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She (Hagar) gave this name to the LORD who spoke to her: You are the God who sees me, for she said, I have now seen

the One who sees me. (Genesis 16:13)

Can You See Me? If you were to ask me (Kara) which overseas

experience has been most impacting, my answer would not

satisfy you. It is not a story of a great accomplishment, or a

witnessed miracle, or an example of outstanding character. In

fact, it may seem strangely insignificant as I relay it. The climax

of my story spans no more than 3 seconds.

In March 2005, our family rode on a bus with the other

staffof Myanmar Compassion Project to the western coast of

Myanmar for a retreat. We had been in the country only a few

months, so it was an interesting adventure. Much of the road

was unpaved, and since it was dry season, the bus kicked up a

considerable amount of dust along the way. The dust made its

way inside the bus and it was difficult to breathe, but the well

prepared doctor traveling with us passed out hospital masks.

Like most mothers traveling with four children, I had to

request a potty break. We exited the bus, crossed over some

rice paddies and found a small clump of trees that we hoped

kept us hidden. We tried not to be too unnerved by the rustling

of the leaves on the ground, and completed our tasks beforeany snakes could strike us from behind.

Briskly walking back towards the bus, I could see in the

distance ahead three people working on the mostly deserted

road. The closer I moved toward the bus, the clearer it became

that those people were young children. I had read about the

forced labor of children In Myanmar, where every family in a

community had to volunteer a family member for road

construction. Since the adults and sons would be needed in

the fields, often the daughters were the ones sent to do the

road work.

I climbed on the bus sick to my stomach, anxiously

searching my mind for something that I could do for these

daughters of Burma we would pass in the next few seconds. I

prayed as I made my way back to my seat and sat down shaking

and relinquishing hope that I could offer anything. Then, I did

the only thing I could think of... I pressed my forehead

against the window and started smiling and waving

frantically.

As we moved toward the little girls, who could not

have been even ten years of age, it appeared that my goofysmile and action would go unnoticed. Gloomily, one of the

girls looked up from under her hat and our eyes met.

Instantly a broad grin stretched across her face and she stood

up, yanked offher hat and waved it back and forth in wide

gestures. I continued to look and wave as we passed and the

other two, slightly delayed, sprang into jumping, waving

machines. Then the moment was over and we were too far

apart.

I silently wept. My three daughters were on the bus

with me, headed for the Indian Ocean. Someone elses

daughters were handling bricks, breaking rocks and pouring

hot tar, unguarded on the side of a dusty road. I could do

nothing more than acknowledge that I saw them... and that

I was happy to see them. Such a small offering.

These few seconds remind me of Hagar in the desert,

alone, powerless, rejected... and yet God meets her there...

seemingly for only a few seconds... yet an encounter so personal

that she gives God a nickname meaning, You are the God who

sees me. As his representatives, are we not called to do the

same? To see the unnoticed, the forgotten, and acknowledge

them?

Notice.

Outside the tourist areas of Myanmar, child laborers are still

common. (Photo: Steve McCurrys blog: Stolen Childhoods.)

http://stevemccurry.wordpress.com/2013/05/29/stolen-childhoods/

M Y A N M A R P R O J E C T O C T O B E R 2 0 1 3

The Garrisons Serving with the People of Myanmar (Burma)

http://stevemccurry.wordpress.com/2013/05/29/stolen-childhoods/http://stevemccurry.wordpress.com/2013/05/29/stolen-childhoods/http://stevemccurry.wordpress.com/2013/05/29/stolen-childhoods/

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M Y A N M A R P R O J E C T O C T O B E R 2 0 1 3

A Lens AdjustmentThirteen years ago, our dear friends David and

Rhonda Olshine received news that their newly born

son had been diagnosed with Down Syndrome. Their

joy of his arrival was mixed with deep concerns about

all the challenges he would face.

Several months after baby Andrews birth

Craig asked David, How has having Andrew in your

life changed you?

David said he could best explain it by telling

us a story:

Six weeks after Andrew was born, I was in a mall

bathroom. As I left the mens room, I was suddenly

aware that I should return and ask the gentleman in

the wheelchair if he needed assistance. The man

confirmed he needed help transferring to the toilet.

David proceeded to help position this grown mana

complete strangeronto a public toilet.

Before Andrew, he continued, I would have seen

the man but probably ignored him. Professor

Walter Kauffman says we have selective

compassion, but after Andrew, I began to really

see.

InternationalDayofPrayer

Sunday,November 3, 2013 Nearly70%oftheworldspopu

lation livein

areasofseverereligiousrestrictionsoroutright

persecution. Sunday,November3,2013,isaday

designatedforfreebelieverstostandwiththosewho

shareourfaith. TheInternationalDayofPrayerfor

thePersecutedChurch(IDOP)isaglobaldayof

intercessionforpersecutedChristiansworldwide.Its

primaryfocusistheworkofintercessoryprayerand

citizenactionon behalfofpersecutedcommunitiesof

theChristianfaith.Wealsoencourageprayerforthe

soulsoftheoppressors,thenationsthatpromote

persecution, and thosewhoignoreit.

Wouldyou,yourchurch,family,schoolor

smallgroupbewillingtohonorthisimportantcall

toprayer? Visitwww.onewiththem.comformore

informationandtoplanforthisimportantdayof

prayerforandwithourbrothersandsistersin

Christthroughouttheworld.

Loved & NotForgotten.

These blue shirts from

Partners Relief &

Development (who

Craig works with)

display a message oflove and hope from all

of us to children

throughout the Burma

conflict zones. The

message is written in

several of the ethnic

languages which are

found in these areas.

The kids love them!

All gifts toward our work with the people of Myanmar (Burma) should be sent to: CornerStone International, P.O. Box

192, Wilmore, KY 40390. Please write Myanmar Project on the memo line. Additionally, you may make secure

donations online at http://www.cornerstoneinternational.org/staff-garrison/. THANK YOU for your generosity towards

our family and the people of Burma!

Contact us by email at:

garrisoncraig@yahoo.com

Dear Friends,

We are inspired bymany of you who keep in touch with us; by your commitment to be

an extension of the God who sees. We are inspired by your offering of time to the

physically challenged, the socially challenged, the mentally challenged, the spiritually

challenged. We are inspired by your offering of hospitality to those living on the

fringes of your life. We are tempted to mention many of you by name, but fear that we

will fail to recognize everyone that we should. We are honored to know you. You are

faithful ambassadors for the God who sees.

!Grateful to the be an extension of the message you are living!

~The Garrisons

http://www.cornerstoneinternational.org/staff-garrison/http://www.cornerstoneinternational.org/staff-garrison/http://www.cornerstoneinternational.org/staff-garrison/mailto:garrisoncraig@yahoo.commailto:garrisoncraig@yahoo.commailto:garrisoncraig@yahoo.comhttp://www.cornerstoneinternational.org/staff-garrison/http://www.cornerstoneinternational.org/staff-garrison/http://www.onewiththem.com/http://www.onewiththem.com/http://www.onewiththem.com/http://www.onewiththem.com/