My Compassion International Sons
We decided to become Compassion International sponsors about ten years ago. My husband and I had both been on missions to Africa and fell in love with the people we visited. It just felt natural to get a child from there. But we left the details up to God.
He sent us Samuel from Rawanda! It’s hard to believe that Samuel is 21 years old and has graduated from the program. It’s been amazing watching his grow from a skinny little kid with scrawny eyes, to a big healthy and robust man. Samuel went through hard times over the years, loosing his parents, but his letters were always up beat and always ended with a scripture. I wrote and sent photos and stickers and little paper trinkets. Over the years we prayed for him, but looking back now I wish we could have done more. I wish we would have prayed for him more the last couple of years. I wish my letters weren’t always so rushed and seemingly insignificant and the same. I wish my children would have written him more.
But no matter what, I know our family made a difference in Samuel’s life. I felt the joy in his voice when he told us about the chickens and pigs our money helped buy him at Christmas time. And when my children cried for the latest toy, all I had to do was remind them of Samuel.
I’m not sure if we will still be able to keep in touch with Samuel. Even though he graduated from the program, I’ve written a letter, hoping it reaches him. Hoping he knows we still think about him and pray for him.
I wasn’t sure if we wanted to sponsor another Compassion Child. I didn’t want to make the same mistakes I felt I made with Samuel. Though I’m sure he never felt the way I did. Yet when Compassion sent another child, and my husband turned in our sponsorship, and I got a picture of Theo from Rawanda, eight years old, the same age as Timmy, I got excited all over again. Here I was getting a second chance at giving someone else a second chance at life and health and getting to know Jesus.
I probably won’t do everything right, like I would like to, but that doesn’t matter. Even the littlest effort means so much to these children. All it takes is a little to make a lasting impression and mark on someone’s life for Jesus!
If you’ve ever thought about sponsoring a child, now is the time! The need is great and we have so much to give. You have so much to give. I challenge you to visit this link and not be moved! If you’re a sponsor of a needy child, I’d love to hear your story. If not, keep reading and learn how you can make a difference!
THE NEED:
Compassion International is growing, moving into new countries (children will soon be sponsored in Togo) and expanding the reach of its ministry to children in many others. Every child Compassion ministers to needs a sponsor and at the moment there are thousands who do not have one. Many of these have been waiting for a sponsor for over six months. These children need words of encouragement and Compassion needs the cost of their care sponsored so that the ministry can continue to expand.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Compassion International ministers to over a million children in 25 of the world’s poorest countries through its Child Development Sponsorship Program – what you may know already as simply “child sponsorship.” With the support of sponsors, Compassion is reaching through the hands of local churches to release children from their spiritual, economic, social and physical poverty.
Compassion International invented child sponsorship and it has proven to be a successful child development strategy. This ministry hinges upon the relationship between one sponsor and one child. That relationship goes both ways. Sponsors correspond with their sponsored children and support Compassion’s ministry to children for $32 (USD) every month. Sponsors also receive letters from their sponsored children, watching them grow toward physical and spiritual maturity. Sponsorship is a relationship that transforms both sponsors and children.
-Special link to children who have been waiting the longest for sponsorship:
http://www.compassion.com/
-More information about Compassion International’s Child Development Sponsorship Program:
http://www.compassion.com/
-Send your readers here if they’d like to blog for Compassion like you do, and for banners and widgets:
https://compassionbloggers.com/
Compassion’s blog for an inside look at our ministry and our people around the world:
http://blog.compassion.com/
