What a blessing!

Our church has had Compassion tables in the lobby every so often in past years, and I've always just sort of walked by them without really thinking about it much. Last year, I felt led to stop at the table and find out what it was all about. Here is what the Compassion website says about this ministry/organization:

Compassion International exists as a Christian child advocacy ministry that releases children from spiritual, economic, social and physical poverty and enables them to become responsible, fulfilled Christian adults.

Founded by the Rev. Everett Swanson in 1952, Compassion began providing Korean War orphans with food, shelter, education and health care, as well as Christian training.

Today, Compassion helps more than 1.2 million children in 26 countries.

So, it's all about sponsoring a child by giving financially, emotionally, spiritually, and sometimes physically. Sponsors can write to their child and send them small paper gifts (such as coloring pages, postcards, pictures, bookmarks, and so on).

While I didn't do anything about sponsoring a child that first time I stopped at the Compassion table, it stayed on my heart. I felt a tug every so often, so in April 2011, we talked about it and decided to sponsor a little girl in Brazil. We've been so blessed by doing this, and I wish that we could sponsor 100 more! Not only have we been blessed by obeying the Lord's will that we sponsor a child, but the blessings also come in the form of letters from our sponsored child. Her name is Beatriz and she is just precious. We've only heard from her a few times, but every time we've gotten a letter from her, our heart melts. I get so excited every time the mail comes and there is one of those Compassion envelopes that says on the outside "A letter from your child"! This is a wonderful organization, and I'm glad that we were led to do this. Maybe next year, the Lord will bless us financially and we'll be able to add another child to our sponsorship!

In His grace,

Sharon