In 2004, with help, one orphanage with thirty children was able to build a strong two-story building to replace their dilapidated shack. Before the cyclone hit, the children were discriminated against by the villagers because they were Christians in a Buddhist society. They were insulted and mocked because they were orphans, and sometimes people threw stones to chase them away.

When the storm came, the village and neighbouring areas were badly damaged, but this building stood firm. At midnight during the cyclone, when houses collapsed, roofs blew away, and rain pounded around them, many villagers realised that the orphanage was the only steady structure in the village. They knew they had no other choice but to ask for help.

When the orphans saw what was happening they opened their doors and welcomed the neighbours inside. At one point there were over 70 people sheltered in the orphanage. The cyclone had wiped out all food and water supplies in the village, but with help, the orphanage had rice to spare. This food was shared with the people there, as well as with the rest of the village who didn’t have access to food. The rice was divided into plastic bags, and after the storm the children delivered the rations to the rest of the village.     

 “It’s just amazing how the children could show God’s love in that practical way,” shared one worker. “And in spite of being discriminated against they were willing to help reach those people.”

Before the cyclone, a water system had been installed that pumps and purifies water for drinking. For weeks, the village had no access to fresh water because it had no electricity. But, the orphanage had a generator, and was able to pump and purify drinking water for a 1,000 people in the village.     

Now, hundreds of people in the village live in make-shift shacks, constructed with tarp and pieces of wood. A day’s wage can only buy a day’s worth of food, so people are not able to begin rebuilding their homes. It will take about 100 USD to build one house and 150 USD to build a slightly bigger one for families with more than five children.  

The money was organised with local staff and the director of the orphanage so that they would receive the funds and then use the money to help rebuild the village.

 “In the people’s eyes, the orphanage is helping the neighbours. That’s a very important thing,” he said. “It makes a difference with the children as well as the people in the village. The children, once despised and discriminated against by the people, now are their friends.”  

Please pray for as more funds are raised to help support the orphanages and farming villages. Praise God that these orphans were able to reach out to their neighbours. Pray that the villagers, and others in Myanmar, will have a chance to hear that God loves them and cares about their situation.