Ariana Crary plays soccer, works hard in school, and goes to
church with her family. She is an average thirteen-year-old girl, and this past
summer she chose to go with her family to Rwanda to serve on an Orphan Care
PEACE trip. During her time in Rwanda, Ariana learned about the plight
of vulnerable kids her age who live half way around the world from her, and she
learned that her life can have a global impact. “It was very moving,” she says. “When we went to the
Genocide museum and it made me realize what these survivors really went through
and how so many kids were orphaned Then the first orphanage we visited was for
special needs kids. I couldn’t imagine living there, but the kids were
delighted to see us and play with us.” Ariana and her family experienced stories of lives changed
first-hand, going on home visits to families that had recently adopted children
from the orphanage. “In the home visit that I went to, a girl was reunited with
her uncle. I was inspired by the way she described the differences between living
in an orphanage and a family.” Over the course of the trip, the Crary family saw their family
grow closer as their lives changed together. “Going to Rwanda has changed my life,” says Ariana. “Through
my trip to Africa, I became exposed to the harshness of reality people have to deal with. It inspires me to help. I think this trip’s
experiences and its impact will stay with me for the rest of my life.” Her mother, Brenda, states “One of the most fulfilling parts
of the trip for me was to see my kids step up and into their role to serve
others, no matter what it took. It was by far the best family trip I have ever
been on with my children. It brought us closer as a family and we’ll forever
have the memories of Rwanda.”
If you and your family are interested in an Orphan Care PEACE
trip to Rwanda, contact us at orphans@saddleback.com
or call the Orphan Care line at 949-609-8555 for more information.
|