Compassion -- Jesus in Action

I'm blogging today for Compassion International. I've gotten to know Compassion over the last couple of years through sponsoring a couple children. At right is a picture of Kayirangwa. I call her Kay for short.

Kay is a wonder to me. At nine she has lived most of her life in poverty. There are three children in her family and she lives with both her parents. Can you imagine a family of 5 living on about $5 a month?

Compassion minsters to over a million children in the world's poorest countries. The parents want more for their children. Compassion partners with parents and the community to do more for these little ones.

Kay showed me that she knows what the word compassion means. In the letter at right, she thanks me for the birthday money I sent her. In stead of buying something just for herself, she bought a hen for her family so they can have eggs. Compassion is doing what you can for someone else. Kay does that! I am so proud of her. In this, I think she showed Jesus love and compassion.

Have you ever thought of sponsoring a child and thought that it just wasn't for you? What part of it isn't for you? It's a chance to have a relationship with a child in poverty. It's a chance to give a child hope because they know someone cares about them and believes in them. In turn, they give hope to their families and their communities.

Unfortunately, there are more children than sponsors! Will you sponsor one today? For the cost of $32 a month you will know a child is receiving an education, food, and health care. That's just slightly over a dollar a day -- a dollar we might carelessly spend on a candy bar or in the pop machine. Could you drink water or have a candy bar only once a week if it meant a child could buy a hen and her family could have eggs?

Do you have kids? I know some people who have a meal once a week like a meal their child might have. One friend's kids sell rocks for money to support their child. They send pictures they have drawn.

Does a child need you? Yes, but do you need a Compassion child? Yes. If only for the simple fact that your child will be praying for you. Kay writes that she is praying for blessing for me and how surprised she is that like her I eat rice and beans! These kids care about their sponsors and together discover all the ways that we are similar in spite of being in the middle of IL and Kay being in the African country of Rwanda.

You can look at my sidebar to see photos of Compassion kids. But I want to encourage you to click here to be taken to the pictures of kids who have been waiting 6 months or more. Just imagine waiting and waiting for a sponsor and suddenly someone picks you! It might seem a bit like God looked down and smiled. You would probably run home with the news. "I'm sponsored! Someone loves me!"

Won't you be a part?

I love having the link on my sidebar for Compassion children. But I confess, I struggle with not being able to sponsor every one of them myself!

Other links about my involvement with Compassion:
The Search for Ecuador
Gifts
From America with Love
A Child in Rwanda
Last letter to Delia
When A Child Buys A Hen