A personal word from Mary Kathleen Mahon, Ph.D.

Not long ago I was in one of our ChildHope schools. It was the beginning of the school day and a devotional time for the students. The teacher asked for prayer requests. 

• A brother who went to jail for selling drugs. 
• A family member on the run for their life. 
• A father who abandoned the family. 
• A single mother who lost her job. 

What impressed me was the response and prayer of the teacher. She reminded her students that our battle is not against flesh and blood, and God is greater than our enemy, and His promises are true. 

As the children wiped their tears away, I saw peace return to their faces. Their teacher prayed over them, and hope returned. The children’s burdens were carried away by the One who cares for them. 

What a wonderful way to start the school day! “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” —1 Peter 5:7 

We often say that a child cannot learn on an empty stomach. This is a scientific truth. And it is why we feed the children in our schools. We are grateful for the friends of ChildHope who so generously help provide the funding for food — especially now as prices continue to rise. 

But neither can a child learn with a burden on his or her heart and soul. Alleviating that burden is what makes the ministry of ChildHope so very impactful in the lives of the children. It is what sets us apart. 

Our ChildHope students are with their teachers every day! And these teachers have the wisdom and discernment to guide their students to reframe their circumstances in light of God’s promises. 

Children learn that God is great. He has a plan. And they are not defined by their home life. They have hope. And with that hope they are able to believe in themselves and learn! 

In order for children who live in poverty to learn and believe in themselves, that burden must be lifted. Our ChildHope teachers know how to lift that burden because they know God, they know the community where the children live, and they know their students. 

This is the most important thing that sponsorship provides — this kind of teacher who can transform the mindset of a child, prepare him or her for learning, and daily show them how to live within the Kingdom of God, holding on to His promises. 

ChildHope teachers are, truly, the “secret sauce” in our recipe to transform the lives of children.