Children in Developing Nations Hungry to Learn
Four-Year-
Old Goes
to Heaven
and Back
Colton narrowly survived the surgery. His survival, while miraculous, was not as spectacular as the journey he took while doctors worked to save his life -; while Colton’s body was in surgery, his consciousness ascended to Heaven.
Months after the surgery, when the family drove by the hospital in which he had stayed, Colton mentioned that angels had sung to him in Heaven. He described his experience in great detail. He had spoken to the archangels Gabriel and Michael. He had seen God’s throne.
At first, the Burpos were skeptical. But then, Colton started to describe things he shouldn’t have known about.
Colton accurately described his parents’ actions while he was in surgery. He talked about meeting his grandfather, who had died 30 years earlier. He revealed that he had met a sister who had been miscarried -- except his parents hadn’t told Colton about the child they had lost prior to his birth.
Todd Burpo, who has co-written a book, “Heaven is for Real: A Little Boy’s Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back,” about his son’s experience, was astounded when his son’s story matched up with scripture. For example, Colton mentioned several images that appear in the Book of Revelation.
Now eleven, Colton is a happy and healthy sixth-grader, who still regales his family with things he remembers from his otherworldly experience. His tale only has only become richer and more detailed as he ages and learns how to better express what he has seen.
“We have all accepted the truth of Colton’s witness,” said Todd. “As we read the Bible and hear Colton say over and over again, ‘yeah, that’s the way it is,’ [it] affects us all.”
You can read about Colton’s experience in Heaven by reading the book “Heaven is for Real: A Little Boy’s Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back.” Visit www.thomasnelson.com for more information.
Most 10- to 12-year-olds in developing nations say that, if they were president of their country, their first order of business would be to provide education to all children by improving their schools or building more of them.
This finding is part of an ambitious multinational survey of children in developing nations. The Small Voices, Big Dreams survey polled close to 3,000 children ages 10 to 12 in 30 countries throughout Africa, Asia and the Americas -- from Afghanistan to Zambia.
“Our mission is to improve the lives of children in poverty around the world -- a mission that starts with listening to the smallest voices among us,” said Anne Lynam Goddard, president and CEO of ChildFund International, the U.S. member of ChildFund Alliance, which sponsored and conducted the survey.
Ipsos Observer compiled and tabulated the results for the survey, which also found an overwhelming sentiment among the world’s poorest children toward improving their lives through education. More than half of those surveyed (57 percent) said that, were they the president of their country, they would educate all children, improve the quality of schools and construct more of them.
While most children are hungry to learn, the survey found that a great many of them are just plain hungry. When asked what they need most, one in three (33 percent) said food. As president, one in five (19 percent) said that they would help people get food. The emphasis on food is understandable given this finding: one in three children (32 percent) said they go to bed hungry at least once a week.
U.S.-based ChildFund International also works with children living in poverty in the United States. A sampling of those children also participated in the survey, and their responses were largely similar to the answers from children around the world.
“The voices of these children may be small, but their words should resonate around the world,” Goddard said. “And what this survey makes clear is that, irrespective of their country, such children around the world share a common sentiment, attuned in a chorus of hardship and hope
In March of 2003, Todd and Sonja Burpo were living a nightmare. Their then four-year-old son, Colton, had suffered a burst appendix and developed a life-threatening infection. Doctors told the Burpos that surgery was Colton’s only option.
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