Since April 26, and through May 2, five bloggers have been experiencing firsthand what Compassion’s ministry to children in poverty is all about.
Visit compassionbloggers.com to travel across the world to the impoverished neighborhoods of Kolkata, East India, and through their stories, pictures and videos rediscover hope.
Even though the Compassion Bloggers trip ends today, you can still advocate on behalf of children in the Dominican Republic.
Add these banners to your blog, if you haven’t already grabbed them from somewhere else; your readers will be instantly transported to a place where they can choose to sponsor a child from the Dominican Republic.
And here’s a slideshow of all the photos from the trip – more than 330 when this post was written.
Wanna see a bigger slideshow?
And they’re off! Well, not yet. But they will be on November 2.
Be a part of the five-day experience (November 2-7) as these bloggers learn and talk about our ministry in the Dominican Republic (DR) first hand.
We encourage you to visit each blog daily to find out what’s happening in the DR.
Would you like to be a Compassion Blogger?
Submit your blog, and add your voice to theirs. Tell the world how you are helping release children from poverty in Jesus’ name.
The Compassion Bloggers are at it again.
Uganda last February. The Dominican Republic this November.
Here’s who’s going. Go ahead and get familiar.
Shaun Groves wrote this post. It’s been approved by the powers-that-be.
About a year ago, I think it was, I started talking to the folks at Compassion about a crazy new idea. I wondered if they could spread the word about their ministry to children through bloggers the way the Compassion message has been spread through artists and speakers for decades. I proposed Compassion take bloggers on a trip to see the ministry for themselves and, of course, ask them to blog about what they see.
When the powers-that-be decided the idea was worth trying out, a small team went to work finding the right bloggers to travel to Uganda. Then we took a very long flight to Africa together back in February, deplaned and played with children, and learned about the needs of Ugandans and how Compassion and sponsors are partnering to meet them. And we blogged. With very slow connection speeds, we blogged.
We posted pictures, stories, videos and lots of links to compassion.com. Thousands read along daily. Hundreds of children were released from poverty and hundreds of Americans were released from wealth as a result. And the Web lit up with applause.
My favorite online compliment came from a fund-raising expert who wrote:
“Looked at with old economy eyes, Compassion is taking a huge risk, letting go of its marketing to 15 different near-strangers who might do anything. Looked at with modern eyes, Compassion is smart: willing to give up control in favor of being talked about by real people.”
In other words, some institutions would call this kind of idea crazy but it worked: People are talking about children, about loving them, about perspective and grace and kindness and Jesus.
Now, when I’m not singing or speaking (or blogging), I’m working part time these days for Compassion – developing more and better relationships with bloggers.
We just launched CompassionBloggers.com where anyone can read the best posts from our blogging trips, and where bloggers can go to grab widgets and banners, apply to go on a blogging trip with us, or sign up to receive a monthly blogging assignment from Compassion.
Our ranks are growing. There are now a few hundred bloggers scattered around the world blogging on behalf of Compassion every month.
What’s next? We’re taking a bunch of bloggers to the Dominican Republic Nov. 2-7, so read along that week and pray that we assemble the right gifted team for the trip, that we’re safe and healthy while overseas, that readers are inspired and mobilized to act, and that the blogosphere is filled with talk of children and Jesus once again.
Our SpotLINK guest contributor today is A. She currently serves as a worship leader and choir director. She blogs at Be Thou My Vision and co-maintains Women in Worship, a site connecting Christian women who are passionate about worshiping and serving God through music and the arts.
I began sponsoring a girl in Honduras, wanting to do something to make a difference in her life. How humbling it was when I received a letter she sent after a gift received during the holidays enabled her family to buy items that we often take for granted, such as a pair of shoes and three pairs of socks. This letter brought tears to my eyes and makes me ache to do even more to help those in need!
As a blogger myself, I caught on to what Anne Jackson is doing at Flowerdust.net and have begun featuring at least one child on my blog weekly, particularly those who have been waiting to be sponsored for six months or more. It excites me when I find each week’s featured child has been sponsored!
Compassion also has many wonderful widgets that can help you make a difference by featuring children in need on your Web site, blog and even Facebook. Also, don’t forget to venture to Compassionbloggers.com where bloggers share their stories about Compassion and even join in on a trip to visit Compassion and the children whose lives are being changed.
Though it may seem miniscule, bloggers have a great advantage in reaching out just by bringing needy children to the attention of others who God may lead to sponsor them.
What about you? Do you sponsor a child? If you already do, could you help further by blogging about other children in need?
Subscribe in a Reader
