Precious Legacies - Building Bridges
A man went for a long walk one day; lost in his own thoughts. He walked for hours into the forest; climbing hills, crossing streams until he reached a deep canyon and had to stop. Across the canyon he could see the edge of the small town where he lived, but the deep chasm between made it impossible to reach from where he stood. He realized how tired he was and sat down to rest, wishing there was a bridge.
The sun was starting to sink in the West and he decided it was probably time to head back the way he came.
He rose to his feet, stretched his weary legs and headed off, following the depressions his feet had made in the tall green grass. He reached the tree line and entered the forest, leaving the warmth of the sun-drenched, red-rock canyon behind him. He was sure he recognized the path he had taken there, a thin game trail that winded its way through the dense canopy of evergreens; a trail that would eventually lead him back to where he had parked his truck.
He walked for about an hour, being sure to keep the fading sunlight behind him until its light was no longer direct, but just the diffused light of a late afternoon.
Suddenly up ahead, the forest seemed to brighten and he could see what looked like the edge of a meadow. He frowned. He hadn’t crossed a meadow on the way there.
As he neared the clearing, he could feel his heart beating in his chest as he realized something very disturbing. He stepped out of the trees and his fears were confirmed. It wasn’t a meadow. It was the same canyon he had encountered just an hour before! The same canyon and the same view of his unobtainable destination!
He panicked for a moment, his pulse pounding in his head as he tried to think how he could have ended up in the same place. He was sure he had followed the right path, yet here he was! Now the sun was sinking even lower and he knew that once he entered the forest, the shadows would be getting long indeed.
He had heard about people walking in circles because one stride was longer than the other, but didn’t believe that could be possible in his case. Where was the streams he had crossed? The hills? As he entered the forest again, the urgency he felt was evidenced by the quick, long strides he took. He focused his eyes on the trail and moved along as quickly as he could, certain he was headed in the right direction this time. Soon he would see the first stream, then the hills.
But once again, just an hour later, the forest began to lighten. And once again, the trees opened up to reveal the very same canyon. The very same view. He sat down on a rock at the edge of the canyon, put his head in his hands and sobbed. Everything he wanted was right there in front of him…but it may as well have been a million miles away. What he needed now… was a bridge.
Can you imagine the fear and frustration this man felt? To be able to see everything he wanted and needed right in front of him and still not be able to reach his destination? Such is the case for millions of people living in poverty in developing nations. And doubly so for the most vulnerable of all in those developing nations… the orphan children.
They are born into a cyclic cultural issue that is perpetual in nature. Without a bridge from the life they were born into, they are doomed to repeat the cycle and create more orphans themselves… if they even survive. They are doomed to a life in which they will survive in one of two ways… begging/crime or hard labor. Neither of these options do anything to break the cycle.
We have been building bridges for many years now. Bridges that give the orphan children a way to move from a life of starvation and hopelessness to a life filled with everything they need to survive.
We build bridges that give the orphans a way to move from a life with no security or love to a life wherein they know that there will be love and care every day. There will be a warm bed and a roof over their head every day. This gives them the state of mind they need to not just survive but to thrive.
We build a bridge to move them from ignorance to mental and spiritual enlightenment through education and spiritual education; unlocking the potential of their mind and soul to be able to use the gifts that God gave them.
We build bridges in relationships. Bridges that move them from a place of mistrust to a place filled with trust. This gives them hope. This allows them to dream about what and who they might become.
We started out in Russia more than 22 years ago. But we have been working in many other countries now for more than 16 years; building those very bridges. That fact means that there are very many orphans who have spent their entire lives in our homes and are now young adults at a very critical stage in their lives.
They are quite literally standing at that canyon, looking across the chasm at everything they want and everything they need, not just to survive, but to thrive and realize their full potential. Across that canyon lies everything they need to become successful and break the endless cycle of poverty and cultural norms and lack of spiritual care that cause them to become an orphan in the first place. Across that canyon is everything they need to begin a generational and perpetual lineage of success that doesn’t just change their life, but the lives of their own future children and everyone they meet and interact with.
In Africa alone, we have dozens of children who are now attending college. Dozens of children who are baptized and know the steps to salvation through Jesus Christ, the ultimate and only bridge between here and heaven.
With college or trade school, these children can and will break that cycle. Without it, they would be a bridge shy of success, and would very likely become laborers at best. The income for laborers is at poverty level.
We are so thankful to each and every one of you that are helping us build this last and critical bridge that will provide a path to success for these orphans that we have been loving and nurturing for so many years now. They will make you proud! They are your precious, living legacies.