My Alternative to the #IceBucketChallenge

Well...it finally happened. I'd kind of hoped it wouldn't so I could just stay quiet about the whole thing. However, since I've been challenged to the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge I knew I had 2 options - ignore it or accept it (with a twist) and explain my reasoning for the twist.

I know from reading similar articles and posts that what I'm about to say may make some people angry or upset and I've seen ugly comments people have left on similar posts and articles. I'm not here to argue with anyone. These are my beliefs and I hold firm to them. I'm going to try to state them as gracefully as possible.

I'll admit...I didn't like this Ice Bucket Challenge thing from day one. I'm not a jump on the bandwagon type of person. Please know, I'm not against advocating for a cause or donating to charity. Giving is one of my spiritual gift and I love doing it. One of the missions of my blog is to use it as a way to help others. In the past, I've shared about numerous causes that I support. One of the biggest things I've always advocated for on my blog has been adoption. We even started the adoption process about a year ago. I know I haven't written about many of these things in a while, but I've been lax on the whole blogging thing for most of this year due to a lot of personal factors and finding out we are expecting.

Just because I haven't been sharing about it, doesn't mean I haven't been doing things. We still support 2 children through Compassion International. We support a local missionary who is currently serving in eastern Europe. We also give to families that we hear about who are raising funds for adoption and I'm in the process of trying to figure out if there's any way I can make Ornaments for Adoption work this year considering Baby Hall is due in November. I don't say this to brag on us, but to brag on what the Lord has blessed us with that we are able to give. I'll also admit that this giving is not as abundant as we've done in the past and if nothing else, this challenge has challenged me to fix that (which I'll explain more of later).

Please don't get me wrong here, I don't think there's anything wrong with donating to ALS research. It's a terrible disease that I can't imagine watching a loved one go through. I know many people get passionate about it when people don't want to participate because they have experienced this firsthand. However, there are a lot of terrible diseases in this world that need money for research. Watching a loved one suffer through cancer, Pulmonary Fibrosis, and Alzheimer's isn't easy either, but those are all sicknesses that loves ones of mine have suffered through and passed away from. I don't think it's fair to consider research for one disease more important than another. All diseases are difficult for the one dealing with it as well as the ones caring for them. In a perfect world, scientists and doctors would find cures for all of these things.

So, I said all that to say that there are a lot of worthy causes out there and you can't support them all. I'm all for donating money to help people in need; but I, personally believe you should donate to causes that you feel led to donate to, causes that mean something to you, and causes that you're passionate about. I don't believe you should donate to a cause just because someone "challenged" you to or you feel guilty about it if you don't or you want to do "what everyone else is doing." I'm more likely to listen to a person share about a cause if they have a story to share, a personal connection to it, or are truly passionate about it.

 *Another reason I won't donate to the ALSA is because I don't believe that the way they're conducting research fully lines up with my beliefs. I know there's a lot of gray areas that can be argued and I am wrestling through my thoughts on it all. So, I do encourage you to research a charity or organization before you donate to them to make sure you truly know what you're supporting. I won't go into further details because they can be found here or here.*

So, in light of everything I just shared, I won't be donating to ALS research. Instead, I'm going to share with you what I will donate to and why.

• GI Motility disorders research- My husband suffers from Functional Abdominal Pain Syndrome (along with all the sensitivities mentioned in the linked article). Like the article states, this keeps him from working regularly, adds up in medical bills, and affects our quality of life. Not a lot is known about FAPS. I can't tell you how many doctors we visited before we finally found one who put a name to his condition. I also can't tell you how much time and money was wasted on doctors treating his symptoms in a way that actually did more damage than good. There's also not a very definitive treatment for it. Sometimes, I feel like the treatments he is on are helping things and other times I feel like things are just getting worse. I would love for researchers to find a cure or effective treatment for FAPS so that my husband's suffering can end and so that our daughter doesn't have to experience watching a loved one go through this. (You can read more of our experiences here, here, or here.) I'm specifically looking into donating to the International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders or UNC Center for Functional GI and Motility Disorders which works closely with Lee's doctor. 

• Mercy for America's Children- I'm pretty sure at some point, I've mentioned this organization before. When we started our adoption process, this is an organization we were working with. We have also done some volunteer work with them and plan to continue that in the future when our lives are a little more settled. They specifically work to advocate for children in foster care and assist with foster care adoption. We have been meaning to set up monthly donations to them for some time now, but haven't gotten around to it. So, this challenge is challenging me to set that up so that we can support their work.

I'm not going to call out anyone specific and "challenge" them. Instead, I challenge everyone reading this to find a cause or a few causes that really mean something to you and donate to them, advocate for them, and support them. If that cause is ALS, great! If not, find an alternative. 
 
Oh...and also...in case you didn't figure it out already...I won't be pouring ice water on myself. Sorry not sorry...I'll eat ice cream instead. #icecreamchallenge

A Tale of Two Birthdays

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair…"

 (A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens)

Dickens starts his famous novel with very opposing ideas. In the same way, our lives look very different from people who live in other parts of the world. Let me tell you of a day that this became startlingly clear to me. 

Allan's Birthday

My husband and I sponsor a sweet little boy in Ecuador through Compassion. He writes us the sweetest letters and I'd love to get to meet him one day. We can't send him presents, but we can send extra money at his birthday if we wish. 

After his birthday one year, he wrote us a letter thanking us for the money we sent. He then told us how he'd used the money to buy himself a pair of shoes. He included a picture of himself proudly holding his new shoes. As you can see from the picture at the beginning, these aren't the newest and coolest tennis shoes. They are practical black shoes. Shoes that most kids would have to be forced to wear. This is what he bought with his birthday money.

An American Child's Birthday

Shortly after reading Allan's letter and looking at the picture, I got on Facebook. One of the stories on my home page was a new album that had been uploaded with pictures from a child's birthday party. This party had it all. The theme could be seen throughout from the decorations to the snacks to the entertainment. A place had been rented. Food had been perfectly prepared and arranged. Decorations had been made and put out. A form of entertainment had been paid for. Presents were stacked high from the child's family and friends. I don't have to give too many details because I know you've seen these pictures too. The party I'm describing could belong to any American child on any given day.

Two Different Lifestyles
Allan's story is not unique. We also sponsor a girl named Malaiyarasi and her letters after her birthdays are similar. She uses the money to buy herself a new dress or her mom a new pot. This goes on while I sit around and listen to people I know discuss what they'll get a child for a birthday party they've been invited to. They usually end up deciding to just buy something for the sake of buying a gift and because they don't know what else to get.

What a waste of money! What do you get a child who has more than they'll ever need? A toy they'll barely touch. I know from my own childhood we had more toys than we could ever play with. What's the point of that? Couldn't that money be better spent on something else. Why do we ask people to buy gifts for children who already have more than they need while there are children in this world who DON'T have the basic necessities of life?!? There's something wrong with that.

Envious Lifestyles

Not only are Americans in general spoiling their kids more and more while children are dying daily by the thousands, but this type of lifestyle lends itself to a lot of envious feelings. Even though I don't have children of my own, I sense that these parties are a competition for many parents. Who will have the best party? Who will have the most original theme? Who will have the cutest decorations? Who will have the fanciest cake? Who will have the most fun entertainment? Of course, not only will the people who attend the child's party know what the party was like, but pictures will also be posted on various forms of social media. If you're crafty enough, you may also blog about your party ideas in hopes that they'll become popular pins on Pinterest. That way, some other parent can be "inspired" to step up their game for their child's next birthday party.

In Conclusion
Please understand that I'm not saying that I think it's bad to celebrate a child's birthday. I think it's important to let a child know that they are loved and special. It's also important to let them know that you value the day they came into the world.

What I am asking is, what are you teaching your child is valuable? Are you teaching them that the world revolves around them? Are you teaching them that they need a lot of stuff to be happy? Are you teaching them that it's important to impress others? Would you consider finding a way to celebrate your child's life and help children that are less fortunate?

Similarly, I thought this article was really good about discussing"first world problems."

A Mother's Love

This is the story of a woman you'll never meet....

who lives in a country you'll never visit...

who's experienced things you can't imagine.

This woman finds out she's pregnant. Maybe she's married, maybe not. The details aren't important. The fact is she's now a mother.

The father of this baby is no longer around. Maybe he never was. Maybe he died of one of the many diseases that plague third world countries.

Despite the circumstances, this woman loves her child and will make whatever sacrifices are necessary to be able to raise it.

This proves to be harder than she thought. She can't get a job. She has no education and there's no work available. She could resort to prostitution, but that would be no life for her child. She steals what she can for their survival, but fears what will happen to her child if she's caught.

Soon, she and her baby are so sick that they're both on the verge of death. She does the only thing she thinks can be done to give her baby a chance at life. She leaves the baby at an orphanage. There her baby will have food and shelter. Maybe someone will come along and adopt her baby. Then her baby will have a family and security. Things she was not able to give.

She will spend the rest of her life wondering what happened to her child.

*   *   *

As someone who hopes to adopt one day, this story breaks my heart. I made this particular story up, but things like this happen. It's one thing to adopt a child whose parents are dead or whose parents willingly gave it up or whose parental rights were terminated because the child wasn't safe in their care. It's another thing to think that you could have a child that someone unwillingly gave up. A child whose parents saw no other option. This was the only way their child could survive.

This is the sad reality of poverty. While some parents leave their child because they cannot care for them, there are many others who fight for their child's survival every day. Most of us can't even begin to imagine what this is like. 

We live in a world of convenience and comfort. We've never gone a day without a meal, clean clothes, entertainment, and a place to sleep at night. We can't imagine what it's like to have no hope.

There is good news, though. There are people out there doing things about this problem and you can be a part of it. One organization that is helping keep families together is Compassion.

If you'd like to help a mother living in poverty be able to raise a healthy child, you can visit Compassion's website and consider making a monthly or one time donation to their Child Survival  Program.

*Note: The pictures used in this post are from my trip to Tizimin this past summer. These women and children do not represent what was mentioned in this post, but are simply being used to show mothers and children living in poor conditions and poverty.* 

I Have a Dumb Phone

I guess a dumb phone would be any phone that's not a "smart" phone. If so, that's what I have.

Yep, there it is. Nothing fancy. It makes calls and it texts. It can even take pictures and videos. But that's about it.

Do you want to know why I have a dumb phone?
 

                                    Allan                                                                   Malaiyarasi

 

Ornaments for Adoption

Hill Family Adoption

Give 1 Save 1

 Clark Family Adoption

friends doing short term mission work

Love Help Teach

Children's Hunger Fund

Now, please don't misunderstand what I'm trying to say. I'm not trying to brag on myself or say that if you have a smart phone, you're a bad person. 

Would I like a smart phone? Sure. They make things so convenient. They also have a lot of cool features.

However, God has changed my life and it is no longer mine. I can't live my life for me. God is love and we show our love for God by loving others. More often than not, this requires sacrifice.

At this point in our lives, my husband and I sacrifice the convenience of having smart phones in order to be obedient to His word.

³⁴ “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. ³⁵ For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, ³⁶ I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
³⁷ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸ When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? ³⁹ When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
⁴⁰ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’" -Matthew 25:34-40

Do we still have a lot of technology and unnecessary things? Yes. There is always room for improvement; and as I recently read 7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess, I am more aware of and try to not have so much excess in my life. The less excess we have, the more room we have for God and for loving and helping others.

For you, it may not be a smart phone, but is there something you could give up in order to help those around you? Maybe it's giving up cable. Maybe it's going out to eat less. Maybe it's not going shopping every weekend. 

If God asked you to give up something you want, something that "everyone else has," would you be willing to do it? It's not easy and it's not possible in our own strength. However, I guarantee you that if you are growing in your relationship with Him, those things won't seem so important anymore.

  ^"If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?" -1 John 3:17

Why I Want to Serve Others...

I never really gave much thought to serving others. Sure I might donate money to a worthy cause. I went on mission trips. I volunteered for various organizations. I knew there were needy people in the world. To be honest, though, I didn't care enough. I was very selfish and was more concerned with myself than others.

Then, I got married and moved 600 miles away from home and everything I've ever known. Sometimes you really do need to be taken completely out of your comfort zone for God to show you things. Our first year of marriage was one of the hardest years of my life, but I grew in my relationship with Christ like never before.

Several things contributed to the changes that occurred in my life. The number one thing that affected my life was that I was having a consistent time with the Lord every day. I was reading the Word and praying. I also began reading Christian nonfiction books. Two books that really impacted my life were Radical by David Platt and Kisses from Katie by Katie Davis. I began to think about things differently. I began to see the world in a different way.

Back up for a minute to the time before our wedding. Some verses in 1 John chapter 3 jumped out at me as verses that I wanted to claim for our marriage.

 ¹⁶ This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. ¹⁷ If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? ¹⁸ Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.

We even included 1 John 3:18 in our wedding ceremony.  When reading through these verses before, I usually just skimmed right over verse 17.

Maybe it was because I was in the Word and praying, maybe it was because of the books I'd read. For whatever reason, one day verse 17 jumped out at me as if I'd never read that verse before:

If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?  

The Lord has blessed my husband and I so much. We haven't had to worry about paying our bills or buying groceries. We're in no way rich, but we have enough to get by and have some of what we want. We have material possessions. We have more than we will ever need. Why do we get to have so much when others have nothing? I can't call myself a Christian, I can't say that I know God's love if I'm not willing to give to those in need. Once you really look at verse 17, it helps you understand verse 18 better. 

Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions or in truth. 

It's not enough to just say "I care about those in need." or "I love God." We really show that we care, we really show our love when we put actions behind our words. 

 

 

13 in '13: {Compassion}

I've added a new page to the top of my blog where you can find my goals for the year 2013. 

Throughout the month of January, I will be looking at each goal specifically. I will let you know why I want to accomplish this goal and how I plan to do it. 

I will also be updating throughout the year on how I'm doing.

Goal 4: Write a letter every other month to the children we sponsor through Compassion, Alan and Malaiyarasi.

I have mentioned many times by now that Lee and I sponsor 2 children through Compassion.

Alan who is from Ecuador.

And Malaiyarasi who is from India.

One of the best parts of sponsoring a child is being able to write and receive letters from them. It warms my heart to receive a letter from them and have them share their thoughts with us. I also love when they draw us pictures-so cute!

I have not done a great job of writing them letters. Compassion has made it easy by adding a feature where you can now type your letter and add pictures through their website. I don't have an excuse. I'm on the computer a lot.

So, I want to commit to write to them at least every other month. I want them to know that we think of them and love them. I want to encourage them and share our life with them. I hope our letters make them as excited as theirs make us.

Through the Eyes of a Child

Looking around and what do I see?

Dirt.

It's even on my dolly.

I cough as the dust of it enters my lungs.

It's hard to see with just the sunlight coming through the door.

I get up and walk outside. 

The sun is blinding.

As my eyes adjust, my nose senses something.

My stomach growls in response.

Mommy is cooking rice!

Daddy must have gotten paid yesterday!

Mommy dips me out a spoonful of rice.

Sharing with 5 other people is hard.

I pick up my first bite.

I chew slowly to make it last.

What's that crunchy stuff?

Dirt.

It's everywhere.

 

 Yesterday was my birthday.

I didn't have a party.

I didn't have a cake.

My friends and family didn't buy me gifts.

If I had a sponsor, they might have sent me some extra money.

If I was sent some money, I would buy a new pair of shoes.

I've walked holes in the shoes I have now.

The nice people at the Compassion center gave me this pair of shoes.

I loved them so much and didn't want to wear them at first.

It took me 3 weeks to wear them for fear of messing them up.

Maybe the next time I go, they'll give me a new pair.

I'd love that!

 I don't like the dark.

Bad things happen in the dark.

People scream and cry.

Sometimes when I wake up, people are missing.

Maybe they got sick.

Maybe the bad people took them.

No one ever tells me what happens.

I'm scared that something will happen to me in the dark.

At night, I hide in the corner until I fall asleep.

Unless my sister's coughing keeps me up.

She's had that cough for 3 weeks now.
I wish it'd go away.

***

Obviously, I don't know if these are the things these children would say. I don't even like to imagine what life is like for any of these precious children. What I do know is that I can make a difference in the life of a child. I can give up eating out a few times a month. I can give up having a fancy cell phone. I can give up buying new clothes. I can give that up so that Alan and Malaiyarasi can have food, an education, and health and hygiene training. Most importantly, I can give those things up so that they can know that they are special and loved and that they can have a relationship with Jesus.

Would you be willing to help make a difference in the life of a child? You can sponsor Camila, Shasika, Benjamin, or any of the other children who need a sponsor today.

While I can only guess what one of these children might say, the people in this video have lived it. They were children growing up in poverty whose lives were changed because someone sponsored them through Compassion.

I Need Your Help!!!!!!

Ok, maybe the exclamation points made it a little dramatic, but I hope I got your attention.

As I've previously mentioned, this month is Blog for Compassion month.

What is Compassion? It's a wonderful organization through which you can sponsor a child in poverty.

Have you met my "children"? Their names are Alan and Malaiyrasi. I love writing letters to them and receiving letters from them.

Compassion's goal this month is to have sponsors for 3,108 new children. They are half way to that goal. Would you be willing to sponsor a child and help them reach their goal?

Now, let me tell you about the simple Pinterest contest Compassion is having. 

If you sponsor a child through Compassion, you can click here and learn more about how you can enter your sponsored child in the contest.

Everyone with a Pinterest account can help me out with the contest. Several winners will be chosen and one of my sponsored children has the opportunity to win up to $100 for their family.

All you have to do to help me is repin my pin about this contest. You can click here to find my pin and then just click repin. It's that simple! Each repin is another entry and another chance for one of my sponsored children to win.

If you sponsor a child and enter this contest, let me know so I can repin your pin also.

Have a wonderful weekend! I'll see you back here on Sunday for my second week at Sunday Social.

Letter to God

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank you so much for how you've blessed Lee and I in our 2 years of marriage. You have provided Lee with a job that he loves. You provided me with a job when we first moved here and then provided me with another one after the first one ended due to budget cuts. I am amazed at this fact. You've also provided Lee with scholarships to pay for school. Despite everything that has happened in our lives, we have never had to go without our needs and most of our wants. We can only thank you for that.

You have burdened both of our hearts to not keep these blessings for ourselves. Because you blessed us, we can help others. This brings me so much joy to know that I can impact the life of someone else. I am in awe that you want to use someone as inadequate as me for your Kingdom's work. Please Lord, continue to break our hearts for the hurting in this world. Show us what we can do to help more.

I thank you that because you have provided so generously for us, we are able to sponsor 2 children through Compassion. They have been an amazing blessing in my life. I love to get their precious letters. They make me smile as they tell me of the things they are doing and hope to do in the future. I love to have them tell us what they are learning about You and what they would like us to pray for. I love when they tell us they are praying for us. Oh, how I'd love to hear those sweet prayers! I love having their beautiful pictures proudly displayed on my refrigerator. Even though I've never met them, I feel like they're part of our family. Lord, if it be your will, I'd love to meet these children one day.

For Alan, I'd like to pray that you would continue to grow in him a curiosity to know You more. He has expressed a desire to be a preacher. Lord, if that is Your will for him, give him good teachers to disciple him and grow him in You. I ask that you will be working in the lives of his family, even his grandparents. Let them grow and have a relationship with you. Please give them good health and jobs to provide for their needs. Please let him have a good school year and do well in school. I pray that he will develop healthy, Godly friendships.

For Malaiyarasi, I pray that she will continue to grow in her relationship with you. She lives in a country that desperately needs you. Show her how to be a shining light in her country. Help her to be a witness to her friends and family.  I pray that her family will have good health and jobs. I ask that she will have a good school year where she can add to her education and give herself a bright future. I pray that she will develop healthy, Godly friendships. I want to continue to build our relationship with this sweet little girl. I hope she knows how much we love her. Please bless the money we send to help her in the way that she needs it the most.

Please let this Compassion month be a success. Create in others a desire to help these children affected by poverty. Please let Compassion exceed their goal of getting new sponsors for  3,108 children.

Thank you again for your wonderful blessing. Please help me to always remember them. Even when things seem dark, help me to remember how much I DO have. Please forgive me for the times that I am ungrateful and selfish.

I ask all these things in Jesus' name. Amen.

Do you want to make a difference?

I announced earlier this week that I will be a Compassion blogger this month. I am very excited about this opportunity to use my blog for a cause that I'm passionate about.

Compassion is an organization which allows you to sponsor a child who is living in poverty. Most of us would have no problem going out and spending $38 on dinner and a movie, a new purse, or a new pair of shoes. Actually, most of us wouldn't have a problem spending more than that on something we really want. What if you gave up something once a month and instead gave that money to a child in need?

About 2 and a half years ago, Alan came into our lives.

When we first started sponsoring him, he wasn't able to write yet. We had to learn about him through letters from his mother. Now, he can write to us himself. He tells us about his dreams to meet us one day and to become a preacher. He touches my heart when he sends us drawings. A couple of months ago, he sent us a picture of himself and his sister. We have it hanging on our refrigerator right next to pictures of our family and friends. Even though we've never met him, Alan is a part of our family.

Earlier this year, Malaiyarasi joined our family as well.

 

She is able to write to us in English. She calls us her aunt and uncle. We're still getting to know her.

I wish I could describe to you the joy I feel when I receive a letter from one of these precious children. Instead of trying to describe it to you, I'd love for you to feel it for yourself.

You can sponsor your own child and know that you are having a positive impact in a child's life. I encourage you to head over to Compassion's sponsor page and browse through the beautiful faces of all the children. Which one feels right to you? Will you make a decision to have a lasting effect in the life of a child? Are you willing to give up one thing each month to help one of these children? With your help, there can be one less child in the world doing without some of their basic needs.

 Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves,
    for the rights of all who are destitute. 

 Speak up and judge fairly;
    defend the rights of the poor and needy.

Proverbs 31:8-9

Sponsor a Child

Blog for Compassion Month

I am very thankful that I saw Saved Sister's post about Blog for Compassion Month. Compassion is an organization that is very near and dear to my heart. 

 

This month I will be using my blog to raise awareness for the needs of these vulnerable children all around the world. Compassion has a goal to get sponsors for 3,108 more children.

If you are interested in being a Compassion blogger also, you can click here.

To learn more about my experience with Compassion, I would encourage you to read one of my older posts that you can find here.

I would also love it if you'd read this blog post which explains why I am so passionate about helping these children.

Sponsor a Child

 If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. -1 John 3:17-18

Jesus Loves the Little Children...

All the children of the world

Red and yellow, black and white

They are precious in his sight

Jesus love the little children of the world

This is such a simple song that we sang as children, but it has so much truth to it. Jesus loves every person, every child on this earth no matter what color, what family background, or what socio-economic status. He loves everyone no matter what the world says about them.

How precious are these children?

Meet Allan Villacis. He lives in Ecuador with his dad, mom, and younger sister. He will be 8 in April. He loves learning about God and playing soccer.

Lee and I have been sponsoring Allan for almost 2 years now. It is such a blessing to us to know that we are helping this precious little boy. He is a blessing to us also because he prays for us and tells us what he is learning about Jesus.

Check out this sweet picture he drew Lee. Amigos por Siempre means Friends Forever. 

Meet Malaiyarasi. Isn’t she pretty? She lives in India. I don’t know much about her yet because we just started sponsoring her today.

I love these children and I’ve never met them. When I saw their pictures on the website, I knew we had to sponsor them. 

 

I write this because there are children who need you. There are so many more sweet, precious children who need you to sponsor them. I encourage you to visit Compassion, pray about it, and sponsor a child of your own.