If you are a parent of young children, try to imagine what it would be like to have to leave your children in someone’s care in order to find work hundreds or thousands of miles away. Imagine only getting to see your kids once a year for a few days around the New Year when you finally save enough money to buy a bus ticket home.

Try to picture it: Your relatives send you photos of your son’s first day of kindergarten, which you missed because you were on your hands and knees scrubbing toilets in a luxury hotel on the other side of the country. Last month, your daughter turned twelve. She loves animals and wants to be a veterinarian someday. For her birthday, you mailed her a dog-eared copy of an encyclopedia of animals you found in a used book store. She never got the package, and you can’t afford to buy another gift for her. You tried to apologize to her on the phone, but you could hear the disappointment in her voice.

This is real life for many of the families in our community. Lots of our students have at least one parent they almost never see. They are looked after by relatives, but they don’t receive the nurturing they desperately need from their parents. They feel a hole in their lives, but can’t put it into words.

If you, as a parent, were living this unfortunate scenario, would you hope that someone you could trust would be there to provide at least a small part of the guidance and care you desperately desired for your children?

Please consider supporting our special project to build our creative learning center so we can help these families and draw them closer to their Father in Heaven.

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