I love that I don’t always know why I write what I write to my sponsored children.

At first glance, words on pages may seem as though they are merely words, but an 11-year-old boy named Sam from Ghana provided a powerful reminder that words prayed over and led by the Spirit have a power and a purpose all their own.

I received such words from Sam many times, and the impact of those words has changed more lives than I will ever know.

The first time I realized Sam was truly receiving his words from the Holy Spirit was when he wrote to me on September 14th, 2010 and shared that his prayer for me was that God would give me a double portion of health.

He had no way of knowing how dangerously sick I had been. I didn’t tell him because I hadn’t wanted to frighten him.

Sam also had no way of knowing that as he was writing, his prayers were being answered halfway across the world. September 14th, 2010 was the day that God brought me from barely walking, to running for the first time. It was the day God helped me begin to miraculously outrun sickness – going from sick to healed literally overnight after months of illness.

It led me to wonder what else God would do through our letters.

I shared with Sam that I had traveled to Honduras with Compassion and that my best friend Tia had been on two mission trips to Africa.

In light of his prayer about my health, I took note when Sam responded that when he had heard I had been to Honduras and that Tia had been to Africa twice, he prayed God would bless us for our work, and he also prayed we would come to Ghana to meet face to face.

Sam shared that he had prayed and God would “let it come to pass, Amen!”

The words were simple, but it’s how the Holy Spirit translated them to my heart that caused a ripple effect that would soon reach further than either of us could ever have imagined.

Unable to shake the feeling that God had shared this through Sam for a purpose beyond meeting our beloved Compassion child face to face, Tia and I began to research the needs of children in Ghana. We were horrified to learn that child slavery is still practiced in parts of this country.

Children as young as 4 years old are sold into a life of bondage that perpetuates the cycle of poverty and destroys lives.

In fact, there are more slaves worldwide today than there have ever been, and at least 50 percent of them are vulnerable, precious children.

We launched a fundraising initiative to raise funds to provide expanded resources for children rescued from slavery in Ghana, which would in turn help facilitate the rescue of more children. Having raised $30,000 in mere months to provide for these children, we set out for Ghana in November of 2011.

That is when Sam’s prayer, which had been answered all along, was answered “face to face” when I, along with my 13-year-old son Joshua, my best friend Tia, and our friend Debra met him face to face.

Together, we celebrated the impact his letters had made not only in our lives and in the lives of our families and friends, but in the lives of children in his country who would be rescued from slavery — all because of words the Holy Spirit led him to share in what seemed like a simple letter from a child.

I used to think that when sponsors chose not to write to their children, it was simply the children and the sponsors who lost the opportunity to affect each other’s lives in beautiful ways. Now I can’t help but ask myself what we’re robbing the world of when we don’t take a moment to write to these precious children.

The words on the pages don’t have to be perfect. The Holy Spirit will make them so.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: JD Richardson gave up housework for lent years ago and never looked back. God filled all the free time she acquired by shaping her into a writer, photographer, Compassion Advocate and sponsor of 16 Compassion children from around the world.

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

My Account l Sponsor a Child l Help Babies and Moms l Crisis Updates

It’s a simple act. A simple gesture. But it makes a huge difference.

There is a sweet, elderly man who attends my church. Though he is getting on in years, he has a handshake and grip that puts many young men to shame. He reminds me so much of my late father-in-law, a man who also grew up in the era where a handshake meant something.

I can’t help but find this man at church during the greeting time, just to say “hello,” shake his hand, and chat with him a little bit. I have shared with him and his wife that he reminds me so much of my father-in-law, and being able to talk a little bit with him each Sunday blesses me because it makes me remember the kind, gentle man who accepted me as his daughter 26 years ago.

So I was taken aback a little bit this past Sunday when I shook his hand and he wouldn’t let go. He stood there holding my hand as we talked and then looked me straight in the eyes and said,

“Thank you for noticing me.”

This simple little phrase has rung in my head and heart since he spoke it, and even found its way into my Bible, just to always remind me about that simple act of noticing people, of shaking their hand, of giving them a smile, and letting them know that they have value and worth.

And as I continue to think about it, I can’t help but think of all of the children in the world. And really, aren’t we all “children”? Children living in poverty.

Children who are living the nightmare of human trafficking. Children who are forced to be child soldiers. Children living in broken homes. Children who are crying out to be noticed.

Noticing someone who is deliberately and inappropriately trying to be noticed is not what I am talking about. Though I do admit that some of those deliberate attempts at being noticed are simply cries for help and shouldn’t necessarily be ignored.

All people have the need to feel valued and cared for. If we are willing to open our hearts to those cries, our world could be changed — one person at a time.

Through my correspondence with our Compassion children, I have often read these words penned by the children, “Thank you for choosing me.” In a sense, they are saying, “Thank you for noticing me.”

I take those words as a firm handshake and an intent look in the eyes, and I am humbled.

A simple act. A simple gesture. But it makes a huge difference.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Teri Gerdes and her family sponsored their first Compassion child in 2004. After returning from a sponsor tour in Ecuador, her family sponsored three children and are correspondent sponsors to four additional children.

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

My Account l Sponsor a Child l Help Babies and Moms l Crisis Updates

If you are not very familiar with Nicaragua, here are some sobering statistics:

• Nicaragua is the second poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, behind Haiti.
• 17% of the population lives in extreme poverty, on less than a dollar a day.
• Four million Nicaraguans earn less than $2 per day; the total population is 5.4 million.
• Three out of four children suffer from malnutrition.
• 1.1 million Nicaraguans do not have a home.
• Two thirds of the population does not have access to adequate sewer services.
• 33.2% of Nicaraguans are illiterate.
• More than 15% of the population (800,000 boys and girls) does not attend school.

In 2009, my wife Tina and I visited the barrio of La Cruz Nicaragua for the very first time. It was an incredibly eerie feeling. The smell was overwhelming, the people were distant, and there was a strong feeling of emptiness and darkness.

I knew we were not welcome, but I also knew that La Cruz was exactly where God wanted us to be. This is where God had work for us to do.

“Lord, help us spread your good news all over the world, especially to Nicaragua this week. Use our team to transform lives and break down social barriers.”

As I walked around the dump site at La Cruz, God stirred inside of me a fire to do something and to use the resources He has given me to help the people of La Cruz.

Since that day, the organization our mission team was working with began visiting the people of La Cruz regularly and building relationships. They provided daily feedings for the children and the people of La Cruz were being given something they have never had before: hope!

In 2010, we returned to the barrio of La Cruz. The reception our mission team received compared to the year before was amazing. The people of La Cruz welcomed us and were thankful to see us again.

Relationships had been built, and are being built. God’s love is at work. God is transforming lives, and it is incredible to see.

As of today, all of the children who live in La Cruz (about 50 kids) are now sponsored by members of Grace Church, and a brand new school was built for the children of La Cruz!

Only God could take a little barrio in the middle of Nicaragua where people live off of a dump site, call it La Cruz (The Cross), and then use it to impact the lives of so many people.

North Americans simply do not know enough about extreme poverty to get involved. But the bottom line is this: we all have an obligation to help the helpless. We should use the resources and gifts that God has given us to do the work God wants us to do.

For Tina and myself, our experience in La Cruz has inspired us to create ResQrags, a company that uses clothing as a resource to help children living in extreme poverty. ResQrags is partnered with Compassion and inspires others to take action by sharing the message of hope and love.

As you consider ways to help those living in extreme poverty, this is my prayer for you:

“Thank you God for relationships and the opportunity to serve You, the Almighty Creator. Help us work together and fight to end extreme poverty. Help us use our gifts and resources so that we may fulfill Your will and not our own. Help us share Your love, shine Your light and see the world through Your eyes. Help us care about the people You care about and give us the courage and strength to do Your work always. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Michael Gannon and his wife, Tina, are the founders and owners of ResQrags. They live in Fort Myers, Fla., with their twin 6-year-old boys.

Statistics cited from Wikipedia and United Nations Development Program

My Account l Sponsor a Child l Help Babies and Moms l Crisis Updates

One of the greatest gifts God ever bestowed upon me was the courage to open my heart and welcome a child in need.

I feel so honored and privileged to introduce you to this special friend of mine. While considered ordinary when looked at through the eyes of the world, in my eyes, everything about my friend embodies the word extraordinary.

My hope in sharing her story is that you find encouragement. May her testimony serve as a reminder for us that even the simple things we do can have eternal significance.

Answering the Call

I am never shy about telling others that answering the call and becoming a sponsor at the age of 21 was the best decision I’ve ever made.

God blessed me with the honor of cheering on my precious friend, Katerin, starting when she was 10 until she graduated from the Child Sponsorship Program at age 17. And when opportunity knocked in the form of a sponsor tour to Peru, I happily answered.

As I reflect on that special time, meeting Katerin proved to be a life-changing experience in many ways. God provided me an up-close-and-personal encounter with Katerin, her family, and many of the precious angels who so gracefully reflect Jesus’ love to all the children at the Forjadores de Esperanza Student Center in Peru.

During this visit there were four things that Katerin helped validate:

• She Prays
  “How is your dad?” were the first words that came out of her mouth.
  My dad had been stricken with cancer. While I never maintained any suspicions, clearly Katerin’s concern demonstrated that indeed she was doing as she said in her letters. And in that moment, I could not help but imagine this precious little girl on her knees interceding faithfully on behalf of my father.
• Letters Matter
  Upon arriving at her home for a visit, Katerin dashed inside. Before I could blink an eye she was outside again, trotting toward me with arms outstretched. From a distance she appeared to be holding something.

  As she motioned for me to accept her folder, there must have been a dust storm or something because right then, as I opened the folder, my eyes began to moisten at the sight of items once very familiar. Yes, those letters and other simple-but-sincere acts of love really do mean something to our sponsored kids.



• Winning Isn’t Everything
  On child-visit day I learned that when you delegate sole power to your child, in effect empowering her to choose which activity to participate in, don’t be surprised when you soon are strapping it on in the three-legged race. With a satisfied smile, Katerin later reminded me, “Padrino, we did our best.”
• Mom Is Supportive
  Katerin’s mom was her world. Bless her heart, on child-visit day I admittedly was not at all prepared to accept the following words spoken by her mother: “I quit my job to be here today.” 

  Knowing that she was the lone provider at home, I needed clarification and was relieved to learn that “quitting her job” equated to not working (as a seller in the market) on that particular day.

Less than a year after meeting Katerin, the anticipated-but-never-really-quite-ready-for final letter arrived in my mailbox.

Among other things, she expressed her goal and dream of one day studying and furthering her career through university training. In my mind I imagined the possibility of one day receiving an email or letter saying,

“Padrino, I did it. With God’s help I am now learning in the university.”

Since I didn’t fully understand the possibility of communication beyond sponsorship, Compassion kindly helped guide me through this delicate process. Essentially it meant that all inherent risks (on both ends) were fully weighed and considered.

If I was still interested, I was told, I needed to fully agree upon and sign a waiver form. Local Compassion staff would then pass along my desire to Katerin, who in turn would be responsible for initiating the first dialogue (if interested and/or able).

About three months later, in 2006, I welcomed her first greeting. Although I have never taken this privilege of communication beyond sponsorship for granted, I would be misleading if I suggested that the years to come were without heartache.

While details such as working and attending to her church and family life seemed to encompass most of Katerin’s messages, the next couple of years afforded me a beautiful glimpse inside her heart. Not surprisingly, Katerin continued to prove that she was wired just like so many of our dear, sponsored children — with that refuse-to-give-up attitude.

This attitude would soon be put to the test.

Hope, Despair and Answered Prayer

In 2009, the words Where are you, God? echoed from deep within my heart. This after learning that Katerin’s mother had died, succumbing to cancer after a courageous fight.

As is often the case with this disease, her death was preceded by a painful, heartbreaking, prolonged decline in bodily function. The decline and death of Katerin’s mother left the children in deep despair.

You need to understand that the loss of her mother wasn’t an ordinary loss, as callous as that may sound (with due respect to the order of life). For Katerin and her two siblings, you see, their mother was the rock. While their father is alive today, for reasons unbeknownst to me he has not been a regular part of their lives.

Thankfully the local church and Compassion graciously provided an umbrella of support, tangibly illuminating God’s love through merciful hands of compassion.

One month after Katerin’s mother died, I had the privilege of sharing a conversation with Katerin on Messenger. With all the strength she could muster she reassured my doubting heart:

“I will be okay. I will continue on. This is what my mother would have wanted, after all.”

Fighting back feelings of despair, Katerin dug deeper:

“If God would have allowed, I willingly would have traded places with my mother.”

I could not have been more proud of my friend than at that moment.

Less than a year after her mother’s death, I received an email. Receiving that email was no different than if I had reached into my mailbox and found one of those unmistakable letters.

You know – those letters that contain arguably the five most beautiful words ever: Message from your sponsored child.

Katerin’s message came stamped with the very signature of God with this news: She would begin studying in college! God in all His faithfulness had answered Katerin’s prayer to attend college.

What Is Katerin Up to Today?

This year, thanks to God, Katerin celebrated her 23rd birthday. Studying in college has been put on hold (Lord willing, for only a season). Earlier this year she became pregnant and recently she welcomed into the world a precious little baby boy.

Katerin named him Jeremy.

The name Jeremy was chosen out of honor, she said. Although I admit to being a little biased, in one of the most precious messages I’ve ever received (you know the type — those capable of making grown men cry) she told me why she chose the name Jeremy.

The name she chose for her baby makes my heart smile with more pride than you will ever know (after all, come on now, Jeremy is a pretty amazing name, right?). But in all seriousness, her story is really OUR story. Her story is YOUR story.

May you always remember that, as a sponsor, you are making an eternal difference in the life of your child(ren). Whenever you bless another with an act of kindness or an affirming, encouraging word, don’t forget to smile because you, my friend, are bringing a little heaven to earth.

Your sacrifices help spread God’s love and truth to your child and family.

• Your faithfulness reminds your child how much you love him or her.
• Your prayers reinforce the truth that God is listening and always able.
• Your encouragement helps fan the flame of hope, keeping your child’s candle lit.
• Your letters of love inspire your child to dream and imagine.

If Katerin could say one thing to you today, I imagine she would begin by saying “thank you.” Then with all her strength, undoubtedly, she would challenge you to have the courage to sponsor a child. Or another.

As I have come to know my friend Katerin, time and time again I have been humbled by her uncommon resolve, her perseverance to discover a way when everything around might suggest tossing in the towel. Within her exists a courageous, never-say-never attitude very much reflective of sponsors just like you.

Included in her final correspondence letter was a challenge to me. As a way of honoring Katerin, I’d like to share her challenge with you:

“Have the courage to sponsor another child so you can give him/her the same help, because there are many here who need it.”

Do you know someone who may have this courage that Katerin speaks of? Who may be waiting for an invitation to make a significant difference?

With God actively at work and always going before you, imagine the power and potential of your testimony as a Compassion child sponsor. Might it even hold the key to unlock someone’s heart?

May God bless you and may you always go forth with courage!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Jeremy Vance became a sponsor in 1997 and then became an advocate in 2006. Currently he sponsors seven children and is a correspondent sponsor with nine more. He lives in Grand Rapids, Mich.

My Account l Sponsor a Child l Help Babies and Moms l Crisis Updates

Happy New Year!

As you reflect back upon the blessings and trials of the past year and pray about what the Lord has in store for you in 2012, we want to thank you so much for your commitment to children in poverty.

The children are truly are blessed by your passion and faith.

Arise, shine, for your light has come,
and the glory of the LORD rises upon you.

See, darkness covers the earth
and thick darkness is over the peoples,
but the LORD rises upon you
and his glory appears over you.

Nations will come to your light,
and kings to the brightness of your dawn.

– Isaiah 60:1-3 (NIV)

My Account l Sponsor a Child l Help Babies and Moms l Crisis Updates

Zoom Koom is a cool, refreshing drink from Burkina Faso, West Africa. Zoom means flour. Koom means water.

According to Emmanuelle Boco, who submitted the recipe, zoom koom is a drink for welcoming newcomers and is served on special occasions. On Saturday night, when you welcome the new year, be sure to provide your guests with some zoom koom deliciousness. It’s easy.

View a larger image of the recipe.

Emmanuelle’s recipe isn’t as complete as it should be; some key steps are missing. But years of watching the Food Network helped me make numerous executive chef-like decisions throughout the process.

Before I was able to make the first one, I had to figure out what a tamarind decoction is.

Decoction is not a misspelling or a made-up word. It’s the end result of extracting the flavor from something by boiling it.

A tamarind is the pod of a large, tropical tree in the legume family. It contains sour, acidic seeds and is an important ingredient in Worcestershire sauce. It can be found in Indian and Asian markets.

I didn’t go the tamarind decoction route. I opted for the lemon juice and water mix, even though Emmanuelle didn’t specify how much water and lemon juice to mix together. That became executive chef decision one.

Executive chef decisions two and three were determining how much ginger to use and whether I really needed two-thirds of a pound (300 grams) of sugar.

This is how it played out.

My wife prepped the pineapple while I skinned the ginger. Skinning ginger is the testosterone-laced version of peeling it.

As I began to channel my masculinity into the ginger skinning, I had to decide how much ginger to skin. The verdict: one whole root. My wife was frightened, but it turned out to be a good amount … if you like ginger.

I pureed the pineapple and ginger, then mixed it with the 300 grams (2/3 pound) of millet flour for 10 minutes.

I had to help things along initially by using a spatula to ferret out the flour that didn’t want to play with the wet ingredients.

Since the recipe called for one liter of tamarind decoction, I decided to use one liter of water in my lemon juice mix.

I juiced five lemons and added that to the Kitchen Aid.

Then I overruled myself and added only six ounces of water because step two of the recipe called for a “little water.” A liter is more than a little, although they sound the same.

I never added more water because I was happy with the smoothie-like consistency; however, in hindsight, if I had added more water it probably would have been easier to strain out the flour.

Emmanuelle’s recipe didn’t call for straining the mix, but I found a different zoom koom recipe on the Web that did. Before I strained the mix I rebelled one more time and put the kibosh on adding 300 grams (2/3 pound) of sugar to the drink. I added only two ounces of sugar.

I opted to strain the mixture because two-thirds of a pound of flour made zoom koom sound more like a meal than a drink.

After pouring the mix into the strainer I expedited the extraction (of the liquid) with some pestle action, which left this behind.

Then I forgot to add the vanilla, which was probably a subliminal thing since the recipe doesn’t specify how much to add.

By this time, I’m not sure you could call what I made authentic zoom koom. But my wife and I called it yummy.

When I make my next batch of zoom koom for our New Year’s party, to supplement our homemade egg nog, I’ll add more water to help filter the flour better. This first attempt tasted gritty. Not bad, just gritty. Like when you add lots of wheat germ to a smoothie.

I expect to sweeten the sequel to make it more appealing to our guests and to balance the power of the ginger. What I originally made was quite strong; 10 ounces was all I drank before calling it a day.

Let me know what you think.

My Account l Sponsor a Child l Help Babies and Moms l Crisis Updates

When we choose to sponsor a child, most of us closely examine the photos of the available children. The children stand very straight in their pictures, as if they are in the military service.  And many have serious looks on their faces.

The children are generally dressed well, but for some reason they don’t all smile for the camera. Does this mean they are unhappy?

I had the privilege of being at several child development centers in Bolivia as they took the child sponsorship photos. Once I witnessed it, it all made a lot more sense.

It also showed me that I, at many times in the past, had read way too much into the child photos — things that weren’t really there.

It was easy to assume that because a child didn’t smile in the photo, it was because of the child’s difficult and sad life.

I’ve subsequently received photos of my sponsored children posing with gifts I had sent and they had big smiles on their faces. So it was easy to assume that my gift had broken through their “sad life” and that, finally, the children were happy.

So I thought I would share what it was really like when it came to taking child photos.

Every child development center has a staff member who handles the letters, takes the photos, and accompanies any sponsor visits.

Basically, they deal with everything relating to the relationship between the sponsor and the sponsor’s child.

In Bolivia they call these staff the “sponsorship responsible.” In Peru they call them “secretary” and in El Salvador “sponsorship coordinator.” Whatever the title, they are all the same position. These staff take the photos and send them to the country office.

In the country office, someone receives the photos and makes sure that they are in accordance to Compassion’s standards. For example, the child’s eyes must be open and the child’s hands and ears must be visible, in addition to other requirements.

The person in charge of taking child photos at each child development center has a challenging task. Imagine accompanying 30 children to a location and making sure they behave, don’t get into accidents or squabbles as they await their turns, and pose willingly for their photos.

The child photo should not have inappropriate things in the background. For instance, a street dog can’t be in the background (and they are all over the place). A placard displaying the child’s Compassion number is placed on the ground in front of the child. This way the staff member is able to organize the photos easily.

The video below is of Delicia. She is the “sponsorship responsible” for Bolivia’s Pucara Grande Student Center.

At this photography session, she had to photograph about a dozen children. In the video, Delicia is photographing a little boy named José, and José was quite the character. He did not have the patience to stand still while Delicia took his picture.

Delicia is one of the most patient women I’ve ever met. She dearly loves these children!

Watch the video and see how she patiently handles José. Notice how José’s mother gets involved to make sure her son stands up straight. Then notice how this serious little boy does a little dance at the end of the session!

My Account l Sponsor a Child l Help Babies and Moms l Crisis Updates

Your generosity is not only a blessing this Christmas but all year long. Today, as you celebrate the birth of our Savior we hope you feel the depth of His love and gratitude — and ours — for the ways you have cared for these little ones around the world…

Merry Christmas!

My Account l Sponsor a Child l Help Babies and Moms l Crisis Updates

When Christmas arrives, we think of safe travel or being home with family — being together in a safe place. At Christmas I also think about our Compassion child development centers.

For me, our child development centers represent a “safe place” for kids. If you’ve traveled where we work, you know exactly what I mean.

I can’t tell you how much you feel the atmosphere change when you walk through the door into one of these centers.

It may be dangerous, or dirty, or chaotic on the outside, but it feels like an island — like a refuge — inside.

What did the stable feel like for Mary and Joseph? It certainly wasn’t the sanitary place you envision for childbirth. It wasn’t “home.” And it wasn’t a welcoming hotel room.

But for the night, it became safe. It became a refuge. And a child came out of it who will ultimately rule the world when He comes again.

All from a safe place. All from a refuge. Maybe even — holy ground.

This Christmas I want to thank you for all you do to make possible our “fifty-five-hundred-plus” safe places for children. A refuge from the street, from abuse, or from just being ignored.

Your sponsorship allows for the equipping of safe places that children deserve. Holy ground for them.

I hope that Christmas for you and your family is a refuge — enjoying good food, getting great presents, and getting some rest!

And when you worship this Christmas, and when you read about the stable and manger — think “safe place.” And remember how pleased Jesus is when children are welcomed and protected and loved.

Merry Christmas!

My Account l Sponsor a Child l Help Babies and Moms l Crisis Updates

My Account l Sponsor a Child l Help Babies and Moms l Crisis Updates