My husband and I recently welcomed our first child, a son. Since several Rohingya women in our neighborhood were also expecting their first child, it was special to share the pregnancy and journey to new parenthood with them. We often discussed what we imagined our children would look like, what things they would enjoy doing, how labor and delivery would go, and what kind of parents we would like to be. Though our cultures and backgrounds are different, our desires are the same – that our children might have hope for the future.
Our friends Muj and Ressa had their first child, also a son, just a few months before us. One evening we had dinner with them, and I held their newborn son and told them that I couldn’t wait for my son to be born so that our children could be friends and play together. Muj said, “When your son is born, will he have a passport?” I responded that he would. Then, he said, “So he can have citizenship of your country and go anywhere he wants?” Humbled, I explained that my son would, indeed, have such a privilege. Muj sat quietly for a moment and then said, “I wish my son had that…” Muj’s lament echoes that of many of my Rohingya friends.
As I’ve befriended several of the Rohingya families in my neighborhood, future opportunities for their children continue to emerge as a primary desire and need. What Muj wants for his son is more than a passport, it’s an opportunity to be educated, to make a living, and to have a place to call home. I desire all those things for Muj’s family, and I desire them to know that a way has already been for them to have citizenship in Heaven. While he may or may not have citizenship on earth, there is a way for him to have Hope for the Future.
- Pray for policy change that allows Rohingya to legally work, attend school, and have citizenship in countries where they reside.
- Pray that future generations of Rohingya children will know Hope in Christ.
- Pray for citizenship in Heaven for Muj, Ressa, their son, and other Rohingya around the world.