restoring hope blog

Our team in South Asia was excited to share some fun memory-making from their summer, so they sent over some photos, which you click through below. These are specifically from our tri-annual gatherings (which sort of resemble youth group events), and represent a month full of community and celebration for our Restoring Hope children and families. Like young people everywhere, our children, youth, and students need time to just have fun and restore a sense of delight during childhood. And that’s why you’ll see them playing chess and taking a boat ride, in addition to times of teaching and worship. Our Summer Celebrations highlight our model of care for those we serve: Biological families caring for their own orphaned or vulnerable children—supported by the local church with nutrition, discipleship, and education. 

Advika’s* early life was marked by deep loss. At just three, she lost her mother to suicide—the result of domestic violence and addiction—and was soon abandoned by her father. She and her brother were taken in by their grandmother, who struggled to provide even the basics For years, Advika’s future looked uncertain. Financial pressure nearly forced her into domestic labor, and her education came to a halt. But everything changed when her grandmother connected with a local church pastor and Restoring Hope’s social workers. 

By Bryan & Shelley, Restoring Hope Partners We and our two boys live in Western Washington. We grew up involved in our local churches; going on mission trips to Mexico, Honduras, and Romania; and having a heart for local and global missions. We knew Restoring Hope's Co-director, Sean, from many years ago, and after seeing some posts on social media, we started supporting Restoring Hope back in 2011, before our boys were born. At the end of 2018, we felt called to partner more with Restoring Hope because we wanted our boys to be more involved. We had told Sean that we would support a home of boys in South Asia. In talking with Sean, it became clear to us that God had been leading us in this direction. At the beginning of 2019 our experience of supporting these children became more meaningful as we watched our boys and the boys of Restoring Hope grow up simultaneously. Watching the boys of Restoring Hope become college students, while the youngest is still in grade school, has been a rewarding journey. As a family, we watch for updates, see pictures, and continue to pray for hope and healing for these friends on the other side of the world who have been through so much. In partnering with Restoring Hope, we have seen first-hand the generational change and holistic restoration of orphans that is happening in South Asia. Each time we give, we know exactly what our giving is going towards, and the real-life impact it is having in the lives of once-orphaned children and their families.

Malisha’s* story is a common one in rural South Asia. Her parents were married at a young age, and were expected to have children as soon as possible. After Malisha was born, her family was doing okay for a while—but then tragedy struck. Her father died of a heart attack when Malisha was only three years old. Malisha’s mother did her best to make it work, but life as a solo parent and only breadwinner in rural South Asia (or anywhere) is overwhelming. A situation that may have been disastrous for Malisha and her family became a story of God’s provision and love. Because one of our Restoring Hope village pastors stepped in. Through the support of the local church, Malisha was reunified with her grandmother who was able to become her caregiver. And Malisha is now attending the very best college preparatory school in her area. Without the help of Restoring Hope, Malisha’s education would have been minimal, and her future would have been in jeopardy. Very likely she would have relied on day-to-day subsistence work, or she would have married too young, hoping for the best. Malisha, now 15, was baptized in Jesus Christ during the pandemic, and hopes to be a police officer in the future. There are hundreds of children and youth like Malisha that are overcoming tragedy, learning about God’s love, and looking at a bright future because of Restoring Hope’s help of orphaned and vulnerable children through local village churches in South Asia. This happens because of the support and prayers of Restoring Hope's partners.  We, and Malisha, are so grateful!

By Mary, Restoring Hope Partner Exactly nine years ago, I met some of the Restoring Hope children for the first time. I had the pure joy of serving onsite in South Asia with Restoring Hope, and all these years later, I can still see the smile of these children and remember the sounds of their laughter so clearly. My team helped facilitate several summer camps for Restoring Hope children over the course of a month. These summer camps (now called Summer Celebrations) were much-anticipated for all the children—often what they looked forward to all year long. From the youngest child to the oldest adult, camp was enjoyed to the fullest and filled with purpose. The theme for our camps that year was The Kingdom of God, and our games, development activities, and devotionals were centered around Matthew 19:14, which says, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to such as these." It is still so sweet to reflect on my time nine years later, and in doing so, to share part of the journal I wrote during that trip: We are finishing up our fifth camp for Restoring Hope . . . What a blast it has been. I feel like I have gained so many little brothers and sisters! You can see hope so clearly in all of their eyes. The stories of what each of these children have walked through are heavy, but you’d never know they were once orphaned by meeting them. Their hearts are so pure, and their joy runs deep. Restoring Hope truly is changing the trajectory of their lives. I saw firsthand that what these kids experience through Restoring Hope is nothing short of transformational. I knew I wanted to be part of this vision however I could. Before I got home to the States, I asked how to stay connected, and be part of the Restoring Hope team. Throughout the past nine years, I’ve had the opportunity to contribute blogs, social media content, join the development team, help college mission teams prepare for Restoring Hope trips of their own, and lend a hand in coordinating fundraising campaigns. Being part of the Restoring Hope tribe really is a treasure to me. Building and expanding an organization led by the local village church, aiming to bring hope and discipleship across Asia, is no small task. The simultaneous seasons of planning, fundraising and expansion are fast-paced and full. Seeing only a glimpse of the behind-the-scenes myself, I am overwhelmingly thankful for the directors and staff who have formed the strong foundation of what Restoring Hope is today. We’re expectant to see where He continues to lead us, and how He continues to bring new opportunities to restore hope for vulnerable children in Asia.

Mahini’s* father passed away when she was very young. In South Asian rural villages, this type of tragedy is nearly impossible to overcome. But a local Restoring Hope pastor stepped in to offer help. And as Mahini grew up learning about God’s love and attending a school she'd otherwise not have access to, she embraced the message of servant leadership that all Restoring Hope children are taught. Now 24 years old, Mahini is at the cusp of her career as she applies to work for a local private company as a software engineer! Below she shares her progress and future dreams in her own words: "I finished my fourth year project and my final year. I got good marks in my electrical engineer subjects. Now I am waiting for my bachelor graduation degree certificate. And after that, I will join a local private company. I want to share my thoughts and my projects with all of the poor, neglected, and orphaned children (through computer language skills and communicating through software engineering)." Mahini is one of our very first college graduates, and today she serves as one of two Restoring Hope Alumni Coordinators who are helping keep all those who finish college in community for years to come. Starting with 80 children in 8 church-based residential homes, we are now serving more than 800 children and families in our network of care. We anticipate hundreds more graduates, baptized in Jesus and ready to serve their communities as doctors, lawyers, school teachers, pastors, and city leaders. It wouldn't be possible without people like you who pray and give generously to make Restoring Hope's work possible.  *Pseudonyms are used to protect the identities of people and areas Restoring Hope serves.

At Restoring Hope, we're championing a new model of care for orphaned children called family-based care. What this means is that in the event of a child losing one or both parents, we help make it possible for that child to remain with their living biological family members. That might be a grandparent, aunt or uncle, or older sibling. Extended family is already such an integrated and natural presence in village South Asia, and extended family members play an important part in a child understanding the dynamics of community. Our goal is to support these children through the local village church. Holistic care looks like pouring love onto the child and their primary caregiver (within their biological family). This ensures the child's needs are met no matter how difficult the family tragedy they experienced is. Investigating the life surrounding a child is needed in order to prioritize family. In the absence of a biological parent, living with a grandmother, aunt, or other extended family member is usually the first choice for a child. This preserves a family. And we aim for these children to rise out of poverty, being the first in their families to graduate college and have reliable incomes. And we encourage children to invite their whole family to attend church with them, which creates potential for the entire family to be rich spiritually, not just economically. Long-term we envision the children becoming future leaders who serve their communities—through their families first. And we are so glad to regularly hear reports of children who want to make a good living in order give back to their family and community in some way. “I want to take care of my grandpa." “I want to make sure my grandma is taken care of.” “I want to help give back to my aunt." The role of family is so important to orphan care, and to Restoring Hope’s mission of holistic renewal of orphaned and vulnerable children in South Asia—and their families!

Have you ever wondered how we keep up with the 800+ children and families in our network of care? Because of our family-based model of care, the children of Restoring Hope live with biological family caregivers rather than in children's homes. This requires a lot more work to gather information and reports on their statuses. Our support teams are made up of local village pastors, indigenous social workers, and on-the-ground administrative staff. They have set up ways to stay in contact with each child regardless of geographic location—even the older children and graduates. Pastor home visits are part of the reporting process. Six case workers are also dedicated to home visits, with an additional four trained social workers who report three times annually on higher-risk children. Hours on buses, trains, and auto-rickshaws are required to travel to rural villages in an overall region the size of Colorado! Amidst home visits, these teams also check in with families by phone, as well as in-person at our Summer Celebrations, Christmas Celebrations, and other similar gatherings. With this team of support staying connected to the children and families in our care, we get to pass along to you how the children are doing, as well as their hopes and dreams for the future! Here’s one update from Rowann*: Rowann* is now 24 years old, and has been reintegrated into his biological family, living with his mother. His father passed when he was young due to medical complications, and he was raised in a local village church for almost a decade. Now, through his studies to become a nurse, he is gaining education and practicum experience in a government hospital in pediatrics and maternal mother care. Part of his work is to help prevent early complications to unborn children. A highlight for Rowann recently was a medical camp, which he talks about in his last report: "I am very happy about attending this medical camp program. I treated what they wanted to needed patients, and we are giving some medicine to them. This year I am studying my final year of nursing (as a junior), and we are celebrated in a farewell party for the final year students. My college teachers and my fellow juniors are cheering me on in my upcoming final year examinations." Rowann has many plans that include taking his studies further. Because of Restoring Hope's support, his dreams are realistic. He is very dedicated to seeing them through and giving back to his community in some way after he establishes a regular salary. This is not uncommon. Many of the children tell our staff in their updates that they are “wanting to get a good job to support their family.” How amazing to see these restored children bring hope not only for themselves, but to the whole family, inspiring other Restoring Hope children along the way as well! This shows once again that once a child receives the holistic support they need to thrive, transformation can take place. *Pseudonyms are used to protect the identities of people and areas Restoring Hope serves.

Early on Restoring Hope's ministry in South Asai—when we had around 100 little kids, ages five to twelve years old, we reached out to our partners to ask if they could help fund projects like painting our church buildings, or providing school uniforms and Christmas gifts for the children. This began a tradition of giving new clothes to the children of Restoring Hope at Christmastime. New shirts, pants, or dresses for young orphaned and vulnerable children is so important to foster a sense of dignity and personal worth. Back then we had dreams of sending these children to college one day. Fast forward twelve years, and now all the children are living and thriving with biological family caregivers, and half of them are on the brink of that very dream—attending college and likely becoming the last person in their family to ever experience poverty. Today, one of the most significant times of year for the children and families of Restoring Hope is during Christmas when their local churches gather to celebrate together. In order to rotate hosting venues, a few churches come together as a "cluster" to hold our Christmas Celebrations. This also fosters relationships, as children and families reunite with friends from other churches they don't see day-today. They get to eat great food, sing and dance, pray, and experience what it means to celebrates this important holiday. And it draws new participants into the local congregations! Every year when the holiday season is upon us, the 800+ children and families in Restoring Hope's network of care look forward to these Christmas Celebration gatherings—just as much, or even more than, we do here in the West. Attendees hear about the angels and shepherds, Mary’s faithful response, the birth of the Savior, and peace on Earth. Thank you for helping make these gatherings possible through your prayers and financial support. You are helping make it possible for hundreds of orphaned and vulnerable children, their extended families, and local village members to hear the message of Christmas.