The Greatest Love in Action – Today’s Journal from Glenn

I believe the children are our future... so said George Benson (and later Whitney Houston) in The Greatest Love of All. If I think about the lyrics of this song, and then about the children we worked with in Vietnam, for me it all comes together. These children truly are the future, and the work that GIBTK is doing does teach them the importance of loving themselves, and in many ways, to be their own heroes.

I had the chance to interact and talk with the children here

I have worked with GIBTK in different ways over the years, but I had never had the opportunity to go to Vietnam and work firsthand with them. To finally have this opportunity gave me an experience I will never forget, and allowed me to see just how impactful the work GIBTK is doing, and the incredible differences it is making in the lives of these children and their families.

Tam and I stood in front of the children to share during the bicycle-giving day

To see and hear the joy and laughter on their faces and in their voices, and to hear them talking of wanting to become teachers, doctors, dentists, mechanics—and knowing they actually do have these opportunities because of the work that GIBTK is doing—really makes you stop and wonder just how incredible these kids are.

My family had the great time to connect and talk with the children here

The perspective you gain from visiting the Father’s House, Mary’s House, and the heart surgery interviews is something I struggle to put into words.

A wonderful time for our family at The Father’s House

When you hear the stories of where they have come from, the hopes that they now have for the future, it is something that actually needs to be experienced firsthand to truly grasp it. And the fact that we were able to do this as a family has given us a much deeper sense of gratitude and understanding for what we have, and how we are able to help make the lives of others so much better in some very simple ways.

The heart surgery meeting was incredibly emotional

It left me with an overwhelming mix of emotions

For me, two of the most impactful experiences were also two of the most simple… one was delivering bicycles to kids so they can ride to school instead of walking for hours, and the other was delivering a cow to a family that they can use to breed and generate income.

20 children can now get to school more conveniently

These were not massive donations, nor did they involve huge amounts of money, but to be able to understand and see firsthand how even the simplest of gestures can have such an impact makes me wonder how we can bring this into our everyday lives, no matter what we are doing.

A touching visit and cow-giving day

The whole experience was very emotional, and in many ways deeply spiritual. To see the passion that the GIBTK team has for their work, and how their passion translates into real change across Vietnam and Cambodia is very humbling, and has affected me in ways that I still cannot fully describe. I cannot thank Robert and the entire team enough for sharing this experience, and allowing us to gain some experience and insight into the incredible work they do, each and every day.

The amazing girls from Mary’s Home

Thank you, GIBTK, for leaving a lasting impression on my heart

"We highly appreciate you and thank you for transforming lives"