In the last five and a half years, I’ve “lost” four sponsored children. Two left our program fairly early in my sponsorship before I really had a chance to build a relationship with them. One I sponsored for a while and even visited her. But, her child development center closed several months ago.

But it’s not these girls that continually come to my mind throughout the day. It’s Abigail. It’s Abigail whose letters I go back and reread. It’s Abigail who brings tears to my eyes every time I think of her.

Abigail lives in Ghana, is the youngest of six siblings, and her father died when she was three years old. She was born on the day my grandfather died.

At the time, Abigail was my youngest child and taught me how much I enjoy letters from preschool and early elementary children. We built a relationship and the letters flowed back and forth.

Suddenly, I wasn’t getting as many letters as I had before. I didn’t think much of it. After all, Abigail’s tutors had more to do than just help her write me letters.

Then, a letter came. Her tutor, seeing numerous letters waiting for Abigail, wrote me a letter to say that her uncle had come and taken her to Accra for a while and she would be back soon to answer my letters.

There was nothing in this letter to bring this on, but I resented her uncle for coming and taking her away from the child development center, and let’s be honest, from me.

So, I wasn’t surprised several months later when she departed from the program. What I wasn’t prepared for was the departure letter written by her tutor. Her uncle had come and taken her, trying to help her mother out after the loss of her husband.

After awhile, Abigail’s uncle put her in an orphanage without her mother’s permission. At the time of the letter, Abigail’s mom didn’t know where she was.

I held on hope in the next few months that everything would get straightened out and she would return to her mother and to the development center. But months passed, and now years, but still no word from Ghana.

I eventually sponsored another child, but no one can take Abigail’s place in my heart.

God often brings her to mind and through my tears, I pray. I pray for her and pray that her time with our ministry taught her enough about the God who would never lose her and would always love her as a caring Father. I dream that one day we will see each other and she will tell me how God worked everything out for her good.

So, Abigail, I want you to know that I still love you. I still think about you. And I still pray for you.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Brynn Paine works in our International Program Group as the Field Media Manager, mentoring ESL writers. She currently sponsors 15 children.

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Hallelujah! Hosanna!

After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.

Artwork from Mathare Community Outreach Child Development Center

There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.

The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”

So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. – Matthew 28:1-9 (NIV)

Guatemala, a country whose whose religion is chiefly Roman Catholic and Protestant, is deeply rooted in local traditions, making the celebration of Easter a colorful and massive one.

• Read about Easter in Guatemala.

To Ghanaian Christians, Easter is a day of remembering what Christ did on the cross for all mankind; not just remembering but knowing that it was the foundation for their salvation.

• Read about Easter in Ghana.

In Bangladesh, the activities of Easter Sunday look different for the Christian and non-Christian children in our child development centers.

• Read about Easter in Bangladesh.

Easter Week in El Salvador is celebrated differently than the way it is celebrated in the United States. There is a much a different atmosphere.

• Read about Easter in El Salvador.

To talk about Easter is to talk about Christianity, and for children in our development centers to talk about Easter in Peru is to talk about a variety of traditions.

• Read about Easter in Peru.

• Read about Easter in Kenya.

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I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. – Galatians 2:20 (NIV)

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Compassion is closed today to honor Christ’s sacrifice on the cross.

It was the day of Preparation of Passover Week, about the sixth hour.

“Here is your king,” Pilate said to the Jews.

But they shouted, “Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!”

“Shall I crucify your king?” Pilate asked.

“We have no king but Caesar,” the chief priests answered.

Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified.

The Crucifixion

So the soldiers took charge of Jesus. Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha). Here they crucified him, and with him two others — one on each side and Jesus in the middle.

— John 19:17-18 (NIV)

Artwork from Mathare Community Outreach Child Development Center

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She curled up in a small ball, nestled against me. This tiny girl in the middle of Mathare Valley melted my heart. A small yawn, and then her breathing slowed to a steady rhythm.

In the middle of the noise and chaos around us, she felt comfortable enough to fall asleep in my lap. A simple gesture, a gesture of trust.

What choices requiring trust allowed this moment for me and my little friend in Kenya?

• This girl’s family had to trust the Compassion-assisted Child Development Center. While living in the midst of such an unstable valley in Kenya, this family saw the church for what it should be: a beacon of hope in the dark places. They decided to trust that their daughter would be safe there.
• Compassion Kenya staff members trusted the remarkable Redeemed Gospel Church to partner with them. They trusted their heart for these children and their desire to help us, together, accomplish our goal of releasing children from poverty in Jesus’ name.
• The child development center workers who labor tirelessly at these centers make choices all day long. Choices to trust that their kindness and care will make a difference for each little one like my young new friend.

  Living in Mathare Valley can erode trust. Yet each child who cautiously crosses the threshold of the center discovers that here it is safe to trust. Here these children can drop their guard and experience love and comfort.

• You, as a sponsor, entrust your resources to us here at Compassion. Each time you sponsor a child like those in Kenya or in any of our 26 countries, you have made a choice to trust the stewardship of our organization’s care for children.

Because of the trust of God’s people, He gives us these beautiful moments of redemption in broken valleys.

Trust me when I tell you that I could have stayed with that little girl all day long. But I had to leave her. And I trust with all my heart that she is in good, loving hands.

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I’ve never been an athlete. In fact, far from it. Attending P.E. class was always somewhat painful and at times, a little embarrassing.

I’m a great sports fan though. For me, college basketball is something to look forward to — GO CATS! (Arizona Wildcats that is — sorry Kentucky fans.) Whether I am cheering for my team or for the current March Madness underdog, I can’t wait for March to come around.

As a non-athlete, I have come to really appreciate the value of sports and what they teach the children in our programs.

Sports teach them about unity and trust, about how to express themselves more freely and how to discover their gifts and talents.

More specifically sports have shown Erick that he is a valuable part of a community that loves him.

For Emilda, sports helped replace teasing and cruel words with cheers and Olympic medals.

And baseball has given these young men in the Dominican Republic an opportunity to bond with otherwise absent fathers.

Whether it’s a game of soccer, running or playing baseball, the value of sports in the life of a child is not just about the sport, it’s about teamwork, community and the possibility of achievement.

What did sports teach you as a child?

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Between 2005 and 2012 I read very little fiction. I’m still not entirely sure why. I like fiction, and especially love seeing the mechanics of storytelling at work. But for whatever reason, for about seven years I read virtually nothing but nonfiction material.

Until I was challenged to branch out a bit during a visit with my co-worker, Amber. Never one to back away from a challenge, I dived back into the world of fiction, reading a mix of popular contemporary and classic works. One of my favorites from my foray into fiction — and the one I’m going to recommend to you today — is The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien.

Why this book?

I know there are a bunch of you who probably read this book in middle school (or are reading it now because there’s a new movie loosely based on it in theaters now). But whether Tolkien’s story of Bilbo Baggins’ adventure is familiar or foreign, few could question the genuine pleasure one gets from reading it. For me, it’s the way Tolkien writes that I enjoy the most. I’m not sure how to explain it. There’s a richness to his writing that I really, really enjoy. For example:

“Smaug lay, with wings folded like an immeasurable bat, turned partly on one side, so that the hobbit could see his underparts and his long pale belly crusted with gems and fragments of gold from his long lying on his costly bed. Behind him where the walls were nearest could dimly be seen coats of mail, helms and axes, swords and spears hanging; and there in rows stood great jars and vessels filled with a wealth that could not be guessed.

“To say that Bilbo’s breath was taken away is no description at all. There are no words left to express his staggerment, since Men changed the language that they learned of elves in the days when all the world was wonderful. Bilbo had heard tell and sing of dragon-hoards before, but the splendour, the lust, the glory of such treasure had never yet come home to him. His heart was filled and pierced with enchantment and with the desire of dwarves; and he gazed motionless, almost forgetting the frightful guardian, at the gold beyond price and count.”

Immediately, you get it. The imagination starts working and you understand the horrible magnificence of what Bilbo was seeing as the dragon laid on his ill-gotten treasure. Gloriousness mixed with terror … and then the overwhelming “enchantment” of the treasure.

This is what good fiction does — it transports us into the world the author has created and captivates us. It allows us to see a world — and sometimes our world — with a different perspective and to enjoy all the good gifts God has given us in the creativity of humanity. This is a wonderful gift no other creature has been given, and it should cause us to be glad and rejoice in our great God and Savior.

What works of fiction have you found helpful in your own faith journey? Why were they helpful?

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We Christians tend to have a bad rep among the wider culture. You probably know all the stereotypes: Christians are too political, anti-science, anti-intellectual, anti-fun. And so on.

Is there truth to these? Maybe, maybe not. But it’s helpful to examine what the culture says about us if we’re going to effectively share our faith. That’s why I’d like you to read The Armageddon Factor by Marci McDonald.

Some who know me pretty well might be surprised that I’d recommend this book, one that holds a pretty negative (although unintentionally funny) view of Christianity in Canada.

Reading a book like this one can help us better understand what those who do not align with our faith believe is true about us. We can examine, ask questions, identify where they might be right, and look for opportunities for discussion.

For example, what would the reaction of a non-Christian friend be if we asked, “So I’m reading a book on what the author calls ‘Christian nationalism’ — what do you think that means? Why do you think she’d say that? Do you agree or disagree?”

Simply reading a book like The Armageddon Factor — even where there are parts we might strongly disagree with — gives us an opportunity to engage in real discussion with those around us and maybe begin to change a few incorrect perceptions.

That’s something worth trying, isn’t it?

How would better understanding non-Christians’ fears about Christianity change how you live out your faith, if at all?

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Derek is one of our whizzes who works in Complementary Interventions. He is seriously committed to Compassion — he interviewed for five jobs here over four years before he was hired! He’s one of the people God is really using at Compassion through his wisdom, calling and commitment.

How long have you been at Compassion and what is your role?

I’ve been here almost three years, and I’m the Complementary Interventions Strategy and Operations Manager. I’m responsible for supporting our field countries in developing strategies for CIV — Complementary Interventions.

Can you explain what Complementary Interventions are?

Compassion is primarily known for sponsorship, but the other side of what we do is Complementary Interventions, a program that includes things like disaster response, medical care and malaria nets. We receive about $45 to $50 million a year for CIV, so there is a lot of coordination that has to happen.

There are so many needs that a field office can easily be overwhelmed by the need compared with the limited pool of funds. So we really have to be targeted and focused on how we can have the greatest impact on our beneficiaries.

How do you work with the field to make those decisions?

We support the field offices to determine if there’s one problem or one significant issue that they think is keeping our sponsored children from reaching the outcomes we’d like to see in their lives.

For example, in Ghana, malaria keeps kids out of school. But the kids who get a bed net are seven times more likely to stay healthy and stay in school longer.

Or in Uganda, HIV is a significant problem in many of the communities where we work. Many times, we find HIV-positive moms who are raising their children alone without an income. So Complimentary Interventions help to fill that gap by teaching the mothers income-generating skills so that their children can have a stable home.

How are Complementary Interventions similar to or different from community development?

What we do isn’t community development. Community development asks what a community needs to develop economically, in policy and in structure. Its focus is broader.

Our focus is narrow — on the child. We ask what a child needs to thrive, grow and survive. The needs that we fund are specific to our sponsored children’s lives, such as the need for latrines at the child development center, the need for water filters in their homes, or their need for medical care.

What did you do before coming to Compassion and how did you end up here?

I worked for 12 years in the nonprofit sector in marketing and communications and in the international sector managing impact projects around the world. I felt called to work at Compassion.

I applied to five jobs in four years and was the final candidate four of the five times. I was committed and still felt called through all those years of not getting a job. That process was about learning God’s timing and not giving up on Compassion. If anything, over those years, my call to serve the poor only became stronger.

What’s something you have experienced in your role that has really impacted you?

I was in Tanzania at the end of a food distribution in response to the drought that has been going on for several years. Most places where we work were protected because of preventative measures, but I visited an area outside of Arusha that was heart wrenching.

I’ve never seen dry like this, though I’ve been around the world numerous times.

When we got out of our Jeep, the sand was such a fine powder that it filled my shoes ankle deep. It coated everything: every tree, every fence post, every house. You couldn’t walk 10 feet behind someone because the dust kicked up would choke you. It was depressing and ominous.

We visited a home where there was a grandmother caring for her 10 grandchildren. Three of her children had died because of AIDS, and so she was caring for all her grandchildren alone. It was painful to hear her story.

One of her grandchildren was sponsored by our ministry, so they got corn, beans, rice and other food. She was wondering how she would ration the food to make it last. She decided she wouldn’t eat any, but would just eat dried corn husks so that the children could have it all.

But then her neighbors found out she had food, and showed up at her doorstep. She said, “I love them. They’re my neighbors and friends and family.” So even out of her own desperation, she gave a third of the food away to her neighbors.

How did this experience impact you?

It has exposed my own selfishness. I’ve wondered if it were my own kids who were starving, how much would I want to hoard the food for them and take care of myself rather than helping my neighbors? There wasn’t a hint of hesitation with this grandmother. She knew that she loved her neighbors and that she was going to care for them.

What would you like sponsors to know?

There is no one answer to poverty. From what we know, it takes sponsorship, and it also takes things like Complementary Interventions. You can become a Partner of Compassion for $7 a month to help support these projects.

Poverty is complicated. If you hear that one intervention didn’t solve it, don’t be discouraged. Just as when we raise our own kids it takes many interventions and many years, it takes a long time and many interventions for Compassion to help develop a child as well. Transformation takes time.

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Books about practical life issues are tricky. Some strike a really good balance of addressing a real issue in a reader’s life while avoiding being overly prescriptive and/or “guilt-trippy.” Others alternate between being too vague to be helpful and too rigid to be useful.

Regardless of this difficulty, it’s so necessary to see how our faith intersects with everyday life. And one of the places I’ve seen people struggle over and over again is the age-old question of knowing God’s will.

How do we know God’s will for our lives? Are we living outside of it? Is that even possible?

To help guide you through this difficult topic, I’d encourage you to read Just Do Something by Kevin DeYoung.

Why this book?

If you’re like me, you’ve probably been caught in the indecision loop that fear of doing something “outside” the will of God causes. It’s pretty natural for those who want to please God to not want to, well, “un-please” Him.

What’s so helpful about this book is DeYoung’s encouragement for us to remember that God has already fully revealed His will for our lives in Scripture: “For this is the will of God, your sanctification” (1 Thess. 4:3). The sum total of what we need to know about God’s will for our lives is that we are to grow in the image and likeness of Christ. To live holy, set-apart lives, being obedient to the Scriptures and thankful to God in all circumstances.

Simply put, God’s will is your growth in Christlikeness. God promises to work all things together for our good that we might be conformed to the image of His Son (Romans 8:28-29)…. God never assures us of health, success or ease. But He promises us something even better: He promises to make us loving, pure, and humble like Christ. In short, God’s will is that you and I get happy and holy in Jesus.

So go marry someone, provided you’re equally yoked and you actually like being with each other. Go get a job, provided it’s not wicked. Go live somewhere in something with somebody or nobody. But put aside the passivity and the quest for complete fulfillment and the perfectionism and the preoccupation with the future, and for God’s sake start making some decisions in your life. Don’t wait for the “liver-shiver.” If you are seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, you will be in God’s will – so just go out and do something.

This is the kind of practical help that frees us from being stuck in endless cycles of worry and indecision and allows us to better “seek first the kingdom of God.” It’s so uncomplicated … and maybe even a little liberating. I hope it’s an encouragement to you today.

How do you think the approach to understanding God’s will described above might help you live out your faith more freely and fully?

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