Send Hope

Write to: Alvaro, Trinity and Anita

Three injured children in Indonesia need your cards of encouragement and prayers.

Four-year-old boy, Alvaro, and girls, Trinity (4) and Anita (2) were playing outside their church in East Borneo when an Islamist militant threw a petrol bomb at them. They were all badly burned by the incendiary – but none as badly as two-year-old Intan, who played with them. Tragically, one day later, Intan died.

Today, the surviving children still need support. Alvaro and Trinity, who were more severely injured, require long-term treatment to help reduce the scarring on their skin. Anita, thankfully, has been healing well but still requires check-ups. But they have all been badly traumatised by the attack.

Anita has not yet forgotten the sound of the explosion. Whenever her father starts the motorcycle engine, she runs away.

Sarinah, mother of Trinity, says: “Trinity loses her temper easily after the blast.”

Alvaro has been struggling to come to terms with his injuries: “I am ashamed, my body is full scars.”

Could you create a beautiful card to encourage these children and remind them of their worth?

Here are some phrases in Bahasa Indonesia (the national language) that you could use:

Tuhan memberkati (God bless you)
Tuhan Yesus sayang kalian (Jesus loves you)
Kami mendoakan kalian (We are praying for you)
Kalian berharga di mata Tuhan (You are precious in God’s eyes)
Kalian adalah inspirasi kami (You are our inspiration)
Tetap kuat di dalam Tuhan! (Remain strong in the Lord!)
Kamu cantik! (You are beautiful! – Strictly for girls)
Kamu tampan! (You are handsome! – Strictly for boys)
Kamu indah di mata Tuhan (You are beautiful in God’s eyes)
Kamu bisa jadi apapun yang kamu mau (You can be anything you want)
Kamu hebat! (You are awesome!)
Tuhan punya rencana indah buatmu (God has beautiful plan for you)

Don’t know where to start?

Here are some simple letter-writing guidelines to help you as you write. In addition please follow these guidelines:

• Please address your cards to the children individually – Alvaro, Trinity or Anita.
• Greeting cards with children’s artwork and messages would be best. Keep it simple, as they are so young.
• Print your words clearly and use a Bible verse or two. You could even search for Bible verses in Bahasa Indonesian on the internet.

Please put all your letters and cards in one envelope and send to Open Doors UK, PO Box 6, Witney, OX29 6WG.

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