Day 22: Missions Fair Update

Well, the Missions Fair at my church was a great success! The missions admin team had the church divided up into different missions areas, such as Orphan Care (where my booth was located), Prayer Ministry, preview of 2014 mission trips, church planting, and others.

I had quite a few people stop by my booth. Most of them were already sponsors, either through Compassion or World Vision. Some had questions. There were a few new sponsors who wanted to know when to send Christmas packages, how to send a financial gift, and other things. And, I did have one person take a child packet.

Seeds were indeed planted. This was really just the first step in bringing awareness. More great things are in store! Now, to start planning for 2014 Compassion Sunday!

In His peace,

Sharon

Day 21: Armando's letter

A letter from Armando came today. He is my little guy in Guatemala. He says that he and his family are well, but that it's hard for him to understand what they teach him in school. (That's a cue for me to send him educational items!) He goes on to say that where he lives, there are a lot of corn fields, and fields of "habas" (similar to lima beans), "guicoyes" (local squash), and tomatillos. He asked me if I like to eat "habas" and to please pray for his family.

When the weather is rainy, Armando likes to stay in his house, because his grandmother makes him tea and bread. When the weather is sunny, he likes to go out to play soccer with his neighbors and drink a soda.

I love how specific this letter is, telling me what he likes to do and eat, and I love the comment about his grandmother making him tea!

Armando, I'll certainly be praying for you and your family! I don't much care for lima beans, but I'm willing to try them again, just to see if my tastes have changed (and just for you!).

In His peace,

Sharon

Day 20: Missions Fair

Today is an exciting day for me! As an advocate, I haven't really done a lot with this ministry for reasons I mentioned in a previous post. But, it's starting to take off now, and I'm totally excited about the opportunities that are coming my way.

One such opportunity is to participate in my church's Missions Fair 2013. I'll have a Compassion booth set up, which will be my first time to do something like this with the ministry. I'm hoping that I get a good response, and maybe plant some seeds. I also hope that I can find ways to get people engaged who are already sponsors. This is a good first step.

Prayers appreciated!

In His peace,

Sharon

Day 19: CCF and seeds

A number of years ago, there were commercials on tv about the Christian Children's Fund (now called ChildFund). Each time one of those commercials came on, I felt a tug in my heart but I never sponsored, I never gave any donations. The commercials were hard to watch. They showed pictures of children living in extreme poverty conditions, torn and ragged clothes, no shoes, obviously starving. I always wanted to help, but never did. What makes us turn away from that? Why do we talk about how much we would like to help, but then never do anything about it?

Maybe, all those years ago, God was working on my heart, planting seeds that would one day sprout leaves and then become a growing blooming tree. I think those early commercials did just that because now, I have a heart for the Compassion ministry. I feel compassion towards these children, not just sympathy. My husband and I sponsor a little girl in Brazil, I'm a correspondent sponsor to two other children, and I'm an official Compassion advocate.

Seeds are planted, watered, and harvested. Where are you in this growth pattern today? Are seeds being planted in your heart? Are you planting seeds in the hearts of others?

Thank you, God, for planting those seeds in my heart all those years ago!

In His peace,

Sharon

Day 18: Write to me

She sits there...anxious, worried, hopeful...there in her chair at the Center that she attends. Expecting, but not quite believing that this time, her name will be called. This time, she'll receive a letter from her sponsor. She won't be left out this time. As each name is called, she becomes more and more discouraged. Her friends receive letters from their sponsors. The letters tell all about their sponsors' lives; they send pictures and stickers and pretty colored paper. She hangs her head. Their sponsors tell them that they love their sponsored children, they are happy to be their sponsors, they pray for them all the time.

'Does my sponsor ever pray for me?'
'Will my sponsor ever write to me?...ever?'
'I don't have anyone to tell me that they love me.'
'I'm unlovable.'

She sits there with a single tear running down her cheek, and then it happens...her name is called! She breathes in sharply, raises her head, not quite believing that she heard right. Yes! The teacher is looking at her, smiling, and holding a yellow envelope in her hand! She stands up and practically runs up to the front, and rushes back to her chair. She looks at the yellow envelope, looks at her name in pretty purple ink, almost not wanting to open it, but she just can't help it anymore. She carefully tears open the envelope, pulls out a single sheet of paper. It's a real letter...from her sponsor! But, wait! There's more! She looks inside, and sees flower stickers, a page from a coloring book, and there...at the bottom...a picture of her sponsor, smiling and waving, like she's looking straight at her.

She starts reading the letter, and joy bubbles up in her heart. Her sponsor tells her about her job, about the weather where she lives. Her sponsor talks about the cats that she has as pets. And, now, her heart is overflowing. Her sponsor tells her that she loves her, that she is valuable, she is important, and she prays for her each and every day.

She carefully puts everything back into the envelope, which she will take home with her when she leaves the Center today. She will read the letter over and over in the weeks and months to come. She will pray for her sponsor, that God will give her good health and blessings.

She looks forward to the next mail day at the Center. Maybe she will receive a bright blue envelope next time! With butterflies on it!

Have you written your sponsored child recently?

In His peaceful presence,

Sharon

Day 17: Change the Story: Details

Did you know that over a billion people live on less than $1.25 a day? That is mind-boggling! And, here I am frustrated because I don't have quite enough money for the kind of vacation that I want to go on. Well, that puts things into perspective!

What would it be like to actually step inside the life of a child who lives in extreme poverty, and then to see that same child break free and have hope for the future?

Change the Story is a brand-new experience from Compassion. It's a mobile experience that travels to various cities within the U.S. It "pulls back the curtain on global poverty and reveals the power of hope". If you've ever wanted to go on a mission trip, but just don't have the resources or time to go, this would be the next best thing! It's an interactive display that allows you to step into the life of a child in another country.

Visit cts.compassion.com/events.php to find out where this mobile experience is traveling to, and then make a point to go. It's a remarkable experience, and a great way to help your children understand poverty and what you can do as a family to help.

In His peace,

Sharon

Day 16: Learning about poverty

Halfway through 31 days of compassion, I wanted to share a poverty quiz that Compassion has on their website. It's designed to help us learn more about global poverty. I took the quiz and found myself really thinking about my answers. It brought me back to the reason that I was drawn to sponsoring a child in the first place. Go here and take the quiz.

One question that really spoke to me was:

"How many children under age 5 die of hunger-related causes every minute?"

Every minute?!? Oh my word, that just breaks my heart. We have plenty of food in our house, and about a hundred stores around us. These poverty-stricken children are happy with just a few beans and rice, if they even get that.

Take the quiz, pray about how you can help end poverty, one child at a time, in the name of Jesus.

In His peaceful presence,

Sharon

Day 15: Living James 1:22

Poverty can be overwhelming. And, I don't mean not having money to pay our bills this month, although that can be quite overwhelming as well! I'm talking about true poverty, as in not having any money at all, not having access to clean water, not having food to eat, saving a can of Spam (a gift from a missionary) for Christmas dinner. So, what does this have to do with James 1:22? For me, everything!

In April 2011, my husband and I sponsored our little Beatriz in Brazil and we absolutely love being her sponsor! But, I felt that God was calling me to do more, to be more, to help more. I just didn't know what that might look like. Then, I took Beth Moore's bible study on the book of James. My Sunday  school class at church had gone through the book of James a year or so before that, and it really spoke to my heart, so when Beth Moore's study came out, I jumped on it. And, I liked it so much that I took it again that next year.

In the meantime, God was working on my heart to become more involved with Compassion. I discovered that I could become an advocate. So, after much prayer to seek God's will, I submitted my application and went through the training. During that whole time, one verse kept popping up...James 1:22.

"But be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves."

Up to that point, I had served at church with the women's ministry and a few other areas, but I felt that God was calling me to something more. Going through the book of James, this particular verse stabbed my heart every time I read it. I knew that God was calling me to do something with my advocate ministry.

Let me repeat that...God was calling me to DO something with my advocate ministry. 

You see, I had gone through the training, and started talking about Compassion but not really doing anything. One reason was that there was already someone at my church who handled the Compassion ministry and Compassion Sunday each year. There wasn't a lot of room for me to do anything at my church, for that reason and a few others. Then, God called her and her husband to another church out of state and that left a big opening. No-one had stepped up...until I took that step and followed God's will.

This verse speaks to me in ways that I can't even explain. It's the verse that comes to mind when I seek God's will in the area of service.

Be doers of the word. Don't just listen and say you'll do something "sometime". Do it now. Pray for God's direction in your life, ask Him to tell you how to serve and then obey. God's plan is the best plan to follow. Be doers of the word and serve however the Lord leads you.

In His peaceful presence,

Sharon

Day 14: Mail Call Monday

One of my correspondent children, Saithan, is just so cute and precious. I received a letter from her, one of the form letters, but it's still so good to hear from her!

Saithan is learning lots of things at her project! She has learned how to respect her elders and friends. She is also learning about how "God is all powerful and the father of living and non-living things".

Under "message for my sponsor", she writes:

Dear Roland and Sharon Landers, Thank you for your letter and sweet family photo. I'm fine due to God's grace. I'm proud to be your sponsoring child. Please pray for me and my family."

She drew a picture of a very colorful house...purple and blue and orange and yellow, with flowers in a pot. She wrote "bai bai" on top of the house.

In His peaceful presence,

Sharon

Day 13: Beatriz...changes

We received our new pictures and information in the mail about Beatriz, our sponsored child in Brazil. When we first started sponsoring her, she looked so young. She was 8 years old, and now she is almost 11. We hope to someday visit her on a sponsor tour. She is so precious to us!

Look at how much she is growing!

In His peaceful presence,

Sharon

Day 12: Child Survival Program

In our most recent issue of our advocate newsletter, there is an article by Karen Spencer, Advocate Ministry Manager for the Southeast Region. The article is call "Spotlight on CSP...the Child Survival Program".

I'll admit that I don't know all that much about this program, but I do know that it's yet one other way that Compassion serves poverty-stricken children and their mothers.

A few take-away points that I learned from this article are...

1. CPS (Child Survival Program) will expand to Brazil, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Togo in the fiscal year 2013-2014. Once they expand, CSP will be operational in all 26 countries in which Compassion ministers.
2. CPS provides a home-based and center-based approach to ministry
3. Survival specialists go on home visits to give their support, encouragement and benefits of this program.
4. These specialists make sure that babies and toddlers receive nutritious food and supplements to help them grow strong and healthy. They share spiritual guidance and teaching to the mothers.
5. On a practical basis, they train the mothers to prepare nutritious meals, how to interact with their children, how to recognize when their child needs a doctor, and other great information.

You can start a sponsorship for this program for just $20 monthly. This sponsorship helps to provide food, supplements, health care, and many other development training and tools for the mothers and their children.

I learned a great deal from this article, and I encourage everyone who is an advocate to read it and pray about how each of us can help raise awareness for this program.

In His peaceful presence,

Sharon

Day 11: How you can help

Did you know that, as a sponsor, you can affect the life of a child living in a developing country and help that child grow in confidence and faith?

To become a sponsor, the small cost of $38 each month provides a wealth of opportunities and service to these children and their families. It helps to provide:

• educational opportunities
• basic health services
• encouragement, love and guidance through a local church

You also have the very great blessing of writing your child and receiving letters from your child. You get to know them through this personal correspondence. You can give them encouragement and hope. YOU can play a vital role in your child's life!

Being a sponsor is one of the greatest blessings I've received in my life. I love being a sponsor, and you will, too. Take a look at the many children listed on Compassion's website. One of those sweet faces could be the face of the child that is just waiting for you to take the step of sponsorship!

In His peaceful presence,

Sharon

Day 10: Compassion International

Who is Compassion International? This is taken directly from one of their brochures...

Compassion International is a Christian child development ministry founded in 1952. They assist more than 1 million children in 26 developing countries. Their goal is to develop children in poverty so they will become responsible, fulfilled Christian adults.

Compassion is:

~Christ Centered
"We ensure that every child hears the gospel in a culturally relevant way, and has the opportunity to trust Jesus. We hope to lead children into a lifestyle of faith and commitment to God."

~Child Focused
"Compassion engages children as complete individuals, addressing their spiritual, economic, social and physical needs."

~Church Based
"All of our programs are carried out by the local church in the communities where the children we serve live. We minister to children, regardless of religious affiliation."

~Committed to Integrity
Compassion consistently receives high ratings from independent auditing firms and watchdog organizations. Every year, more than 80 percent of total expenditures are spent directly on children's programs."

In response to the Great Commission, Compassion International exists as an advocate for children to release them from their spiritual, economic, social and physical poverty and enable them to become responsible and fulfilled Christian adults.

Become a sponsor and change the world for one child!

In His peaceful presence,

Sharon

Day 9: Christmas letters

Compassion has said that if we want to send Christmas packages and letters to our sponsored children,we should send them by no later than October 31st. I'm working on my letters and cards. Just need to shop for some goodies to send!

In His peaceful presence,

Sharon

Day 8: Focus on Burkina Faso

This is the first of a series of posts on Compassion-sponsored countries. Let's look at Burkina Faso.

Burkina Faso is a country located in West Africa. It's surrounded by Mali, Niger, Benin, togo and Ghana, and the Ivory Coast. It's slightly larger than Colorado.

The population is a little over 15 million, with 57% being below the poverty line. About 77% of the population is unemployed.

The life expectancy for males is about 51 years, and for females it's 54 years. Now, that makes an impact! Infant mortality is 86/1,000 live births.

Provided by Compassion International
www.compassion.com


In His peaceful presence,

Sharon

Day 7: Bible verses

Compassion has compiled a list of bible verses on children and the poor. Let's get our bibles out, look up these verses, and then pray for the Lord to guide you on how you can help.

Galatians 2:10 -- "All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do."

Luke 14:13 -- "But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind."

1 Corinthians 13:3 -- "If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing."

Proverbs 19:17 -- "He who is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward him for what he has done."

Jeremiah 22:16 -- "He defended the cause of the poor and needy, and so all went well. Is that not what it means to know Me?' declares the Lord."

In His peaceful presence,

Sharon

Day 6: Helping on a tight budget

To start this post, I'm going to copy a statement from another Compassion blogger. (I'm sorry that I don't remember which one. If I find it again, I'll post the link to her blog!)

"With today's economy and political debate going haywire, it's more important than ever to address our commitment to the children we sponsor. This is just as vital as connecting other un-sponsored children with sponsors."

Those two sentences really spoke to me. When my husband and I decided to sponsor our little Beatriz in Brazil, we weren't really "deciding" to do that. We just answered God's call and obeyed. We were excited, and still are, but over time, we've found that our commitment, while still strong, doesn't have that "spark". Quite often, sponsors experience financial struggles and find it hard to maintain that initial excitement and commitment. Many times, sponsors lose that passion that they first had towards their sponsored child, and without engagement by their church, or a local Compassion advocate, or even other sponsors, it sort of can get lost in the shuffle.

There are many ways to become and stay involved even if the budget is tight. Listed below are a few ideas to get us started. I have a great opportunity to become "the Compassion person" at my church, and I plan to start engaging sponsors and potential sponsors as much as possible. Some of these ideas were adapted from other blogs, and some are things that I just thought of as I'm writing this post.

~Buy a world map from Barnes & Noble and put it on a bulletin board at your church. If you have a gym or a hallway or room where information about missions is placed, those would be good locations for the map. If you know some sponsors in your church, ask them where their sponsored children live, and then put a thumbtack or push pin in their country. You can even put the children's pictures on the map and ask people to pray specifically for them.

~Sponsor get-togethers: This can be not only a great way to keep sponsors engaged and excited, but it's also a good way for the ladies of your church to stay connected. Make it a potluck or pizza night. Food is always a draw. Ask each person to bring any extra supplies they may have on hand, such as stationery, stickers, envelopes, blank cards...anything that you would normally send your sponsored child. Create an exchange table, where sponsors can exchange, give-and-take supplies. Write letters to your sponsored children at these gatherings. It's a good way to stay accountable for writing those letters!

~Several sponsors can go in together to sponsor a child. I know of several people who do this. You can take turns writing the letters and sending the little "goodies".

~Start a blog! My blog isn't really off and running yet, mainly because I haven't promoted it, but that's going to change very soon. Even if you have only your friends and family reading it, who knows if one of your posts will prompt someone to think about sponsorship?

~Add a tag line to your email signatures. I've had a tag line on all my emails for some time now, and recently, I found out that someone (don't know who) sponsored a child under my advocate number. Hoping to plant many more seeds along the way!

~Carry a picture of your sponsored child in your bible, and every time you come across the picture, pray for your child. Show the picture to others at church. Makes a great ice-breaker for that conversation about sponsorship!

Just one final thought...You don't have to be an official Compassion advocate to do these things. Sponsors can schedule get-togethers with other sponsors, add an email tag line, carry your child's picture in your bible...and the list goes on. If you feel called to be an advocate, great! If that isn't something that the Lord has called you to do, you can still make a huge impact as a sponsor.

In His peaceful presence,

Sharon

Day 5: Potential

As I look through the faces of the children featured on the Compassion website, those who need sponsors, I wonder how many of them would like to grow up to be doctors or nurses, teachers, farmers, missionaries....how many have dreams of one day going to college...one day attending seminary...one day being able to visit another country, such as the USA or Ireland or France...and making their dreams come true.

What potential in those sweet faces! This little girl wants to be a teacher but she doesn't even attend school now because her family can't afford it. That little boy would love to one day become a doctor, but he's very sick and his family can't afford the medicine to make him well.  Those two little ones would love to one day have their own farm, with cows and horses and chickens and sheep, and garden after garden of vegetables, but they have no food to eat of their own.

You can help by sponsoring one sweet precious child. That's all it takes. One at a time. Sponsor a child and provide hope for them to reach their potential, make their dreams come true.

Look through the faces at Compassion's website, www.compassion.com, and search your heart, find the one that God has chosen just for you. Help them reach their potential and change the world, one child at a time, in the name of Jesus!

In His peaceful presence,

Sharon

Day 4: Birthday sponsoring

Did you know that you can go to the Compassion website and search for children who have the same birthday as you? This is a great way to get your family involved, especially your own children. Sponsor a child that has the same birthday as your son or daughter, and they will automatically feel connected to each other.

In His peaceful presence,

Sharon

Day 3: Goodies in letters

As time goes on, I try to think of different kinds of goodies that I can send in the letters to my Compassion kids. There are lots of blogs that post lists, including the official Compassion blog. Here are a few...

~Band-aids
~Bookmarks (putting the child's name on one of these makes it more special!)
~Stickers, stickers, stickers!
~Paper dolls
~Scripture cards
~Pages from a coloring book (make it age appropriate)
~Greeting cards
~Scrapbook (if you're a scrapbooker, like me, then the ideas are about limitless! be creative on this!)
~Pictures (family photos, flowers and trees)
~Baseball cards
~Postcards of your town/city or state

As I mentioned, this is a very short list of things that can be sent. Just remember to keep it thin, and it must be paper.

In His peaceful presence,

Sharon