For the past few weeks, my husband and I have experienced a lot of joy, love and mercy!
With God's grace, we were privileged to have witnessed unconditional love at a close range.
A couple of months ago, I went out for lunch with a Christian friend of mine, Freda, trying to catch up with each other. We always have so much fun sharing and talking about everything. The joy of friendship in Christ! During our lunch, my friend casually mentioned that she was involved with a Children's Heart Project a few years ago. Pretty soon, she and her husband would be hosting two families and an interpreter from Mongolia in her home providing them with lodging and food. Altogether, there would be five people staying in their house for at least four weeks.
The Children's Heart Project, sponsored by Samaritan's Purse, has been in operation since 1997. Its mission is to provide children needing life saving heart operations in countries where the technologies are not available. Samaritan's Purse provides plane tickets to the child patient, his/ her parent and an interpreter to fly to North America or Cayman Island where the hospitals with top notched heart surgeons also donate their time to perform these surgeries.
Besides the medical staff and the hospitals willing to donate their time and expertise, many people are also required in helping these families whose children are about to go through these surgeries. Extra help and support are needed in the areas of accommodation, meals, transportation, emotional and spiritual support.
The thought of opening your home for a month and preparing three meals a day for a group of five strangers whose eating habits, cultures, customs and language are totally different from us overwhelmed me. I could imagine the tremendous amount of work, time, efforts, financial resources, endless dedication and patience involved in being the hosts of this project. I knew very little of the Children's Heart Project, but love my friends dearly. How much love does this couple have in order to open their home, receive these strangers in need and shower them with love and care? They do this all for free, with no compensation whatsoever at all! I was so moved by their actions of love that I agreed to get involved immediately.
Glad we were of our involvement! Since the group of five Mongolian guests would be staying for a month at Freda and Peter's home, Freda found a Meal Train application online where volunteers could sign up to help with meals and visits for the duration. Desiring to encourage others to sign up with meal deliveries, we signed up right away for three dinners and visits.
It was a joy cooking, delivering the meals and eating with the two Mongolian and host families. There was much sharing, laughter and love at the dinner table.
It was wonderful being around the two babies, Zamilian, a 12 month old baby girl, and Telman, a 13 month old baby boy, their mothers and the interpreter. We were privileged to have been there to see the two kids just before their scheduled operations and were also present after their surgeries.
In fact we enjoyed the experience so much that we wanted to spend more time with the kids and our Mongolian guests. We wanted to sign up for more meal deliveries. But the schedule was full; all the spots were taken, Hallelujah! Many other volunteers also wanted to help and support these families!
Involved with the Children's Heart Project by helping out with meal delivery, we were able to sit, enjoy the dinner and have great sharing with our Mongolian guests, the two mothers, the interpreter and Freda and Peter, our hosts. We have learned so much from them!
They shared with us about their Mongolian way of life, their customs and traditions. In return, our hosts shared with them about the gospel and the love of God.
Beside the unconditional love demonstrated by Freda and Peter, we were also touched by the Mongolian interpreter's sacrifice. She willingly gave up her own vacation time and has been accompanying these two mothers since the beginning of the trip flying from Mongolia to Canada.
While they were at the hospital awaiting for the children's numerous medical tests, assessments and staying overnight throughout the gut wrenching surgeries and post operation periods, this interpreter stayed with the mothers at all times, interpreting for the them and supporting them emotionally and spiritually. It must have been exhausting and emotionally draining for them all!
Our thanks to God, the children are recovering well and awaiting for their final post operation check ups before returning home next week. We delivered our final dinner and visited them last Friday night.
We gave our Mongolian guests each a small gift as a token of our love and good wishes. We said our goodbye; tears started to swell up in our eyes. We were thankful for the gift of life for both babies, for the opportunity of meeting and getting to know the mothers, the interpreter and our hosts.
The best gift was experiencing God's love, His mercy and protective hands in our lives and making new friends! We may be thousands miles apart, but our hearts and prayers will always be with Zamilian, Telman, the mothers and our selfless interpreter!
Thank you, Freda and Peter for opening your home and receiving and looking after those in need so well for the past five weeks. We were privileged to have a tiny part in this life giving project!
Thank you, God, for your love, grace and mercy!
R.T.
Toronto, Canada
Photo credit - Freda, the Samaritan Purse's host
P.S. For more information about the Children's Heart Project, please go to:
https://www.samaritanspurse.org/article/franklin-graham-in-mongolia-stories-from-childrens-heart-project/
With God's grace, we were privileged to have witnessed unconditional love at a close range.
A couple of months ago, I went out for lunch with a Christian friend of mine, Freda, trying to catch up with each other. We always have so much fun sharing and talking about everything. The joy of friendship in Christ! During our lunch, my friend casually mentioned that she was involved with a Children's Heart Project a few years ago. Pretty soon, she and her husband would be hosting two families and an interpreter from Mongolia in her home providing them with lodging and food. Altogether, there would be five people staying in their house for at least four weeks.
 |
| These two babies are in Canada for the Children's Heart Project |
Besides the medical staff and the hospitals willing to donate their time and expertise, many people are also required in helping these families whose children are about to go through these surgeries. Extra help and support are needed in the areas of accommodation, meals, transportation, emotional and spiritual support.
Freda and Peter had hosted a group from Uganda before. This time her patient guests would be from Mongolia. At the end of our conversation, my friend asked me if I would be interested in helping out and lending her some support.
 |
| These 2 Mongolian babies are sponsored by Samaritan's Purse |
The thought of opening your home for a month and preparing three meals a day for a group of five strangers whose eating habits, cultures, customs and language are totally different from us overwhelmed me. I could imagine the tremendous amount of work, time, efforts, financial resources, endless dedication and patience involved in being the hosts of this project. I knew very little of the Children's Heart Project, but love my friends dearly. How much love does this couple have in order to open their home, receive these strangers in need and shower them with love and care? They do this all for free, with no compensation whatsoever at all! I was so moved by their actions of love that I agreed to get involved immediately.
 |
| Zamillian enjoying some fresh fruit during her stay in Canada |
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| We loved watching little Zamilian enjoying fresh fruit! |
It was a joy cooking, delivering the meals and eating with the two Mongolian and host families. There was much sharing, laughter and love at the dinner table.
 |
| Enjoying our visit with the Samaritan's Purse host and their Mongolian guests. |
In fact we enjoyed the experience so much that we wanted to spend more time with the kids and our Mongolian guests. We wanted to sign up for more meal deliveries. But the schedule was full; all the spots were taken, Hallelujah! Many other volunteers also wanted to help and support these families!
 |
| The interpreter stayed with the 2 moms at all time. |
They shared with us about their Mongolian way of life, their customs and traditions. In return, our hosts shared with them about the gospel and the love of God.
 |
| The two heart surgeries were successfully performed in |Toronto! |
While they were at the hospital awaiting for the children's numerous medical tests, assessments and staying overnight throughout the gut wrenching surgeries and post operation periods, this interpreter stayed with the mothers at all times, interpreting for the them and supporting them emotionally and spiritually. It must have been exhausting and emotionally draining for them all!
  |
| Both kids are recovering well after their life saving heart surgeries in Toronto. |
Our thanks to God, the children are recovering well and awaiting for their final post operation check ups before returning home next week. We delivered our final dinner and visited them last Friday night.
 |
| The mothers were relieved that both surgeries went well for the kids |
The best gift was experiencing God's love, His mercy and protective hands in our lives and making new friends! We may be thousands miles apart, but our hearts and prayers will always be with Zamilian, Telman, the mothers and our selfless interpreter!
Thank you, Freda and Peter for opening your home and receiving and looking after those in need so well for the past five weeks. We were privileged to have a tiny part in this life giving project!
Thank you, God, for your love, grace and mercy!
R.T.
Toronto, Canada
Photo credit - Freda, the Samaritan Purse's host
P.S. For more information about the Children's Heart Project, please go to:
https://www.samaritanspurse.org/article/franklin-graham-in-mongolia-stories-from-childrens-heart-project/
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