The day had been filled with joy as teachers from across Southwest Uganda gathered for a full day of training.
After the final session and just before dinner, several leaders from Kisoro—the host town—approached me and asked if I would walk with them to a nearby clinic and orphanage operated by the Anglican Church of Uganda.
When we arrived, they introduced me to a tiny baby boy named Emmanuel, a moment I will never forget.
Emmanuel was only a few hours old. He had been found in a ditch beside the road, abandoned shortly after birth. Someone had brought him to the clinic, where the staff cared for him and gave him the name Emmanuel, meaning “God with us.”
They asked if I would pray for the baby and gently placed him in my arms. I remember feeling overwhelmed with sorrow. I had never even heard of something like this happening.
As I held him, I struggled to find words to pray. I felt a deep sense of despair and helplessness.
Every Child Matters to God
On the first Easter morning, before the sun had fully risen, Mary Magdalene walked toward the tomb carrying her own deep grief. The world she had known had collapsed only days earlier.
Jesus—the One who had freed her, restored her dignity, and given her hope—had been crucified. Like the other followers of Jesus, she expected only silence and death when she arrived at the grave.
But when Mary reached the tomb, everything changed. The stone had been rolled away. Confused and heartbroken, she stood outside the tomb weeping until she heard a voice speak her name: “Mary.”
In that moment she recognized the risen Jesus (John 20:11–18). The first witness of the resurrection was not a powerful ruler or a famous teacher. It was a woman whose life had been transformed by Christ. God chose Mary to carry the greatest news in human history: Jesus was alive.
This Easter story carries a powerful message for children. The same Jesus who called Mary by name still knows every child by name today. No child is forgotten by God.
Two years after holding Emmanuel that day, the prayers of many were answered. I had shared Emmanuel’s story in churches and Christian schools around the world, and thousands of people began praying for him.
Following the guidance of church leaders in Uganda, it was eventually discovered that Emmanuel’s family had come from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Through the ministry of churches serving in refugee camps—and through the prayers of many believers—Emmanuel’s grandmother was found, and he was reunited with his family.
For those of us who serve children, Easter reminds us of something very important: every child matters to God.
Children often feel small in a world run by adults, but the resurrection reminds us that God delights in working through those whom others might overlook.
Just as Jesus entrusted Mary with the message of the resurrection, He also invites children to know Him, love Him, and share His truth with others.
Easter is also a promise of new life. Children sometimes experience fear, sadness, rejection, or mistakes that make them feel discouraged.
The resurrection shows us that God can bring life out of what seems broken. Because Jesus rose from the dead, He has the power to forgive sin, heal wounded hearts, and give boys and girls a new beginning. The same power that raised Jesus from the tomb is the power that helps children follow Him every day.
Mary arrived at the tomb with tears and confusion, but she left with joy and a mission. Jesus told her to go and tell the others what she had seen. In the same way, when children understand the meaning of Easter, they too can share the good news with their friends and families:
Jesus is alive, and He gives new life to everyone who believes in Him.