The precious children with a new future

We are sitting in the living room of our friends Silas and Saritas. On our way to Uttareh in Sikkem, we have been invited to have lunch with them. Silas calls all the children of his home to come into the room. Shortly after, eight pair of big, brown, beautiful eyes are looking at us. They look happy and satisfied, but a little curious and shy at the same time, seeing these white, strange visitors.

Silas take one child at the time, place them before himself and present them to us, telling their names and stories. Five of them have background as orphans.

Two of the boys are born in the home, his wife gave birth to them. They are three and five years old. One girl is visiting today together with her father.

Afterwards Silas is telling each of the former orphans’ stories, straight forward, their special, tragic background.

"This is the first one we adopted", he says. "His father killed his mother, and he was left alone with nobody to look after him. One had lost a parent before she was born and had been full of wounds over her body. Jesus had healed her. There were others who had killing in the family or just been left.

The children are quiet and we are listening while tears are running down our cheeks as the tragic stories about each of them are told. What a tough, painful start they had in life.

Now they all are lined up to sing to us. They start to sing in English, dancing and do it so beautifully, perfectly with parallel movements, while they are praising God. They sing with happy voices express joy and happiness. They are also singing in their mother language a couple of songs. Some of them are saying bible verses, they know 130 by heart. They are praying loud together "The Lord’s Prayer".

It is so moving, all of us are deeply touched in our hearts. I will never forget this hour with these precious children.

The children are between 3 and 9 years old, boys and girls. They are happy, they have been rescued, somebody cared, somebody gave them shelter and a new home. They are loved by God, loved by the new parents. They are not orphans anymore. They are precious, privileged children with hope for a bright future.

Text: Solveig Thu