My sponsored child has changed my life . . .
September 13, 2008
My Whole Life Has Changed
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Sponsoring our two boys has changed our family in so many ways. I would even go out on a limb and say it’s changed our lives more than it has the children we sponsor- it has left the hugest impression on our family.
Sponsorship is a family event for us. We all pray for our boys together daily, and we all write letters to them and my kids draw them pictures. We sit together and talk about what life must be like for them and how we need to be more thankful for the things we do have. It brings us out of our little box and reminds us that life is not all about us.
There are few things more important to me in raising my kids than teaching them to love others. By sponsoring children we are able to do that.
I can’t get my mind around all the things in our life that have changed since we sponsored one 8 y/o girl in India. I never would have imagined… finances, materialism, world view, selfishness and so many others.
by making me more aware of what is going on in the world. I watch and follow the news in a different way, seeking information about my child’s country.
My sponsored children have re-shaped how I think about money and finances. At an advocacy conference, a group of us advocates were out for a walk and found a baby blanket, lost on the group. It was one of those really expensive ones – something like $100. One of us commented that with that blanket, you could sponsor three children for a month and we realized that most of us were thinking in those terms.
My sponsored children humble me by praying for me. The thought that these children, who have so little, take time to pray for me, who has so much, is enough to bring tears to my eyes.
My sponsored children have taught me not to take things for granted – that I can go to sleep or walk the streets safely and without fear, that I have access to medical care and food and other resources without worrying. I have learned not to take for granted privileged such as voting and being allowed to choose the person I want to represent my country, province or community. I have learned not to take education for granted. Never did I have to worry about not attending school as a child because I didn’t have a the few dollars required for school fees – there were no school fees, nor did I have worry about not having the right clothes.
My sponsored children have changed the lens though which I view the world and myself.
@Kees Boer – I do know that feeling Kees. I have lost two children so far, one to a Buddhist monastery. There is not a day that goes by that I don’t think about them and wonder how they are doing. I pray for them and always will but on a personal level it is hard sometimes……knowing that they are out there somewhere but not knowing anymore about them. I think your comment was very accurate, “the Lord is ultimately the Shepard” and even though you and I do not know where His little sheep are, He does and I do take great comfort in that.
@Barbara M. – Barbara, I can still remember that day very well. After about 1 1/2 years, her parents took her out of the project. It was very sad, but I know that she had gotten saved. I still pray for her every day. I wished she would come back with Compassion and that I could sponsor her again. That day, I sponsored Dulce though, who was the first child from Bolivia that I sponsored. Erika was from Ecuador. I look forward to seeing her in heaven. I sometimes think of sponsoring a child in that project again, just so that I can find out more about what happened to Erika and maybe go visit, but that’s probably not the best idea. The Lord ultimately is the Shepherd. So, I need to trust Him to take care of this little sheep.
@Kees Boer -Kees, I just read what you wrote about finding the packet of Erika Judith and how you chose her and put her packet on your seat and drove “very carefully” because she was there. A treasure to be safely cared for. What a great heart you have Kees! The image of you driving so carefully because you had her with you. That comment really blessed me. What a door that little girl opened for you that day! Thank you for all that you do and for all the love that you give to these children.
by causing me to visit Nicaragua, the Philippines, and hopefully next year Tanzania 😉
By showing us true faith, love and gratitude. We praise God for Ana, as we’re reminded daily of how much we take for granted while she excitedly thanks us for what we feel like isn’t enough that we give her. She shows her love and gratitude for what we can do for her. That love and gratitude is enough to make us cry.
…by making me conscious of problems across the world and how the affect people throughout the world
I realy changed after sponsoring my 3 kids one from Colombia one from Honduras and one from Guatemala .
I think twice when I go to the grocery I do not waste food anymore .
I am teaching my kids now about these things and let them think a litle more when ever they want something , I do remember them about these kids .’
But most of all I am grate full to GOD that I came to know about compassion about sponsoring children in Jesus name .
…in ways I never thought possible. I am now more aware of the problems that *other* people face, rather than just my own: mine aren’t really problems at all…forgetting an item on my grocery list (I should be thankful I can just “run out” to get food)…not wanting to clean the bathrooms (I should be thankful for indoor plumbing)…the list could go on and on…
I remember the first child that I sponsored. I saw the Compassion table and there was Erika Judith from Ecuador on the table. I wanted to sponsor a child and I picked her. I remember driving home. I put the child packet next to me on the seat. It felt like driving very carefully, because she was sitting right next to me there. She was so special. She was the child that I picked and I was so excited to have sponsored her. I’ll never forget that evening. It changed my life.
Then Erika got saved and a few months later, I heard the sad news that she was taken out of the project the project by her parents. I was actually about to visit her, when I found this out. That’s when I sponsored Dulce, my first child from Bolivia and the rest is history. (Actually what came before is also history!)
I still pray for Erika every day. I don’t know where she is or anything. I’m glad that she got saved. I will see her again some day in heaven and God will wipe away every tear from our eyes.
I thank God for Erika. She has changed my life.
Kees
..by showing me that I can make a difference in the life of a child.
..by reminding me what life is really about, and helping me to apprecicate what God has given me.
..by making me more sensitive to what’s going on in the world.
by making me more aware of what is going on in other parts of the world.
…by reminding me of the simple joys in life and praising God for everything!
By making me more faithful to pray and by making me far more aware of how I use the resources God has entrusted to me.
…because she’s helped me re-think the power of Christ.
By making me aware of the very heart of God. I feel as if I understand what it means to follow Jesus because of my experience and the knowledge made available with Compassion.
My sponsored children give the statistics faces. Not only do I know that 1 million people die each year of malaria, I “KNOW” one of those million that died this year. I sponsored him for 8 years. I feel like I’ve been given a better grasp on reality because of Compassion and my sponsored children.
because they have taught me that my life is not meant to be lived for myself, but to give of myself to others for God.
They have become the root of all that we, as a family, strive to do. They have been the reason behind our desire to get more involved with Compassion, to recycle, and to adopt a child from Ethiopia, and to be more compassionate to any need that one might have who wanders our way.
…by enlarging my world view, my heart, and my vision.
“World evangelism” always evoked a defensive reaction inside of me, and it wasn’t a pleasant one. Feelings of guilt, defensiveness and disinterest comprised the whole, because I felt as if I *should* “do something,” but I wasn’t going abroad as a missionary, and besides–who could get excited about evangelizing nameless, faceless people?
Now, they have names and faces, and they know more about love, joy, peace and humility than I do. My world was turned right side out, when I began sponsoring.
I’m losing (little by little) my greed, materialism and selfishness, thanks to God.