Mexico City is one of the most crowded cities in the world. Over 20 million people try to survive the traffic, the pollution and life every day. Many have struggled to carve out a small spot to live and work in the giant city and its surroundings.

Angelica and her husband Miguel came to the city nearly 20 years ago. Trying to find jobs, they left their hometown in Veracruz. In addition to leaving their families, they also left behind part of their culture in order to build a better life together.

They established themselves in Mexico City near some close relatives who provided temporary support and guidance for survival.

Angelica and Miguel had dreams to study and prosper, but the couple had to start working right away, because their firstborn son was on his way. As their needs increased, there were no more opportunities for personal development or studies. It was necessary to take whatever job was available.

Miguel held different labor jobs until he settled for a job with a car manufacturing company. They offered a low wage but provided the security Miguel needed for his wife and unborn son.

The area where this family lives is located on a hill, right outside of Mexico City. It is crowded with people sharing the same problems — low incomes and high unemployment rates. This area has a very high rate of robbery, drugs and violence.

The homes in this neighborhood consist of small, cement rooms. The houses crowd up the hills, and from the distance they look like cement shoeboxes, piled up with no plan or order.

Angelica’s family now lives in a vecindad, which is a cement-built set of rooms, much like the old-fashioned tenement apartments.

They have only one room for the entire family. The older boys, 18-year-old Alejandro and 14-year-old Miguel,  share the top bunk bed; 12-year-old daughter Angelica uses the bottom bed, and Luis, the youngest at 8, shares the bed with his parents.

The family has a small hall that they use as a kitchen and sitting area.

They share their bathroom, their washing tub, clotheslines and patio with 11 other families living on the ground level and the second floor.

One day the family met a woman from the church who worked as a volunteer there. She served at the children’s club that is now one of our child development centers.

She invited the little ones to come to the program, and Angelica allowed them to come. Afterward, Luis was registered at the Happy Faces Club Child Development Center.

After Luis’ registration, Angelica started to come, volunteering a few afternoons to get to know the program.

After a couple of years, Angelica became a Christian and enjoyed the benefits of the teachings her children received at the center.

“The word of God came to our home through the children.”

Angelica was the first to start reading the Bibles her children received from the children’s club. She said that one of the first sections of the Bible to make an impact on her life was Psalm 51,

“Because it speaks about the sin and the forgiveness of God and how He can create a clean heart in us, and then it teaches us how to live.”

As part of Compassion’s strategy to release children from poverty, children are provided with Bibles. But how can a Bible help children find their way out of poverty?

Children in this part of Mexico are regularly threatened by violence, robbery and gangs, even in their own homes. Children easily become hardened and develop low self-esteem. Receiving a Bible has been a great gift, especially after the church tells them that the Bibles hold precious treasures for them.

Miguel, the teenage son shares,

“Receiving such a gift made me feel important.”

But this is not the only benefit of a Bible. All three children took their Bibles home and shared the love of God with their parents. Luis constantly asked his mother to read his favorite Bible stories for him.

He was too little to read and needed help, so out of curiosity his mother started reading the powerful Word of God.

The daughter, Angelica, had always been close to her father, and she didn’t hesitate to share the Bible verses she learned at the program with her daddy. One day when she, her mother and brothers came home from church, Miguel mocked them and called them “alleluias,” a common name used to make fun of Christians.

This was one of the most stressful times for the children and their mother, but they remained faithful and continued attending church. Instead of fighting their own father, the children prayed and invited him to see with his own eyes what they did at church. After only a few weeks he decided to come to church with them and became a Christian himself.

After Miguel committed his life to the Lord, he changed his old ways. He does not spend any money buying alcohol, and he is committed to his family. He does not use bad words or yell at the children.

Every morning before sunrise, at four in the morning, father Miguel gets up to pray and spend time reading his Bible and praying to the Lord.

Angelica shares about her husband and marriage,

“Miguel used to be very different. He even admitted to wandering off on the streets before coming home, instead of taking the children to church on the week days.

And I used to be very rebellious; I used to fight constantly with my husband about the expenses or just any other reason…. Now when I get mad, I try not to do as I used to do before. I am trying to become a better woman and wife.”

Other than the old TV and homework, reading the Bible has become one of the children’s afternoon activities to help them stay entertained. The children in this cement shoebox are very close to their family and to God.

Now at home the children sometimes start sharing the verses they have memorized. It is almost like a contest: One of them starts with one verse and another one follows. Sometimes two or three start at the same time, and the oldest son, Alejandro, acts as a referee.

They keep a record of the Bible verses, and at the end they acknowledge who said the most. They have developed their own rules: They cannot say the same verse if someone has used it before, and they need to say the verse and the reference, otherwise it is not valid.

Their walls are covered with their favorite verses or with the ones they are memorizing. Their home is full of the words of God.

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When I reached the lady at Compassion, she told me the startling news. Our sponsored child, Mutuyimana Valentine, had just died. They did not yet have any details to share as they had just received the report from the field.

I went into my old paramedic mode and stoically asked a bunch of questions. There were no answers as to WHY at this point. That response might come in a week or so. But it almost did not matter.

The precious girl whom I had hugged in Rwanda last October was dead. Her mother and father had lost her, and she was only 11.

After five minutes of conversation, I hung up, and I became “un-stoic,” if that is a word.

Sad, sad, SAD.

The little shy girl who we had exchanged letters with and had “adopted” was dead, and I felt extremely sad. I wondered about her parents and her siblings and her funeral. I wondered why she had to die so early.

Compassion had completed health screenings on her, and she had no major health issues.

I began to question … why had I not written her more? I was thankful we had met in person.

I was grateful our church provided the Bible on an MP3 player that I gave to her during our personal visit. I had asked the Compassion worker to make sure she got into the Word and to remind her how to use the machine we gave her.

How many kids in the world die because there are not enough antibiotics? Or no doctors available for them? Or because their families lack clean water or the knowledge to treat illnesses? In Roanoke, if our kids have an infection we just go to the doctor and get medicine. ”All better.”

In Rwanda, especially in rural areas, that is not always the case.

I am so grateful that in her young life, she met the Lord and was trusting in Him. I am so glad God let people halfway around the world know this special little girl.

Write to and pray for your sponsored child.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Quigg Lawrence is a Compassion sponsor from Roanoke, VA, where he currently lives with his wife, Annette. Quigg is the senior pastor of the Church of the Holy Spirit and enjoys photography and any sport where you get to hit something.

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

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The moment I was sponsored through Compassion at age 8, I became aware that I was bigger than poverty. Poverty was a situation, a condition, but I was a life. All I needed were positive messages of hope to grow out of it.

It is the relationships that sponsorship promotes through letter writing, not so much the money, that ends poverty. Think about it this way: A child runs to a parent for protection not because he has see the parent carrying weapons but because the parent has fostered a relationship that assures the child of protection.

In the same way, a starving child approaches the mother for food even when he can clearly see there is no food in the hands of the mother.

This is a relationship that grows confidence and bears fruits of optimism and the belief that nothing is impossible.

The moment I read my first letter from my sponsor I felt empowered. I heard him tell my 8-year-old heart, “There is nothing impossible with the God I am telling you about.”

I believed him like he was a messenger from God. Writing about it now reminds me of a story I heard many times growing up — that the angel Gabriel was sent by God to Nazareth, saying to the virgin Mary, “Greetings favored one! The Lord is with you.”

I remember myself at that age wondering how God will release me from poverty, and my sponsor sending another letter saying that he is praying for me and encouraging me to work hard in school and trust in God.

Jimmy visits Graceland ministry in South Africa, which cares for children of alcoholic parents.

At times poverty threatened and lied to me that nothing is possible, but my sponsor would write to me, “Jimmy, it doesn’t matter what you are going through, ‘for nothing will be impossible with God’.”

A candle was lit inside of me and I started believing in the dreams of my childhood. The circumstances didn’t matter: I believed I was bigger than poverty. In time I began seeing myself as the savior of my community from the oppressor, this grinding poverty.

I became a joy to my mother. She loved listening to my positive messages. I became her favorite preacher. It satisfies me to remember the many times I made my mother forget her struggles, pain and suffering.

My sponsor restored my mother’s joy. Within a year of sponsorship, I could read the Bible that I had received from the program. I read to her all my favorite childhood memory verses in English.

Many nights she asked me to read her the Bible and then she would pray and we would go to bed a happy mother and a hopeful child.

Some of those nights we went to bed on an empty stomach. On such nights, unable to sleep from hunger, I would hear my mother crying to God to let me live another day. In my innocence I would ask her why she was crying. She would reply, “Because I can hear the rumbling in your stomach.”

I would assure her that I would make it to the morning. That was the strength my sponsor put in my heart — to be there for my mother.

At her deathbed, my mother called me to her and shared her joy for having been my mother. She encouraged me to live a life of loving people just as my sponsor loved me. Then she bid me goodbye saying, “My son, I see you succeeding in life but I do not see myself sharing the success with you. Trust in God.”

A few months later, I received the sad news that my mother had died. She had left my grandmother a gift for me: her Bible. From her Bible I quoted Jeremiah 29:11 to my sponsor when I wrote to break the sad news.

In his reply, my sponsor Mark wrote:

“I am sorry to hear about the death of your mother. I cried when I read your letter. It was great to read your scripture reference – Jeremiah 29:11 — because I also believe that God has good plans for you. I shall continue to pray for you.”

Jimmy and 8-year-old Jayden at Graceland ministry.

I celebrate my sponsorship with Compassion because through the relationship with my sponsor, I caught the fire of hope. Sponsorship puts hope in the hearts of children and in return these children serve the rest of the world with that hope.

My mother died in hope, satisfied that she bore a son of hope; a hope she believed will survive and be taken to the ends of the earth to the glory of God.

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At the development centers, children receive the gift of being children, away from their lack of money and food, inside a small refuge where sadness and abuse are not present.

Pepe comes from a good family. His mother, Hilda, knows the Lord, but she came to the church when she and her husband were under much stress and struggles. Although the couple tried hard to stick together and to create a safe environment for their children, they used to fight over their lack of money.

Hilda says she and her husband fought because they did not have enough money to eat. She recalls one day when they were yelling at each other and did not realize Pepe was hiding under the bed. They saw Pepe crawl up into the corner of the bed and pray, “God please give me much money so my daddy and mommy will not fight.”

Hilda was heartbroken, and that was the moment she decided not to fight over money anymore. On that day, Pepe brought light into a family that lived caught up in the darkness of their economic situation.

Our church partners often see families changed by their own children in this way; the children support their families in their struggles, pray for them, and in many cases minister to them until they are reached by the hand of God.

Last year, the center received additional help from Compassion. They received a special gift of Bibles to give to the children so the little ones could bring the Word of God into their homes.

A Bible in the hands of children becomes a tool that provides them with countless opportunities to start learning about God, to trust Him, to love Him and get to know Him on a personal basis. Compassion México has given a new Bible to more than 8,500 children in 65 child development centers.

The Bibles have a short information sheet to collect responses from children, including a question to make sure children have heard God’s plan for salvation. This sheet has helped as a follow-up tool to track their commitment to the Lord and to help tutors and center staff understand where the children are spiritually.

For Pepe, the Bible came at a very special moment. Some time before his birthday Pepe started to ask his mother for a Bible. As his birthday present, he wanted this special gift.

“I longed so much for a Bible, I wanted to have a Bible for my own, and I wanted it to be a children’s Bible.”

A week before his birthday, his mother went to look for a Bible for him, but they were very expensive. She was saddened at not being able to provide this gift for her son. She didn’t know God was already planning to take care of this.

On Pepe’s birthday, after the regular activities, the children at the development center were called up front and their teachers gave them a Bible. For Pepe, this Bible was not only just what he wanted, it was a very special birthday gift that meant God is always listening to his cry.

“I wanted to scream with joy to the four ends of the earth, that same day I read two chapters and a half.”

With such a demonstration of the love of God, Hilda says they cannot turn their back on the Lord now.

“As a family we made a commitment to read the Bible. So every Saturday and Sunday when we wake up, we each read a psalm and kneel down to pray.”

Hilda and her two children now attend a church near their home. They are still praying for Pepe’s father to commit his life to the Lord, but they know Who they trust now.

Pepe and his sister like to pick out their favorite Bible verses. They sit together to write them on paper sheets, then they decorate the verses with colors or cutouts and put them up on the walls of their home.

“My favorite Bible character is David because he said many very beautiful prayers to God.”

Pepe knows how to pray to God and his prayers have been heard. The evidence is his own family and the Bible he cherishes and carries back and forth from the center. God’s faithfulness is also evident in the memory of receiving such a special birthday gift.

Hilda now considers her family rich. They still have limited resources, wear secondhand clothes and don’t own a proper place to live, but she says firmly,

“Although we lack many things, we know we are rich because we live without fighting and we have not seen a day when we are unable to eat at least something.”

There are times when that “something” is quite meager. Hilda describes how when money is scarce she prepares one egg with tomato for the entire family and serves it with old, dried tortillas.

But the family’s riches are not counted in money. Rather, they are counted in love for one another, in their love and trust of God, and in occasional surprises from the Lord that they are able to enjoy together – surprises like Pepe’s treasured Bible.

What’s the greatest birthday present you ever received? What’s your greatest childhood birthday memory? Does it involve God?

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There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your brothers and toward the poor and needy in your land. — Deuteronomy 15:11 (NIV)

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During this time of praise and singing, Maneenoot and Ittipol from the Leadership Development Program observe their college friends who attend this small group. Some students walk in casually, and others enter in a hurry, rushing from their previous class. A handful of students sit by themselves nearby.

The hearts of Ittipol and Maneenoot are crying out to bring back all the lost souls to their heavenly Father’s kingdom.

In 2005, a group of Leadership Development Program students decided to join together to form a group in order to fellowship and support each other while attending Naresuan University, located in Payao province.

At the time, out of the 20,000 students who attend the university, there were only a few Christian students who met for weekly Bible studies and prayer together near the university reservoir.

Maneenoot was one of the students who attended the Bible study group. She has been attending for the past two years, ever since she first entered Naresuan University.

Deep in her heart Maneenoot knew that her arrival at Naresuan University was not arbitrary. On the contrary, God had a specific purpose for bringing her to this university. Despite attending the weekly Bible studies, Maneenoot felt that this was not enough to satisfy her desire to serve the Lord.

“On November last year [2008] we planned to host a Christmas party and we wanted to invited our non-Christian friends. We wanted them to have fun and meet new people.

“Most importantly, we wanted our non-believer friends to hear about the true meaning of Christmas day and ultimately come to accept Jesus into their lives.”

When the Christmas party took place on Christmas day it attracted a large turnout. There were 50 students who showed up to the party held at the local church.

Pastor Nachared shared the story of Jesus, explaining why He was born on earth and His sacrifice for all mankind — the ultimate Christmas gift.

It was evident that God was working among the students. Eleven students accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior after the party.

“God had answered our prayers for revival in this university. God has enabled us to hear His call and evangelize to our friends. I am so thankful to God that He is moving in my university.” — Maneenoot

The small Christian Bible study group has grown to become a Christian club, the Give With Love Club, that now has more than 60 members, half of them believers.

“I still know that God has plans to expand our Bible study group. My friends and I share a common burden and desire to glorify and expand His kingdom. We want to bring salvation to all our non-believing friends.” — Ittipol

There are four Leadership Development Program students who lead this club. They are responsible for all the programs and the activities.

At times things seem difficult and are beyond their control. Yet time and again God has proven Himself faithful by opening doors for those who seek and serve Him.

God provided the club with two precious assets to help lead and guide them. God brought His faithful servant, Pastor Nachared, and a Christian professor, Sudarat, to serve as mentors and consultants to the four students and to the rest of the Bible study club.

Pastor Nachared always provides counseling and guidance for the students. He attends the weekly club meetings at the university.

“There are now many students who come to the club. During some weeks the chairs in the meeting room are all occupied and there are hardly any available seats left. The club has grown immensely.”

One Thursday evening at around 6:45, more than 50 students came to the huge, sloped lecture room completely soaking wet as it was raining cats and dogs that night.

Despite the dismal weather, half an hour after the program started at least five new students decided to join the club. Even the rain could not stop them attending the Give With Love Club.

Maneenoot begins the club meetings by singing songs and playing games in order to establish a relaxed and fun atmosphere. She has observed how important it is to make people laugh and unwind, especially if they have had a stressful day. Then, an invited special guest shares his or her testimony.

On that rainy Thursday evening, the special speaker was a policeman who was in charge of patrolling the university area.

The policeman’s testimony was easy for the students to relate to. He was born into a Buddhist family. He shared how he decided to believe in Jesus, accepting Him as his personal Lord and Savior, and how God has transformed his life as well as in the lives of his family members.

Before the meeting ended, Pastor Nachared challenged all the non-believers to develop a personal relationship with Christ and encouraged the Christians to stand firm in their faith.

“The club exists for two main reasons: The first is to evangelize, and the second is to build a strong and powerful Christian group within the university.” — Ittipol

“I love sharing the Gospel to others because it is my life. Even though most of my friends are Buddhist, they have never rejected me because of my faith. I strongly believe that God never fails in helping me and is constantly by me when I speak about Him. Most importantly, all of my friends know that I am Christian because they see God working in me.” — Maneenoot

Studying in university is no easy task. Students have many responsibilities. They are constantly busy with never-ending papers to complete, the many classes they must attend, as well as the many lessons they study.

In times of weariness, God has strengthened the Leadership Development Program students and shown His delight toward their passion and calling to serve Him. God has worked to soften many students’ hearts and has harvested the lambs that have been lost.

“I became a Christian because of this club [Give With Love Club]. When I first attended this club, I could feel the friendliness and warmth from the Leadership Development Program students and the rest of the club members. After I confessed my sins and received Jesus Christ in my life, there was a remarkable happiness that emerged from within my body and soul. I am so happy and privileged to believe in God and to be apart of His family. — Nantapol, a new believer

The club not only serves to unite new believers but it also helps to gather together Christian students to build a strong fellowship group. One Christian student says,

“When I first entered the university I searched for a Christian group. Then God heard my prayer and brought me to this club.

“Every time I attend the club meetings and interact with fellow club members, I am always left feeling very invigorated and renewed. Especially after all the stress that I encounter after each busy day.

“For me club meetings are a time that allows me to be close to God, as He washes away my tiredness and fatigue and replaces it with renewed energy. I know that I am not alone because I have God and I have wonderful friends whom I can share His love with.”

The Leadership Development Program students have proved themselves worthy of the title “leadership students” because they have dared to make a difference and have strived to be fruitful in every circumstance they face.

Professor Sudarat observes,

“I notice that the Give with Love Club has something that is different than all the other clubs. I can feel that the club members are united together and each member has an inner strength and joy that really stands out.

“They focus on creating a joyful and positive atmosphere that encourages its members to feel comfortable. They are not afraid to be open and unveil themselves to others in order to connect with and establish close relationships with other club members. This sort of atmosphere enables them to be honest and open with each other, as trust is a natural byproduct of this God-inspired club.

“I know that managing the club can be difficult but they do it because their hearts are filled with God’s love. Each and every one of them possesses a determination and willingness to serve the Lord. I have never heard a single one of them complain.

“Their willingness to serve God is just one of the tangible ways that I can see and feel God’s spirit working through them. I am very impressed with and inspired by the Leadership Development Program students.”

Another big vision and burden for these Leadership Development Program students is to establish a church in front of the university. This church would serve as a center for evangelism and worship.

They wish to follow and fulfill Jesus’ great commandment from the book of Mathew 28:19-20 (NIV):

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

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In every department and/or town, churches from different denominations get together to celebrate.

Flowers, palm leaves and banners decorate trucks, and children dress in Bible costumes during the parade in celebration of the Day of the Bible.

Compassion Nicaragua understands the importance of the Word of God in the lives of children. That’s why in an effort to release children from their spiritual poverty, Bibles are given to every Compassion-registered child. The children receive Bibles that are appropriate for their age.

This year, 9,663 Bibles have been distributed.

Bibles are not very accessible for parents since they are a little expensive, so parents give priority to the daily food instead.

“Children demonstrate excitement as they receive their Bibles from the project, and they value them. This is not something I’ve only seen, but something I lived when I was center director and did the ceremony of handing over the Bible to children.

“The Bible is very important for every center. There is nothing better than children having The Word in their hands to study it with their teachers.” 

– Winston Perez, Compassion Nicaragua Partnership Facilitator

“The Bible is an essential tool for the children to corroborate what we are teaching them. The fact of having their own Bible has helped parents, too.

“One of the parents told me that he had never read the Bible before, but when his child took it home and had homework, he read it with her and found out some truth there.”

– Juan Carlos, Center Director of Jardín de Esperanza 

Before giving the Bibles to centers, the Compassion Nicaragua staff gives an orientation to every leadership team about having a special ceremony where children understand that is not just any book that they are receiving, but the Word of God, and that it is important.

Every center has its special way of giving out the Bibles, brother Juan Carlos explains:

“We don’t give the Bibles as soon as we get them. We first write a dedicatory in the Bible of every selected child.

“After that, we do a special service for children and parents where the central theme for songs and sermon is Bible. We want parents to feel that the church did a party because the Word of God came to children.”

After the ceremony these Bibles stay at the center for a year while children learn how to use them and take care of them. After that, children can take them home.

“I need the Bible to take refuge in it. If I need a clear counseling I go to the Bible. Also to see how God wants me to live my life, how to get to God and learn what He did for us. ”

– Josselyn, a registered child at Jardín de Esperanza

 
Josselyn has been part of Jardín de Esperanza since its beginning seven years ago. Her family is from a different religious background, but throughout the years, reading the Bible has made echo in her family’s life.

Six months ago, Josselyn started to get involved in church activities. On Aug. 9 she was baptized and is fervently attending church and reading her Bible daily. Her mom supports her and is occasionally attending the services with her daughter.

“I accepted Christ after getting my first Bible, but even when I read it, I was not motivated. However, some years later, one of my teachers encouraged me and told me she would come to my house to pick me up for church, and that’s how I began to go.”

Josselyn has a favorite verse, which is Revelation 1:3 (NIV). She likes it because “it talks about what is to come and that we have to prepare ourselves to be able to go with Jesus and not to stay here.”

“Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.”

Josselyn carries her Bible even to her regular school, where she shares with her classmates about Jesus. She does the same with her neighbors, and her mom and brother, too.

This is just one example of many that could be shared, that the spiritual eyes of the children were opened by the simple act of reading the Bible.

“Among all good things donors have done, this has been the greatest. It is something that goes further to prepare the children for the eternal. Do not get tired of supporting this ministry because it is going to change lives, and God will reward all you’re doing for these children,” says Juan Carlos.

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