Getting organized

Well, I have about 4 letters ready to be mailed to our sponsor child Beatriz. I just need to go through my stash of goodies and decide what I want to send with which letters. Over the weekend, I bought some things to help myself get organized. I now have an accordion folder where I keep stationary, stamps, stickers, paper goodies that I can send to her, and other things. I also created a binder to keep all her letters in that she sends us. I thought this would be a nice way to just sit down and read through her letters and reminisce, even pray for her as I go through them. My heart is happy when I think about her.

Beatriz, I hope you're having a happy day today over there in Brazil!

In His grace,

Sharon

An update...

Today, we received a letter from the project facilitator who oversees area partnerships for Compassion in Brazil. In her letter, she tells us that she is a partnership facilitator at the project where our sponsored child, Beatriz, attends. She visits the project every month. Among her many responsibilities, she follows the way that educational activities are being applied and she makes sure the children have proper nutrition. She tells us that the community where Beatriz lives is marked with violence and crime and addictions. Families make a living normally working odd jobs when they can get them.

The weather is hot and humid Tropical. This community needs better dwelling places (homes), better sewage and drains as well as pavements because the streets are dirt and mud.

On a happy note, she goes on to say that the Compassion project here is making a difference. The children who attend learn music, health care, good hygiene, arts, sports and much more. It makes my heart happy to try to picture Beatriz sitting in a chair learning music, or picking up crayons or markers or paint to create art.

If you'd like to sponsor a child, visit the Compassion website at http://www.compassion.com/ and click on "Sponsor a child". You'll see an ocean of sweet faces who would love for you to be their sponsor!

In His grace,

Sharon

Sweet Beatriz

This is our sweet little girl Beatriz that we sponsor through Compassion International. She's 9 years old, loves art, and writes the sweetest letters.

In His grace,

Sharon

That isn't me!

If someone had told me a few years ago that Roland and I would be sponsoring a child through Compassion International, that we would get so excited to receive a letter from that child that it was almost like Christmas, and that I would be sitting in front of the Compassion website, looking through the pictures of children who still need sponsors and then just start crying, I would have said to that person...

"that isn't me"

"it's just a letter"

"I'm sorry they have to live like that, but..."

"it's just a letter"

"I care, but..."

"it's just a letter"

"I feel for them, but there's nothing I can do"

"it's just a letter"

It's just a letter. It isn't 'just a letter'. It's a box full of encouragement, hope, love, sharing faith, stories, pictures, questions and answers, learning, laughing, giggling (we are girls, after all!), and smiles. It's much more than just a letter. It's building a relationship with a child on the other side of the world who still has a chance through our sponsorship, to have enough to eat, clothes to wear, encouragement to do well in school, and most important of all, to know Jesus.

"That isn't me". Well, it was me, I'll admit it. But, fast forward to 2011 when we felt led to sponsor a little girl named Beatriz, who lives in Brazil and doesn't have much in the way of material things. Now here it is 2012, and we've had a year of sponsorship under our belt, and oh how much joy we feel when we see that cream colored envelope in our mailbox! That was me, but certainly not now.

Not now.

In His grace,

Sharon

So many faces

I was perusing the Compassion website last week and looking at so many sweet faces of children who need sponsors. There were so many that it was overwhelming to me, and I sat right there and just started crying. They ranged in age from 3 to late teens, and are in a variety of countries. Some children are smiling; others are not. I do remember seeing one little girl (don't remember what country) who had this mischievous "impish" look on her face. She was smiling a secret little smile, like she had something up her sleeve, and I wondered if she was just one of those children who are happy all the time.

A few things I noticed along the way, though...

...most of the children from Togo were not smiling. I had never heard of Togo, so I looked it up. It's a country in West Africa bordered by Ghana to the west and Benin to the east. The population, according to a website I found about Togo, is about 6.8 million, and it's also one of the poorest countries in West Africa. Breaks my heart. I wonder if the Togo children will ever get sponsors. Do some people look through the pictures and choose only those children who are smiling, or who fit a certain mold? I pray not!

...I noticed that most of the children are standing there very stiff, maybe smiling for the camera but still uncomfortable looking, with their arms straight at their sides, their feet together, and their back straight. I would much rather see them relaxed, smiling naturally, with a light in their eyes. But, I imagine that they're told to "stand straight and tall" for their pictures. Their little hearts are probably hoping that someone will see their picture and decide to sponsor them, but not quite believing it will happen.

...for some pictures, the background behind the children is very telling. Some are standing in front of trees, bushes, and fields, but quite a few of them are standing in front of buildings, which are probably either the Center that they attend or maybe it's their town or village in general. The buildings look old and in need of repair; the streets are dirt or mud. Although some streets are paved, even those need to be fixed. For the few pictures that show inside a building, the furniture (if there is even any at all) is old and scratched up.

In summary, there are so many children who need sponsors. Wish we could sponsor all of them!

In His grace,

Sharon

Questions

One of the things that I was most nervous about when we started the Compassion journey was what to say to a little girl on the other side of the world. What kind of questions should I ask her? Is it okay to ask her about her family? How should we word things when we write to her? (no slang or regional phrases...she won't know what we mean!) How much detail should I share about our lives here in the US? I learned that the Compassion website has answers to these questions, along with many others, and it has been a great resource for me. I also discovered some bloggers out there in blog land who post reguarly about their Compassion kids. I'm still learning what I should and should not say in our letters to Beatriz, what's acceptable, what will go through customs over there in Brazil, what may be held up. It's been a learning process, but oh how exciting!

In His grace,

Sharon

Mail day!

We had a great mail day! We received two letters from our Compassion child, Beatriz. One letter was a thank you letter, telling us how much she appreciates our gift to her. The way that Compassion works is that we can send funds to Compassion for Beatriz's birthday or Christmas. The Center where Beatriz attends will take those funds and help her buy what she wants or needs. Sometimes, it's basic needs, such as clothes or shoes. Other times, it's something fun. Beatriz used her gift from us to buy "fun toys". She didn't go into details, but I can imagine what enjoyment she got out of having money to spend on something to brighten up her life.

The other letter was just so sweet. On one side of the paper, she drew us a picture. We've discovered that she loves art and is actually pretty good at drawing for her age (she's 9). In the letter, she told us that she goes to church, and is happy and well. She told us that she loves us, and then she said "I love you Mr Roland". How sweet is that?!? And, we've only sponsored her for not quite a year yet. I'm so anxious to get to know her better, and to find out little details about her life.

In His grace,

Sharon

The need to do more

Last year, when our church had a table set up about Compassion International, my husband and I felt led to sponsor a little girl in Brazil. This past year, we have exchanged several letters with Beatriz. We're still in the "getting to know each other" stage, but my hope is that we will quickly reach the next level in 2012. She writes such sweet letters, and we love reading what she learns in school, her visits to her church, and things such as her favorite color and her favorite animal. With each letter, she has drawn us a picture and we love to see them!

As time goes on, I feel more led to become more actively involved with the Compassion ministry. While we're only sponsoring one child right now, we're thinking and praying about sponsoring another one. I also would like to blog more about Compassion, which is why I'm writing this post. This is a new adventure for me and for us, and I don't know where it will lead, but I'm excited about the possibilities, about the journey we're on now, and look forward to seeing what God will do with this.

In His grace,

Sharon

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