Participants:
Series Code: HIM
Program Code: HIM001115S
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00:02 Child Impact International is an organization
00:05 that gives hope 00:06 and fosters permanent, positive change 00:08 in the lives of disadvantaged children 00:10 and their communities. 00:13 Countries include Zambia, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, 00:18 Sri Lanka, and Myanmar. 00:20 Child Impact's investment 00:22 in the lives of more than 3,500 children 00:24 continues to yield infinite returns. 00:27 Outreach spans from child rescue operations 00:30 to providing an education 00:31 and a home for deaf and blind children and orphans. 00:35 Above all, 00:36 Child Impact's sponsors give hope 00:38 to the ones who need it the most. 00:57 There is a lot of work to be done in Bangladesh. 01:01 This country doesn't get as much attention as it should. 01:04 But there is still a lot that is happening 01:06 to forward God's work. 01:09 Christianity is almost non-existent here. 01:12 But that doesn't stop the gospel from being spread. 01:15 All the people who helped Child Impact 01:17 make a difference in the lives of these children 01:19 cannot be understated. 01:21 It's very important to show how much is being done 01:24 with the resources that we have. 01:26 Christian Bunch, 01:28 a Child Impact board member 01:29 got to see a lot of the work Child Impact does 01:32 in Bangladesh and other countries. 01:35 This interview is really something special 01:37 and a little different. 01:38 This time we don't have any translation problems, 01:43 because we're interviewing Christian Bunch 01:46 who works at Southern Adventist University 01:50 and Christians in Bangladesh with his role there, 01:54 and he's also affiliated 01:57 with Child Impact as a board member. 02:01 So, Christian, here's me welcoming you to Bangladesh. 02:05 Thank you, Jim. It's great to be here. 02:06 Yeah. 02:07 So just tell us, first of all, about your role, 02:11 and then we'll ask you how you got there. 02:14 So what's the role you have at Southern University? 02:17 So my job is student mission's director 02:20 at Southern. 02:21 And so, I'm responsible 02:24 for sending people all over the world 02:26 to go and make a difference 02:27 in the lives of people who need it. 02:29 Okay. 02:30 And how many students a year go out on that? 02:34 It varies from year to year. 02:36 We're usually in the 60s and 70s somewhere around there. 02:39 Right. 02:40 And so you get to travel around the world 02:42 to see make plans 02:45 and to check on them and visit them? 02:46 Yes. 02:48 So I do that as part of my job. 02:50 Make sure that our sites are what they say they are 02:52 and find places of great need to send people to. 02:56 And you've got some here in Bangladesh? 02:58 Yeah, we do. 02:59 For the first time in a while 03:00 we have two serving in Bangladesh, 03:02 doing a great job and we think it's a project 03:04 we're going to continue. 03:06 Great. Great. 03:07 So what are some of the things the volunteers do? 03:11 Do they teach? Are they nurses? 03:13 Tell me some of the things they do? 03:15 Yeah. 03:16 So we try to get them within the area 03:18 of their academic discipline. 03:19 So if they are a nursing major, 03:20 maybe between their associates and their bachelor's degree, 03:23 we'll send them out to a clinic somewhere. 03:25 Others of them will teach, 03:27 some of them will be Bible workers. 03:29 We've had people do videography, web development, 03:34 all kinds of things. 03:35 Some of it's not within their area, 03:37 but most of it, 03:38 usually they have some expertise in 03:39 and it gives them great spiritual growth. 03:43 They also get a lot of exposure in the job 03:45 that they might want to do, 03:47 and just access to mission firsthand 03:49 what it's like 03:51 because it's not always glamorous, 03:52 as you know. 03:54 And it gives them a feel for what it's really like. 03:57 And do you enjoy what you do? 03:58 I love what I do. 03:59 I think I have the best job in the world. 04:01 I hope everyone feels as satisfied with their job 04:05 as I feel in mine. 04:06 Wow. 04:08 And how many countries does, 04:12 have you got volunteers in? 04:15 I believe right now we're in 24 different countries 04:18 at this moment. 04:19 Wow. 04:21 So Christian properly rakes more miles. 04:24 Man, that's a lot. 04:26 Yeah. 04:27 So last year, you were appointed 04:30 to the Child Impact board. 04:32 And we were excited to have you come on board 04:36 as a board member. 04:38 And I just want you, 04:41 you've been able now to be on the Child Impact board, 04:44 but you also got to visit 04:46 some of our key institutions in India. 04:52 And, so I just want you to talk about what you've found so far 04:58 being on the Child Impact board. 05:00 Yeah, so first of all, Jim, I think I, 05:02 when you extended the invitation for me 05:05 to join the board, 05:06 I thought about it, prayed about it. 05:09 And I, again, 05:11 it just kind of aligned with what I felt like 05:12 God was calling me to do, 05:14 specifically centered on this area of the world. 05:17 And that's what Child Impact is like all of the areas 05:20 that I love 05:21 is where Child Impact is Bangladesh, Myanmar, India. 05:25 And he just came from Zambia also. 05:27 I did just fly in from Zambia. Yes. 05:30 So being on the board, 05:33 and then getting to see some of the projects firsthand 05:35 to possibly partner student missions 05:37 with it is one thing, 05:38 but then just seeing the kids and the work 05:40 that has been done here. 05:41 Is it all pretty? Of course, we know it's not. 05:44 But, what else? What? 05:46 I mean, when you look at these kids, 05:48 you look at a kid at the blind school. 05:50 You look at a kid at the deaf school 05:51 and you wonder, 05:53 "Okay, maybe it's not perfect." 05:56 Their life isn't perfect at one of these institutions. 05:59 But what's the alternative? 06:01 And so, we give them an opportunity 06:05 that they would not get anywhere else in the world. 06:07 And that's why I think this organization is awesome. 06:10 I think this organization has a great future ahead of it 06:13 and should continue its work in a lot of these places. 06:19 The stories are always touching. 06:21 And it's amazing to see just how hard it can be 06:24 for these parents to provide a future 06:26 for their children, 06:27 not to mention how much a child has to go through 06:30 in order to get a fighting chance 06:32 in a poor country like Bangladesh. 06:36 One of these children shared his story with us. 06:40 It was touching to see what he had to go through. 06:45 Tell me what is your name? 06:46 My name is Hidoi Hazdak. 06:48 Okay. 06:49 And so tell me about your family? 08:19 What do you like doing? 08:24 Gardening, good on you. 08:26 And what's he want to do when he grows up? 08:31 Engineer. 08:33 Well, these are pretty touching stories. 08:36 I mean, when you hear this one, 08:39 they just seem to keep coming. 08:41 And it really, really touches you 08:46 to hear the struggle that families are having 08:50 in a country like Bangladesh and it overwhelms you a bit. 08:56 But it also is just such a delight 09:00 that a sponsor can help a young man 09:02 like this guy here. 09:04 Unfortunately, 09:06 many children go through similar experiences. 09:09 It's easy to help and not realize 09:11 that each one of these children have a story 09:14 and a successful journey 09:15 because of the help they are getting. 09:19 But there are so many children out there who need help 09:22 and are wanting to have that same chance. 09:25 It's with the help of workers in these countries 09:28 and the sponsorship that you provide for us 09:30 that makes these opportunities possible. 09:34 These workers help to make sure that the campuses run smoothly, 09:38 and are a great environment for the children 09:39 to not only study, but grow up in. 09:42 This is something that Christian 09:44 has experienced firsthand. 09:46 So when you were in India, 09:47 one of our largest schools in India is Jeypore. 09:50 Yeah, Jeypore. 09:51 It's right up on the tribal area. 09:53 It's a very unique school. 09:55 It was built by the McNeilus Foundation, 09:58 like the school here. 10:00 Just tell me your impressions of Jeypore? 10:03 Yeah, so having lived in India for a year, 10:06 I got to see a lot of different institutions 10:09 where the church is doing ministry. 10:13 And I would say Jeypore 10:15 was probably the most impressive one 10:17 that I have seen. 10:19 Sunrise orphanage, again, phenomenal institution, 10:22 just very well structured, very well organized, 10:25 providing a service that not only is spiritual, 10:28 but it's also very professional. 10:30 And I was floored. 10:32 And Jeypore has tribal children. 10:35 We don't appreciate the backgrounds 10:38 they're coming from. 10:40 I got one day the opportunity to go out into the villages 10:44 and just see where they were coming from. 10:47 So Jeypore is fulfilling a very important role. 10:52 And then also you went to the blind school. 10:55 Yeah, I went to the blind school. 10:56 I played volleyball with some of the children there 10:58 as Varma may have sent you some pictures of them. 11:02 Again, not perfect, 11:04 but an incredible opportunity for students 11:06 who otherwise would have a really rough alternative 11:09 and was impressed with that institution. 11:12 I think there's a lot of progress 11:15 that can be had there. 11:17 But the work that they're doing for the kids 11:19 that are currently there is, is incredible. 11:21 Right. 11:22 So you see sponsorship as being an effective tool? 11:26 Yeah, I think it's very effective. 11:29 It's empowering, 11:31 your return on investment 11:32 is well beyond what you're paying in dollars. 11:35 And if a donor could come here, 11:39 and they could see what their few dollars 11:43 are doing for somebody's life. 11:45 I mean, they're not just doing it 11:46 for their education, 11:48 but they're doing it for their life, 11:49 and not even just for their present 11:51 but also for their future. 11:52 I think it's probably the best ROI 11:54 you could ever get. 11:55 Yeah. 11:57 And I think that sums up very clearly 11:59 what we've discovered this week, 12:01 as we've been here filming 12:03 is the bigger and wider impact its having. 12:07 We say sponsor a child and we think classroom, 12:11 we think education. 12:12 But it's become very apparent to us this week, 12:17 the wider impact on the family. 12:19 And, so it's been inspiring, 12:23 and we now have a stronger understanding 12:28 of the change that we're actually making. 12:30 Well, thanks, Christian, for being with us today. 12:33 Thanks for having me. 12:35 The money given in sponsorship 12:36 exponentially grows 12:37 beyond just the child being helped. 12:40 The parents are able to better take care 12:42 of their other children. 12:43 The sponsor child then grows up to become a skilled worker, 12:47 which helps not only themselves, 12:49 but also their family, community, and country. 12:54 Helping the next generation become educated 12:56 is the best way to ensure lasting change 12:59 in poor countries 13:00 because they no longer have to seek 13:02 outside aid, 13:04 but are able to take care of themselves 13:06 and those around them. 13:07 Hidoi is one of many children 13:09 who are having a second chance at a better future. 13:12 These children are also receiving 13:14 the message of God as a hope for their eternal future 13:18 which is the most valuable investment of all. |
Revised 2020-07-09