remaining faithful to the children in their homes are incredibly powerful. [Rahpee and Simini, it is an honor to parter with each of you! Your faithfulness is a constant inspiration to us!]
Over the past 16 years we have watched so many little boys and girls grow up. We have seen children with devastating medical diagnosis heal and THRIVE. We’ve seen abandoned babies become beloved daughters. We’ve seen girls at risk of trafficking protected, children in poverty well fed, and little ones with bleak futures become educated (all the way through college!) We’ve bought and built Children’s Homes, and started sustainability projects and a Community Garden. We’ve celebrated high school graduations, college graduations, weddings, and babies. We’ve seen our little ones become adults who broke out of the cycle of poverty and are raising the next generation equipped and empowered.
According to dictionary.com, FAITHFULNESS means being loyal, steadfast, and trustworthy. It means consistently keeping promises, maintaining commitments, and staying true to a person, cause or belief regardless of changing circumstances or difficulties. Though there is always more we wish we could do, our commitment to keep this organization going through the last 16 years has made a world of difference for the kids in our care… and our work isn’t done! We still have boys and girls depending on us in Thailand & India.
As we face, yet again, economic uncertainty and global inflation, funding has becoming more and more challenging for our remaining partnerships. So today, as we look back on 16 faithful years, we’re asking…. will you join us? Will you help us fulfill our commitments to the 7 children still with our House Moms, finishing their basic schooling, and the 5 pursuing degrees to become teachers and nurses?
Our birthday wish this year is for new monthly donors! Will you please sign up today to give – any amount you can – and help make our wish come true? Having you join us as a faithful monthly partner would make this a truly SWEET 16!
p.s. – One time gifts are always wonderful too! We’re just $6,306 away from hitting 1.6 Million total dollars raised, and it would be so special to reach that amount in our 16th year! If you’d like to give toward that goal, it would provide much needed education funding for our kids and make yet another birthday wish come true!