A Winning Game

A simple act of kindness can make a world of difference in the life of someone who needs encouragement - and every one of us is able to perform many simple acts of kindness.

In the case of Christina, one of the mentors in our Hong Kong Child Development Fund, it was a simple invitation to play badminton that helped shape the future of a younger person.

Christina is just one of our mentors who connects children from disadvantaged families with adults in the community who want to perform simple acts of kindness by investing time and effort in shaping the future of Hong Kong’s youth. I am constantly amazed by the wonderful connections God makes for both mentors and mentees – lives are changed, and friendships made. Christina shared her recent excitement with us:

I invited two of my new friends, Tommy and Ivy who are also mentors in the CDF programme to play badminton with my mentee and myself. As we started chatting, my mentee mentioned that she was working on a school project, but that she’d hit a wall. Tommy and Ivy are school teachers, so they quickly offered guidance and advice. Tommy shared what a teacher’s expectations are, and how to achieve better results. Ivy encouraged my mentee to think for herself, research her project and systematically organize her findings.

That left us only 30 minutes to play badminton! In spite of the fact that our game was ‘hijacked’, it was a win-win situation for all of us!  I praise God for connecting everyone in the way He did. We all learnt a precious lesson: Let go and let God! I learnt about my personal limitations (I don’t know much about the secondary school system), but I placed my faith in God (I believe he brought two teachers to play with us) and He made sure my mentee had the help she needed. When we share our burdens with God, He does provide us with solutions.

I hope that I succeed in modelling the benefits of facing life’s challenges with a positive attitude for my mentee, but, most importantly, I pray that she will one day personally experience God’s love, and follow HIM.

Since we implemented this programme three years ago, I have seen countless numbers of teenagers formulate a vision for their own futures. Where they once had a passive acceptance that they may spend the rest of their lives as relatively unskilled workers, they now have hope that they can break the cycle of poverty which trapped their parents. By working hard at school, and making plans for further study, they can get an education and become skilled professionals. If you can see yourself in Christina’s shoes, helping to shape young lives, please write to me via the contact box below.