“God Can Change Things”: 3 Families Transformed
When a child enters the Compassion program, they are not the only ones changed forever. One child being part of the Child Sponsorship Program or Survival Program can impact an entire family. Each family of a Compassion-assisted child has access to deep community, vital resources, and the Gospel message through local churches that partner with Compassion.
This holistic combination was truly life-changing for three families in Africa. Here are their stories.
Where I Do My Homework: 8 Pictures of Tenacious Students in Asia
Going to school and doing homework are normal activities for many kids. Sadly, many children in poverty never get to experience the joys and trials of school and homework — or the rewards.
In the following pictures you can see how children and youths in Compassion’s program fight to get an education despite less-than-ideal circumstances.
That Unforgettable Time I Met My Sponsored Child in Guatemala
Finally, it was the moment I had traveled thousands of miles for. There she was, a cute little girl with curly hair, standing outside a crowded church. Someone said, “This is Genesis, your sponsored child!”
Why Abel Never Lost Hope During His Cancer Battle
Jonah and the whale. Daniel and the lion’s den. Esther saving her people. David facing Goliath. These are all beloved Bible stories for children and are guaranteed to come up when you ask a Sunday school class what their favorite stories are. One story you would not expect to be a 13-year-old’s favorite is the story of Job and his suffering. But for Abel, there was deep meaning in Job’s story.
Tender Conversations With Children and Their Fathers
Compassion photojournalists Javier Elis in Guatemala and J. Sangma in Bangladesh sat down to ask children and fathers about their mutual love, dreams and memories. Here are some sweet quotes from their interviews.
Sponsors Share Their Best Letter Writing Tips
For the best letter writing tips, go straight to the experts: sponsors! Recently we put out a call on our Facebook page asking for the best advice about writing to children in Compassion’s program. From practical to unique, their letter writing tips will inspire you to send a note the child you sponsor — and remind you that your words of encouragement make a world of difference!
How a Compassion Blog Story Helped Reunite This Rwandan Family
“I was in church when I realized I had 15 missed calls,” Christian shares. “My phone had been on silent mode. When I stepped out of the service to call and find out why someone had made 15 calls in the space of seven minutes, the person on the other side of the call told me they were my uncle from my father’s side of the family.”
Writing Letters Is Inconvenient — And That’s a GOOD Thing!
Writing a letter is inconvenient. But that’s what makes it so beautiful. Inconveniencing yourself can be a gift to the child you sponsor. And it can also be a gift to you.
A Wedding Surprise Highlights Her Incredible Sponsorship Story
For an unsuspecting family in Colombia celebrating a wedding rehearsal dinner, a single word was powerful enough to bring every member to tears: “Sorpresa!”
Wondering what the surprise could be, the family turned to see the last person they could have expected: the Compassion sponsor of the groom, Mateo. For eight months, sponsor Kristen had been regretfully telling Mateo and his family that she wouldn’t be able to make a trip to Colombia for his wedding. But what they didn’t know was that she was determined to be there — and Compassion staff were helping to make it a surprise.
The Day 6-Year-Old Sophia Learned to Dream Without Limits
The world that 6-year-old Sophia sees around her is one of poverty and limitations. But Compassion’s photojournalist in Brazil, Sara Navarro, is among the caring adults who inspire her to dream without limits. Here’s Sara’s story of the day she visited Sophia.
The Story of a Devoted Father and His Boys
“My dad does everything for me! … I love him so much. One day I asked him to buy me ice cream and even without much money, he managed to buy it for me,” exclaims Davi about his father, Damião.
Upon hearing his son’s words, a tear falls from Damião’s eyes. In their culture, men rarely cry in front of others. But in the last few months, crying has been a normal part of Damião’s life.
How to Get to Know Your Sponsored Child’s Family
Have you ever had one of those awesome, world-colliding moments when people from two different parts of your life meet? Like bringing a significant other home to meet your family for the first time. Or introducing your friends from church to your friends from work at your birthday party. These experiences only come around every now and then. And I love them.
