Tag Archives: sponsored children

My Special Friend

23 Jan

“Dear Remya, my daughters name is Julia, she would like to be your special friend.” That is how, eleven years ago my very first letter to Remya started, I was too young to write, so my mom wrote for me.

Meeting her was eleven years of anticipation and expectations. And that day blew them all out of the water. If ever a day was perfect, it was yesterday.

She held onto me the whole day, we went to a zoo, the kind where the monkeys ran free, and goldfish were so unheard of, they were in the aquarium. We had pizza for lunch, her first slice of pizza. Then we went to an old Buddhist temple where the monks used to live. Small square rooms carved out of a rock hill. Remya and I climbed to the top where we could see all of Bhubaneswar. We sang her happy birthday.

We went back to the hotel and talked some. As we asked questions, we found that her oldest brother had just started to recover from Polio this year. Her mother has no work, and her father cuts down coconuts for a living. He receives about twenty cents per coconut. That is what the family lives on. I had no idea that her situation was that rough, it was hard to hear.

Remya handed me a photo album. She had pictures of her family, and the first pictures I had sent her, from when I was very small. It was funny to see all of the history between us. She also had pictures of her friends the “Sixen Beauties”. I had sent her a picture of me and my best friend in a field a while back, which she had photo shopped over, so that it was her in the field with me. We got a big kick out of that. I learned that she wanted to be a teacher for computer sciences.

Remya had also brought her file with her. Every Compassion child has a file, it includes their grades, their medical records, and every letter she and I had ever written to each other in it.  It was overwhelming. It was both of our histories, all of the pictures we drew, all of the questions we asked. It was amazing to see.

Throughout the day I really fell in love with this wonderful girl. I loved how she wouldn’t let go of me, I loved how she loved my “fish eyes”, I loved how she cried as we said goodbye and she held me tight, I loved how she could only say “I love you so much” through her tears, I love how her mother grabbed my chin and smiled as she said I was like another daughter to her. I loved that day, and I love Remya. Words really can’t describe my day with that wonderful girl. God really did put us together for a reason. She has been my “special friend”, and a huge part of my life. One day, after eleven years, was worth all of the goodbye tears at the end, all of the sponsorship money. This relationship is priceless.

I have come to terms now that this will be the last time my family or I will get to see her, that we only have one more year to write letters before she graduates from the program. But I know that one day, I will see her again in heaven, my Kingdom friend. And it will be a joyous day, because we won’t have to say goodbye. I can’t wait till then.

Seeing Beautiful

30 May

Last month, my daughter wrote a post for her website and described why she liked making others happy.  In her 12-year-old way, she wrote how seeing people laugh and smile motivates her to do nice things for others.  Bless her little heart.

I love seeing people smile too.   I love days like today.

In this world, there is SO MUCH pain and suffering, need I say more.  In my travels, I have seen some pretty harsh stuff and heard some stories that have ripped my heart apart.  I suppose this is what has drawn me into being so passionate about my job with Compassion.

Today was a blessing.  On our first day here in Manila, we didn’t go out and see poverty close up, not just yet (we will tomorrow). Instead, we started our trip with our bloggers meeting their sponsored children for the first time, and then taking them to the zoo.

I love my job!

Now friends, I must say that you haven’t lived until you have visited a zoo in a developing country.

Keely is braver than myself. I really liked Jenny…she was my favorite part of the zoo.
We had a Jane Goodall kind of connection.  I could feel it.

…But then Jenny started lifting up my skirt so our relationship ended.

Awkward!However, the best part of today was seeing my job with Compassion come to life in real people and real stories.  Seeing children meet their sponsors.  Seeing the smiles.  Seeing Beautiful.

This world may be a dark place, but God is light and in Him there is no darkness.

I saw the light today and it was beautiful.By the way, these photo’s are of Kat.  She will have an amazing story about today.  So check out her blog later today or tomorrow.


Impressions of the Amazon

25 Oct

When I stood on a hillside overlooking the vast jungle, I was aware of how grand, and how uninhabited this place on earth is.  The Amazon.  As far as my eyes could see, like standing on the oceans edge, I saw jungle.

To ride a canoe up the river at sunset, to watch children bathing by the shore, to see families maneuvering their boats through rocks and rapids, makes a suburb girl like me feel humbled by such simplicity and beauty.

God is an artist.

Most days were hot and humid. The team dug trenches, finished a zip line, hauled sand and gravel through the thick jungle full of bugs and snakes, installed third world power lines made of trees, and played with beautiful children.  It was work, but this group of people from Buckhead Church never complained.

Tuesday, the sky opened up with a magnificent storm. We rode the canoe through rain, thunder and lightning soaking us to the bone.  When we arrived at the project, it was too flooded for us to work, so we sang, played and enjoyed the cool weather.

As the children arrived, I noticed many children with bare feet covered in dirt and mud. I became aware of how many children in this village did not have shoes.  I went on a covert mission for www.shoesforkids.me to distribute shoes to as many children as I could without drawing attention.

I did not have enough shoes for everyone, but I did meet little Shiloh and gave her shoes.  She was afraid of me at first because I sort of stalked her. She was three, and I looked pretty big and scary to her. Eventually, she let me approach, and once I put those little Sketchers on her feet, she became my best friend.  Those shoes were her first pair ever, and she wore them the rest of the week.  She sought me out everyday, and I was so tempted to bring her home, but I decided her parents might not like that.  I will take her home in my heart.

This is Douglas.  This is Douglas with some sweet girls. As you can see, Douglas has a beautiful smile.

God revealed himself to me through Douglas. His crippled body goes unnoticed when you witness his joyful spirit.  As I spent time with him this week, his beauty amazed me. Watching Douglas climb the ladder of the slide was like watching someone reach the top of Mt. Everest. He worked so hard to get his body up the ladder, but once he reached the top, you could see the joy in his face as he slid down. I will not forget Douglas and how he smiled while he danced, sang, and prayed with us this week.  He taught me about contentment in all circumstances.

Water

The lack of clean water became real to us when we watched all the Compassion children trek through the jungle, down an embankment to the river to wash their dishes after lunch.  One by one, they would go down to the river.  Thankfully, the people from Buckhead Church completed the water project, and by Thursday afternoon, water was flowing to the church project and community.

The Jungle

I walked deep into thick jungle a couple of times.  I never saw a snake and I only suffered a couple of bug bites thanks to my husband who sprayed all my clothes with bug killer juice. I thought of him daily as I put on my bug resistant clothing.  Thank you Stephen!

The Children of the Amazon

They know nothing of materialism. They don’t watch TV, clothes are just a covering for their skinny little bodies, food keeps them alive, and water….is for thirst.  The river is their playground, bathtub and a source of food.   When you ask a child what they want, they have no answer. Food, water, friends, a river, a community, a jungle, a church, love…. this is enough.  Compassion makes sure they receive what they need and they are content.

At the end of the day, Michael, one of the Compassion kids, walked us down to the canoe. As we motored away, Michael sprinted along the rocky beach in his bare feet to keep up with our boat.  Watching him sprint with all his might on the rocky beach was like watching the gracefulness of a deer.  If I should try such a move, I would end up with two broken ankles and a head injury for sure. When the beach ended, he stripped his clothes off in one fluid motion and plunged his skinny body into the river wearing only a smile and red underwear.  This was his grand tribute to us.  I envied such freedom.

On our final night in the jungle, we sat outside and talked about the week while we watched a distant thunderstorm. The children had so little yet, they seemed so happy. I could see the river glisten from the moonlight and hear the sounds of the jungle and I thought to myself, the whole earth is full of His glory.  What a life.

Our God is amazing to create such a place and He deserves our worship.

This was my impression of the Amazon.

Guatemala – A happy ending!

6 Oct

I love cheesy movies that you can predict the ending and everyone lives happily ever after.

Well….I have lived through a happy ending today.  I experienced one of the biggest blessings I have come across as a Compassion employee, sponsor, blogger ever.

On my last trip to Guatemala, I met a little girl that captured my heart; I called her a gem.  I wrote about her.  Darlin was her name.

Darlin wrapped up my heart with her sweet spirit, her beautiful eyes and smile.   We hung out together while I was at her project.

Toward the end of the day, I grabbed an interpreter and I asked Darlin about her sponsor.  She was in the Compassion project, she was receiving all the benefits, but she had never received any kind of news about her sponsor.  She did not know her sponsor’s name.   It made me so sad.  Here was this beautiful girl with so much to give.  It didn’t even dawn on me that she might not have a sponsor.

I remember our conversation that day. After I asked her about her sponsor, I felt compelled to make sure she knew she was loved.

“Do you know that Jesus loves you?”  I said.

“Yes.”

“Good. Do you know that God has an amazing plan for your life?”

She looked at me and smiled bashfully, as if she was not sure about this.  There was something missing in her life.

“Darlin, can I pray for you?”

“Yes.”

I had seen the neighborhood that she lived in. It was a dark place full of gangs and horrible poverty.   As a mother, I was worried about Darlin.  I wanted to take her home and keep her safe.  There was a heavy spirit in this little girl.  I prayed that God would show His love to her and she would know God’s love.  I prayed that she would know how important she is to God.

We hugged as we said goodbye and I knew I would remember Darlin.

Well……here comes the happy ending.

Just yesterday, Autumn contacted me.  She had followed our blog trip and had read my post about this precious girl I had met.  She saw my picture with Darlin and recognized her as one of the children she had seen on the Compassion website.  She went back onto the website and sponsored Darlin.  Darlin was one of those children that had waited over six months for a sponsor.  Autumn sponsored her and immediately wrote a letter.

Now Darlin will know her sponsors name.

I know that God has brought these two together and I believe Autumn will have a huge impact on Darlin’s life.  Oh my goodness, this is a happy ending!

These are the reasons I blog.  Out of a million children sponsored with Compassion, I got to witness two people coming together, and I feel so thankful that God gave me a chance to watch the happy ending.  I am thankful for answered prayers and I look forward to hearing about Darlin and Autumn.

Why don’t you be an answer to prayer today?  Click here!

Making Happy Feet in Guatemala!

11 Sep

I know this beautiful girl who has a big heart.    At 5 years old, this little girl traveled to Indonesia and visited her sponsored child.  At that time, her father and I wondered if she would be too little to understand, but we watched this 5-year-old  reach out and profoundly minister to her sponsored child, Kristy. Kristy was frightened of “the white people” and cried when we came to her home.  Isabel instinctively walked up to her, put her hand on Kristy and sang, “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.”  Kristy settled, and Isabel and Kristy shared a moment that would carry on into a global friendship.  Now both girls are 11 years old and they call each other “cousin”.

Last year we had the chance to take Isabel and our other two daughters to Kenya, and after that trip, Isabel started a ministry.

Realizing she made more in her allowance than some Kenyans make in a month made her decide to do something.  She started Shoes for Kids.

A year after that trip she saved $30 and bought three pairs of kid shoes for me to take on a Compassion blog trip.  That was in March.  Others pitched in and Isabel ended up collecting 30 pairs of shoes. Now, six months later, Isabel has collected shoes that have traveled to a half a dozen countries.

Back in July, Isabel put out this urgent plea on my blog.  She found out her dad was coming to Guatemala.  Sure enough, generous friends and strangers donated new shoes for kids, and we sent a pile for my husband to deliver.  He took those shoes to the very project we visited today.

After that trip, my husband insisted we come back to this project that is situated next to the city dump. 20,000 families reside in the most horrendous conditions.

When I showed up today, I told the project director who I was and she lit up.  She had delivered all the shoes and told me about it.

Later she gave me pictures to show me who those shoes went to.  As all the bloggers stood around and listened, I barely held it together. She gave me a beautiful letter for Isabel.

So then I brought out the new bags of shoes. We piled them up and pulled these out.

Amanda had brought some shoes that her daughter had grown out of too. Quickly we found a recipient.

After seeing such difficult things this week, I must admit it felt good to give something tangible.  Poverty is overwhelming, and somehow, being able to give a bag of shoes tends to ease the pain.

For Isabel and me, seeing  shoes with holes, and bare feet makes poverty real.

It becomes my breaking point.  I have so many shoes in my closet and when I see something like this, I can’t take it.

After we handed out the shoes, I studied the picture that the project director had given me from the last shoe drop.  In the picture was a little boy that I recognized, because he was right in front of me with a beautiful pair of shoes on his feet.  I wished my little Isabel could have been there at my side.

My daughter has a heart of gold.  Her little ministry is special.  No, we have not collected thousands of shoes, and she has no idea what a 5013C is for non-profit status.  None of that stuff matters to her. She just wants to know that some child somewhere has a pair of shoes on their feet.  So she built her own website, opened a twitter account @shoesforkids22, and continues her little ministry.

Before I left for this trip, I was tucking Isabel into bed and I said, “Isabel, do you ever imagine the child who will step in those shoes and what their life is like?”

She responded, “Mom, of course I do, that is all I think about.”

Dear Isabel,

Your ministry made some happy feet today.  I am proud of you.  Keep up the good work! Love Mom

If you want to help Isabel and her ministry, you can email us at shoesforkids@comcast.net and we will let you know how to donate gently used or new shoes.  I have a trip to Ecuador next month with Compassion, and Ethiopia after that and my husband has a Brazil trip.  You can even designate what country you want the shoes to go to.

If you don’t sponsor a child yet, I would highly recommend you do this for you and your kids.  It is such a blessing!

Treasures in The Dark

10 Sep

I found a gem today here in Guatemala City, and I wanted to take this little treasure home. Her name is Darling, and she is nine years old.  She is sponsored, but she has never received a letter from her sponsor.  She clung to me today as we got to know each other.  Her bashful spirit, sweet smile, and affectionate hugs were more beautiful than any masterpiece I have ever seen.  She was a treasure, so today I prayed for her and told her that she was loved and valued!

Sometimes I just want to pack them up and bring them home.  These precious lives.  I want to rescue them from neighborhoods infested with gangs. My heart continuously breaks for these children as I see the conditions they live in.  All I can do is pray.

As we walked through the neighborhood to visit the homes of two Compassion children, four bodyguards escorted us.  They kept a watchful eye on the street corners around us, so we could visit the homes of the children without any problems with the gangs. The streets were empty because parents won’t let their children play outside in this gang infested neighborhood.  A reminder of the darkness that surrounds this impoverished place.

But in this dark place, I found beautiful treasures.

Back at the church project, we had the chance to meet the staff and hang out with kids.

The Compassion project director and the church pastor were amazing.  Watching them maneuver amongst the children and tenderly care for the kids inspired me.

I saw Jesus in them.  The pastor has been at this project for 15 years, and his commitment to children was obvious.

While at the project, I saw masterpiece…..

after masterpiece……

created in the image of God.

Before we said good-bye, we prayed for the project director.

I was reminded that in this place, there are servants who daily care for these works of art, and because of their commitment, their love, and their compassion, poverty cannot destroy these little treasures.

What a blessing to be apart of this ministry!  What an amazing day of seeing God’s beauty amongst these children.

Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless:

Maintain the rights of the poor and the oppressed:

Rescue the weak and the needy:

Deliver them from the hand of the wicked.

Psalm 82:2-4

To read the other bloggers posts from today, click here.

Today’s photo’s are by my dear friend and awesome photographer Keely Marie.

We Have Arrived!

7 Sep

WE HAVE ARRIVED.  I love saying that!

I am so thankful tonight to be in Guatemala City with our bloggers.  I have already had some good laughs and some great conversations, so I know we are going to have a good week in Guatemala.  This is my 4th blog trip as a leader and it’s such a privilege to be a part of these trips.    The interaction from home, the messages, the comments, the twitters make this trip special.

“What if I can’t write very well this week?”

“What if we don’t get any kids sponsored?”

These are questions that were asked today. These are the same questions that have been asked on every single blog trip I have been on.  I know that each of our bloggers on this trip feel a bit of anxiety, not only because of the travel, but to perform.  I get that.  I also know from leading worship at my church that the band can have the most amazing performance and musicianship, but apart from God, it means nothing.  Apart from the Holy Spirit, words are just words, so I pray our bloggers find peace in knowing that they can just share from their heart and use their gifts. They don’t need to worry about it.

Well, I am not going to lie, I pray we get kids sponsored on this trip, but I also know this trip is about  more than getting kids sponsored…. so much more.

To me, it’s about the stories of the people we will meet and about our great God and what He is doing.   It’s about the miracles and about the mothers and fathers of children who now have hope.  It’s about challenging us Americans (and Canadians, and Europeans etc) to share our wealth, to be compassionate and to love those the world has left behind in the darkest corners.

This morning, as I left my house, and kissed my babies goodbye, I got to the airport and looked at all the messages, twitters and prayers for this team of bloggers. I was moved.  I was moved by the fact that several of our past bloggers wrote stories today, and sent kind words and prayers.   I was moved to know that people care and want to follow along.  I felt at peace knowing that we are surrounded by an army of people who are praying and hoping for the same outcomes as we are.

So thank you for your prayers this week as we experience the ministry of Compassion in Guatemala.  Keep em coming!

You can help too! Spread the word about this trip and help us free some kids from poverty!  Here is the link to our blog page where all the posts will be shown. Pass it on.

Written after a long day of travel so forgive me of any typo’s or grammatical errors.

Guatemalan Journey

26 Jul

What an unusual trip this has been.

The first couple of days were a little more normal for me.  We had two days of wonderful visits to Compassion church projects, meeting amazing project workers who are absolute heroes, visiting homes of children who have nothing and yet still have been instilled with hope for a future that will break the cycle of poverty in their lives.  The two projects we visited Friday and Saturday both had water systems that provided clean water to their entire communities at one third of the standard price in town.  It was so powerful to see the visions both of these churches had for their communities.  They were not churches just making themselves feel good by taking care of their own needs; they were making themselves uncomfortable in order to reach out into a desperate and hurting world and be the hands and feet of Jesus. Both of the communities we visited were struggling with gangs, violence, drugs and alcohol addition, and desperate poverty.  And these churches chose to do something about it.  They have partnered with Compassion for training and funding to minister to children and to break the horrible cycle of poverty that is so present in their communities.

Then Sunday morning we headed off to visit an orphanage, Casa Aleluya, where Michael’s wife Debbie has come in the past on a missions trip.  This is a huge facility where they care for over 400 orphans.  We pulled up and walked straight into their church service where they were waiting for Michael to take the stage.

Later we got the tour of the facility and of course got to hold some precious little babies.

Then we were off to lunch and a press conference.  This is where the trip left the usual…

And soon after that the day really changed when we found out that 10 of Michael W. Smith’s band and crew would not be making it for the big concert because of flight delays and cancellations.  Krista, who plays violin and sings backup was the only one who made it.  The restful day at the hotel that Spence, Keely and I had planned suddenly changed.   The rest of the day Spence and I turned into production manager, road manager and sound techs trying to get everything set up for the show while  Keely handled media and the meet and greet.

Even with the craziness of today, my mind keeps going back to this sweet, funny, barefoot little boy we met yesterday who lives in the Guatemala City dump.  (And yes, he thought it was funny to stick his finger up his nose.)

He was one of many we saw who were not sponsored yet with Compassion but the church already had their eye on him.  As you can see, he lives right in the city dump and as he ran out to greet us he was barefooted. We had learned just earlier that every sponsored child gets a pair of shoes every year, but it is children who aren’t sponsored who the church could not afford to provide with shoes.  Keely and I noticed this little boys bare feet and went to mention it to the project director who we had just given three bags of shoes to.  With a wide smile she told us through the translator, “Don’t worry, I am on it.  I have already sized up his feet.”

It brought tears to my eyes knowing that these children who even Compassion isn’t reaching yet can be cared for by this amazing local church because several of you responded to Isabel’s heart for Shoes For Kids.  All of those dots connecting can only happen because of a big and loving God.  Thank you for being a part of this with us.

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