Help Haiti Live

Several weeks have passed since Haiti was struck by a devastating earthquake, yet this nation is still in desperate need of aid.  In addition to our prayers here is another opportunity for you to help Haiti with an upcoming ticketed concert event taking place at Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, TN, on February 27th, 2010 to benefit Compassion International’s Haiti disaster relief fund. The event will also be streamed live at HelpHaitiLive.com for those who cannot attend the concert in person.

100% of on-line donations through HelpHaitiLive.com will go to Compassion International’s Haiti disaster relief fund as well as 100% of net proceeds from ticket sales!  “Help Haiti Live” is a production of Shaun Groves and  Synergy Production Group for Compassion International.  Some of the artists who will be performing include:

• Big Kenny
• Alison Krauss and Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas
• Jars of Clay
• Mat Kearney
• Brandon Heath
• Dave Barnes
• Matt Wertz

Compassion has been assisting children and families in Haiti for over 40 years and have been distributing relief to the Haitians after this disaster with water, food, cooking items, hygiene kits, medical supplies, temporary shelter, blankets and more!  Most importantly though, they have been doing it unashamedly in the name of Jesus Christ, working through local churches and ministries to show the love of God to those in need.  I would encourage you to consider how you can give and partner with Compassion in this benefit concert in order to support their relief efforts in Haiti for months to come!

Also, on a sidenote, I’d like to bring attention to a personal friend of mine, Kristi, who is going down to Haiti to provide medical care to those suffering in Haiti – please check out her blog and consider supporting her financially in this outreach – thanks!

Compassion International – Dominican Republic Trip

This year, Compassion International decided to take six bloggers to the Dominican Republic to let them see and experience Compassion’s ministry firsthand and then blog about it.  I seriously wish I could’ve gone – I think it would’ve been an amazing and impacting trip, especially since we have a sponsored child, Yasmel, who lives there.  However, I will have to live vicariously through these bloggers as they share about what they see and how their lives are changed as a result.   

I remember when I went to Mexico on my first missions trip and how my heart was wrecked by the sweet children I met in one poverty-stricken neighborhood whose name literally meant “Little Hell”.  I still remember this one beautiful little girl whose name was Aranza, who I held in my arms for as much time as she would let me & how I sang over her about how God loves her, even though she couldn’t understand a word I said.  My prayer is that these bloggers and everyone who hears about their trip in the Dominican Republic will also get wrecked with a heart of true compassion and love for the needy children of the earth.  My prayer is that many children will get sponsored as a result of this outreach and that many lives will be changed for the better! 

If you’re interested in reading the stories from these bloggers, check out Compassion’s “Our Trips” page.  Also, if you’d like to sponsor a child, please visit Compassion’s “Sponsor a Child” page.

Compassion Focus: Ana Lucia

Last month I told you part of our story of being Compassion sponsors and this month, I’d like to introduce you to another of our Compassion children, Ana Lucia.  I believe it was in 2003 and I was working in a church in Calgary where Compassion advocates came monthly to share about their ministry and give people the opportunity to sponsor a child.  I remember that I was having a time of personal devotions and I was seeking the Lord on areas of my life that He wanted to put His finger on.  For several months, I had been thinking about sponsoring a child, but I kept procrastinating, since I was living on a very limited income and who knows what other excuses I was making.  Well, as I was talking to the Lord, He reminded me of this desire and revealed to me that this was something He wanted me to do and that I was being disobedient by continually putting it off.  I knew that I needed to just take the step of faith and sponsor a child, regardless of my fears or doubts, and trust that God would provide for my needs, even as I provided for the needs of this young boy or girl.

The very next time Compassion came to our church, I went to their table and looked at all the beautiful faces they had displayed and there was one little girl who immediately grabbed my heart.  In that moment, I became the sponsor to Ana Lucia, an adorable 6 year old who lives in Guatemala.  Her family & friends call her Lucy and she has 7 siblings!  She’s also an auntie and has two nieces!  Almost immediately I received my first letter from Ana Lucia with a colorful drawing and she expressed how happy she was to have me as her sponsor.  Since then I have received many more letters and drawings as she would tell me about how much she loved the student center and learning about Jesus, as well as everything she was learning in school.  She would ask me how she could pray for me and would tell us how we could pray for her and her family.  In 2005, her town was impacted by hurricane Stan, which caused landslides and affected their food supplies.  Thankfully she was okay and I was glad to know that our sponsorship was helping to provide for her and her family’s needs after the disaster.  In 2007, we discovered that her mother had even become involved as a youth leader in their church, which was really special to us to know that even her family members were being impacted by the church’s ministry to them.  She is now 10 years old and entering into 5th grade and her letters are filled with her love for Jesus.

Compassion International ministers to over a million children in 25 of the world’s poorest countries through its Child Development Sponsorship Program. With the support of sponsors, Compassion is reaching through the hands of local churches to release children from their spiritual, economic, social and physical poverty.  Compassion International invented child sponsorship and it has proven to be a successful child development strategy. This ministry hinges upon the relationship between the sponsor and child. That relationship goes both ways. Sponsors correspond with their sponsored children and support Compassion’s ministry to children for $32 (USD)/ $35 (CDN) every month. Sponsors also receive letters from their sponsored children, watching them grow toward physical and spiritual maturity. Sponsorship is a relationship that transforms both sponsors and children.

If you are reading this and you’ve been thinking about sponsoring a child, I encourage you to take that leap of faith and consider sponsoring one of these children, who have been waiting over 6 months for a sponsor.  Every child Compassion ministers to needs a sponsor and at the moment there are thousands who do not have one. These children need words of encouragement and Compassion needs the cost of their care sponsored so that the ministry can continue to expand.  My husband and I don’t even think twice about the money that comes out of our bank account every month – it is worth every penny to see how the lives of 3 amazing children are being changed!  If it means we go without cable television or some of the other luxuries available to us, that is a very small price to pay for the rewards of being a sponsor.

If you already sponsor a child with Compassion, then perhaps you’d like to consider blogging about your own experience and become an advocate for needy children in your own sphere of influence on the internet.  If you don’t have a blog, share your story in the comments here & maybe give a word of encouragement to those who are thinking of sponsoring a child.

Justice for the Poor, the Orphan and the Oppressed

If you’ve been reading my blog over the last year, you’ll recall how God led us to name our firstborn son, Justice, and the special relationship his name has to the issue of the unborn and praying for the ending of abortion.  However, we know that justice is a very vast topic that applies to all who are hurting, broken, needy, afflicted, and lost.  When I was pregnant, I decided to do a Biblical study on justice and I spoke about it at our house of prayer.  As a result, I learned a lot about this issue that is very close to the heart of God.

“The LORD loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love.” (Psalm 33:5)

“Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; love and faithfulness go before you.” (Psalm 89:14)

“‘…but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,’ declares the LORD.” (Jeremiah 9:24)

In it’s most basic form, justice is when wrongs things are made right, and I’m sure we can all think of many things in this world that are not as they should be.  But the one aspect I want to talk about today is specifically God’s desire to bring justice to the poor and oppressed of the earth – especially children.

“Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed.” (Psalm 82:3 )

“I know that the LORD secures justice for the poor and upholds the cause of the needy.” (Psalm 140:12)

“…learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.” (Isaiah 1:17)

What you may NOT know about our story is that when Justice was only 13 weeks old in the womb, we had planned a trip to the Dominican Republic and were going to visit one of our three Compassion sponsored children, a beautiful 8 year-old girl named Yasmel.  Only, one day before we were supposed to leave, I had complications with the pregnancy that had us worried for Justice’s life and which compelled us to cancel our trip.  Thankfully, as you realize, Justice was safe and I don’t regret taking the precaution to stay home, but my heart has always remained a little sad that we missed the opportunity to meet Yasmel. 

Then, a couple days ago I discovered that Compassion is giving bloggers the chance to be chosen to go on a trip to the Dominican Republic as a way to raise awareness for the needy children of the world that Compassion ministers to.  At first my heart leapt at the thought of possibly going, but I realized that it wouldn’t be possible quite yet, since Justice is still too young – perhaps one day when he is older we’ll get to go.  However, I felt a little silly that I had never thought to use my blog before as a means to be an advocate for these precious children.  What better way to use whatever small influence I may have in the world wide web than to help bring the needs of these oppressed, weak, and often helpless little ones to the attention of someone who might find it in their heart to sponsor them?

Not once in the last 5 years, have Joe or I ever regretted the money we give monthly in order to sponsor our three Compassion kids.  Their pictures are framed in our hallway and are on our fridge and we love the letters we get from them!  These amazing children who have so little, are still caring enough to ask about our needs and pray for us!  If you want to partner with God’s heart for the poor of the earth and His special love for children, as well as His burning desire to bring justice to the earth, then I would encourage you to consider sponsoring a child through Compassion International or Compassion Canada. 

I also hope to bring you more information about Compassion’s ministry over the following months, so stay tuned for news on the needs of poor children across the globe, other ways you can get involved, prayer requests, and more!