what hope looks like {{giveaway}}
December 8, 2009 | Compassion International
If you joined me from Encouragement for Today, welcome! I’m so glad you are here.
Last month I traveled to Ecuador with Compassion International. There are a lot of memorable moments. Riding with six other people in the back of a small pickup truck. Holding a beautiful baby whose future looked a lot brighter because of the Infant Survival program. Leaving over 50 blankets, many of them made by you and vacuum packed in my bag with mommas and babies. (I carried all my clothes in my computer case — who needs lots of clothes when babies need blankets?)
Here we are in a home that houses a mom and her three little guys. All three of the boys are sponsored by Compassion International.
This is two-year-old Scarlett. She was sponsored when she was in her momma’s womb. She is in the Infant Survival program. At two, she is healthy, bright, and beautiful. Her Compassion tutor is working with her at her Grandma’s home. He spent 45 minutes teaching her colors, working with her on dexterity, and teaching her how to count. He meets with Scarlett 3 times a week, keeping careful records of her progress, educating her, making sure she is healthy and fed, talking to her about a Jesus who loves her.
Teens have a safe place to go in this project (one of three that I visited).
Can I be honest with you? I’m terrible at asking for anything. I’d rather give any day than ask. But as a Compassion sponsor, I’ve learned how powerful it is to give.
My Compassion child lives in India. Her name is Buli. Her mother and father are day laborers. She’s 6-years-old and beautiful. For the past year I’ve communicated with Buli by mail. The $38 I spend per month seems small when I try to spend it my economy, but in her’s it is the difference between poverty and hunger and working young in the streets or market vs. being fed, and schooled, and a future.
It’s the best $38 I have invested in anything, and I’m so grateful for the opportunity.
No pressure here, my friends. But if you feel that nudge that says this might be something you’re supposed to do or just want to check it out, may I introduce you to Compassion and a whole lot of waiting kids? Click on the logo below to immediately be introduced to beautiful children that are waiting for a sponsor, just like you.
If you sponsor a child today, comment below and I’ll enter you in a drawing for one of two $25 gift certificates. It’s my way of saying thank you for loving a child.
If you have questions about Compassion International, please feel free to ask them. I’d love to talk with you!
Even if today you aren’t able to sponsor a child, still leave a comment. There’s a special surprise giveaway for one person who leaves a comment.
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Hey!
November 9th, 2009 at 3:47 pmCan’t wait to talk to you about your trip!
Thank you for your devo today…the Lord used it to confirm that He wants our family to sponsor a child through Compassion International. At Church on Sunday I received a thank you note from a friend that quoted the same scripture reference from Matthew 25 that is in your devo, and the next day (yesterday) I was dropping off some items for our Christmas Angel child at church and found myself reading the bios of the children at the Compassion International display. I pondered and prayed, Lord what do YOU want us to do? Then this morning, I open your devotion, the Lord so spoke to my heart and with tears streaming down my face, I KNOW what the Lord wants us to do! What a wonderful Christmas blessing for our family, to serve Jesus by loving another child!
December 8th, 2009 at 10:32 amThanks for the devotional. I haven’t read them for awhile but believe it was a God thing this morning. I needed the reminder to pray before frivolously spending as I have been doing. I have been on several mission trips in the past but believe God is speaking to me about missions. Not sure if for me personally or to possibly sponsor someone else.
December 8th, 2009 at 11:31 amI also enjoyed your blog and look forward to more from you. Bless you and thank you.
Thank you for challenging me today with the idea to pray before the “little things” we spend money on. I will start doing that today! We started sponsoring a child through Compassion International just this summer and are thrilled to be supporting a 10 year old girl from Ethiopia. We just got our first letters from her and my kids are starting to become more excited about praying for her and writing more often. Thank you for sharing your heart today.
December 8th, 2009 at 12:32 pmWOW Suzie, I’d love to be involved with Compassion International! It’s always been a dream of mine to travel around the world helping children who are in need. Bringing everything I can carry, even wearing layers of clothes so that I can give them the clothes off my back…literally. I think I’d cry so much that my eyes would hurt. Thank you for sharing your experience. Maybe one day I’ll be able to go with you.
December 8th, 2009 at 1:32 pmI’ve also felt overwhelmed lately by the needs of people in the global South, but in studying Global Development, I’ve learned that it’s very important not only to pray about serving on mission trips like these, but to pray for systemic change in our government and the institutions of global capitalism which keep the global South in such destitute poverty. We need to face the reality that the reason we’re able to live like this, is because these people are exploited.
December 8th, 2009 at 2:20 pmPray for change in institutions such as the World Trade Organization (WTO) for example – that the US gov’t eliminates trade subsidies which give US producers an unfair advantage over producers in the global South.
Hey T,
I can send you a packet or you can just click on the link on this post and it will take you right to the children who are waiting to be sponsored. You are amazing, friend.
Dana, thanks for your thoughts. One of the reasons that I love Compassion’s model is that they change a child’s situation and future, and that affects others. For example, Jonathan started as a Compassion child, and is now university educated and taking his education back to a Compassion project area to invest in the community and in children. It’s such a powerful cycle. I may not be able to tackle an entire government, but I can sponsor a child.
December 8th, 2009 at 3:50 pmThank you so much for posting the information about Compassion. My husband and I sponsor a little boy, Marco, from Equador. We are hoping to sponsor another child from Equador so we can visit them (as many as we can!)in the same area through Compassion. I cannot say it enough, Please consider sponsoring a child!! For us it might be one night out to dinner but to them it could be a whole months worth of food. We are so much more blessed for having Marco in our lives it is so worth it! God bless you!!
December 8th, 2009 at 6:10 pmSuzie, I was so excited when my wife forwarded me you “Encouragement For Today” and saw that you had gone to Ecuador with Compassion. I just got back from Peru on Oct 17 with Compassion. My first trip out of the USA. Amazing journey. I could relate with everything you wrote including on the blog. At work we are now going to partner with Compassion on a Child Survivorship Project either in Ecuador or Peru as well as sponsor kids. Plan on going back down to South America next fall again. Thanks for your insight.
December 8th, 2009 at 6:43 pmSuzie,
December 8th, 2009 at 8:33 pmThanks for today’s devotional. It’s great to hear about the wonderful work Compassion International is doing. I hope someday that my husband and I can sponsor a child. I appreciate the work you are doing for the Lord. Continue to share the blessing of your ministry with us. Thanks again.
Hello!
Thanks so much for sharing your story about your trip to Ecuador. We recently sponsored a child from the Dominican Republic (through Compassion). It is so encouraging to hear about the impact Compassion International and their sponsors are making on children’s lives.
December 9th, 2009 at 12:01 amOne of the reasons we sponsored a child is so that our children (age 6 and 9) would become more aware of the world around them and the ‘luxury’ they live in compared to others. Every day we thank God for food to eat, a place to live, cozy bed to sleep in and clothes to wear. It is hard for us to comprehend that others do not have these things. My 6 year old always reminds me to pray for the children who do not have any food, that God will give them money so that they can buy food (his words). I will be sure to share your devotion and your web site with them so that they can see the impact we can make by sponsoring a child.
Thanks!
Linda
I was SO excited to read this devotion!!! We sponsor a child through Compassion in Ecuador, and my husband is sending me there this summer on a Compassion Sponsor Tour!! I CANNOT WAIT!! Kassandra has been such a blessing and answer to prayer for us. we have been sponsoring her for 5 years now. In one of her first letters, she said, “I want to meet you”. My heart just cried because that was the desire of my heart as well. In her most recent letters, she has been asking when we would come to her country…and I am so excited that she will finally have her prayer answered, as well as mine! I enjoyed seeing your pictures and wonder if I will see the same places and children! I don’t think I will have dry eyes at any point of this trip! Thank You Jesus!!! God’s blessings to all of you who already sponsor children, and to those who don’t…you should!!! What an amazing blessing!!
December 9th, 2009 at 12:46 amI love the excitement from all of you who are sponsoring children, and from those who feel that gentle nudge that you are to sponsor children. These comments are making my day!
December 9th, 2009 at 12:03 pmSuzanne…I was wondering if you have anymore pictures from the Ecuador trip…especially regarding the teen center…Just thought it would be awesome to see “our” girl in one of them!! Which center were you at? I want to find out exactly which one she attends, and perhaps it’ll be the same one you visited! If there is any way to see more of your pictures, it would be wonderful!!! God bless!!
December 13th, 2009 at 8:39 pm