It is 6 a.m. in Honduras and Rosa’s mother has already left to work at a local restaurant. Rosa wakes up and starts her chores around the house.

Rosa’s daily workday begins with making the first round of tortillas to sell, followed by tending to her personal hygiene, the house cleaning, preparing the meals, doing her school work, and finally, getting ready for university.

Adding to her workload is caring for her 2-year-old nephew, Yerson, who is a very active boy. Rosa is in charge of him while her older brother, Yerson’s father, goes to work during the morning. She has to feed Yerson, bath him and dress him, among other responsibilities.

It is a tight daily schedule, Monday through Friday.

As the time passes, Rosa starts to prepare lunch and gets ready to go to the university. Right before leaving for the education center, she goes over her school work and organizes her assignments.

Multiple activities have not impeded Rosa’s determination to do well in her classes. She is committed to honor the generous support of her sponsor, as well as being a voice for other young people in her center who dream of being part of the Leadership Development Program (LDP).

Finally, Yerson’s father returns home for lunch, and Rosa is free to go. Rosa attends the university five hours daily, Monday through Friday. Her university is the largest education center in the country with approximately 50,000 students.

This bright young girl lives with her mother, who works from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. to support her small family. This provides the necessary income to cover their monthly expenses.

The absence of Rosa’s father has been difficult for her and still brings tears. Like any child, she dreamed of having a normal and happy family but, unfortunately, the separation of her parents has left much sadness in Rosa’s heart. Her father has never been around and was never interested in being part of his daughter’s life.

For more than a decade, Rosa has been registered in a child development center in the neighborhood of Flor del Campo in the capital city. It’s a big neighborhood that has been affected by the presence of gangs in some areas.

Walking very late at night it is not safe for residents; however, local authorities have taken control of the zone and the situation has improved.

Ever since Rosa was a child, the child development center represented a strong figure in her life. There she made her first steps as a newborn Christian girl. Rosa opened her heart to Jesus, and received peace and comfort which helped her feel secure and loved. (more…)

You’ve met Rafonzel once before. In the photo at the end of Eric’s post about the Leadership Development Program. But photos are so last year.

Watch this short video (just under 10 minutes) and you’ll hear Rafonzel talk about the meaning of Compassion’s programs in her life – like Michelle did – and you’ll see Rafonzel meet her sponsor for the very first time – like Esther described for us yesterday.

In March 2007, Ana Cláudia, the youngest child of five siblings, got the approval of the Leadership Development Program (LDP) committee and started her path toward a bright future. She was part of a selected team of young people who overcame their circumstances during their child sponsorship period. The 20-year-old young lady faced a hard process, but now is studying pedagogy at Faculdades Cearenses in Fortaleza City where she lives.

What if you don’t make it? But I will.

And if you don’t? All my efforts and expectations are focused on LDP. I know I will make it.

“She was not the only one of my children to have the opportunity to attend high school, but she was the only one to have the will and opportunity to attend college. I thank God for her life,” says Mrs. Maria, a 54-year-old widow who raised her five children, including Ana Cláudia, by herself.

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for. By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.” – Hebrews 11:1-3 (NIV)

Ana Cláudia’s father was murdered during a holdup at the company where he used to work as a sentinel. She was only 15 days old.

Compassion became part of Ana Cláudia’s life when she was 9 and was enrolled at the child development center near her home.

“The child center was and still is a reference in my neighborhood. Here where we live, children have so many options of wrong things they can choose to do. They have no orientation or hope, and many times no respect or love.

“For this reason I see my former child center as a shelter offering to the children a healthy life in many ways. Just like it happened to me.”

(more…)

Earlier this week, you got a good glimpse into who Richmond Wandera is, which reminded us that we haven’t properly introduced you to Michelle Sheba Tolentino, another one of the Wess Stafford-Moody Bible Institute Scholarship recipients Celina told you about.

This video is about a year old, and if you haven’t seen it, it’s definitely worth your time.

The video is a little less than eight minutes long, and in it Michelle talks about the value and meaning of Compassion’s programs in her life.

We don’t have a video about Tony Beltran Morales, scholarship recipient number three, but we did profile him back in November 2008 – Leadership Development in the Dominican Republic.

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 through the process – visas, language tests, itineraries, etc. Applying for the scholarship, and to Moody, can be very stressful, and our desire is that getting this full-ride scholarship will be a completely positive, life-changing experience.

Anyway, just wanted to let you know the GREAT news and ask you to pray. Thanks.

The Leadership Academy in Guatemala was implemented in 2005 for the first time to prepare students to enter the Leadership Development Program (LDP) and find good candidates for the program.

Maria, the former LDP Specialist in Guatemala who is now the LDP Specialist for the Central America and Caribbean region, says,

“We believe God wants students to be successful, and it is our goal, through the Leadership Academy, to help students rest on this promise and help them to be more prepared and confident as they start walking on the path God has for them at the university. (more…)

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 more as a catalyst than anything else. I guess the way I see it is — if no one else can do it, then I am able!

So that is what happened when Richmond Wandera, LDP grad and Moody Scholarship recipient, was headed to the United States to begin his studies.

I had arranged all of Richmond’s travel plans but hadn’t been able to find someone to pick him up from Denver International Airport. However, my husband and I were available, so we headed off for what turned out be quite an adventure.

Richmond had been traveling all night with no rest. He flew into Denver from Uganda, by way of Belgium, to spend a few days at the Compassion Global Ministry Center before heading to Moody. All of the belongings he would need for the next three years were in his possession. He was leaving behind his family, and we would later learn, his girlfriend whom he intends to marry.

I made a sign that said “Welcome Richmond” because I didn’t know what he looked like, only that his skin was brown, and I figured he would look lost.

I pressed my way to the front of the crowd waiting for incoming passengers and proudly held up my sign, while my husband, Andy, sat back and laughed at me — not wanting to be associated with my dorkiness.

I actually saw Richmond immediately. He did look somewhat lost, yet he also appeared totally confident as he headed up the escalator and immediately saw my sign (he said later that my sign meant a lot!).

Andy and I got out from the crowd and both hugged and welcomed Richmond. We chatted politely about his flight and went to look for his bags, which we learned were lost in transit. Figures! We filed a claim for the lost bags and prayed they would be located.

Richmond was hungry, and Andy and I had waited to eat, so we attempted to ask him which kind of food he would like. He said Mexican, so we went to Chipotle — I mean, what better Mexican experience is there?

He was amazed at the amount of food and could not get over the fact that refills on Coke were free. (I’ll try to get him to tell you that story.)

It was at Chipotle when I realized that we were on holy ground, because Richmond was such a joy and a delight for us to spend time with.

After dinner we headed back to Colorado Springs. About 25 miles from the airport, baggage services called to tell us that Richmond’s bags were (miraculously) at the airport. So we turned around and went to get his bags.

Let me just tell you that by this point I was grateful I would get another 50 minutes with this guy.

Richmond is kind and gracious and had no problem answering all of my 1,000 questions, even though he had been traveling for who knows how many hours.

He shared openly about the struggles he grew up with and the help that Compassion brought to his family and his community.

I think as a Compassion sponsor it is a special thing to hear first hand about the work that Compassion is doing. That’s why, even as a Compassion employee, I felt it was such a blessing to be with Richmond.

All year long we send in our $32 a month and get our letters — but to HEAR it! To SEE it lived out in someone who has overcome! It was an overwhelming experience of joy, and I know my husband and I are forever changed.

The reality is that I thought I was doing Richmond (and God) a favor by picking him up from the airport on that day. What I learned is that God was doing me a favor by giving me time with one of His kids — one who He is madly in love with.

I hope that you someday too will have an opportunity like this . . . and I’m pretty sure that if you keep reading this blog — you may!