Compassion: A Child is Waiting...for You?

Scripture makes it clear that God cares deeply for the poor and the oppressed. Do we share our Father’s heart for the poor? And if we care as He does, how can we help? The needs are overwhelming—-what can we possibly do?



Extreme poverty is a massive, complex problem. There are so many issues to address--infrastructure, water, sanitation, hygiene, public policy, justice...all of those circumstances are important. Yet, as Compassion VP Scott Todd argues:

"…the heart of overcoming poverty lies in developing people, and with people development you get the most impact during their childhood. Compassion’s program contains the core components of really good child development—it’s comprehensive in a child’s life, it provides long-term involvement, and it points kids to the only true source of hope, which is the gospel of Jesus Christ.

“When the tactical value of all these things really hit me, I understood that this Compassion thing that I was already involved in wasn’t just a cute thing to do to help out a kid. A Compassion sponsorship is actually a profoundly strategic approach to dealing with poverty. You enter into children’s lives with the message that ‘you matter,’ you introduce them to Jesus, you give them protection and opportunity, and then you watch them flourish. Then those kids grow up to be the kinds of people who change their nations. When the poor themselves become the solutions to the problems they face in their societies, that is sustainable development. So for me, the simple and practical step toward tackling poverty is to sponsor a child through Compassion."

I’ve been a sponsor with Compassion International for nearly 16 years now, and it has been a beautiful gift. What a privilege to receive letters and photos, to watch Leni grow up and graduate from the program, to hear about Bahati’s dream of becoming a doctor, to have Providence tell what she bought with the birthday gift we sent. What a privilege to be a vessel of grace and truth and love to these children, to encourage them and point them to Jesus.

You see, it’s not just they who are poor. I, too, am poor—to echo Psalm 34:6, “This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him and saved him out of all his troubles.” Steve and I are not Compassion sponsors out of guilt or a sense of duty. It is our joy to extend hope to children in need because in a spiritual sense, we know what it is to be poor and needy and then to be rescued and given hope. We count it a privilege to reflect the image of our Savior, who, though He was rich, for our sake became poor, so that through His poverty we might become rich.

Sponsorship costs $38 a month—an investment of about $1.25 a day. Some of you would hardly miss that kind of money; for others of you, it really would be a significant sacrifice. But it provides opportunities for your sponsored child that most of the world’s poorest children never see. We have so much to share--not just our financial resources, but our love, our prayers, our letters. And I’m confident you’ll find that it truly is more blessed to give than to receive. The effects of your generosity will ripple through eternity.

Our church recently celebrated Compassion Sunday, and I received packets for 16 children. My church stepped up and sponsored nine of them! That means I still have seven left--seven precious children who need someone to come into their lives and say, "You matter. Jesus loves you, and I care about you. You have hope!" Orlin ... Bright ... Ariane ... Dorvensky ... Mohammed ... Immaculee ... Jonathan. Real people in need of real help and hope.

Could they be waiting for YOU? I would love to find sponsors for every one of these little ones before their packets expire and they go back onto the waiting list. If you're interested, leave a comment below with your email address, or email me at amykannel [at] hotmail [dot] com and I will get you set up.

I hope you’ll consider participating in this ministry of releasing children from poverty in Jesus’ name. I believe in Compassion and I'm thankful to participate in the important and beautiful work they're doing.

Compassion: Changing the Story

Does child sponsorship really make a difference?

You've probably heard of the concept, but maybe you've wondered: is it really a wise use of your money, really a good way to help the poor?

Some researchers asked that question a couple of years ago and found that no one had ever investigated the impact of child sponsorship. They approached many organizations, asking for cooperation, and Compassion International was the only one who said, "Sure, we'll throw our records wide open to you. Check out what we're doing."

These independent researchers spent two years collecting data on more than 10,000 people in six countries. They interviewed adults who had been sponsored through Compassion as children. And they were blown away by what they discovered. One said:

"You could beat this data senseless, and it was incapable of showing anything other than extremely large and statistically significant impacts on educational outcomes for sponsored children."

Compassion-sponsored children were far more likely to complete their education, far more likely to have stable jobs, far more likely to become leaders in their communities and churches.

But these adults who had been sponsored had something more than education and good jobs and community success: They had hope.

This news didn’t surprise the president of Compassion. Dr. Wess Stafford said:

“…individual child development is the most strategic long-term solution to poverty that exists. …There are so many great ministries tackling various aspects of poverty…I love that Christians put in fresh-water wells or build houses or work on income generation. Compassion does some of those very things, too. But fighting poverty is bigger than repairing the externals. The worst thing about poverty is what it destroys. Poverty is an internal assault on self-worth, growth, and hope. But that’s where Compassion does its best work—deep inside the heart, inside the potential of individual children.” 

Millions of children are living in extreme poverty around the world—but we, as followers of Jesus, can reach out to individual children, one by one, and help to change their stories.

Short Main Compassion Sunday Video from Compassion International on Vimeo.

We must help the poor. Not out of guilt or duty, but because our God calls Himself the defender of the fatherless, the rescuer of the needy. The reality is, WE are needy, and we have been loved and redeemed by Jesus, who gave up His life to bring us to God. And if we belong to Him, He calls us to imitate His justice and mercy.

In Psalm 82:3, God says, “Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.” 

If we have been rescued, we have the privilege of extending God’s rescuing love to the poor. By making some small sacrifices, we can imitate our generous God, sharing the blessings He has poured out on us and inviting desperate children into His story.

Would you be willing to sponsor a child? Compassion recently sent me 15 packets for children who need sponsors. And seven generous families from my church signed up to change their stories! I still have seven children left—some of whom have already been waiting as long as 10 months.

Sponsorship costs $38 a month—an investment of about $1.25 a day. That’s less than what we might pay for a Coke or a cup of coffee. It's probably less than your monthly phone or internet bill. But it can provide opportunities for your sponsored child that most of the world’s poorest children never see.

 
When you sign up for sponsorship, Compassion links you to an individual child who needs your help. You receive his or her photo and personal story, and you can build a relationship through letters and prayers.

If you’d like to sponsor one of these precious children, leave a comment below, or contact me directly by email: amykannel[at]hotmail[dot]com. 

I’ve been a sponsor with Compassion for over 13 years, and the more I learn, the more I am impressed with this ministry. I've also read countless blog posts from real people who started out skeptical, went overseas for a firsthand look at Compassion's work, and came away 100% sold on what Compassion is doing. For more information, check out:

• Three Questions to Ask a Child Sponsorship Organization (written by Shaun Groves, who has had an extensive up-close relationship with Compassion)
  
• Is Compassion International a Good Investment? (written by a blogger who went on a Compassion trip and asked tons of questions on site)

Ayar, Betelhem, Vadavalasa, Collins, Eric, Maite, and Sneha would love to have the Christmas gift of a new sponsor to provide educational opportunities, health care, hope, and tangible evidence of Jesus’ love. Could you be the one to offer them such a priceless gift?

Many other children besides these seven are waiting for sponsors. Visit Compassion's website if you'd like to select a child who's been waiting the longest (some have been waiting more than 400 days), a child from a specific country, or a child with the same age or birthday as your own child.

A Plea for Compassion

Today, 16,000 children will die from hunger. Today, 1,500 children will become infected with HIV. Today, nearly 5,000 children will die from diseases caused by unclean water and poor sanitation. These statistics reflect the devastating reality of poverty—and they can be overwhelming.

But today, you can help turn these numbers around.

Compassion International exists to rescue children from spiritual, economic, social and physical poverty in Jesus' name. Through sponsorship, Compassion links you with one child who needs your help. You build a relationship through letters and prayers, and for $32 a month, you can provide for that child’s health, educational and social needs. Most importantly, you provide the opportunity for your child to hear and respond to the gospel of hope and salvation through Jesus Christ.

A few months ago, I read this story from Compassion president Dr. Wess Stafford. It expresses beautifully why I believe in the ministry of Compassion. He writes:

I have been with Compassion a long time, so beyond all the research and the data, it’s wonderful to see the difference Compassion’s ministry has made in real lives. Recently I was in Uganda and after a church service I met two delightful young adults. They had both been Compassion-sponsored children and when they grew up, they married each other. They now have a beautiful, healthy baby girl and they let me hold her. I gazed at that tiny life in my arms, then up at the proud, beaming faces of her mom and dad. Instinctively I asked, “Does this child need a sponsor?” I will never forget the tears that welled up in her young mother’s eyes. “No,” she said confidently. “We are able to care for her.” The young father added, “Poverty stopped with us!”

Now the tears were on my face. I could barely contain my joy. Success means you don’t have to sponsor the children of sponsored children—they truly have been “released from poverty in Jesus’ name”! Multiply that young father’s response over 55 years and by the 1.5 million children Compassion has helped, and you get a clear and resounding answer to the big question, Why do we do what we do the way we do it? Because it works!

To put the cost of sponsorship in perspective, check out this post I wrote last year about what $25 buys you in Kenya. If a birthday gift goes that far, imagine what $32 a month can accomplish!

Our church recently commemorated Compassion Sunday, and Compassion sent me ten packets for children needing sponsors. Five of the children found sponsors, but our small church is reaching saturation level. I have five packets left. I really don't want to send these beautiful children back to the waiting list!

Dharshini - age 5, India
Thavir - age 6, India
Hugo - age 7, Brazil
Sifa - age 6, Kenya

Chebet - age 9, Uganda

Can you help? Please consider this opportunity to put your faith in action by caring for children who are precious in God’s sight. If you're interested in sponsoring one of these children, or would like more information, email me: amykannel [at] hotmail [dot] com. Thank you!

What $25 Buys You in Kenya

• a boy's suit
• four shirts
• one pair of shoes
• two pairs of socks
• a pair of trousers
• two chickens
• one kg of sugar
• a packet of tea leaves
• 250 g cooking fat
• seven sweets

I know this because Steve and I received a precious letter the other day from Bahati, the six-year-old Kenyan boy we sponsor through Compassion International. We signed up to sponsor him on Compassion Sunday this past spring, and we noticed that he had just turned six--so along with our first payment, we sent a birthday gift. We've received two or three letters from Bahati already, and the latest one was a thank you for our gift. He told us all the things he bought for himself and his family--listed above.

It blew me away. Kind of puts things in perspective, huh?

If a birthday gift goes that far, think what a $32/month sponsorship accomplishes! I know many of you are already involved with this wonderful ministry, but if you're not, may I encourage you to head over to their website now and check it out? Children are the most vulnerable people in the world—and God is passionate about them. What can you do today for the least of these?

Caring for the Least of These

As Christians, the question we must ask ourselves is not “Should I help the poor?” but rather “HOW should I help the poor?”

One effective and meaningful way to help is to sponsor a child through Compassion International. Yesterday, along with hundreds of churches across America, our church participated in Compassion Sunday. For over 50 years, Compassion has been reaching out to needy children around the world. Compassion partners with evangelical churches in 24 countries to provide for the basic needs of over 770,000 children. When you sponsor a child, Compassion links you to an individual child who needs your help. You receive his or her photo and personal story, and you can build a relationship with that child through letters and prayers.

As Compassion president Wess Stafford has said:

“[So often we] speak of children as ‘tomorrow’s world’ or ‘the church’s future.’ As noble as those phrases sound, they are all about pushing off the value of children to the Realm of Someday. Someday they will add value. Someday they will make a difference. Not today. …When it comes to children, we must stop thinking someday and start thinking of their worth and needs today.”

I believe in the ministry of Compassion. They realize that children are precious in God’s sight, and they respond to Jesus' call to welcome them in His name. I’ve been inspired and humbled by my involvement in this vital ministry. Sponsorship has been a blessing to me, and I pray that through my letters and support, an 11-year-old girl in Indonesia named Leni is experiencing God’s love in a tangible way.

Sponsorship costs $32 a month—an investment of about a dollar a day. That’s less than what most of us pay for a Coke or a cup of coffee--or for other luxuries like movies and internet. But it can provide opportunities for your sponsored child that most of the world’s poorest children never see, including:

• school fees and uniforms
• tutoring, literacy programs and career training
• clean water, medical checkups and hygiene education
• supplemental food and nutrition information
• love, personal attention and guided recreation

And most importantly, they’ll learn about Jesus and receive regular Bible training. Each child will have a chance to hear and respond to the gospel of hope and salvation through Jesus Christ.

The apostle John wrote in his first letter, “By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.”

Will you prayerfully consider loving one of “the least of these” today in deed and in truth?

Compassion

“Let the little children come to me,” Jesus said, “and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these” (Matthew 19:14).

Children are the most vulnerable people in the world—

and God is passionate about them.

Yesterday, along with churches all across America, we observed Compassion Sunday. I want to take a few minutes on my blog as well to focus on the millions of children around the world who live in extreme poverty—unable to attend school, constantly exposed to hunger and disease, and all too often neglected or abused. Most of all, they lack hope.

The numbers can be overwhelming—you might not know where to begin or whether anything you could do would actually make a difference. But what if you knew one of those children by name? What if you had a vital connection that allowed you a unique opportunity to help that child?

"Poverty, an overwhelming global tragedy, occurs one life at a time. It destroys lives one at a time. And it is defeated one life at a time." (Wess Stafford, Too Small to Ignore) You can't change the whole world. But you can change the world for one child.

Jesus held children so close to His heart that He said in Mark 9:37, “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.” When we reach out to children living in poverty, we reach out to our Lord Himself.

For the past 50 years, Compassion International has been reaching out to needy children around the world. Through sponsorship, Compassion links you to an individual child who needs your help. You receive his or her photo and personal story, and can build a relationship with that child through letters and prayers.

Sponsorship costs $32 a month—an investment of about a dollar a day. That’s less than what most of us pay for a Coke or a cup of coffee--or for other luxuries like movies and internet. But it can provide opportunities for your sponsored child that most of the world’s poorest children never see, including:

• school fees and uniforms
• tutoring, literacy programs and career training
• health care and hygiene education
• supplemental food and nutrition information
• love, personal attention and guided recreation

And most importantly, they’ll learn about Jesus and receive regular Bible training. Each child will have a chance to hear and respond to the gospel of hope and salvation through Jesus Christ.

I've had the privilege of sponsoring an Indonesian girl named Leni for the past six years. She’s ten years old now, and it’s been a joy for me to watch her grow. I get so excited when I see a letter from her in our mailbox. What a blessing it is to read things like, “thanks for the prayer, care and help that you have given to me—I’ll never forget your kindness. You are in my heart.” Or “On Friday, the project arranged a prayer concert. We prayed for Indonesia and churches. It’s the first time for me to attend it—I can pray and praise the Lord.”

I believe in the ministry of Compassion. They see children as Jesus did. They realize that though children are the littlest in society, often overlooked or dismissed as “our future,” children are important to Jesus today. I’ve been inspired and humbled by my involvement in this vital ministry. I pray that through my letters and support, Leni is experiencing God’s love in a tangible way. And I get excited when I think about how God can use her to make an impact on her world, for His glory.

MY CHALLENGE TO YOU:
Scripture leaves no doubt that we are called to live out our faith by caring for those in need. Sponsoring a child through Compassion is a simple yet powerful way to impact a child’s life for the Kingdom of God. What are you waiting for? Head on over to Compassion International's website and sign up to sponsor a child today!

Did your church celebrate Compassion Sunday?
Do you sponsor a Compassion child?
Tell me about it in the comments section!