USA (MNN)–It is estimated that there are more than 10,000 Chinn Burmese refugees in Malaysia. This includes thousands of Chin Burmese refugee boys who have been left to fend for themselves and often live in fear for their lives.
No country in the region seems to want them, so the U-S has agreed to take them in. The group coming from the Thai-Burma border are now arriving in the United States for resettlement.
Bethany Christian Services’ Dana Anderson says they just placed the first Burmese refugee child last week. Another one is coming this week. “We have a constant flow of children coming from all over the world. We are always looking for foster families to care for these kids. The other prayer request would be for the children themselves. It’s a huge adjustment to learn a new culture, to learn a new language.”
While they’re always looking for more families, sadly, the program is only set up to accomodate interested parties in West Michigan. Even so, she urges people to pray for these children. Raise the awareness.
Anderson says with the tragedy in their lives, it’s important they’re with a family where they experience the love of Christ. “It’s very sad sometimes to hear about their histories and to hear about what some of these kids have gone through.”
In this stage in their development and healing, Anderson says they get what few others do. “They’re given a second chance–they’re given a family to love them again, and they’re given a second chance to go to school and be a child again.”
