Four weeks ago my wife and I became parents for the first time. As I stared into the eyes of my little boy Jay I felt an overwhelming sense of love for him that was stronger than I could have ever imagined. Jay couldn’t speak, and his only achievements included filling diapers and screaming and yet God flooded my heart with unconditional love for him. Instantly this intense love meant I 
was willing to die for him, to sacrifice anything for him. On the other hand, I was filled with a great sense of responsibility for him; which bordered on crippling anxiety. A burning question 
pierced my heart; who would teach him to follow Jesus? I felt that, as his parents, the responsibility lies with my wife and me.
Now I’m sure many of you who are parents, grandparents, aunties or uncles can relate to this overwhelming sense of love and burden you feel for your children. You would go to the ends of the earth for them and be willing to do anything to see them succeed or feel loved. But as I have pondered on my new experience of fatherhood I am challenged when I think about the millions of children in the world who do not have parents who long to see their children know Jesus. In some parts of Southeast Asia, 40% of children die before they reach 5 years old. Who carries the burden and responsibility to teach these children about Jesus? Is my desire for these children to know Jesus as strong as the desire I have for my son Jay to know Jesus? Who will love these children with God’s love? Christian schools and Christian teachers will!
Within Mustard Seed International we currently have a number of kindergarten and pre-schools which are engaging in unreached people groups where children combat poverty. There is an inner city kindergarten which has been faithful serving in a majority faith area for ten years. Recently when I visited there I met with the principal named Agung and asked him how the school begun. He responded with tears in his eyes, “The teachers and I are Christians and are living in a strongly Islamic area, God challenged us to take on the responsibility to teach them about Jesus, for who else will? We love these people and we love these kids as we love our own”.
39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. – Romans 8:39
Please pray for the teachers that serve in MSI schools and pray that God would increase our love, that we would be willing to sacrifice and go to the ends of the earth for all God’s precious children; not just our own. That our hearts would be filled with God’s unconditional love for all the children of Southeast Asia.
by Lloyd
