Comments on: Holding Hope

By: Chris Giovagnoni

Chris Giovagnoni — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 20:34:01 +0000

@Dana - Sathi and Shuvo are their names, and they are still staying with their aunt. Since their aunt lives a fair distance from their original child development center, Compassion Bangladesh and the church partner have agreed to transfer both children to a development center that is closer to their aunt so they can still participate in the sponsorship program.

By: Dana

Dana — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 22:07:20 +0000

Thank you so much for the update, Cris and Tim! So glad that the children have a home and have both found sponsors! Are you able to share their names with us, though I guess it won’t matter, as God knows who they are.

By: Juli Jarvis

Juli Jarvis — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 21:25:43 +0000

Thank you for this story. I have been touched both by the story and by the comments — as well as by Compassion’s quick and sensitive help in situations such as this. I also know that if this happens to your own child, you will be notified so you can make a direct contribution to the family. Let’s hold one another up both in prayer and in financial support…

By: Chris Giovagnoni

Chris Giovagnoni — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 17:13:44 +0000

@Amy Brooke – Our general disaster relief fund is set up to step in and provide relief in situations like this; situations where there is a need that goes beyond what the sponsorship program can provide for.

And with this particular disaster you can make a contribution to help the children and families affected specifically by this cyclone, as opposed to disasters in general.

https://www.compassion.com/contribution/giving/bangladeshcyclone

But you can’t contribute directly to support these specific children.

By: Tim

Tim — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 17:05:55 +0000

Thanks Chris for the update.
Sorry everyone, but the initial information we got from the country was that it was two girls. Turns out, it is a brother and sister.

Doesn’t make the story any less tragic–just want to make sure we convey the correct information to you.

The good news is that both children are now sponsored. Praise God! They’re staying with their aunt right now. Please pray that God would give her enough to provide for these children. She lives far away from the Compassion project, so I don’t know what that means for the children. Please pray that God would continue to watch over these precious children.

By: Chris Giovagnoni

Chris Giovagnoni — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 16:41:24 +0000

@Amanda – Come to find out, it wasn’t two girls. It’s a girl and her brother.

They are both sponsored. The brother just received a new sponsor today. Yay!

The boy turns five next month, and his sister turns six at the end of the year.

The children are currently staying at their aunt’s house (mother’s sister).

By: Caitlin

Caitlin — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 06:53:26 +0000

I agree on the holding someone elses hope for them. During a tough time in my life, I was directed towards Exodus 17:11-13 (this the NIV version):

“11 As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. 12 When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset. 13 So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword.” and my very close friend was among the group of people who were reading the passage in the group turned to me and said, “I want to be your Aaron.” and she truly was…just knowing that I had someone who would hold me up to get through “it” when I thought I might collapse was her carrying hope for me. We all need Hurs and Aarons sometimes, and sometimes we need to be a Hur or Aaron.

I hope these little girls have plenty of Hurs and Aarons, as well as the other unnamed sufferers of this storm.

By: Beth O.

Beth O. — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 04:27:03 +0000

Beautiful, Tim, both the writing and the sentiment.

By: Amy Brooke

Amy Brooke — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 03:53:35 +0000

Can we help rebuild their home for them? I know they are probably one family of many, but I would love to give a bit to offer hope from them. What encouragement it might be to know that strangers reading their story would help.

By: Jo

Jo — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 19:55:28 +0000

I will also hold onto hope for them and will be praying for them too