to see a world...

I recently entered this photo in a Buckner Today photo contest. It was selected as a finalist and, if it wins, will be featured as the “parting shot” in the magazine. I was asked to write an editorial about the picture and what it means, which is below.

The balloons in this photograph and the paper stars attached to them carry the hopes and dreams of students from a small rural school in Lejasstrazdi, Latvia. While this may not seem significant, it carries a special meaning for me because five of those messages of hope were written by orphans. Orphans who, despite having all the odds against them, succeeded and were able to graduate from school.

This summer, I served as a missions intern for Buckner International (or “Bakners” as it is called in Latvia). As interns, we helped lead Vacation Bible School, played games, built relationships with the children, and shared God’s love with them. My intern team and I spent the first week at a day center in a poverty-stricken neighborhood in Liepaja, a port city on the western coast of the country. We arrived in Lejasstrazdi the morning of their school’s graduation. We were invited to attend to celebrate and honor the students who were graduating. Summers in Latvia are beautiful and wildflowers blanket every open field. Latvians love their flowers and give them (to men and women) on numerous occasions: birthdays, weddings, arriving home from a trip, and, of course, graduation. Madera and Dace (“dah-tsa”), members of Buckner’s staff in Latvia, picked wildflowers and made bouquets for us to give to the graduating students from the orphanage. We dressed in our best and walked from the orphanage with the younger children, arriving just before the ceremony. Each of the graduating students was called up individually and honored by their teachers and the community. Dozens stepped forward to congratulate them on their achievement with flowers and words of encouragement.

Although I could not understand what was said, I understood the looks of pride on the orphans’ faces. To get to this point, they had to overcome hardships that most people cannot imagine. Their pasts are littered with abuse, neglect, and substance-abusing parents. Despite it all, they still have hope, and because of Buckner’s work, many of them have everlasting hope in Jesus Christ.

My experience as a Buckner intern was invaluable—it changed my life. Next May, I will be graduating from Baylor University with a Bachelor of Science in Child and Family Studies. After I graduate, I hope to work with at-risk children in my hometown of Oklahoma City: teaching, leading, and inspiring them to dream big.

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