Solomon's Story

On our second full day in Kenya we met a young boy named Solomon while we visited the Massai village. We were able to experience a "day in the life" while visiting his home. We proved to not be the most skilled at goat herding or milking. Solomon was originally brought into Compassion International as a part of their Child Survival Program or CSP. The child survival program is one of my favorite parts of Compassion's ministry for many reasons. First, CSP sponsors mother/child units from 0-3 years, the most critical years of life and development in many of these impoverished countries. The truth is, in many of these places, without the work of Compassion, these children would not survive their 3rd birthday. But because of the work Compassion is doing, mothers are learning about how to best take care of their children and help them not only survive, but thrive. Another thing I love about the program is the ministry it has with the mothers of these programs. All of the mothers that I have met are so grateful for the program and for all of the knowledge and the skills that they have learned. Compassion, as well as educating mothers on caring for their children, is also teaching those same mothers skills that they can use to produce income for their families. In Solomon's case, his mother was able to move their family from the small mud hut made of elephant dung that their family did occupy to a larger, nicer home. While still small by our standards, it was a great improvement over their former living conditions. Solomon's mother was able to provide this for their family because of the skills she had learned through Compassion's program. The CSPs of Compassion are making disciples of the mothers who are in turn, sharing their knowledge with their friends and communities. I truly believe that the children involved in CSP are the future of their country. I believe that they will be stronger and more confident adults who will grow up to make a difference in their country. Compassion is truly stepping in from the very beginning of life to break the bondage of poverty and release children from poverty in Jesus' name. I believe that Solomon will grow up to be a great man and make a difference in Kenya because of the work that God has done in his life through Compassion.

Currently you can make a one time or monthly committed donation to Child Survival Programs all over the world and you can help support this great work that Compassion is doing. I encourage you as this is a way that you can contribute once or on a regular basis to making a difference in so many childrens' lives around the world. Start making a difference in the life of someone like Solomon today. https://www.compassion.com/contribution/giving/CSP.htm

To Be an Advocate

I have thought a lot lately about what it means to be an advocate...primarily, an advocate for children. A couple of years ago, I "officially" became an advocate for Compassion International which started my thoughts about what it means to be an advocate for children in poverty all over the world. My involvement with Compassion has a lot to do with why I am now becoming a teacher. Through Compassion I discovered my desire to make an impact in the lives of children, a real lasting impact, and what better way to do that then to become a teacher? Too bad it has taken me all this time to figure that out! Now as I am in classes about elementary education and becoming a teacher, I keep hearing that word...advocate. And I have thought more and more about what that means, both in the context of my heart for children around the world, as well as in the context of those students who will be in my classroom in the future.

As I think about children in my class one day, I think about children who will have little to no parental involvement in their lives. I think about children who may or may not have hot meals over the weekend when they leave school. I think about children who are struggling but desire to learn. I will not only be a teacher to these children, but I will be a comfort when they are hurting. I will be their voice when they cannot speak up for themselves. I will care about them not just as students or pupils, but as people who need to be invested in, cared for, and loved. I will be their advocate.

As I think about the children all over this world, many of which who live in poverty, I think of Susan, my sponsored child in Uganda. I think of a beautiful group of young girls in the Philippines that I spent an afternoon with giggling and playing. I think of children in Haiti that have hope, even in the midst of tragedy. And I think of the beautiful faces of children that I met recently in Kenya. As I was in Kenya, I realized that it is not by chance that I have heard and learned their stories. So, it is my responsibility to tell those stories. To be the voice for the millions of children who are not being heard. To love and care about these children enough to tell other people about them. So over the next few days that is what I will do. I will tell their stories. I will be their advocate.

I like the Webster's dictionary definition that defines an advocate as "one who pleads the cause of another and supports or promotes the interest of another." I hope that is what I can be for any child that God may put in my life or in my care.

P.S. I am still keeping up with my Bible reading too! Finally caught up from Kenya.

Today's Reading: Leviticus 11-14

"For I am the Lord your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy."

-Leviticus 11:44

Okay...

Tonight is going to be a really short post. Headed to Kenya tomorrow to see the work of Compassion International. The reality hasn't even really hit me yet as I have been running around like crazy trying to get ready to go. Maybe it will hit me sometime between Atlanta and Amsterdam tomorrow! I am not really looking forward to the long flights, but it will give me plenty of time to relax and catch up on reading. We will jump right into everything once we get to Kenya and I am looking forward to all of the experiences we will have. Don't think that I will have a chance to blog while I am there, so I will be back on the 10th. Keep us in your prayers as we travel and pray that we will be an encouragement to the students and leaders of Compassion International Kenya.

A week from today...

I will be on my way to Kenya! I am so excited and blessed to have this opportunity to go on another trip to see the work of Compassion International. If you aren't familiar with Compassion, it is a child sponsorship program that is releasing children from poverty in Jesus' name. My involvement with Compassion International has changed my life. I will never be the same because of the experiences I have had with Compassion. In 2007, I traveled to Uganda, Africa for my first international experience and my first trip with Compassion. I admit before I traveled I was still a little skeptical. I just hadn't learned a whole lot about the program. After seeing the work that they do firsthand, I was sold for life. I was able to see how their ministry partners with churches in the poorest areas and how they are equipping these churches to change the lives of the people in these communities. I also learned that the greatest tragedy of poverty is not a lack of "stuff" it is a lack of hope for a future, and that is exactly what Compassion is providing to these children and families. In Uganda, I was also able to meet my sponsored child Susan and her mother. It was an incredible and overwhelming experience. I am so happy and proud to watch her grow up into a beautiful young woman of God. I know that God has great plans for her life. In 2008, Brad & I both had the opportunity to travel to the Philippines. And I had entirely new experiences with poverty. I had no idea that people built their homes over flooded rice fields and ride rafts of styrofoam or swim through rivers of trash and raw sewage just to get into the mainland of their communities, or that people built communities in graveyards. My family now sponsors a little girl named Mary Hart from the Philippines and I trust that God has incredible plans for her life as well. In the fall of 2008, Brad and I were also able to travel to Haiti. You can read in my previous blogs what a heart I have for that country, especially now in the midst of such terrible tragedy. Brad & I also sponsor a young man named Bens who lives in Haiti. We are pretty sure that he has been protected from much of the tragedy, but I am sure that he is still affected in some way. I pray that he will grow up to make a difference in his country one day. Although in all of the places that I have been the people are different and the landscape is different, two things are constant. One is poverty. It is like nothing that most of us have ever seen and it is nothing like anything here in the US. The other constant is the impact that Compassion International is having on the future generations of these countries. Compassion is bringing hope, it is bringing a future generation of leaders who will make an incredible difference in their country. Most importantly it is bringing hope to these children through Jesus Christ.

I am so blessed to be a part of Compassion International. It is a blessing to be able to be a small part of something much larger than myself. To feel that in some small way I am making a difference in the lives of others. That in some small way I am answering God's call to help the orphans and widows of this world. Sometimes it doesn't feel like much, but it is something. My heroes are the Compassion project workers who work with these children and are a part of their everyday lives. I ask you to join with me in praying for these people. Specifically for this week for those in Kenya. I pray that in some way I may be able to bring encouragement to these dear people as we are visitors in their country. Also please seriously consider making a difference in the life of a child through sponsorship. It is $38 a month and if we are honest with ourselves, we blow through that much money a month on trivial things like iTunes and Starbucks. That $38 helps support the needs of a child as well as pay for school fees and medical expenses. More importantly, it provides you the opportunity to build a relationship with that child. It is a relationship that will change your life as you are able to see them grow and change and have HOPE for their future. If you want more info about Compassion International, just let me know or check them out on the web at www.compassion.com. In the words of some friends of mine who are Compassion graduates, "So you want to change the world...PROVE IT."

Today's Reading: Job 6-9...I did read today!

"And he said, Naked I came from my mother's womb and naked I shall return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord." Job 1:21