Today’s charity I would like to spotlight is Compassion International, and because of your support, you have given Christmas to children in poverty and high-risk situations who would otherwise have no Christmas gifts this year.
I love Compassion International and I had the opportunity to visit their headquarters in Colorado Springs, CO several years ago. I got to understand their origins as the founder was moved to help the children of Korea during the Korean War. I got to see their translation room, where all the letters to sponsor children from sponsors and letters to sponsors from children get to go to and be translated. Two things that impress me about Compassion are that they set the Gospel as a forefront priority to children and their families while they also care for them materially and educationally, and that just about all of my money goes straight to the children I sponsor. They make it a point to streamline their expenses so the children receive as much financial support as possible.
I’ll share my story with Compassion only so as to encourage you to pray for them yourself, and even give or commit to support a child in poverty. My family sponsors three children, one in Mexico and two in Bolivia. My son and our sponsor child in Mexico are the same age, so they are now old enough to begin writing each other. I already developed such a sweet relationship with the child’s mother through letters, and the child and I were able to pray for each other as we even struggled with similar health problems. Today he loves horses and playing his guitar and visiting his cousins, and he loves Jesus. I’m so thankful my sponsorship in part allowed him to receive medical attention when his worried mother watched his health struggle. It’s also very good for my family, because my children are learning to pray for others in poverty on a personal level, and learning about them allows my children to understand not everyone has what we have or lives like we do either.
And the girls we sponsor in Bolivia are so sassy and spunky and smart and so joyful. They love Jesus and they love getting to learn stories about Him. Because of Covid, the Compassion Centers that partner with their local churches shut down for quite a while, but Compassion workers and tutors are still able to visit them or stay in touch. Bolivia’s centers are reopened, but Mexico’s are not. I have read stories that some families did not have their next meal, when a Compassion worker showed up with a bag of rice and other food supplies at just the right time. Because the parents of many of these children could not go to work because of the pandemic, the families had no wages and no way to feed their families. But in Compassion centers, children normally receive tutoring help with school, Biblical education through local church communities, food, hygiene supplies, and medical attention. Many of the children who graduate from the program contribute back to their communities to help break the cycle of poverty. Some sponsors pay for college, and when they become doctors and other professionals, they return to their communities to give back.
Haiti is a country receiving particular help from Compassion right now, between the earthquake and storm, conditions in Haiti have become desperate in some instances. People are being kidnapped and held for ransom. Children are at a high risk of falling into the hands of kidnappers or gang activity or human trafficking. Compassion is doing all they can to make sure children are accounted for, safe, and loved. If you want to learn more about their work in Haiti right now, view their Hope for Haiti event on October 28. You can also visit their website if you want to learn about supporting children in vulnerable situations in general.
If you want to be more of a part of what Compassion is doing, you can give to their particular projects or you can sponsor a child each month and write to them. You can also give to their Christmas fund until the end of October. All the children in Compassion centers will be able to receive a Christmas gift, even children without sponsors yet. That’s what your support of my book has already done in part.
Thank you for your prayers and support, and thank you for the opportunity to shine the spotlight on another ministry that is truly making a difference for the kingdom of heaven. If you would like a copy of my book, they are available on Amazon $10 US for paperback and $5 US for eBook. Proceeds go to charity.
Learning to Love 