Heather and I had been sponsoring in a relatively disconnected way since around 2000. I use the word “disconnected” because although we understood the work of Compassion and believed in its concepts, we had never actually connected with the children in any meaningful way. A trip to see the work of Compassion in 2007 changed all this.

Prior to this trip, I was in a highly pressurized work environment, which was engulfing every hour of my day and much of my nights. Early mornings were sometimes spent trying not to throw up while shaving.

Many of you guys will have been there: big income, big demands, no room to back off, always up to take on the next contract. If I got in an hour earlier each day, I thought I could cope.

We were fortunate to visit Kenya on an Advocate’s trip for ten days … ten days that changed our lives.

Read the rest of this post by Compassion UK Advocate Martyn Legg on the Compassion UK blog.

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Picture something with me. In your mind’s eye, in front of you is a house on fire and a person shouting from the top floor of the house that he’s trapped and can’t get out.

Scary and intense, yes? Stay with me.

Now to your right you see a firefighter with all of his gear, ready to run into the inferno. He has extensive training, and this is the moment he was made for. The person in danger knows the firefighter can see him and hear him, and he continues to shout for help.

Then the firefighter does something unexpected. He stands outside the door of the house and yells.

“Come on out here where there is no fire! I can see you. Just try your best! I’m not sure I want to go in there. It looks dangerous, and I don’t know how it will turn out in the end. What if you don’t appreciate it? What if I get hurt?”

Despite all his knowledge, training and skills, the firefighter has questions that need answers before he will consider helping the person in danger. Stunning!

I have never known a firefighter who would not run into the building. They are willing to risk all they have to save the lives of people in danger who can’t save themselves.

Does that sound like the Father God we know?

As a singer/songwriter/worship leader who has had the honor of serving as an artist with Compassion for the past 14 years, my attitude and desire to help children in need has become more passionate than I ever thought it would be.

When I began writing for my CD RESCUE, I became challenged and moved by the word itself.

Rescue by definition means “to free or deliver from confinement, violence, danger or evil.”

The obvious part for a believer is that’s what God did for us in Jesus Christ. He knew He couldn’t just say, “Come on over here where there is no sin. Try your best!” He knew the answer was to send His son Jesus into our world, our burning building, and rescue us from the “danger, violence and evil” of our sin.

Praise be to our Abba Father God for this!

Sponsoring a child in Jesus’ name is more than just a good deed and nice thing. These children are in burning buildings called poverty.

They truly cannot get themselves out of the danger. They are children. Yes, just children who are crying out for rescue to anyone who can hear, because they can’t do it alone.

I wrote the song “Come To The Rescue” with my friends Bob Stromberg and Paul Marino. I honestly found myself with a heart pain that was saying “enough is enough” when I brought the idea to Bob and Paul. Helping a child in poverty, who may be hurting, orphaned, or even abused isn’t merely a thing to be considered or thought about.

Poverty is the fire and we are the firefighters.

God has given us the Kingdom, and when we run into the burning house, we bring a hope and love like no other, because of Jesus Christ in us, through us and with us. We need not be afraid because the Holy Spirit is not afraid.

Please come to the rescue, my friends. Help others see the “firefighter” God has called each of us to be!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Peder Eide is a traveling singer/songwriter, worship leader, speaker, husband, and daddy to five. He’s partnered with Compassion for 15 years.

Proceeds from any sale of Peder’s new CD RESCUE made from his website are being donated to our Highly Vulnerable Children Fund. Purchase a copy of RESCUE now.

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World AIDS Day 2011 is about zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths.

Depending on how you look at it, and taken individually, those could be small things to accomplish, or they could be pretty big things, beyond our ability to achieve.

When talking with friends, I’ve come across a few things that are just too big for me to comprehend. I don’t understand the vastness of the universe. I don’t get how it’s supposedly constantly expanding.

How is that possible if there is no edge?

I don’t grasp the concept of time going on for eternity in each direction. These things boggle my simple mind.

And then, there are some things that are so SMALL they are beyond my comprehension. I don’t understand how something so tiny that it can only be seen through a microscope can cause irreversible damage to the human body.

Yet, to date, over 33 million people — spread out on every continent — are struggling with a tiny little terrorist in their blood streams, attacking healthy cells, breaking down the person’s immunity … and no one knows how to stop it.

I’m talking, of course, about HIV/AIDS.

This past summer, a few reports came out that scientists have discovered a new, breakthrough treatment for HIV/AIDS. I’m so glad there are people out there who can comprehend the small things beyond my grasp.

I’m glad there are those who spend their careers constantly peering through microscopes to take on the dangers the rest of us cannot see.

Regardless of my limitations, there is one thing I do understand: There are over 16 million children who have been orphaned because of this terrible disease.*

16,600,000.

I want you to see the whole number. That’s how many little boys and girls have lost mommy or daddy to the invisible invader.

If HIV/AIDS was a masked intruder, we’d do whatever it takes to put him behind bars. If it was a government, we’d demand invasion until the leaders were toppled and the children freed. If HIV/AIDS were anything our minds could grasp, we wouldn’t sleep until they were gone for good.

Tomorrow is World AIDS Day 2011. Please join me in praying for the 5,000 people who will die today, tomorrow, and every day after, because of HIV/AIDS.

I ask that you say a prayer for the millions of children who will lose a parent and the millions of others who will lose a son, daughter, friend or relative.

And please pray for those who comprehend the small things. Pray for those who are fighting to stop this awful pandemic. Pray they receive wisdom, insight and opportunity.

Sometimes the small things … are very big things indeed.

*Source: USAID

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The evil one, the wicked schemer, devises wicked plans against the poor, and he has been highly successful. Over half the world’s population is a slave of his plan.

“…the schemes of the schemer are evil; he devises wicked plans to destroy the poor with lying words, even when the needy speaks justice.” — Isaiah 32:7, NKJV

I can’t think of a more accurate description of poverty.

This wicked scheme called poverty has stolen hope, killed dreams and destroyed lives.

The enemy has spoken lying words to those caught in his scheme. He has told them they don’t matter. He has made them believe they are all alone in their suffering. He has deceived them into thinking their situation will never change. They no longer dream or aspire to anything better, because they have believed his lies.

Imagine, billions of souls caught in the greatest destructive plot in history! Who will help them? Who will save them?

Look at the next verse,

“But a generous man devises generous things, and by generosity he shall stand.” — Isaiah 32:8, NKJV

The answer is us. Me, and you, and all who call themselves by the name of the Lord. The answer is generous people, devising generous plans. Those generous plans are the antidote to the schemes of the enemy.

Compassion is a generous plan. It exists to speak the truth into the lives of children who are enslaved by the enemy and his lies. It exists to bring light to their darkness, and hope to the hopelessness of his wicked scheme.

I’m also thinking about generous people who plan and pray and devise ways to help the poor.

The family who fasts a meal a week so they can sponsor a child. The student who bypasses a few lattes so she can feed the hungry. The church groups who pool their resources so they can make a difference. Those are generous plans.

It’s not an easy fight, and it takes sacrifice and humility and persistence. But just think what might happen if enough generous people decided to use their intelligence, skills and resources to devise enough generous plans! Maybe we could defeat the wicked scheme called poverty once and for all.

So what is your generous plan?

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Our ministry often refers to the “opposite of poverty.” And you might think that we are referring to wealth. The opposite of poor is obviously rich, right?

Actually, in order to answer the question, we first must be able to understand what poverty really is.

There is spiritual poverty … having no access to the gospel or never hearing about our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Sadly, millions of people around the world do not know that Jesus loves them. So the opposite of spiritual poverty is obviously having access to the gospel. It means knowing who Jesus is and how much He wants a relationship with everyone.

There is educational poverty. For hundreds of millions around the world, education is a luxury they cannot afford.

Think about that statement, “education is a luxury.” And imagine what that means for those who are trying to keep up in a changing world.

Lack of education creates a lack of options, difficulty in finding employment. So the opposite of educational poverty is the opportunity for advancement, new learning and practical training.

There is social poverty. In many parts of the world, there are people groups who are simply “undervalued.” Women have few or no rights, children have no voice, no platform … few or no rights.

So the opposite of social poverty is obviously a world where everyone is valued. Where there is community, or at least opportunity for community, and where governments recognize the value of every citizen.

There is health poverty. It may sound foreign to most of you reading this blog, but there are many, many people around the world who don’t even know the importance of brushing their teeth, or making sure the water they drink is clean.

There are men, women and children throughout our planet who believe that debilitating, crippling pain is just part of life — not knowing that it could be cured or treated, if only given the opportunity.

We’ve hear stories of village mothers who deprive their children of water when the children have diarrhea … believing that diarrhea means the child has has too much water. Not understanding that the very thing a child with diarrhea needs is more fluids.

We teach kids how to care for their bodies. Health poverty also includes those millions of people around the world who have no access to health care. So the opposite of health poverty may be the opportunity to get basic medical/health needs taken care of. It means the ability to learn how to take care of your own body.

There is environmental poverty. I have walked in parts of the world where families live in parched land, with dirt floors, where sewage trenches trickle outside their front doors.

Not every person in the world needs a mansion or even a 2,000 square foot, carpeted home. But every person should have safe shelter. Every person should have access to clean air and clean water. That’s the opposite of environmental poverty.

And, of course, there’s economic poverty. Can you believe there are millions of people around the world who do backbreaking work for 8 to 12 hours per day, for less than $2 pay?

Seriously? How can you feed a family on that kind of money? You can’t.

But the opposite of economic poverty isn’t for each of these people to suddenly become wealthy. The opposite of economic poverty is to have enough. Enough income to feed your family. Enough income to provide shelter for your family. That’s hardly too much to ask.

So, as you partner with us or your church or another ministry organization to fight poverty, it’s good to have a better understanding of what that really means.

We’re not called to make the poor become rich, uber-athletes, Ph.Ds or super-theologians. We’re not called to give them the opportunities to live in paradisaical environments. We’re called to make sure they have enough in each of these categories. So the opposite of poverty isn’t wealth. It’s simply … enough.

LINK UP: Today is the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty (a.k.a. World Poverty Day). Don’t be silent. Take some time to make some noise. Write a post about extreme poverty and then share it with us by linking up below.

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I sit back in my chair at the dining table and rub my belly.

I tell my wife,”That was delicious, honey.” And it was. She’s become quite the cook!

My 2-year-old, always the copycat, stands up in his chair and lifts his shirt. He rubs his hands across his little, round belly.

“Delishus momma!”

Then he turns to me, giggling.

“Wook daddy … my tummy is big!”

I reach over and rub his warm tummy as he cracks up.

He wouldn’t know how to express it just yet, but that warm, full-belly feeling is satisfaction.

A full tummy is a satisfied tummy. And I’m satisfied too. There’s a certain satisfaction that comes with knowing that I can provide for my family.

Both of my boys are healthy. They have healthy appetites. We are blessed.

But I’m also reminded of the fathers around the world who work much harder than I do and still can’t put enough food on the table.

I’m reminded of little bellies that groan and growl. I think of the 2-year-olds who aren’t giggling today but crying, hoping for anything to fill their empty stomachs.

I think of the single mothers who struggle with the cost of daycare so they can go to work just to buy a meager amount of groceries.

There are more than 1 billion people on this planet who don’t have enough to eat.

That sentence alone should enrage you. It should move you. It should give us all motivation to do something about it.

Today is World Food Day.

A day to realize how blessed we are just for having a chance to eat a meal and get a full tummy.

Maybe this year you can join the thousands of caring people who will decide to skip one meal and give that cost to feed hungry children.

Maybe you’re called to pray for the hungry or clean out the pantry, make a trip to the grocery store, and help stock the food pantry at your church.

Maybe you’ll write a blog post about World Food Day and link it up below so we can all benefit from your perspective.

However you honor World Food Day, do something. Everyone should get that satisfaction of a full tummy.

Heck, everyone should get a tummy rub!

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Imagine a young couple in the labor and delivery room experiencing the birth of their first child. Hear her groans, see the sweat, and feel the anxious tension.

Now place a bag of potato chips in the husband’s hands and picture him munching away as he watches his wife give birth. As if it were on TV. It’s just wrong!

Or picture the man standing in the baptismal with his pastor. He’s wearing a white robe and preparing to confess Jesus as Lord of his life as he publicly identifies with the death, burial, and resurrection of his Lord in baptism.

Then, out from the folds of his robe, he brings forth the bag of chips and starts munching. Never!

“Who gives this woman to be married to this man?” “Her mother and I.”

Munch munch.

No!

These are sacred moments. And in sacred moments, we do not eat. It seems wrong to eat. We don’t think about not eating in the moment — it simply feels unnatural and unthinkable.

Scot McKnight defines fasting as the “natural response of a person to a grievous sacred moment.” McKnight emphasizes that fasting is a natural response.

Like not eating during your wedding vows because the moment is too sacred. Like not eating as you look into the casket at a funeral because the moment is too grievous.

McKnight emphasizes that fasting is a response to a very serious situation, not a device to take us from a good level to a better level. Did you get that?

Read the rest of this excerpt from Scott’s book, Fast Living, at Outreach Magazine

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There are a couple of things you should know about me.

Number one, I am a dreamer and an idealist. I literally dream about an ideal world.

I am super-sentimental and hypersensitive about everything. I cry in every sappy movie, every father-son moment, every Hallmark commercial, every touching sermon, etc.

If feelings are involved, good or bad, I will probably cry. It’s a little ridiculous, honestly.

When I was little, I listened to my dad’s old Bob Dylan, ELO and James Taylor LPs and cried. It’s actually quite embarrassing to admit all of this.

What I felt about the music was something that transcended the real world. I could close my eyes and be overwhelmed by the song. The mixture of the sounds and lyrics would pour over me and make me feel things I had never felt before. It’s a place deep in my heart that I can still go to when I listen to good music. I wish it was a real place.

The other thing you should know about me is that I’m a passionate person.

When something interests me, I become extremely passionate about it, even if it is for a short time.

Something will catch my eye and I will learn as much as I can about it, dream about it, immerse myself in it … and then, move on to something else.

This has been true my entire life.

However, there are a few things that I am passionate about that I will never move away from.

• My relationship with God and my family (including my two dogs, Peabody and Wonder)
• Music
• The plight of children in poverty

If you come to one of my concerts you will hear me talk a lot about my journey with Compassion.

I have been sponsoring little Junior in Uganda for several years now, and it has truly changed my life.

A few years ago, I had the opportunity to go to Tanzania and see the work Compassion is doing firsthand. A group of us went to build classrooms for one of the child development centers in rural Tanzania, just outside of Arusha.

While we were there I went with my mom to meet her sponsored child, Baraka, and his family.

He was a shy little guy with a big bashful grin that he hid with his hands. He, his parents and his siblings all lived in a tiny house that is about the size of my living room.

Me and my mom, a translator and Baraka’s family all crammed into the house for a bit and I sat in the corner, all curled up, and we listened to the story of Baraka’s life.

I heard how Compassion was able to get him food when he was hungry, medical care when he was sick, and an education when there was no way his family could afford it.

His life is completely different than it was before Compassion came along. He has an opportunity in his life that, without Compassion, he would not have had.

After we heard about that, Baraka’s mother went and opened a drawer in a little dresser she had tucked in the back of the room. She pulled out a ziplock bag and carried it over to a table in the middle of the room.

As she carried the bag, I could tell that whatever was in it was very special to her. She opened the bag and, with a big smile on her beautiful face, she poured out the contents onto the table in the middle of the room for all to see. A whole bunch of papers.

At first, no one was sure what the papers were, but when she started to open them for us we realized that they were all the letters my mom had written to Baraka since she started her sponsorship.

As I choked back tears, I understood just how precious my mom’s sponsorship is to not only Baraka, but that his entire family has benefited from the sponsorship.

They were so happy, even with the little they had in a place of poverty, disease and great need, because they had God and they had a sponsor.

Compassion is such a different organization because they work through the local church, equipping them to do ministry among the people in their communities. It’s not just a handout.

When I dream of that place deep in my heart, where my passions overwhelm me, I think of the beautiful people in Africa whom I have met through Compassion. I see their big smiles and I hear their captivating songs.

My soul wells up and I envision a world where poverty doesn’t exist. Where children are able to grow to their full potential because hunger, disease and lack of education and clean water don’t exist.

I believe God has called each of us to do what we can to bring His kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. One way to do that is by sponsoring a child through Compassion.

“You may not be able to change the world, but you can change the world for one child.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Aaron Hale is a worship leader and artist/songwriter from Kansas City, Missouri (though he’s originally from Texas, and is still a Texan at heart). Aaron has been sponsoring with Compassion for almost 10 years now and has been a Compassion artist for nearly two years.

If you’re interested in writing a guest blog post, we are happy to consider publishing it. Read our guest blog post guidelines.

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The Sonflowerz are sisters Elissa and Becca Leander. The group, based in Colorado Springs, began writing music in 1999, and their fourth album, By Faith, releases today.

Elissa and Becca have a long history of partnering. Recently Paul Haddix, Artist Relations Manager, sat down with them and discussed their new album and their involvement with Compassion.

• For our readers who aren’t aware of The Sonflowerz, can you give us a brief introduction and background of the band?

Elissa: Sure! We began playing music in junior high school. Becca, who was 13 at the time, learned to play bass and I learned the acoustic guitar. Our family was very musical; our dad played guitar and music was really a part of our family culture.

As we learned our instruments we also began writing a few songs. At one point, our youth pastor learned we were writing songs and asked me to share one with our youth group.



At first, I was really resistant but I asked God to lead me. I ended up sharing with a group of 20 kids and it was nerve wracking!

After that first experience we continued to write music and play for our home church. We then began to get requests from all over and started to play for other youth groups and in coffee houses around the state.

Following high school we prayed and felt led to pursue music full time. It’s been a journey, and it’s amazing to see how God has moved in our lives.

Just this past month we had the opportunity to lead worship for over 13,000 people in Singapore, and I wasn’t even nervous. It really has been an awesome experience!

Becca: Elissa really captures it. You know, starting off very young and growing to where we are today has definitely been a process. Over the years we have really seen God direct and give purpose to our music.

A lot of bands and other musicians ask how to get the “big break,” but for us success has been about taking the small steps, listening to God’s direction, and being obedient.

For us, playing music and leading worship has created an incredible opportunities to live out our faith and be examples for others.

We are truly thankful for the opportunities we have had to stand for truth and be an example to others, especially to other young people – particularly young women.

• As a band you have been in partnership with Compassion since 2008. You were also Compassion sponsors before then. Tell us how you became sponsors and what effect your partnership with Compassion has had with regard to your ministry as a band.

Becca: For as long as I can remember our parents have sponsored a child through Compassion – for as long or longer than I have been alive. I remember sitting around our kitchen table, talking about our sponsored child and praying for her.

Our parents’ commitment to that sponsorship was really inspiring. Even when there were hard times financially they were faithful, which really was an example for us.

It was so natural once we began to pursue a music ministry full time to partner with Compassion. It felt like we had always been in partnership with Compassion.

• In September of 2009 you had the chance to visit El Salvador and see our work first hand. Tell us what that trip was like and how it affected your understanding of our ministry.

Elissa: Our trip to El Salvador is something I will never forget. I remember different things about the trip – specific things like how hot it was and my first impression of walking into the homes of children. The depth of the poverty and the reality of just how uncomfortable the living conditions were remain vivid for me.

The trip changed my perspective of sponsorship. As Becca was saying, from the time we were children our family has sponsored a child, so my understanding of Compassion was through the lens of a sponsor.



But through our trip to El Salvador, Compassion took on a whole new level – it became more than reaching my specific sponsored child, but reaching her entire community.

As we visited local churches and the child development centers we had the opportunity to meet pastors and center staff and see their passion and heart for their communities. It was incredible!

At one center we met a farmer whom Compassion had assisted through the Complementary Interventions program. With the ministry’s help he had been able to continue farming at a truly difficult time. We listened to him and watched as he wept, thankful for the help he received.

Another community we visited had a significant problem with gang violence. While we were visiting a home we asked our staff guide if we were safe.

We were told that the gangs would not approach us because they recognize and respect the work Compassion was doing in their community.

Seeing that Compassion was not only affecting the lives of individual children but entire communities was amazing.

Becca: I agree with Elissa. Here in America we try to imagine what living in poverty is like. We have a picture on a child packet, of a little boy or little girl, but we don’t see the depth of impact this one sponsorship has. We don’t have a chance to see all the other people Compassion is helping through sponsorship.

When you go into your child’s world you have the chance to see the impact. It is like all of a sudden you are seeing things in 3D.

• The song “The Face of Jesus” was inspired by that visit to El Salvador. Tell us what inspired the song and a little bit of what the process was to translate the memories and experience into song.

Elissa: I began trying to write the song from the moment we returned from El Salvador. There were so many experiences that I found it really hard to write.

What began to stand out in my mind out was a young girl, Lisa, whom I had met, and the effect Compassion was having in her life, which went far beyond sponsorship.

I met her at a center where Compassion has a Child Survival Program. Lisa was young, only 15, and she was pregnant. It was impossible for me to imagine how I would have felt in that situation, but as I looked at Lisa surrounded by staff from the center her face radiated peace.

She knew that she, and the baby she was carrying, would be cared for. In that moment I knew the hands and feet of Jesus were reaching out to her through the center staff.

I began writing the song with Lisa in mind and the first verse is about that experience.

The Face of Jesus

Her face made such an impact on me. She had been touched by the hands and feet of Jesus, and she was shining.

I realized I could also be the hands and feet of Jesus, to touch others in need around the world. The song, then, became a labor of love. There was so much I could have said. And I had to wade through a lot of thoughts and memories and work to come to the focus of what I wanted to say.

I really feel the song says everything I wanted to convey – it conveys a sense of urgency, that we can’t simply sit on our hands and wait for other people. Jesus has called us to be active in our faith and have compassion for other people.

• Can you tell us a little more about By Faith? What song, other than “The Face of Jesus,” are you most excited about?

Elissa: We worked on this album for over eight months and are so excited to share it with our fans. It’s exciting to have something new!

This album represents a much deeper focus on worship, which has really grown out of our involvement with our own church and our service there.

Being on the road full time can sometimes be isolating. Our response to this has been to intentionally deepen our commitment to the local church.

I am looking forward to see how the new CD affects those who hear it. So far the response to the single “The Face of Jesus” we released has been great!

With regards to individual songs, “The Face of Jesus” is also one of the songs I am most excited about. Beyond that, I really love the song “Made to Shine.”

That song was written out of the experience of meeting a girl at one of our concerts who had experienced a lot of bullying and had lost a lot of her self-worth. The song captures what I wish I could have spoken to her heart in that moment.

As we have played “Made to Shine” at festivals this summer, we have had people say to us “that song was written for my friend” or “that was exactly what I needed to hear.”

We are also excited about “By Faith,” which was the final song written and is the title track and first single to be released from the album. It brings together all of the different themes on the album.

To get your copy of By Faith go iTunes or sonflowerz.com

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]]> http://blog.compassion.com/the-sunflowerz-sharing-music-of-faith-and-compassion/feed/ 7 http://blog.compassion.com/shaun-groves-on-third-world-symphony-and-keeping-jesus-the-main-thing/ http://blog.compassion.com/shaun-groves-on-third-world-symphony-and-keeping-jesus-the-main-thing/#comments Thu, 01 Sep 2011 07:54:51 +0000 Jon Burgess http://blog.compassion.com/?p=23746 Catching up with Shaun Groves is a thrill ride of deep emotion, spontaneous wisecracks and purposeful passion. Shaun is on a journey to keep Jesus at the center of his life and to change the face of poverty.

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Catching up with Shaun Groves is a thrill ride of deep emotion, spontaneous wisecracks, and purposeful passion.



In a conversation that touched on his own struggles with doubt and surprised me with his renewed focus on treating vegetables with respect, I am left with this singular impression of the singer, songwriter, speaker, blogger and artist — Shaun is on a journey to keep Jesus at the center of his life and to change the face of poverty.

And he welcomes us to come along. Here are a few of his great answers to my poor questions:

• On the dawn of the release of your latest album, Third World Symphony, how does a busy dad, husband, speaker and artist find the time to make a record?

The record is six years in the making, featuring my struggle straddling the First World and the Third World. Being angry, and disappointed, and elated, and full of joy and gratitude all along the way. It was a slow process, based on my actual experiences with Compassion kids and reflections on scripture.

There are things I have seen that made me doubt whether God is good, whether His plan to help the poor through the Church is effective. I have some intense struggle there. I am human, I have not arrived at the destination, and the struggle continues. The album captures all of it, from despair to joy.

• What do you know, for sure, as you listen to Third World Symphony?

The new album starts with grace. Throughout, I always knew it should and would start with grace. I feel like Jesus saw me on my worst day and He chose to love me anyway. And He gave everything for me.

When that is in view, writing a blog post about the poor, giving money to 58:, being a missionary, saying something about Compassion at a concert, all of that is no longer a chore, it is a privilege. It is not even a “job.” So the album starts with that. It is all about mercy and grace.

All is Grace

Download All is Grace for free.

• How has Compassion’s $38/month child sponsorship program changed you personally?

After overcoming my initial skepticism with intense research and education about Compassion and poverty, my family was left with the sense that Compassion really does release children from poverty in Jesus’ name. And they do it with the utmost financial integrity.

I originally thought a meager $38 couldn’t possibly make an impact in anyone’s life. After looking into it, I was shocked at what the kids received: education, nutrition, access to heath care, and all the rest.

Once I saw it, it changed how I looked at my own finances. $38 is the world to them, and for almost all Americans $38 per month can be given without any noticeable impact on their quality of life whatsoever.

• The album moves from grace to the question of “enough.” When is “enough” enough?

It makes songwriting so easy when you can rip off Solomon! For me, the song “Enough” is based on Proverbs.

What I was originally looking for was a clear rule as to what enough is. How much money for a house? How much for clothes, etcetera?

Instead I found Proverbs 30:7, where Solomon prays, “Give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread.”

So it’s a double caution against both extreme poverty and extreme wealth. If I get extremely wealthy, which in comparison the rest of the world nearly all Westerners are, I might forget about God and think I don’t need Him.

Enough is satisfied by daily bread and God. Anything left over I want to give back to God to help others and save my own soul. I am not there, but it is a prayer I pray.

Enough
• Being educated about the 58: initiative and the plight of the extremely poor is a great way for parents to combat entitlement issues with their children. How does this impact parenting in the Groves family?

Well, I could probably tell more about how NOT to parent! I remember coming home from an overseas trip, still incredibly moved by what I had seen. It always takes me a few days to re-acclimate after a trip that involves so much impact to my heart and soul.



One night my son was complaining about his broccoli. In a display of absolutely terrible parenting, I picked up his tray and threw the broccoli in the trash, proclaiming that so many people have only trash to eat from!

Of course, that was absolutely way over the top, and it was not loving or kind during that “teachable moment.”

In fact, the person learning the lesson ended up being me, as I later apologized to my son and tried to explain what I was feeling.

Now I try to limit my parenting for about a week after I get back from a trip because I know I am coming down from that experience. I did not apologize to the broccoli, though; I am still working out those issues.

I say all the time that Compassion releases children from poverty in Jesus’ name and they have released my children from wealth.

I think the most powerful tool for teaching in my family is to simply live, with your kids, blessing other people where you are. My kids have an understanding of the world that I didn’t have until my 30s.

• The 58: initiative is about ending extreme poverty in our lifetime. Were you skeptical about that?

When skeptics ask me a direct question, I know that behind it is a never-ending list of skeptical questions. So the way my heart was changed was to think about my relationship with God. The more I know our generous God, the more I want to return that generosity in some way.

Third World Symphony talks a lot about how God has saved me. And made peace with me. Paul says, “In view of God’s mercy, now offer yourself as a living sacrifice.” When I keep God’s mercy and love in my mind, I naturally respond in the same way.

You can also view Shaun Groves – Third World Symphony (Ethiopia Story) on Vimeo.

So if people are skeptical about Compassion or 58:, I just respond, 

If not those organizations, then what? Don’t tell me you aren’t going to give to the poor because you are skeptical about 58: or Compassion.

Has God loved you? Do you have leftovers? Fine, be skeptical.

In view of His mercy, offer yourself to God in another way that makes sense to you. You may be passionate about sex trafficking, water, food or children. 58: allows you to dive into your own passion with world-class organizations of integrity.

I love that about the 58: initiative! Acknowledging we are all made differently, dive into whatever gets you excited.

58: says there are things smart people have checked out that actually work. And that represent Christ well. And that are done with integrity.

The 58: initiative is the first time world-class Christian poverty-fighting organizations have banded together not to boycott something but to do something positive for the world. Ending extreme poverty is the goal, and they think it can be done.

I grew up in a church that was “against” a lot of things. I am not anymore, but for many years I was angry at that church for the way they made people feel and the issues they picked that would be “worth” getting upset about. These issues became their “Jesus” issues.

Poverty is physical and spiritual, and there are many, many aspects of it that need to be addressed. It models humility for the leaders of the 58: alliance to say “We need each other.”

They are standing up and saying that solving extreme poverty is more important than any single organization. That keeps the kingdom of God and Jesus the main thing.

It fights the judgmentalism I saw in my early church days, but it also fights the idealism of the individual do-gooder. In my mind, this is the only way to fight extreme poverty: for us to link arms and combat it from all sides. I am proud to do that with Compassion at live58.org.

• Thanks Shaun, for keeping Jesus the main thing, learning to treat broccoli with respect, and taking us along on a journey with Third World Symphony.

You’re welcome. I am praying for you guys, and for the 58: initiative! I hope everyone will go to live58.org and find your passion. We CAN solve extreme poverty — together!

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Love what you have heard so far? Purchase Shaun Groves’ Third World Symphony on iTunes!

This post is making a stop on the Compassion blog as part of Shaun’s Third World Symphony blog tour.

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