Abigail’s ONE%
Abigail is always smiling and always excited to see you, so full of joy and energy you would never guess that she was an orphan. You would never guess that her life mainly consists of doing school work and chores around the orphanage. Abigail has a brother who goes to Calvary Seminary — the seminary our ONE% offering has helped to establish. They love to tease and joke with each other. They were both at one of the smaller orphanages until recently, but they have always been together.
Abigail has many barriers in her life, not least of which is language. Coming from the Shan state, not only is Burmese a second language for her, but most of the orphans and staff do not speak her native tongue. Despite this, she has been excelling at her studies and even beginning to learn English.
Joel Van Sickle spent a few months in Myanmar teaching English to the Seminary students — we could use another one of those if you are interested — he writes,
Abigail’s friendship was a gift while in Myanmar. Honestly, I can’t even remember which language we had most of our conversations in. I just remember her bubbly smile, her teasing jokes, and her fake admiration of my dancing skills! She has a fiercely strong hug for such a small girl. For some reason I have this memory of her shaking her head at me for doing something I shouldn’t have, half berating me half laughing at me at the same time. I was probably trying to distract her from her studies. When it comes down to it, Abigail can be your best friend and make you feel on top of the world without a single comprehensible word.
Can you help a girl like Abigail? Of course you can. Distance is not a barrier for a heart shaped by God. You can sponsor a child through our ONE% offering. You can pray for Abigail and those like her. Pray that their rice field will grow well. Pray for the leaders who nurture her. Pray that God will show her His love and his calling for her. He has a plan for her to leave a mark in the world!