Last week, we visited the George Müller Museum in Bristol, England, where we had the opportunity to trace his footsteps and reflect on the lasting impact of his ministry. Known as a man of prayer and a father to orphans, George Müller’s faith, legacy, and enduring work continue to inspire many even today.

     George Müller, who operated orphanages and lived as a global evangelist, cared for over 10,000 orphans throughout his life at the Ashley Down Orphanage in Bristol. He founded schools, supported missionaries, and distributed evangelistic tracts. His ministry has continued around the world to this day through family support centers, educational projects, microloans for the poor, and support for churches and organizations.

     Starting in 1835 with just thirty girls, Müller’s orphanage ministry grew to accommodate over 2,000 children across five buildings on a large estate. The children were not only provided with food, clothing, and shelter but also educated to become responsible adults who could stand on their own in the world. The clothing on display in the museum, once worn by the children, was impressively neat and well-designed. Their education was so structured and of such high quality that some criticized it as excessive for orphans.

     Even when a child grew up and left the orphanage, they were given two suits and a small sum of money. They were even allowed to stay at the orphanage until they found a job. At the orphanage, children received vocational training to become teachers, nurses, or domestic helpers. Famous for receiving over 50,000 answers to prayer, George Müller did not appeal to people for help; instead, he prayed to God. It is said that every need of his ministry was met in this way.

     While the meals were not varied, they were prepared with the children’s health in mind and contributed to their physical development. The children went on regular outings and celebrated special days like Christmas with joy and festivity. Nearly 190 years ago, orphans were raised with care, clothed as well as those in families, and received a quality education that prepared them for society.

     The detailed records of 19th-century orphan care we saw at the George Müller Museum stirred a sense of envy in us, who are currently engaged in orphan relief work in Haiti. In truth, when we think of Haiti, there is nothing in the world we aren’t envious of. Just crossing the border into the neighboring Dominican Republic, we envy the paved roads and dense forests—and even the simple concrete homes.

During last Sunday’s service, we watched a video introduced by a missionary from Paraguay about the harsh lives of people in the slums there. To be honest, even that made us envious.

     All the orphanages we support in Haiti are located in gang-controlled areas. Two of them have been forced out by gangs and have lost their shelter. One is about to be evicted for failing to pay rent. Though we continue to send funds, buy and deliver food locally, and support the suffocating daily lives of these children, it hardly feels like living.

     They say envy means you’ve lost—but the truth is, we envy others because we want to live like that too. We want to feed, clothe, and educate the orphans in Haiti like that too. The envy we felt at the George Müller Museum is, at once, a lament toward a silent God, a desperate prayer, and helpless tears shed for the children we love yet cannot fully care for.

     We earnestly pray that a day will come when our children, too, will have nothing to envy.

Rev. Henry Cho, Missionary

CEO/The Corner International