Yesterday, our friend Denis turned eight years old. We weren’t with him to celebrate, but he was in our thoughts and prayers. Denis lives in Uganda, and we’ve been sponsoring him through Compassion International for the past three years.
If you’ll humor me, I’d like to tell you about Compassion International and how you can help care for a child in need physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Most of my blogs have nothing of much value in them, but I pray that this one might show you how you can impact your world through your loving kindness towards a child.
Wes and I had only been married for a few months when we saw one of those heartbreaking infomercials about children suffering in poverty. I was very convicted, remembering how I had worked with children just like these in a squatters’ camp outside of the township I lived in while I was in Africa… and how life back in the US had just completely hardened my heart and made me forget what abject poverty looks like. Even from so far away, we knew that there was something that we could do to help. Wes found information about Compassion International, a Christian organization that matches sponsors with children in need, providing them with food, education, health care, and Christian discipleship for a mere $32 a month. Back then, that “mere” was a whole lot for two part-time janitors paying their way through seminary, but God was faithful to provide for us as we covenanted to help provide for Denis. Not because we were great and wonderful to do so (we weren’t and still aren’t) but because our God is great and wonderful.
Through Compassion, we receive letters from Denis (which, at first, were written out and completely translated for us by a Compassion worker in Uganda because of his age), filled with information about his progress in school, his family, his activities, and lots and lots of drawings. We receive updated pictures as well, which have helped us to put a face to his wonderful letters. We’re also able to write him letters and send pictures. Since starting our sponsorship, we’ve met a woman who was able to travel to South America to meet her sponsored child. She was able to share with us how she had seen firsthand how her small monthly gift was making a difference in her child’s life and how Compassion’s program was effectively ministering to so many others. We’ve met parents who sponsor children near the age of their own children and have nothing but positive things to say about all that their children have learned, all that they have learned, and how enriching the whole experience has been for their family.
Simply put, this is a way you can be involved in caring for children in need. This month, for the price of a meal out, you can bring health care, education, food, and the words of Christ to a child. What a blessing!
Here is the link for Compassion International’s website…
On that site, you’ll find more detailed information on the program, along with a database full of
photos and information about children who are in need of sponsors.
Thank you so much for reading this far. I had always heard about programs like this, not knowing if they really did what they promised, not knowing if I could actually afford to help… and I can testify that, YES, Compassion really does what they promise, and YES, if we could have afforded it way back when, anyone can afford it. I know that there are people out there who long so desperately to help alleviate poverty in the world but just don’t know how to help. This, my friend, is a way that you can help!
(If you decide to sponsor a child or if you already sponsor a child, I would love to hear about him/her. How exciting!)
Jenn Faulk 