Compassion International

I'm getting a little hooked on Compassion.  I've heard about this organization for years and have admired the work they do in changing kids' lives in developing countries.  But a couple weeks ago something stirred within me when I was at the Catalyst Conference and they had a former Compassion child share her story.  She's now a student at Moody and through tears talked about the difference her sponsor made in her life...literally saving her life and giving her a future.  Even as a college student, she decided to cut down from the 20-meal-a-week plan her scholarship provided to a 10-meal-a-week plan so she could use the leftover money to sponsor 2 Compassion children.  How could you not be moved by that?  I knew I had to do more.

I've sponsored a boy named John Woodley Sifralien through Sonlight Ministries in Haiti for about 10 or 11 years.  I've seen him go from a shy 1st grader to a grown-up looking junior in high school.  What's been cool about sponsoring John Woodley is that for the first 5 years I actually got to visit him when I'd take groups of college students on mission trips to Haiti.  My best memory is sitting in his small home (hut) with him and his mom as the 3 of us played the board game "Trouble."  I always liked bringing him a couple things that were out of the realm of his experience (which wasn't hard to do).  His mom didn't speak English but language wasn't needed as we pushed the plastic bubble and moved our pieces around the board.

So last week I went to Compassion's website following the nudge in my heart.  The first face I saw was little 4-year-old Andrew Okwaja from Uganda.  For those of you who know me, just the name "Andrew" has a special place in my heart.  My 13-year-old nephew (who I adore) holds that name.  I clicked on Andrew's profile and quickly discovered he loves art and drawing...another trait he shares with my nephew.  How could I not click the button to sponsor him?  I can hardly wait for my picture to come in the mail so I can see his adorable face on a daily basis.

Tonight I've been spending some time on the Compassion website and discovered a bunch of cool things.  I could send $18 so that Andrew will receive a Christmas present.  I could write him a note right there on-line that will be translated and delivered to his family.  I could give a gift to the family that the staff of the local organization will use to buy things they need like new beds, livestock, or food supplies.

If you've never sponsored a child, let me encourage you to consider it.  You can literally change a life with $32 a month.  I'd say that's worth skipping a meal or two.