Archive | June, 2011

Our Philippines experience comes to a close today. It is a bittersweet moment, for I have truly seen the love of Christ in action and don’t want to forget the beauty of this work. Since the age of sixteen, I have dreamed of coming to the Philippines after reading my first missionary account of a nineteen year old girl who served here. One door opened after graduation only to be quickly shut. And now, this week, that dream was fulfilled and I got to witness firsthand the dreams of others being fulfilled.

I have witnessed extreme poverty, simple faith, joyful worship and abundant laughter.

I have seen children given hope, the love of Jesus, and the ability to grow, flourish, and make a difference in their nation.

I have seen solid national churches partner together with the work of Compassion to bring the hands of Christ to their communities.

I have seen numerous volunteers within the church who tirelessly serve (the majority of which are unpaid) to serve for the benefit of these children. They are passionate for the well-being of these children and willingly give numerous hours per week to their care.

I have seen empowered young people flourish through their youth and into their adulthood who want to love Jesus and in turn pass on the gift to other children. Four beautiful girls that graduated from the sponsorship program and currently students in the Leadership Development Program who are on fire for the Lord partner together to sponsor another and volunteer in the program. It is the gift that keeps on giving.

I have heard the power of the gospel in the life of Maan:

I have seen families come to Christ as their children are helped through Compassion. Mothers, fathers, siblings.

I have experienced impoverished family’s warmly welcome us into their homes and the sharing of their lives.

I have seen Jesus as I’ve entered the homes of Maan…

Myra…

Mary Rose…

and Florence and Rosa…

…all of which exhibited a glorious beauty, a peacefulness, a joy amidst their obvious poverty.

I have seen Jesus as I have prayed over these families and have received the blessing of these children’s prayers.

I have seen Jesus as I have danced, played games, sang, and worshiped alongside these precious people.These children are not removed from their poverty situation, but rather given a fresh perspective. They are given the tools to be instruments for change and transformation within their community. Ultimately, it is all Jesus!

I am blessed that this child in my womb was able to come along and be blessed by so many hands.

There is no doubt in my heart that this is a good work. The eternal difference made by sending our resources on ahead to our eternal home by loving on little children. It’s beautiful. The transforming affect of the gospel is taking place through the ministry of Compassion and the power of Jesus’ love.

And to top it all off…I had a orangutan pet my belly as if she knew there was baby there in the most unique third world zoo experience. Yes, I will agree that dressing up a monkey is just not humane…but it was sure funny!

My life is changed. Why? Because I want to make a difference. I want my life to count for something. I want to be a blessing to the nations with my time, money, and resources. I don’t want to waste this precious life that I have been given. I have been entrusted with a gift – the ability to love and be loved. I want to live simply in order that I might give generously.

I will go home tomorrow and look forward to sharing with my own four year old daughter about the precious journey we are embarking on in sponsoring Angel. We will commit to praying for her, loving her, and cheering her own, Lord willing, throughout the duration of her experience in the sponsorship program. I pray for the complete 16 years of her time in the program! She will be our adopted daughter. She will be a part of our family. She will grow up with my daughter. My daughter will have a tangible way to pass on the gift of God’s grace to a child in need even when we are world’s apart.

I will go home tomorrow empowered with fresh vision to pursue our family mission of living simply in order to give generously. I want to add more children to our international family!

Compassion is just one way to make a difference. It does not have to be limited to this. But may we all take a step forward today in going forth in Jesus’ name to the nations.

Now that you know…what will you do?

As much as you’ve done to the least of these…you’ve done it unto me. (Matthew 25:40)

Live simply in order that others might simply live.

Only one life, twill soon be past. Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Who would imagine the power of a written letter? When I was preparing to move a few months back, I remember digging out my memory box. I uncovered all the letters from my childhood received from my father, mother, and friends. They were so special to me. I had stored them all in a manila folder for years. I had kept these cards for a reason. Why? Here is a glimpse into their contents:

“I’m so proud of you.”
“I love to see how you are growing in virtue.”
“Thank you for being so reliable. We count on you. You are a huge help to our family.”

Such sweet encouragement that I am so loved. They inspire me to this day.

On Day 4 in the Philippines, Mrya sits across from us at the lunch table, a sweet young lady of 19, a member of the Leadership Development Program of Compassion International, and shares about her greatest struggle:

“My struggle is that my sponsor is not replying on my letters. It’s really hard. I want to know them more and more. I want to share our journey and what happens in our lives.”

Her face aches with longing. She wants to know about her sponsored family. She wants to hear about their lives, their dreams, their home, their family. Myra graduated from the Child Sponsorship Program and was selected to be in the Leadership Development Program, which is in an aggressive, advanced academic, and leadership training course. She has overcome incredible odds and needs the support and encouragement to thrive in this challenging stage.

Out of 57,000 sponsored children in the Philippines, only 7,000 receive a letter from their sponsor in a month’s time.

Meann (pictured above), on the other hand, had a satchel full of letters and photos and she beamed from ear to ear as she displayed them to us. Each one she had treasured and kept secure in her memory box to review for years to come. She proudly told us about each of her past sponsors and identified them by name.

The financial aspect of sponsorship is obviously essential, but the written letter goes beyond the physical and offers that emotional affirmation that encourages a child to persevere, to dream, to press on towards completing their goals, to know they are loved by you and by the truly Important One, King Jesus.

A letter offers hope, encouragement, affirmation, spiritual inspiration, and friendship. All of which are instrumental to the holistic healthy development of a child.

A study in Ethiopia revealed an improvement academically of 20-30% growth from children who received just two letters a year over those who received none.

How long does it take to write a letter? In our day and age of technology, we have lost touch with the beauty of the written word.

Verbal affirmation is valuable, but the written word is a keepsake. It is something that can be reviewed again and again. When they are discouraged they can look back upon your words to lift them up again. When they are scared they can see that you are praying for them and they are loved from afar.

What Can You Do?

If you sponsor a child through Compassion, I want to thank you for your commitment to this child. It does make a world of difference as we have witnessed first hand. But would you stop and take a moment today and write your child a letter? Include your children in the process. Let them write a letter. Let them experience the impact of corresponding with a child in a foreign country. What a sweet way to expand your child’s worldview, culture, geography and heart for others.

It only requires a piece of paper, pen, a stamp, envelope, and thirty minutes of your time. Include verses, tell about your family, ask about their life, cheer them on. Compassion even makes it easier for those who prefer email. You can write online and it will be forwarded on to your child.

If you don’t sponsor a child, may I encourage you to do so today. Start building a relationship that could impact a child for a lifetime. Or consider the opportunity of being a child correspondent. You can sign up to be a friend to a child around the world.

Lastly, who might appreciate a written card or note of encouragement in your life right now?

Take a moment and write a note and drop it in the mail. Write a gift of grace to another. You never know the long term impact your encouraging words can have. Write to your children. Even if they are too young to read. These will be such a gift to your children when they are grown and gone.

“But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called “Today,” so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.” Hebrews 13:3

For further help on writing letters to your sponsored child, visit the FAQ page. You can write online and/or print stationary from the Compassion website.

Hear more stories of our adventures in the Philippines on the Compassion Bloggers site. You don’t want to miss it!

Day 3 in the Philippines sees us riding upon a pedicab being escorted down the narrow streets of a community in a large wet marshland with ponds of water scattered about on either side. It is an area succumb to frequent flooding in the rainy season. Houses all around lie a foot deep in dirty slim water with tires and strips of wood to provide stepping stones into their homes. Clothes hang to dry over the water by thin strands of rope.

In one spot the entire road is covered with water with no passage through beyond a cement sledge border running the length of the road upon which people hobble along to reach their homes. Fishing (called milk fish) is the livelihood of the community along with pedicabs escorting people from here to there.

We come to a small wooden tin roofed house built upon two foot high stilts. Underneath lays a sludge of wet marsh. Outside their door is a pile of paper trash of receipts from which the children sort and recycle for supplementary income.

Upon entering the approximately 12 foot by 15 foot home, divided into three small rooms, we are warmly greeted by a vibrant mother and her three young children. There is no furniture besides a bunk bed, dresser and kitchen counter with one office chair for seating.

The father works insane hours as a driver in a distant village. He leaves at 4 o’clock in the early hours of the morning and often does not return till midnight or 1 am the next day. Yet they express thanks to have the extended family and help of neighbors living next door. They share community meals together.

Their home flooded in October of 2009 when a three foot high wave of water filled their home. They were completely stranded and slept upon the upper level of the dilapidated bunk-beds that the children slept upon. They simply had to wait it out. But in their struggle the expression on their faces is one of thankfulness. “We were blessed because we had milk fish swimming through out home that we were able to catch and eat.”

Mary Rose is the oldest daughter at fourteen who thrilled us with her love for singing earlier in the day. Her love for Jesus was clearly displayed on her countenance. She entered the Compassion Child Sponsorship program at age five and testifies of the impact it has made upon her life. She heard about Jesus and chose to give her life to Him. She can now dream. Medals and certificates cover the wall displaying the family pride in their daughter for her success in school and church. She dreams of becoming a teacher and loving on children in the way she was loved. She loves the exuberance of children and wants to help them. Even at the tender age of fourteen, she is already serving by teaching other children in her community through volunteer teaching in the Compassion program. She is a beautiful young lady rescued from her poverty and given an opportunity for a future, and she wants to pass on the gift she has received.

Throughout the duration of telling us their story, the smiles never leave their faces. They are so beautifully content. They thank us incessantly for coming to their home. They spent the day talking among their neighbors of how greatly they anticipated our arrival.

Yesterday, we visited another amazing family of 15 (extended family all living under one roof) cramped into a 250 square foot home. When we asked our host what she had been doing that day, she excited expressed, “Nothing really. We were just waiting for you to come. We were so excited for you to come.”

This family could offer us no more than a simple wood floor or old office chair to sit upon and yet they gave it so freely. They have nothing to give beyond their love and welcoming smiles. How can I ever again be intimidated by the thought of extending hospitality to others in my own home when I see such joyful love extended amidst such poverty? We reside in a culture with such abundance and yet we shrink back at the thought of the uncomfortable nature of opening our homes and lives to others. Here are families that greatly anticipate our arrival and thank us repeatedly for visiting their homes while I stand as one who stresses over the fear and details of welcoming in another.

Today I was loved upon in a way that I will never soon forget. Even in their poverty, they freely gave us their love. Isn’t that what true hospitality is all about? The simple extension of our hearts and hands to show the love of Christ to others? We might not have huge resources to give, and yet we all have a home, a heart, and hands to extent to others. Eight of us sat crowded around their floor but no one gave it second thought.

We have been given so many gifts. How can we pass on what we have without thought to size or substance?