I remember the joy I had as a kid on the playground pretending I was conquering a dragon on top of a mountain, or sailing across a perilous sea. The slide was my escape route when I was playing tag and the bridge was the jail when I was caught. Playgrounds brought so many smiles and so much joy to me and my friends on long summer days in Wisconsin.
Many of the children we serve don’t have experiences like mine. Their villages were bombed and their homes torched. They fled into the jungle for safety or across the borders for refuge. Their ability to play freely and safely has been taken from them. When they do have opportunities to play, they find a few rocks, climb a tree, or rummage through garbage to find something of interest. One man’s trash is another’s treasure. Right?
Play is healing. It allows kids to be kids. It helps children learn and grow. It is a medium for learning how to relate to others. It provides a healthy outlet for pent-up aggression. It is a place for imagination and creativity.
When we build a playground near the border of Myanmar in a refugee village or a learning center, we feel as if we are giving back what was stolen from these children.
When we build a playground near the border of Myanmar in a refugee village or a learning center, we feel as if we are giving back what was stolen from these children. These playgrounds are a beacon of hope in a desperate place. These playgrounds are a place to heal, to rediscover joy, and to find hope again. They represent God’s love to these children. They are place to rest, play, have fun, and to enjoy their lives and their friends. They help these children rediscover who they are – children, who are designed to play.
In the past year and a half, Venture has served displaced people and ethnic minority groups by installing 6 playgrounds and witness countless smiling children in northwestern Thailand.
Words and Photos by Aaron Smith, Venture Cofounder, Serving in Thailand
Comments
I’ve been there and seen first hand what this does for the kids. At first they are shy having gone through such trauma. Then one of the brave kids tries the playground just built. The smile on their face encourages others to try. Before long the laughter and giggles and smiles melts your heart. The playground becomes such healing for them.
This is a very heart-warming story and the pictures of the children’s smiling faces are priceless! The joy they are experiencing looks contagious and I love that it is being compared to the joy they can find in serving Jesus! Praise the Lord for playgrounds and for all those who are sharing the HOPE of the GOSPEL with these precious children and their families!