Garrison October 2013 Sm
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She (Hagar) gave this name to the LORD who spoke to her: You are the God who sees me, for she said, I have now seen
the One who sees me. (Genesis 16:13)
Can You See Me? If you were to ask me (Kara) which overseas
experience has been most impacting, my answer would not
satisfy you. It is not a story of a great accomplishment, or a
witnessed miracle, or an example of outstanding character. In
fact, it may seem strangely insignificant as I relay it. The climax
of my story spans no more than 3 seconds.
In March 2005, our family rode on a bus with the other
staffof Myanmar Compassion Project to the western coast of
Myanmar for a retreat. We had been in the country only a few
months, so it was an interesting adventure. Much of the road
was unpaved, and since it was dry season, the bus kicked up a
considerable amount of dust along the way. The dust made its
way inside the bus and it was difficult to breathe, but the well
prepared doctor traveling with us passed out hospital masks.
Like most mothers traveling with four children, I had to
request a potty break. We exited the bus, crossed over some
rice paddies and found a small clump of trees that we hoped
kept us hidden. We tried not to be too unnerved by the rustling
of the leaves on the ground, and completed our tasks beforeany snakes could strike us from behind.
Briskly walking back towards the bus, I could see in the
distance ahead three people working on the mostly deserted
road. The closer I moved toward the bus, the clearer it became
that those people were young children. I had read about the
forced labor of children In Myanmar, where every family in a
community had to volunteer a family member for road
construction. Since the adults and sons would be needed in
the fields, often the daughters were the ones sent to do the
road work.
I climbed on the bus sick to my stomach, anxiously
searching my mind for something that I could do for these
daughters of Burma we would pass in the next few seconds. I
prayed as I made my way back to my seat and sat down shaking
and relinquishing hope that I could offer anything. Then, I did
the only thing I could think of... I pressed my forehead
against the window and started smiling and waving
frantically.
As we moved toward the little girls, who could not
have been even ten years of age, it appeared that my goofysmile and action would go unnoticed. Gloomily, one of the
girls looked up from under her hat and our eyes met.
Instantly a broad grin stretched across her face and she stood
up, yanked offher hat and waved it back and forth in wide
gestures. I continued to look and wave as we passed and the
other two, slightly delayed, sprang into jumping, waving
machines. Then the moment was over and we were too far
apart.
I silently wept. My three daughters were on the bus
with me, headed for the Indian Ocean. Someone elses
daughters were handling bricks, breaking rocks and pouring
hot tar, unguarded on the side of a dusty road. I could do
nothing more than acknowledge that I saw them... and that
I was happy to see them. Such a small offering.
These few seconds remind me of Hagar in the desert,
alone, powerless, rejected... and yet God meets her there...
seemingly for only a few seconds... yet an encounter so personal
that she gives God a nickname meaning, You are the God who
sees me. As his representatives, are we not called to do the
same? To see the unnoticed, the forgotten, and acknowledge
them?
Notice.
Outside the tourist areas of Myanmar, child laborers are still
common. (Photo: Steve McCurrys blog: Stolen Childhoods.)
http://stevemccurry.wordpress.com/2013/05/29/stolen-childhoods/
M Y A N M A R P R O J E C T O C T O B E R 2 0 1 3
The Garrisons Serving with the People of Myanmar (Burma)
http://stevemccurry.wordpress.com/2013/05/29/stolen-childhoods/http://stevemccurry.wordpress.com/2013/05/29/stolen-childhoods/http://stevemccurry.wordpress.com/2013/05/29/stolen-childhoods/ -
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M Y A N M A R P R O J E C T O C T O B E R 2 0 1 3
A Lens AdjustmentThirteen years ago, our dear friends David and
Rhonda Olshine received news that their newly born
son had been diagnosed with Down Syndrome. Their
joy of his arrival was mixed with deep concerns about
all the challenges he would face.
Several months after baby Andrews birth
Craig asked David, How has having Andrew in your
life changed you?
David said he could best explain it by telling
us a story:
Six weeks after Andrew was born, I was in a mall
bathroom. As I left the mens room, I was suddenly
aware that I should return and ask the gentleman in
the wheelchair if he needed assistance. The man
confirmed he needed help transferring to the toilet.
David proceeded to help position this grown mana
complete strangeronto a public toilet.
Before Andrew, he continued, I would have seen
the man but probably ignored him. Professor
Walter Kauffman says we have selective
compassion, but after Andrew, I began to really
see.
InternationalDayofPrayer
Sunday,November 3, 2013 Nearly70%oftheworldspopu
lation livein
areasofseverereligiousrestrictionsoroutright
persecution. Sunday,November3,2013,isaday
designatedforfreebelieverstostandwiththosewho
shareourfaith. TheInternationalDayofPrayerfor
thePersecutedChurch(IDOP)isaglobaldayof
intercessionforpersecutedChristiansworldwide.Its
primaryfocusistheworkofintercessoryprayerand
citizenactionon behalfofpersecutedcommunitiesof
theChristianfaith.Wealsoencourageprayerforthe
soulsoftheoppressors,thenationsthatpromote
persecution, and thosewhoignoreit.
Wouldyou,yourchurch,family,schoolor
smallgroupbewillingtohonorthisimportantcall
toprayer? Visitwww.onewiththem.comformore
informationandtoplanforthisimportantdayof
prayerforandwithourbrothersandsistersin
Christthroughouttheworld.
Loved & NotForgotten.
These blue shirts from
Partners Relief &
Development (who
Craig works with)
display a message oflove and hope from all
of us to children
throughout the Burma
conflict zones. The
message is written in
several of the ethnic
languages which are
found in these areas.
The kids love them!
All gifts toward our work with the people of Myanmar (Burma) should be sent to: CornerStone International, P.O. Box
192, Wilmore, KY 40390. Please write Myanmar Project on the memo line. Additionally, you may make secure
donations online at http://www.cornerstoneinternational.org/staff-garrison/. THANK YOU for your generosity towards
our family and the people of Burma!
Contact us by email at:
Dear Friends,
We are inspired bymany of you who keep in touch with us; by your commitment to be
an extension of the God who sees. We are inspired by your offering of time to the
physically challenged, the socially challenged, the mentally challenged, the spiritually
challenged. We are inspired by your offering of hospitality to those living on the
fringes of your life. We are tempted to mention many of you by name, but fear that we
will fail to recognize everyone that we should. We are honored to know you. You are
faithful ambassadors for the God who sees.
!Grateful to the be an extension of the message you are living!
~The Garrisons
http://www.cornerstoneinternational.org/staff-garrison/http://www.cornerstoneinternational.org/staff-garrison/http://www.cornerstoneinternational.org/staff-garrison/mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.cornerstoneinternational.org/staff-garrison/http://www.cornerstoneinternational.org/staff-garrison/http://www.onewiththem.com/http://www.onewiththem.com/http://www.onewiththem.com/http://www.onewiththem.com/