Every day we are releasing children from poverty in Jesus’ name. But where is the evidence?

What evidence of a changed life? Does it include an education? How about a relationship with Jesus?

What does a changed life look like to you?

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After his father’s death, 5-year-old Samuel found himself on the streets. He felt abandoned and thought his fate was to become a drug addict or a thief.

Then his sponsor told him,

Samuel, it is possible to dream again. It is possible to have hope.

MyCompassionSunday is an easy and unique way to bring life-giving change to children around the world — children like Samuel.

Will you help change the story for a child living in poverty through MyCompassionSunday?

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No one gets to choose where they want to be born or which family they are born into. And neither did I.

Being born in one of the world’s poorest countries certainly makes for a challenging future, a future with little-to-no hope of ever becoming something in life, of ever breaking free from the curse of poverty that surrounds you from all sides.

This was my situation before a group I came to know as the “Lutheran Ladies” came into my life through Compassion International.

Growing up in Haiti, my parents and everyone around me came to realize that I was a bright kid, a smart one. So at the age of 4, I was sent to school.

It was an honor for my parents to have their first child go to school – and when I started outshining all the kids in the class, my parents were even more proud.

However, as our family grew in size, my parents began to be very concerned about their ability to afford the tuition to keep me in school.

Even more concerning for them was whether they would be able to keep me going through the university years. While my parents were praying for God to make it possible for them to keep me in school, God answered their prayer by sending Compassion International to the rescue.

When I was 7 years old, Compassion came to my town seeking to help needy kids. Through God’s providence, the ministry found and selected me for their program. Soon after, a group of women from a Lutheran church in the United States decided to sponsor me — and they began to change my reality.

They began to replace fear with hope, sadness with inspiration and a dark future with a much brighter one. Because of my sponsorship, I was able to complete both primary and secondary school in Haiti, while learning about and growing in the hope that is found only in a relationship with Jesus Christ.

Compassion not only allowed me to get a good education, but it also allowed my parents to use the little bit of money they could come up with to pay school tuition for my other four siblings and to take care of the basic necessities for the family.

The Lutheran Ladies made a world of a difference in my life.

One of the most important things they did for me is that they inspired me. Not only did they provide me with a tangible demonstration of the love of Christ and how it can impact someone’s life, but they also inspired me to help others as they have helped me.

I am now years removed from the little boy who was sponsored through Compassion and have been very blessed to earn two master’s degrees in engineering while living in the United States of America, the greatest country in the world. What a contrast!

But most importantly, I am blessed to be in a position to help and inspire others as I have been helped and inspired by the Lutheran Ladies.

Today, the gift Compassion gave to me years ago continues to give and to make a difference in the lives of families in Haiti. Because of what Compassion did for me, I have been able to use a portion of what God has blessed me with to build a school in a remote village of Haiti.

This school is making it possible for Haitian kids in situations similar to my childhood to go to school free of charge.

Today, more than 200 kids have the opportunity to get an excellent education in preparation for a better and brighter future while being influenced by great Christian leaders in their community. And already, we are gearing up to serve more than 350 children in the next school year. This all started with my Compassion sponsorship.

I am living proof of the significant difference someone can make in the life of a child with a little bit of what God has entrusted to them. My life, the life of my family and the lives of the families of the 216 children who attend the Christian school that my wife and I are building are all changed for the better.

And this is all because a group of women whom I may never get to meet on this side of eternity decided to invest in my life and change my world.

You too can change someone’s world today by sponsoring a child. You may even change an entire city or maybe a nation. I pray that you will decide to do so because it is more than worth it.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Born and raised in Haiti, Jean Chery is a former sponsored child who holds two master’s degrees in engineering. Jean is married and lives in the U.S.

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At the age of 9, Jey was sent to prison for stealing a purse. It was from there he prayed,

“God, if you exist, please take me out of this prison. I don’t want to live this life anymore. And when you get me out of prison, please get me out of poverty.”

MyCompassionSunday is an easy and unique way to bring life-giving change to children around the world — children like Jey.

Will you help change the story for a child living in poverty through MyCompassionSunday?

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When The Lord’s Resistance Army came into Olive’s town in Uganda, her family was forced to flee from their home. However, things dramatically changed when she was enrolled in our program.

Because of one sponsor, not only did her circumstances change, but today, Olive is a life changed.

MyCompassionSunday is an easy and unique way to bring life-giving change to children around the world. Will you help change the story for a child living in poverty through MyCompassionSunday?

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I recently saw a photo essay that Feature Shoot characterized as Photos of Children From Around the World With Their Most Prized Possessions.

With that title I expected to see evocative photos capturing the strong personal connection between the child and whatever was most dear to him or her. However, what I got was interesting photos of children from around the world with their toys.

I’m not in a position to say that the most prized possession each of these children have isn’t a toy; however, the phrase “most prized possession” and its connection to children reminded me of a story about the immense value our sponsored children place on the letters we write and the relationships they represent.

I even know a little girl in Honduras whose house was flooded, and our project director went in and rescued her from the rising water.

It was up as high as her chest. And he picked her up and carried her out of her house and the whole time, she was reaching back toward the house, crying. And he thought: ‘She must have a puppy in there or she must have a doll or something that she doesn’t want to leave.’

When he put her down on dry ground, she turned around and ran back into that flooding house. She felt around in her little corner of the house until she found her little baggie with her sponsor’s letters in it, and only then, with that in her hand, was she willing to be rescued. She was not going to leave that behind.

That’s how precious it was to her. These sponsors are so much more important in that child’s life than they can possibly imagine.

~Wess Stafford, as recounted by Kees Boer

So, with that background, here’s a different look at what some children around the world consider their most prized possessions.

Burkina Faso

Nicaragua

Kenya

Bangladesh

Ghana

Peru

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Gertrude* has epilepsy. Her family initially rejoiced when she was born, but that soon changed. Three months after her birth, Gertrude started having epileptic seizures.

When her family realized her condition, they abandoned her and her mother because in their village, epilepsy is considered a curse.

In Adaboukope, Togo, where they live, nearly 80 percent of the population is animist.

They love Voodoo statues made with their own hands. When people there are overwhelmed, they resort to these gods.

Many times, Gertrude’s grandmother brought her to the sanctuary of these gods for ceremonies, yet she was not healed. Her grandmother almost gave up.

When the Assemblies of God Church Adaboukope opened, Gertrude was one of the first children to join the center.

A few months after registration, Gertrude began treatment for the epilepsy, and gradually her seizures have reduced.

Her family members started visiting her and no longer consider her a curse. She spends time with her family without being rejected.

Gertrude is overjoyed at starting school this year.

Voodoo is a major part of Togo’s culture. The Akodessewa Fetish Market is world’s largest fetish market and can be found in Lome, the capital of Togo.

*Not her real name.

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My heroes are ageless, whatever their age

Everyone needs a hero, and I am no exception. In the Bible, 1 Tim. 4:12, the Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy not to allow others to look down upon him because of his youth. He said, ‘but be an example in your conduct, love, faith and purity’.

Everyone has their own sphere of influence, regardless of age.

I believe that and two of my favorite heroes prove that:

One ageless hero that I know took her love of books, reading and children and helped establish an all-volunteer library and an interactive science center for the youth in her community. She cooks and serves once a month in a community kitchen to raise money for a local charity.

Every year she participates in a 5K event to raise money to clean up the local beaches. She plays in a band for local events and organizations.

These are just a few examples of how she gives back to her community. Her charity is selfless and inspiring, she is an ageless hero, an example to all.

That young woman is my mother Carol Roberts; she just turned 78!

Another one of my heroes lives in Calcutta, India.

Recently this young woman told her life story at a Compassion women’s meeting I attended. She has overcome seemingly insurmountable circumstances to become the strong, inspiring woman she is today.

Her story is not only one of extreme poverty, mental and physical abuse, and cultural degradation but also one of determination, excellence and self-sacrifice.

Just 26 years old, this young and already ageless woman has lived a lifetime of experiences. Soon she will graduate with a teaching degree and plans to work in her community.

Her charity is selfless and inspiring, she is an ageless hero, an example to all.

Without my heroes, this ageless person would not be the woman she is today. If you widen your scope, you will realize that there really is no age limit to being a hero.

Remember what the Apostle Paul said?

Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity. 1 Timothy 4:12

You are also an example of ‘conduct, love, faith and purity’ in your sphere of influence, regardless of your age.

Whatever their age, my heroes are ageless. They are my examples. Who are your heroes?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Lee Ann Vermeulen-Roberts is a writer, composer and music producer. Lee Ann sponsors a child from Indonesia and is the Kids Crew Compassion ambassador for Compassion Netherlands.

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In his book Just a Minute, Wess Stafford asks the question,

“How long does it take to change a child’s life?”

And he answers that question with,

“It takes just a minute.”

Just. One. Minute.

Time is something valuable to all of us. We need time to care for ourselves and our loved ones … to go to work, to clean our homes.

And we need time to do things like worship, play and rest.

However we choose to use them, the minutes of our day matter. Whether it’s taking a minute to share a fun photo for a book giveaway or the minutes taken to encourage a sponsored child through letter writing, our time is precious.

So thank you to all who shared a precious moment in time with us by posting your clock photos on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. And what’s more — thank you for every moment you take to honor the lives of children living in poverty through sponsorship.

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Extreme poverty is more than a lack of basic physical needs. Experiencing poverty firsthand shows that its true power comes from killing one’s inner drive which pushes us all forward in life.

In Maslov’s Hierarchy of Needs, physiological needs — such as food, water and clothing — must be met before an individual is able to meet other needs such as security, love and confidence.

This brings out how challenging it was for me to feel secure at home while my parents were gone for the entire day trying to take care of our family. Here is the place where Compassion International stepped in to meet my basic needs and provide an avenue by which my higher needs were also met.

Writing back and forth with my sponsor, Sandy, encouraged and challenged me to not only survive but also to learn how to thrive in any environment. She urged me to excel in Kibera through hard work at school and on the soccer field.

Sponsored children playing soccer in Kenya

The valued, uplifting words of encouragement kept flowing unceasingly from Sandy. She was my source of security even when I was faced with extreme poverty. All the way from Vancouver, Canada, she kept me at the top of my game.

Her effort is what kept the fire from burning out.

I strongly recommend pursuing a relationship with your sponsored child instead of just providing your monetary donation. The physical needs met on a monthly basis are undeniable, but it’s only the beginning. You have the ability to not only meet the basic needs of your sponsored child but to be a catalyst in the transformation of his or her life.

You can be the driving factor to inspire a child to greatness. And it only takes a moment.

For me, the letters from my sponsor changed my life. By writing to your sponsored child, you help him or her fight the emotional battles of being a child in extreme poverty. You nurture the excellence which poverty stifles.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Born in Nairobi, Kenya, Godfrey Miheso graduated from Sterling College with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication in 2011. He currently resides in Orlando, Fla. with his wife, Kate, where he coaches soccer at Orlando City Youth Soccer and The Master’s Academy.

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