What Does God Want From Me?
Jesus is traveling with a crowd, teaching as He walks. A blind man sitting by the road hears the passing commotion and asks what is going on. When he learns that Jesus of Nazareth is near, he calls out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
Several times the man calls out, even…
Always Picked Last (Extreme Poverty Style)
Imagine a world where you grow up with a mommy and a daddy and live in a nice warm house with your family.
You have your own bed, and sleep each night with a full belly. You go to school, and in the afternoon you go to sports practice on a green grassy lawn that…
You Give Them Something to Eat
It seems we, as humans, are always passing the buck, or bucking the responsibility.
Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.”
“We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered. – Matthew 14:16-17, NIV
Jesus saw the multitude and that the multitude was hungry. His attitude was not…
Will you respond when calamity knocks? When a poor child has no defenses? When she’s cornered by the bullies of poverty?
You can also view the Opportunity Knocking video in YouTube.
A Water Wake-Up Call
Ninety-nine percent of the time, I get ready for my day after my 6½-year-old goes off to school. My 15-month-old daughter takes her morning nap around this time, and my 3-year-old plays on starfall.com. It just works better this way.
But for whatever reason, one morning last month I woke up early – too early in…
The Church’s ability to eliminate extreme poverty is just a matter choosing to do so. We used to say that 40,000 children under age 5 die every day of hunger or preventable diseases. Today, that number is 24,000. These statistics show that in 20 years the number of children who die every day of hunger…
Give Up On Serving the Poor?
I read a blog post the other day that I want to share with you. It’s titled Why I Stopped Serving the Poor, and it was written by Claudio Oliver of Curitiba, Brazil. His grandparents founded the Salvation Army in Brazil.
“Without exception, rich and poor have the same conviction that what they need…
Is our ability to eliminate poverty just a matter of how we interpret the Bible? John 12:7-8 is the verse that has captured our thoughts as we think about the poor. The verse that is now the most remembered about the poor.
And yet, when Jesus spoke, he was not talking to us. His use…
Child Sponsorship: Life After Graduation
Tulancingo is located in a semidesert valley in central México. The view is beautiful and green with big cactus trees standing on the horizon.
The area of Tulancingo holds great history from the ancient Toltec and Otomi cultures. Although the inhabitants are mostly dedicated to farming and agriculture, a few other industries are also in…
You know when you go on a mission trip that is a completely life-changing experience, and you come back all fired up? You just stared injustice in the face and realized you can actually do something about it. Your life takes on new purpose. You know that feeling?
The Key to Solving the Global Food Crisis
I heard the other day what many would call “good news.” According to the Federal Reserve Chairman, Ben Bernanke, the recession is over.
Only the thing is, the “good-ness” of this news is relative … it’s only true for those of us living within certain geographic boundaries (read: the developed world.)
So, while we may be…
Funny Things Kids Say
What puzzling, quirky, amusing things have your sponsored children written in their letters to you?
As I look into my life, one thing stands true. God is faithful, and He knows the plan He has for each and every one of us. Jeremiah 29:11 has come true in my life.
I graduated in 2005 from Daystar University with a degree in community development. Upon graduating, I became a volunteer at…
From yesterday’s post:
By the time I had completed high school, I did not know what the next step would be for me, because in Kenya at the age of 18 years I was due for graduation from the Compassion program and that was it.
I heard of the Leadership Development Program (LDP) from the social…
Life as a Sponsored Child (Part II)
From yesterday’s post:
I was among the first lucky ones to get a sponsor, and when I did I had a new family — the Pendleton Browns from Atlanta, Georgia.
Every Saturday I attended the Compassion Saturday program. When I was first enrolled I knew for sure the weekly meetings would interfere with my soccer time,…
Life as a Sponsored Child
From yesterday’s post:
Compassion staff decided to extend grace and enroll ages 4 to 12 years.
That was the moment I knew I was now completely netted. I could see my mother smiling broadly after the pronouncement. She had her fingers crossed all this time.
I was among the first lucky ones to get a sponsor, and…
How I Came to Compassion
I believe all children growing up, regardless of which corner of the world they were born into, will always have a dream of what they want to be when they grow up. Some live their dream well; others are not lucky enough to live their dreams.
As a child, I held onto my dream despite…
Child Focused: Valuing the One
A refrain from a popular song of the 80′s began with “I believe our children are our future … .” It was a sentiment echoed by governments and organisations in a bid to show why we need to invest in programmes for children.
The problem is that it was a convenient excuse for some to…
Holistic child development has four aspects: physical, socio-emotional, economic and spiritual, and there are different issues that we have to grapple with when applying our child development model to the child survival and child sponsorship programs.
Foster Development, Not Dependence
Development is what Compassion is about. We don’t want to give a handout; we want to do the things that will truly help a child become a self-sustaining, responsible adult.
From the Outside Looking In
Back in May I published this photo and asked you to give it a caption — Photo Caption Wanted. I also included a little context from the photographer.
“Along the wall outside the Compassion project, many children watched and waited while the other children played and sang. With hundreds and thousands of children needing…
Jesus Laughing – Poverty Transformed
The first time I ever saw this picture of Jesus laughing, I was transfixed.
There’s life in it.
And even now, I still respond to His expressive joy. I laugh. He laughs. He knows how I feel!
This idea that Jesus knows us isn’t just a concept; it’s actually for real (Whoa!), which…
10 Questions With Kenia Servellon
1. How long have you been in your current position with Compassion El Salvador, and what is your job?
Two years. I am a supervisor within the Sponsor Donor Services department.
2. What are the main responsibilities of your position?
I make sure the sponsors have up-to-date information about the children. Not just the letters,…
Holding Hope
I will never forget something a dear friend said to me years ago. I was struggling in my Christian walk. I had hit what I presumed to be rock bottom. I told him that I had lost all hope for happiness.
“Then I will hope for you,” he said, matter-of-factly.
What? Is it possible to carry…
Remembering Roselyn
Several weeks ago, Compassion internally released a book communicating its brand, its mission and its character to employees worldwide. I eagerly flipped through the pages, as I always do, looking for photography by my co-workers.
On the second page was our mission statement, “Releasing children from poverty in Jesus’ name,” and a picture…
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