Child Development Program

Sometimes there are children who fight hard. The situations and circumstances that they come from are unimaginable. Life is extremely difficult, there are no opportunities, and there is no encouragement or motivation to change their situation--they are oppressed and left without a voice. That is why we are here in Liberia. To fight for these children. 

Over the past few weeks, we have had visitors in Liberia. Two of the visitors sponsor children through our Child Sponsorship Program (CSP). It has been exciting, heart-warming and a total blast to be able to surprise two children with a special visit from their sponsor! There have been huge hugs and non-stop giggling and the children have been so proud to hold their sponsors hand and show them their home, bed and belongings. I know that Henry and Massah will both remember the day they met their sponsor for a very long time!

Over the last few weeks in our Child Development Program (CDP), we have been talking about the Fruits of the Spirit. So far, we have talked about love, joy and peace. It is always interesting to see how children in Liberia perceive Biblical concepts and how they associate words like love, joy and peace to their everyday life.

The past few weeks have been an exciting time for our Child Development Program (CDP). We were working our way to the Easter story, so two weeks ago the children learned about The Last Supper. To make the story come alive for the kids, we took communion--sharing bread and juice together. For most of the children, this was their first time to have communion.

Most of the children we work with in the orphanages love music. Every time I pull my guitar out, I see smiles from ear to ear as we prepare to sing. I have had the opportunity to teach the children different worship and praise songs, give guitar lessons--and even teach them songs about keeping their restrooms clean! Unfortunately, sanitation and proper hygiene are ongoing issues in several orphanages, so we think that music will be a friendly and enjoyable reminder for the kids to keep things clean.

Sometimes there are children who just really stand out. Most of the time, they stand out because of the obstacles they have overcome, or because of how much they have blossomed. One of those special children is an eight year old little girl named Yamah. When I first met Yamah about three years ago, she was thin, sad and silent. Her hair was always kept short, and she was always teased because she had terrible sores all over her head. She never said a word, and I just knew that she did not feel loved or beautiful.

Our Child Development Program (CDP) has become a highlight in the lives of the kids we serve. It is a time each week for them to know they are unique, feel loved, have some fun, and learn about God. The actual program has changed some throughout the years, but the vision is always the same-- love the kids. 

Maglee lives at one of the orphanages that Orphan Relief and Rescue visits on a weekly basis. We first met Maglee about three years ago. She was painfully shy and quiet, often sitting by herself in a corner. She hardly smiled or even spoke, and she always appeared sickly. No matter how hard we tried to bring her out of her shell, Maglee remained somber.

As Orphan Relief and Rescue is coming up on our four year anniversary, it is incredible to look back and see how much the children that we work with have grown. We've seen God work in amazing ways in their lives, and we feel privileged to have been a part of it.

With rainy season in full downpour, our field team has been shrinking. Several of our staff are taking some much needed time off to rest and reset for another busy program year.