A new year arrives and an old pattern repeats as we walk a worn path, yearly trodden: emerging from the Christmas season with spirits lifted and hope renewed, expectant . . . ready.
Ready for change. Ready to make a difference.
For some that translates into a gym membership; a new hobby; or a resolution to eat less, give more, get together with friends, or keep a cleaner house. Resolutions reflect our inner need to grow, to change, to live well.
This January I’d like to encourage you to focus a little of your good intentions in a direction that will make a profound and lasting difference in the life of a child, a child you may never meet but can bless in a mighty way across the miles.
We sponsored our Compassion child, Guadalupe, almost four years ago. We spend $38 per month for her sponsorship, plus we also choose to send money for birthday and Christmas presents. I love to hear her name uttered in my children’s prayers, this little girl in Honduras who looks like a Hispanic version of my 8-year-old daughter and sends us crayon drawings from 2000 miles away.
I’ve never forgotten the words that prompted me to visit the Compassion site:
The difference between the Compassion sponsored kids and the unsponsored kids is unbelievable. It is the difference that hope, dignity, clothing and love can make.
These are real children with real needs. Please take a moment to visit Compassion’s list of children who need sponsors and see if one of those little faces doesn’t capture your heart, the way Guadalupe did mine.
How often do we get the chance to shine our lights thousands of miles away and make a resolution that really makes a difference?
If you decide to sponsor a child, please come back and tell us your story in the comments! If you’re already sponsor a child, share that with us, too.
By Dawn Camp, My Home Sweet Home
ABOUT DAWN CAMP
Dawn is a homeschooling mother of eight and online shop owner who lives life with a camera in one hand and a glass of sweet tea in the other. A Photoshop...
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God’s been tugging on my heart to do this for about a month now, but was unsure which organization to do it through. It seems almost every other day for weeks now, Compassion is brought to me through emails, posts, friends, etc. No more questioning God, its time to obey (adopt)!! Looking forward to making a kingdom difference in her life, as well as my family!!
Diane, I am so happy for you and the child you’ll sponsor! The relationship will bless you both.
I agree. Our girls consistently pray for their compassion children evey night. I’d like to get better at corresponding with them this year. I’m not faithful in that the way I’d like to be. Compassion has opened our eyes to the rest of the world.
Tristi, I’m not nearly so good at writing as I shoud be, too. I need to set up reminders for myself and send more notes online. They get there faster and would fill the gaps between written letters.
We sponsor two kiddos now. One of our other ones graduated from the program. In her last letter to us she told us not only her but her WHOLE FAMILY came to know Jesus through our sponsorship. Wow, talk about a great investment!!
Holley, I love that story. How old are they when they graduate?
We have been sponsoring two little boys in Ethiopia, through Hope Enterprises, and it was amazing to meet them face to face on a mission trip a few years ago. I will never be the same. We recently began sponsoring, through Compassion, a little 3 year old girl name Mercy, who lives in Kenya. I just received information about how I can write my first letter to her and send her photos, etc. on-line. Amazing. So excited to begin this relationship here. Thank you for your beautiful post.
Jennifer, I can’t imagine how wonderful it would be to meet your sponsored child. I have seen sponsor tour trips to Honduras, where our sponsored child lives. Maybe some day there will be a blog tour there (of course I’d have to get the nerve to apply to go).
That would be the best!!! I hope you can! :) I am hoping to get to Kenya to meet Mercy someday.
I would love to sponsor a child (have wanted to for some time now), but it is not for us at this time. However, I can still pray for all those beautiful children out there! Thanks for making a difference, Dawn.
Julie, “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” (James 5:16). Your prayers make a difference!
My family sponsors a little girl named Jaleska from Ecuador. She reminded me so much of my girls and she’s just about the same age. Our sponsorship is still new, so I haven’t gotten the chance to receive a letter from her yet, but I am waiting so anxiously to get to know her and her family and let them know that Jesus loves them!
Lindsay, this is like my story. Our sponsored child reminds me of my two youngest girls and she was born between their births.
Just sponsored my first Compassion child: Hanna, in Ethiopia. I have always had a desire to sponsor a child, but for some reason today was just the day. When I saw her face on the screen with all the other pictures, I got tears in my eyes, like she was just supposed to be mine. I love her already, and am so looking forward to praying for her and seeing the ways God will use her sweet life. Thank you, incourage!
Erica—YAY! What a sweet story. I pray you and Hanna will share a beautiful relationship across the miles. Thank you for helping her.
We just starting sponsoring our first little guy from Ecuador. We are so excited to begin this wonderful journey!
Jennifer, you will love it, especially when he’ll send pictures. It just melts our hearts to receive drawings from Guadalupe.
Thank you so much for this, Dawn. Our family also sponsors a beautiful girl in Honduras. Her name is Genesis, and we’ve sponsored her for about three years. We are so grateful for the opportunity to be a part of her life. Her cards and letters are filled with love and appreciation. We, too, are trying to grow in our frequency of communication. But, regardless, our love for her and her for us is real, crossing language and borders. We’re united in Christ and thank God for her precious life. Saying a prayer right now for all these sponsored children and for all those not yet sponsored.
Thank you, Ashley! Wouldn’t it be wild if our sponsored kids know each other?
Thank you Dawn, for this post! It provoked me to the point of taking the leap of faith to sign up and sponsor a beautiful girl named Ayenga.
My post on why I did is here: http://michellerenich.com/2012/01/introducing-ayengo/
I can’t wait to meet her someday!
*Ayengo :-)
Michelle, I’m so happy for you and I pray you are able to meet Ayengo someday.
Thank you so much for this post, this has been on my heart for awhile now, and my husband and I took the plunge today, sponsoring a little boy from El Salvador named Luis. He had been in need for more than 6 months and looked strikingly like one of my students, so I had to sponsor him. So excited to start corresponding with him!!
Amy, this is just wonderful. Our Compassion child was on the list for over 6 months, too, before we sponsored her. I encourage you to begin corresponding with him. I think the biggest regret most sponsors have is feeling that they don’t send enough letters. You can also send them online, too, which is faster.
Love my Compassion child, child of my heart. My 17 yr old daughter has a Compassion child that she supports with her part time job, and that child has her heart as well.
Jennifer, thank you for telling me about your daughter sponsoring a child, too. What a great example for other young people with jobs!
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