What am I thankful for???

Kim family. Photo from few years ago.

Thanksgiving season 2020: When our children were young, I remember taking turns reflecting on what we were thankful for as a family. Many things were brought up, but the central theme was undoubtedly we were grateful for our family, that is each other! It wasn't about the material or artificial things, but we had someone to lean on and always knowing that we had our family encouraging and praying for us.

As I reflect on what I'm thankful for during 50 plus years of my life, I have to say it is salvation through Christ and my family. As a child of a single parent (i.e., my father passed away when I was four), where my mom had to work two jobs+ with uncertainty about our future, I was still grateful that I had a family. Yes, it was not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, and I started working at a young age. First, odd jobs, then as a helper to a carpet cleaner, moving to a real job working at Der Wienerschnitzel hotdog place in San Diego and finally to a better paying job moving futures (i.e., after putting on some muscles).

As a child, my family was marked by cramped apartments, facing perpetual poverty, growing up without a father and absent mother as she was too busy working to feed us. Did I wish I had a different life as a child? Perhaps. Some may look at my family now and consider our story a "success" or "making it." However, my story would have been quite different if I didn’t have my mom or my sister, AND extended spiritual family from the Christian community who adopted us into their fold and rallied around us, advocated for us, guided us, and prayed and loved us. At Faith N Hope International Ministry, we are that extended family to parentless children. We will journey with them and prepare them to launch into adulthood.

As we start Thanksgiving and kickoff to 2020’s official holiday season, I encourage you to reflect and think about orphans. Children who will spend all their formative years in institutions, not due to their fault or decision. I like to challenge you to become a prayer and spiritual partner, and if God has blessed you materially, then consider becoming a monthly donor like us and others. Please know that we have a family covering the operational and ancillary costs of the ministry; thus, all of your gifts will be used to impact orphans' lives through our program.