In the northern villages of raw Myanmar, one will find great beauty in the vibrant rolling mountains, the laughing children, and the zest of culture preserved. However, with great beauty comes great vulnerability, as young girls face the very real dangers of being sold as wives to China. Twleve-year-old Ngwa Mar Sar - a common name for Lisu daughters - was born in Bon Ton, where she faced such a risk.
Growing up in poverty, she spent her toddler years with her elder brother after her father and mother died. She remembers staying by her brother's side as they cut trees and planted rice in the fields. Arriving at Loving Fountain Children's Home at the age of four, she was old enough to appreciate the stark contrast between her struggle in Bon Ton and her new opportunities at the center.
"I can have food," was her first thought, as she counted her new blessings. Next, "I can study." When asked how she has since grown during her eight years at Loving Fountain, she replied, in "everything."
"All the teachers teach about Jesus Christ," explains Ngwa Mar Sar of her tutors and mentors who live with her twenty-four hours a day. "He died for me." Ngwa Mar Sar realizes that she would have never learned of Jesus without coming to the orphanage.
Ngwa Mar Sar enjoys fellowshipping with friends, singing, and attending fifth grade at a public school in Myitkyina, where reading is her favorite subject. "Learning is good for me," she says. The gift of an education will keep this soon-to-be teenager out of the fields and off the streets, away from the threats of trafficking. She is safe at Loving Fountain, protected by a caring community and her Heavenly Father, though not all children in northern Myanmar can say the same.
Ngwa Mar Sar aspires to be a teacher when she grows up. She is thankful for her many opportunities, and her warm smile and dimpled cheeks tell her story well.
*To learn more about children like Ngwa Mar Sar or to bless the children at Loving with a gift, visit www.AsianChildrensMission.org.
Growing up in poverty, she spent her toddler years with her elder brother after her father and mother died. She remembers staying by her brother's side as they cut trees and planted rice in the fields. Arriving at Loving Fountain Children's Home at the age of four, she was old enough to appreciate the stark contrast between her struggle in Bon Ton and her new opportunities at the center.
"I can have food," was her first thought, as she counted her new blessings. Next, "I can study." When asked how she has since grown during her eight years at Loving Fountain, she replied, in "everything."
"All the teachers teach about Jesus Christ," explains Ngwa Mar Sar of her tutors and mentors who live with her twenty-four hours a day. "He died for me." Ngwa Mar Sar realizes that she would have never learned of Jesus without coming to the orphanage.
Ngwa Mar Sar enjoys fellowshipping with friends, singing, and attending fifth grade at a public school in Myitkyina, where reading is her favorite subject. "Learning is good for me," she says. The gift of an education will keep this soon-to-be teenager out of the fields and off the streets, away from the threats of trafficking. She is safe at Loving Fountain, protected by a caring community and her Heavenly Father, though not all children in northern Myanmar can say the same.
Ngwa Mar Sar aspires to be a teacher when she grows up. She is thankful for her many opportunities, and her warm smile and dimpled cheeks tell her story well.
*To learn more about children like Ngwa Mar Sar or to bless the children at Loving with a gift, visit www.AsianChildrensMission.org.