Benson’s New Classroom

Benson wakes up at 6:00 a.m. every Saturday excited that he will see his friends and learn Bible lessons. On this particular Saturday, the children at his child development center learn a life-lesson, and child development director, Mercy, takes them through the devotion.

It’s chilly and the teacher starts the lesson. As drum beats fill the air, children fill with excitement — the right mood for a story.

Teacher Mercy starts,

“Once upon a time there were two buckets that hung by the Simenya Well. They kept on being drawn by the residents of Simenya. One late afternoon, tired with the day’s work, they took time to rest and spoke to each other.”

At this point Teacher Mercy coughs and holds two buckets as visual aid while pointing them to the children.

In the background, one hears a symphony of coughs and sneezes from the children because of the weather. Her “classroom” is outside.

She continues,

“One of the buckets was always grumbling. It never looked at life cheerfully. On this particular day, as it rested outside the well it said to the other bucket, ‘I am tired of the life we lead. However full we are when we are drawn up out of the well, we are sent back empty again. This makes me disappointed and dissatisfied.’

The second bucket looked at life differently. It did not grumble because it looked at the positive side of life. It said, ‘That’s true, but I always look at it this way — that however empty we are when we are set down, we are always full when draw up.'”

Teacher Mercy declares the end of the story, looks at the children, sees the cloudy skies, and whispers a prayer to God, “Please Lord, help us build classrooms to house these children.”

For the last three years, trees randomly placed in the Simenya Child Development Center church compound have been serving as “classrooms” for the children. Unfortunately the days can be nightmares for some of the children in the center, especially when they come to the wall-less classrooms, during extreme weather conditions.

According to Mercy,

“The long rainy seasons fall in March to May, while the short rainy seasons are during the months of August to September and sometimes trickle into October.

These are dreaded months by children, teachers and parents alike. One is likely to meet children shivering in the chilly days with hands tightly clasped across their chest, to preserve the little body temperature.

It is during this period, we have seen children affected by periodic fever. These are the times when we see children walk out of class or even stay away from the classes, with parents citing fear of fever attack.”

During the hot season months, we have not been spared either. This area has characteristic dry spells, which leaves the indigenous trees without leaves. Scorching sunbeams through the sketchy branches penetrate the out-door classes. Because of this, Simenya Child Development Center has made numerous efforts to address this immense challenge.

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Totally Free Music: Kindgom Coming by Shaun Groves

UPDATE: The free music download period has concluded, but you can still release a child from poverty in Jesus’ name. To sponsor please visit compassion.com/sponsor_a_child/

After seven years of selling music on those little silver discs, I’m giving it away. My new song, “Kingdom Coming,” is totally free. But it might cost you something else.

Let me explain.

The song, I hope, will move many who hear it to give to those in tremendous need around the world, and right next door.

“Kingdom Coming” was inspired by my many years of partnering with Compassion to release children from poverty in 25 of the world’s poorest countries.

Four years ago, after seeing for myself how far a little goes in the developing world, my wife and I were inspired to sell our house, cut off the cable and make several other changes in an effort to simplify our lives so that others could simply live.

Because of those changes our expenses are so low that we’ve been able to do nothing for the last four years but sing and speak (100 times a year) and blog on behalf of Compassion, at no charge to the public.

In that time thousands of children have been sponsored through Compassion and have been educated, fed, healed, played with, and told about the love of Jesus as a result.

My hope is that thousands of you will enjoy “Kingdom Coming”, and then decide to meet the physical and spiritual needs of a child through a local church in the developing world by sponsoring them.

Helping me spread “Kingdom Coming” is helping bring the Kingdom (God’s will done on earth as it is in heaven) to the developing world.

Thank you for listening, giving and passing this music and message on.

Kingdom Coming from Shaun Groves

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Home School, Job Search and Sponsor a Child

Hi, my name is Stephan Archer. I joined Compassion a few months ago as the U.S. Communication Specialist. Although I am in the business of communicating from day to day, this is my first attempt at blogging, so bear with me as I try to figure this out.

archer-familyMy calling to Compassion was really a journey that began at home, and it began with two small children — my own.

You see, my wife and I are homeschoolers. Our two girls, ages three and five, are now in preschool and kindergarten. Like other children this age, they have a million questions, most of which I struggle answering.

  • Why is God invisible?
  • Where does the sun go to bed at night?
  • Why are yummy things bad for you and yucky things good for you?
  • Why won’t Bambi see his mother again? (Those of you with young children who have a movie collection that teeters heavily towards the cartoon genre will appreciate this question.)

But while our children ask many things, there are many more things they don’t ask that they need to know.

For example, in such a richly blessed country as America, I don’t suppose too many kids learn on their own what it means to be thankful and content. Yet this is so important for children to understand if they are to grow up and be the adults we want them to be.

Thus, like many homeschoolers in search of ideas, my wife and I turned to the internet and started Googling — using words such as “contentment,” “thankfulness,” and “compassion” for those less fortunate.

kimberlyWe came across Compassion’s website and were so moved by what we saw that we immediately decided to sponsor a little girl named Kimberly in Guatemala.

Sponsorship has been nothing short of a wonderful experience for my entire family, as both my girls pray for Kimberly regularly. My oldest even draws pictures for Kimberly and sends encouraging notes with them.

I went one step further and read Wess Stafford’s book, Too Small to Ignore. After reading his book, I was more motivated than ever to be a part of this ministry.

During this time, God led me on a six-month employment-seeking journey as I communicated with various people at Compassion. I was able to examine my own heart and pray for God’s leading.

Now that I’m here at Compassion, I can say with confidence that this ministry is everything it purports to be.

Like any ministry or church body, the day to day things are managed by human beings, and with that, comes challenges. However, everyone here knows that God is ultimately leading this ministry. I’ve never seen a leadership team more dedicated to God’s will than I’ve seen at Compassion.

I’ve enjoyed reading what all of you think and would love to share with you from time to time what’s on my mind. Sometimes, I’ll jump in on your conversations and share my personal thoughts on the matter as well. Either way, I’m looking forward to being blessed by our discussions, and my hope is that you benefit as well.

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Cultural Change in the Maasai Community

The Maasai community has been rearing cattle for years, all their known lifetime and history.

In fact, there is a joke that goes around Tanzania about how the Maasai people claim that all the cows in the world belong to them, and the Maasai have the duty to return the cows to their natural home, in the Maasai community, which is why in the past there has been cattle rustling in the community.

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The Prayer

This is Emelia. She is a sponsored child in Ghana. And obviously, she’s praying.

We don’t know what she was praying for in the moment the photo was taken, but if she’s anything like us, it might’ve been for the photographer to hurry up and take the picture. 🙂

ghana-prayer
Will you join us and Emelia in prayer?

Leave your prayers as comments to this post. They can be prayers for the children we serve, for Compassion as a ministry, for our country staff . . . they can be prayers about anything you want.

Just open up and speak to the Lord.

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Compassion Togo Registers Its First Child

Story by Delanyo Tenge, Compassion Togo program communications manager, and Barb Liggett, Global Strategy Office intern


September 17, 2008 was the day the staff of Compassion Togo (CIT) had prepared fervently for, and the excitement had reached its peak. As Compassion’s newest country, the staff began registering children in Compassion Togo’s first child development center.

At MESA (Ministères Evangeliques pour le Salut des Armes), the partner church for Togo’s first Compassion children, Pastor Happy and his entire congregation are enthusiastically helping CIT become deeply rooted in Togo.

“We want to equip the local churches so they can minister to their community holistically and win them to Christ. We want to help the church turn their community into a place of hope for the future,” says CIT Country Director Mawuna Lawson.

The first child registered in Togo was David. The second was his sister, Gracia. When asked what he hopes to be when he grows up, the quiet David whispers “a carpenter.”

Even though it was the first registration, errors and omissions were few. CIT has set a goal to register more than 2,000 children the first year. There are currently 10 partner churches and six staff members in the county. Compassion Togo faces a steep road, but the hard work already done and the passion displayed in the ministry make it clear that much should be expected from the new Compassion country.

Another pastor shares his joy,

“We have been asking God how better we can help our children grow up and become good Christians and responsible adults, occupying good positions in our country; it has always been a burden on our heart. So when CIT came, we knew they were God sent, we didn’t need to ask how, when or why they came, all we needed to do was to thank God and to embrace the task he had laid ahead for us to do together with CIT.”

togo-registered-child

Photo by Delanyo Tenge

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three Dominican children with lollipops

At the Batey

The situation on the batey is as hard as the dirt ground, but there are a few shards of hope gleaming out of it.

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So Human Blog Contest

Okay, y’all. The paint is barely dry on our first blog contest (which Juli Jarvis won) which means it must be time for our second contest. This time we’ve asked Tim Glenn to pony up the prize.

so-human-coverYou may know Tim for his thought-provoking posts. But do you know that he is also a member of our independent artist network? He promotes Compassion at his concerts and through his website and CD sales.

Tim’s latest CD, So Human, has just been released; actually, the release party is this Friday, and we asked him if he’d be willing to give away a couple of copies. He said yes.

Before we tell you how you can get your hands on the CD, let’s find out what it’s all about.

“During my life as a Christian, I have seen a lot of people disillusioned about what this religion is all about. And I think, to a great extent, it could be our fault. ‘Everyday with Jesus is sweeter than the day before’ the old hymn says. I know what that hymn is trying to say, but the message often gets misconstrued. There are no bad days? There are no ‘down’ days? You see, I fear that we may often (although unintentionally) give the impression that once you accept Christ, you’re on an ‘escalator ride to God.’

I don’t know about you, but my spiritual journey has been more of a roller coaster ride than an escalator. That’s why I recorded this new album, So Human. It’s an honest look at my spiritual journey. I’ve never been this transparent in my songwriting before. There are songs for those peak moments, when you feel like you could reach out and touch God and there are songs for those valleys where you feel like He couldn’t hear you if you shouted at the top of your lungs. And I admit, I’ve done some shouting. (Just being honest here.) I want my music to be a real reflection of who I am, who God is in my life and what it’s like to take this journey. I think it’s important that believers know that there are others out there who have very real lives — lives that come with heartache as well as joy; peace as well as turmoil.

One of the songs on the album, Where Are You? was borne out of one of those dark moments. It seems odd to talk about it now, but I was really struggling with not being a dad. I wanted to be a father so much. I prayed. My wife and I prayed. We wanted children. Still, after 12 years of marriage . . . no kids. I became angry at God. Then, completely broken. I felt like it was too late to be repaired. God was too far away to hear my cries. Where Are You? Wouldn’t you know it? God gave us a son! And now, baby #2 is on the way! And yes, being a dad is everything I hoped it would be — and more! Sometimes, I think God waits for you to have those “valley” moments before He can work with you. He needs you to be broken. That’s why the song right after ‘Where Are You ‘is called ‘Here I Am’ — God revealing Himself in a powerful way.”

So, for the contest:

Write a blog post about one of your “peak” or “valley” moments, and in the post, link back here. Then, leave us a comment so we know you’re participating.

On Monday, November 24, we’ll put all of your entries into a hat and draw a winner for an autographed copy of Tim’s new CD.

And for a second chance to win: go to Tim’s Facebook page and leave a comment there!

Yep. Just leave a comment and you’ll have a chance to win the other autographed CD he’s giving us. That’ll be a random drawing too. And it’ll happen on the same day, November 24.

While you’re at Tim’s Facebook page, be sure to “Become a Fan.”

We look forward to reading your stories of your spiritual journey.

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Favorite Bible Verses

My sponsored child’s favorite Bible verses are . . .

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Looking Beyond the Horizon for New Hope

Maritza, from the window of her one floor house, is watching me as I come towards her home. It is made from planks of wood, painted in blue heaven, and between plank and plank the sunlight streams inside.

Getting Around by BoatTo get to Maritza’s house, I jumped from stone to stone to keep out of the mud and also crossed on planks above the stagnant water.

My guide is telling me that we are in the dry season. In the rainy season the rivers overflow the streets and the water rises up to the people’s waists, so they use boats to get around.

In those times the children get skin infections and fevers from the mosquito bites.

Maritza lives with Franklin and their six children; they lost three children because she was sick in those times.
Maritza's Children Enjoying The Hammock

Today the boys are only in shorts and without shoes. I can see two single beds where they sleep together. Right now, they are enjoying the hammock hanging in the center of the main room.

At first, Maritza, 34 years old, is a little bit nervous to talk with me but she understands that their situation is like many families in Uraba. (more…)

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Who Do You Hope Wins?

fight-poverty-hope-livesThe stories all of you shared during our first blog contest were encouraging, inspiring and, well . . . everything that Christ is, to all of us.

Thank you for giving us a glimpse into how “hope lives” in your lives — how He lives.

And thank you for participating.

Would you please take some time to read what these three ladies wrote about hope in their lives?

Help us make the hard choice of who gets our non-eternal prize — autographed copies of Party Divas and Hope Lives.

Thank you for voting.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Does my Compassion child attend school at Compassion’s child development center?

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