Slumdog Millionaire and Poverty Tourism
Last weekend I saw the movie Slumdog Millionaire. Have you heard of it? If you haven’t by now, you surely will soon. Just this week it was nominated for several Oscars, including Best Picture. (By the way, in case you were wondering, I think it should win Best Picture.)
Slumdog Millionaire tells the story of…
Moody Bible Institute Full Ride Scholarships
It’s happening again! In 2009, three more Leadership Development Program grads will be able to begin studying at Moody Bible Institute, with full-ride scholarships.
I anticipate having the list of finalists in March, and hope to have our new students in Colorado Springs in August.
Please pray for everyone involved in this program as we move…
Passion to Serve Poor Children
Sitting under a tent away from the hot sun, talking, smiling and enjoying a plate of rice and chicken is a group of teachers from Fey Esperanza Child Development Center before the beginning of another afternoon with the children.
The teachers are having a good time with each other, but after they finish their lunch,…
The Question Game
Warning: This post may be bit uncomfortable…
Before I sponsored my first child back in college, I had a lot of questions:
Where is all my money going?
Will this child actually know about me?
Is she really the one writing these letters?
Does she really need my money?
Wow! Those questions are somewhat embarrassing to write out, but I…
Ask Sathy
Here at Compassion, I get to sit by a really cool guy named Sathy. Sathyaseelan Pannirselvam, that is. (One of my proudest moments was when I found out my last name is longer than his.)
Sathy is a native of Chennai, India, and has worked for Compassion for 10 years. He worked for Compassion India…
Christian Child Development
Christian child development means . . .
Haiti News: Changing Children Within a Community
Growing up in Haiti, Milord was no stranger to need. In his rural home of Petit-Goave, where the average income is barely more than $1 a day, he experienced poverty personally and saw how it affected those most vulnerable, women and children. It became his personal dream to impact his community for good.
When he…
Christian Warrior
Photos by Ratchana Suksabye.
It was night at the Chiang Mai 700 Year Stadium, and the quiet evening was disrupted by a loud voice coming from the tae kwon do gym.
The spokesman announced the names of the new northern region competitors for the final round of Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn’s cup.
There were…
Photos of Children in Poverty
Children in poverty … through the eyes of Eric Chapman, one of our friends in Flickr.
If you have difficulty viewing the slide show here, you can also check it out in Eric’s photostream.
Upload your photos to our Flickr group. Show us how you see children in poverty.
Compassion is a Bridge
Going out on a limb with this one.
Compassion is a bridge . . .
Cognitive Dissonance Theory, Wealth and Poverty
As humans we like consistency. We are uncomfortable holding to contradictory beliefs and actions, and will try to minimize our discomfort, creating a balance between our thoughts and our actions.
Facing the Global Food Crisis in Nicaragua
It’s 11:30 a.m. and lunch should be almost ready, but this home of seven people has only a small bowl of boiling water on their firewood stove.
The father just came back from a busy morning at the farm, bringing some beans that would be used for lunch, the only ingredient of the first meal of…
Tsunami Disaster Relief in Indonesia
Four years ago, on December 26, 2004, one of the deadliest natural disasters in history hit Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, and Thailand. More than 225,000 people were killed in 11 countries.
Banda Aceh was one of those communities devastated by the tsunami. We had no active program in Banda Aceh before the tsunami, and in…
Magline’s Bright Future
“Magi, get going else you will be late for your classes,” Magline’s mother calls out from outside the courtyard, where she is washing dishes.
Magline is deeply engrossed reading the sponsor letter she has just received from the student center.
Magline, a bright young girl from Park Circus Child Development Center, is an example of what…
Word of Thanks
A word of thanks to everyone who shared their one word for 2009.
A copy of the 2009 Compassion calendar is being sent to:
Daryl G. Short, whose word for 2009 is innocence.
Jolanda, whose word is action.
Holly Spiotti, who received the word Emmanuel.
Evelyn, who had on her heart the word nurture.
Gin, who chose dedication.
A Day in Port-au-Prince
The first thing you notice when you wake up in Port-au-Prince is the smoke. Your eyes sting, and it feels as though you’ve had a smoky cloth held over your mouth all night from the Haitians’ cooking fires.
I Sponsor a Child in Poverty
I sponsor a child in poverty because . . .
Leadership Development Academy
The Leadership Academy in Guatemala was implemented in 2005 for the first time to prepare students to enter the Leadership Development Program and find good candidates for the program.
The idea consisted of a leveling up camp called ‘Leadership Academy.’ Guatemala learned from the Dominican Republic’s experience … We adjusted their idea to our country’s needs…
Outliers Need Opportunity to Succeed
Malcom Gladwell’s latest book, Outliers, doesn’t mention Compassion once. But it’s still about what Compassion does: We transform lives by giving children in poverty opportunities to succeed.
The Community That Ended Poverty
Just the other day I read something in the Bible that, although I must have read it a hundred times before, never jumped out at me the way it did this time. The words practically threw themselves off the page. I was reading at the end of Acts 4 …
“All the believers were one…
The Favor
Hey! Remember me?
Well, I just wanted to share another quick story about what it is like to work with the Leadership Development Program (LDP) grads.
Something that I have learned in my job is that I’m not necessarily supposed to meet every need but to find people who can. In that way, I serve…
Recent Comments