Orphans in the pagoda
Over 50 children live in the Bo De pagoda in Hanoi. All are orphans, many abandoned as babies by teenage, drug-addicted or divorced mothers. Kieu Thu Huong was one such baby, and at 18, is “mother” to the other children in the pagoda where she has lived her entire life. Some parents, in extreme poverty, ask the pagoda to care for their children, and maintain regular contact. However, most children never see their parents again – in nearly 20 years, only one mother has returned for her child. Life in the pagoda is frugal – money raised from Buddhist followers barely covers school fees and food. Even donations of second-hand clothes are insufficient for all the children.
- Give thanks that people of compassion take in orphans. Ask that those in the pagoda, both monks and children, would still have the chance to hear about Jesus.
- Pray for those whose dire circumstances prompt them to abandon their children.
- “Let the little children come to me.” Ask the Lord to raise up His people to meet these children’s needs.