What stuck out most in the letter was what Yelson has been learning at his Compassion center. 

“The child says that he has learned how to pray and to count and to play and to share and to attend church.”

Learning how to count, pray, and share are some things that I know I have taken for granted.  It is so wonderful to know that Yelson is being taught how to pray and how to go to church; something that he might not have learned otherwise without his Compassion center.  When I picture him learning how to pray, it makes me smile.  I am so grateful that he is learning all about God and how to talk to him through pray.  I just pray for that day that Yelson will commit his life to Christ.  Besides being taught about spiritual things,  He is also learning important  life skills like counting and sharing.  God is working in the life of this precious 7-year-old boy.

The letters I receive from my precious sponsored children are proof enough that God is working through Compassion to reach children in need.  This is also proof that God can use anyone, anywhere, and in all walks of life to make a difference.  Please consider sponsoring a child through Compassion International.  Sponsor a child  here.

This is the cutest video!  I started crying when I thought of my precious sponsored children.  This video really reminds me the importance of sponsorship.  Bring hope to a child in poverty, sponsor a child though Compassion International.

Then for some reason we got on the topic of chili, and my teacher was telling us that meat is such a luxury in many poor countries that  people wouldn’t  have meat in their chili.  One kid exclaimed, “How can you have chili without meat.  Then it is just a bunch of beans in tomato sauce.”  After hearing that  our teacher’s friend had to drink warm Pepsi and warm milk, everyone was shocked and  “eww and how gross” rang out.

This really got me thinking.  If we can’t even imagine having to drink warm pop and sleep on the floor, how could we even begin to understand the extent of poverty in many countries.  We are truly a blessed nation when we have meat in our chili and nice, comfy beds to sleep on.  This conversation made me think of the many blessings God has given me and the people of this country.  I have a fridge full of food, a lunch packed full of goodies, a nice, warm bed to sleep in, running water, wonderful education opportunities, clean water to drink….the list could go on forever.  It’s crazy the many things I have taken for granted.

If anyone is interested in sharing the many blessings God has given them, people consider sponsoring a child through Compassion International here.  Thirty-two dollars can change the life of a child living in poverty, and it can even change you.  Being a sponsor has certainly changed my life.

After reading that 1 million lives are claimed by malaria each year, I was  shocked.  Especially after finding out that many of the victims are children.  My heart breaks thinking of the many precious lives that are taken by a disease that is caused by something as small as a mosquito.  Thankfully Compassion is doing some amazing things to help prevent Compassion-assisted children and their families from getting this disease.  Compassion uses the donated money to  provide life-saving mosquito nets, malaria prevention education, and medication to those suffering from the disease.  I am comforted to know that my sponsored children and many other children are given the tools and resources to prevent this disease from claiming more lives.

Just $10 can provide a life-saving mosquito bed net.

To learn more about the Malaria Intervention Fund click here.

Sponsor a child through Compassion International here

1. Reach out to a lonely co-worker or classmate
2. Being supper to an elderly person in your community
3. Simply treat your waiter or waitress with respect and give them a kind smile
4. Reach out to a new family who moved into the area
5. Donate your time and money to a worthy cause
6. Anything that shares the love of Christ with others.

You could already start the year off right by checking out Compassion International and possibly even sponsoring a child.  Compassion is a wonderful Christian organization that releases children from poverty in Jesus’ Name .  Just $32 can make a difference in the life of a child.

Please visit Compassion International’s website if you are interested in sponsoring a child.

Name: Yelson

Country: Dominican Republic

Yelson lives with his mother.  He is responsible for carrying water, running errands, and cleaning.  His mother is sometimes employed as a laborer.  There are 5 children in the family.  For fun, Yelson enjoys playing cars, playing ball, games and running.  He attends Bible class regularly and is in primary school where his performance is average.

Sponsor precious kids like Yelson Here

All child development centers have resumed activities, and schooling in Kisumu and Nyanza has resumed.  Centers in tension-filled areas have found alternate sites to carry out their activities.  Mediation efforts in Kenya are starting to bear fruit.

Chief mediator, Kofi Annan, has stated that Kenya will soon see short term solutions to the political crisis. 

Affected child development centers have enjoyed a time of calmness and activities have resumed.  But, attendance has been low because parents are hesitant to send their kids.  Compassion is providing affected centers with disaster training and equipment.  Compassion is also providing post-trauma counseling to affected children and their families.  Houses, churches, and classrooms are starting to be rebuilt. 

Please Pray for:

1. Children who have seen the violence
2. Mediation efforts
3. The needs of affected families
4. Safety of Compassion-assisted children, their families, and Compassion staff
5. Peace

Information Courtesy of Compassion International

Today, I went to talk to a youth group about Compassion International, but I didn’t think anyone would sponsor that night. But, God had a plan for this precious little girl. He chose two teenagers to sponsor her and to be her friend. When I told them about how I would have to send her packet back, because I didn’t have a sponsor for her, they were very sad. God tapped on their hearts and they decided to become sponsors. The amazing thing is that one of them is already a sponsor through Compassion International. The ironic thing about this night is that I was actually thinking about not going because I was too scared. But, God had other plans. He tapped at my heart to make this presentation. I praise God for his awesome plans!

If God can use me to make a difference, he can use you too. Sponsor a child through Compassion Here

“That is what you can do for us. This has been indeed a very, very difficult situation for the country. But in some ways it is also an opportunity for the Church to model what a community of God is like to the rest of society … we need to pray for the Church, that it will seize this as an opportunity to become relevant to the society.”

~Sidney Muisyo-Compassion Kenya’s Country Director~

Compassion’s long-term care will include the rebuilding of houses and churches.  There will also be grief and trauma counseling available. 

If you would like to help displaced families, you can donate to Compassion’s Disaster Relief Fund Here.

Please pray that Kenya will find peace. 

Information Courtesy of Compassion International

• Compassion Programs in Africa have planted more than 10,000 trees
• In Haiti, Compassion assisted children are learning about deforestation and how that affects the environment
• Through hydroponics program, children are learning how to grow plants in water and how to be good stewards of this resource
• Throught the Child Survival Program, mothers are learning how to dispose of waste and how to compost garden waste
• Students in the Leadership Development Program are getting degrees in Engineering, Natural Resource Management, and much more.

Facts and Information Courtesy of Compassion International http://www.compassion.com