HSC Sri Lanka: Accept the Unexpected

The first three days were spent serving in our HOPE worldwide preschool for disadvantaged children. The volunteers were building bookshelves, teaching simple lessons, painting gigantic murals, repainting fading ugly brick walls, teaching hygiene and parenting lessons. We ended our time there with a heartwarming Christmas party, and a surprise visit from Santa Claus to the children!

We got to take a break and visit a beautiful getaway beach in city called Una Wattana. We sat on the beach, talked, took pictures, and laughed for hours. Then we visited Galle and saw towering ancient walls from the kingdom forts of old Sri Lanka. We ended our trip with a fantastic meal under starlight next the ocean. It was a great reminder to us all that a great time is truly a gift from God! And on Christmas day, we had an inspiring service that was overflowing with new visitors and friends. Our room was packed! This was our biggest Christmas service yet, and it was incredibly encouraging to my wife and me.

We spent two entire days at one of the leading children's hospitals in the country, working specifically with autistic children and their parents. Some of the children’s parents travel for countless hours in order to get medicine and counseling for their children, because this hospital is one of the only places in the country where they can receive this kind of help.

Our last days were spent teaching English to orphans of all ages at an orphanage in the city centre. We split up into several small groups, and taught the children basic English. This was no easy task. Sri Lankan schools teach very little English to their students, so our teaching will give them more opportunities for more jobs when they get older. The children desired to learn English and were incredibly respectful to all of our volunteers.

One of the workers at the orphanage showed me the closets for the children, and some of our volunteers offered to purchase new ones for them! I was shocked! And after that, a volunteer offered to pay to take them out to a movie, and pay for every single child’s ticket. The entire orphanage was strengthened by our actions. They said that they were lucky to have us, but I really believe that we were the lucky ones.

We had an amazing time. It’s ironic that most people wait all year to go on vacations and shopping sprees that ultimately disappoint them, when our volunteers spent their holiday season serving others, and they had the time of their lives! During our time, I was reminded of when Paul said to the Galatian church in Galatians 5:13, “For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.”

You wouldn’t expect a small group of strangers to sacrifice their holiday season in order to serve other strangers in an unnoticed corner of the earth, but I guess that fits in with 2016’s theme of the unexpected doesn't it? So heading into 2017, I will remember this: If you accept unexpected opportunities with a godly attitude, it will change your life.

Check out our list of sites for 2017! Our theme is “Go and Do Likewise!” as we strive to become more like Jesus: https://www.hopeww.org/hsc