Recently, we told you about Tanya , an amazing young lady, who came to Living Pearl Children’s home as a teenager and now at 21 years old, is working in the orphanage as a part time nanny and also studying to fulfill her dream of becoming a teacher. She is such a blessing to the younger kids in the home and her life is a testimony to the “ripple effect” of a life changed, changing other’s lives!
Tanya’s 2 younger sisters also came to Living Pearl Children’s Home at the same time, over 4 years ago. Vera was only 10 years old and Lena was 14 at the time the government removed them from their parents who were alcoholics and negligent in their care of the 3 girls. Their parents have never visited them in the 4 years they have been here. They arrived in very bad shape and had a lot to overcome.
Left to right: Lena at 14 years old; Vera at 10years old; Tanya Vera and Lena at present.
But, that was then! Now, these beautiful young girls are flourishing and we have loved to watch them grow and develop the gifts and talents that were inside of them all along!
This is what Vera says about life in the Children’s home, “I am here because of God, for which I am very grateful to Him!” Vera has a smile that will melt your heart. She dreams of someday becoming a professional photographer. She likes to do hairstyles for the little girls in the home and she even works on her own, to learn English.
Lena who is 18 years old now, is such a lovely young lady with a tender heart. She says, “Before I got to the orphanage, I lived in a small village with my parents, it was not easy. My life had not been a life, just an existence. But even so, I am grateful to the parents who gave me life….but it’s my past which I do not want to remember.”
“In the orphanage I live 4 years and 5 months. Children’s Home is the place where I learned to love, to think not only about myself, but also for others. Now, I graduated from school. I had a dream to go to the graduation ball and I was there and was very stylish girl there! Now I am studying at the Teacher’s College and I help our nanny to care for children of the Children’s Home. My dream is to be happy! In the future, after finishing college, I want to return to the orphanage and help children here. I also dream to be an example and help the same people who find themselves in problems where I was. I dream to help other children like that one day someone helped me. I plan to finish school, find a job. I dream to buy my own house and want to have a happy family.”
We don’t like to dwell on what the future would have been for these girls if they didn’t come to our home. We are so grateful for the partners who have joined with us to give them a home. We’re thankful for God’s grace, mercy and provision throughout it all and we pray and believe that the plans and purpose that God has for all the children in our home will be fulfilled!