Steph in 30 seconds:

• Age: 14 and a half



• Siblings: I’m the eldest. I have a 13-year-old brother named James.
• School: Year nine (third year in junior high school)
• Pets: We have two cats: Maddison, a white tortoise-shell cross Persian, and Soots, a grey Persian cross something. Both are girls. They have completely different personalities and hate each other. We also have budgies, which we’re getting rid of.
• Hobby: Netball. This is my seventh year playing in the district competition. I also take art lessons.

Favourites:

• Quote: “A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart and can repeat it back to you when you’ve forgotten the words.”
• Book: The Tomorrow series by John Marsden
• Film: The Notebook
• Board game: Scrabble
• Song: “Pray for Me” by Plumb

Steph’s Compassion Traveller experience:

Describe the trip in one sentence:

An amazing experience … I need to go back!

And at the moment I’m looking for a way to do it. No luck yet, but I’m sure my Lord will provide for me and something will come up. I can’t do it by myself.

Most memorable moment:

I met my family’s sponsored child in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Her name is Kini.

Kini was born without pulmonary arteries, the arteries that go between her heart and her lungs.

My Dad sponsored her after his last visit in 2006, so we had been sponsoring her for 18 months when I met her.

The doctors thought Kini would die within months when my Dad first met her, but because of her sponsorship she receives regular treatment and still lives!

What did Kini say to you when you met her?

Because of you I’m now alive.

How was your relationship with your Dad during the trip?

Our relationship was stretched … He was very protective of me and I wanted to have my independence.

Dads with teenage daughters know that teenage girls are emotional. Add to that I was away from friends and family.

But despite everything, I was happy I got to spend that time with him and make those lasting memories.

Tell me about your most impacting day …

It was Sunday, 1 February, at the Kali Temple in Kolkata, on my fourth day in India. It was a crowded place. I think thousands of people were coming to worship their gods. They had sacrificed 130 goats that morning, and there were remnants of the sacrifice lying everywhere. It freaked me out a bit.

As we were walking in the alley after leaving the temple, I had one of the shopkeepers come and grab my arm and try to lead me away from the group. Being tense already, I freaked out.

The man then looked over my shoulder and saw one of the guys in the team standing right behind me. My friend then stepped forward and put his arm around my waist. Seeing him, the man then let go of my arm and slunk back into his shop. What scared me the most was that no one else in our group had noticed the man.

How has your trip influenced your school life?

I just started my first week at a new school. So far I’ve shared my travelling experience with friends as well as with my year nine class in my self-introduction.

My class mates were really responsive, and my friends have been positive, too -– they’ve asked questions about the trip.

How has this trip influenced your relationship with God?

I grew up in a Christian home and have believed in God since I was seven. But before the trip I was wondering “Who is God and what is He doing?”

In India, I saw a stark contrast between kids who were sponsored and kids who weren’t. Those who were sponsored weren’t as thin and were happier.

I also took lots of pictures of kids praying before their meals … These kids would’ve only known God for a short time, but they have changed.

It fascinates me what God can do in these children’s lives in such a short time. Seeing this has motivated me to walk closer with God.

Have you changed?

I look at the world differently. I’m more appreciative of … well … everything, really.

I compare things. Now I’m sitting in a nice cosy office with a shiny white board, but over in India and Bangladesh there are kids in the street picking up rubbish.

Seeing the state of these two countries broke my heart. Walking the streets, using the toilets, eating the food and most importantly, seeing the expressions and emotions on all the faces broke my heart.

I now find myself thinking of other people’s life stories, problems, daily battles and life-changing moments. I think of all the people that I pass driving to school … their stories and problems.

Then I think of all the ones that go unheard, unanswered and the new challenges they face every day just to survive.

Would you recommend a trip to others?

Yes. The country staff were very good. It’s a life-changing experience. So it’s not to be missed!

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Acmeshall washed her face and mouth with water. The 6-year-old girl woke her mother up. Her mother, Lodis, enjoyed seeing her daughter’s hurry for Easter.

Acmeshall was very happy as she wore a brand-new white skirt specially made by her mother. She said her prayers and waited for her parents to take her to church.

At the same time half a kilometer away, an 8-year-old boy, Razu, was also getting ready for the morning devotion of Easter Sunday. Things were a little different here.

Like many of the children registered in Compassion in Bangladesh, Razu belongs to a Hindu family. His family came to know about the Christians and Jesus Christ through Compassion.

Razu’s family earns their living selling milk from their cow and goats. The cow and the goats were gifts from Razu’s sponsor. Though Razu’s parents and grandfather are from another religion, they allow Razu to participate in every program of the Compassion child development center and church.

This was the first year Razu would celebrate Easter. He reminded his mother the night before to wake him up in the morning. His mother didn’t know anything about Easter, so Razu told her the story about the resurrection of Lord Jesus.

The next morning his mother called him early. He left his bed and prepared for church. He didn’t have any new clothes for Easter, so he put on his only shirt. His elder brother, Sazu, also got dressed up with him for church. Their grandfather, Ramcharan, took them to church. For Ramcharan, Easter was just another festival, only for the Christians.

Acmeshall entered the church and joined her Compassion friends at the front row. She was too little to understand the entire spiritual concept of Christ’s resurrection. However,  she understood two things well: Jesus is alive and Jesus loves her. These were the most important things for this little girl.

Acmeshall learned at the Compassion child development center how to pray and how to thank God for His graces. She prayed for her own family, her sponsor and family, her friends and for her teachers.

Razu was also at church. He learned many new things about Jesus. He loved all the carols and Bible verses. He also liked how the pastor boldly declared the resurrection of Christ. It was a new experience for him. At the end of the service he said his prayer.

After the devotion, Acmeshall and Razu both spent some time with their friends. As it was a holy day, they returned to their home.

At home, Acmeshall played with her younger sister and cousins. Her mother prepared special sweets and snacks for the celebration. She made pies, called Pitha, out of flour, coconut, sugar, molasses, eggs and rice. She made custards, called Payesh, from rice, milk, molasses, sugar and coconut. They shared food with everybody.

They also had a special meal at lunchtime, beef and vegetable curry with potatoes, with lemon squeezed over it.

At evening, Acmeshall visited house to house with her friends to share the merriment of Easter with everybody.

The scenario at Razu’s house was completely opposite.

There was no special food for them. Razu didn’t have his breakfast, so he was hungry. At lunchtime his mother served him rice with little vegetables. No sweets for Razu or Sazu. They spent Easter day like any other regular day.

Along with Razu, thousands of poor Christian children all over Bangladesh couldn’t distinguish Easter day from a regular day. They are going through such poverty that celebrating Easter with new clothes and delicious food is a luxury for them.

In Bangladesh, Easter is considered as the second major festival for the Christians, after Christmas. The non-Christian people have very limited ideas about Easter. They think of it as one of the additional religious festivals.

As the Muslims and Hindus don’t believe in the resurrection of Christ, they don’t show any curiosity about this occasion. However, the Christian community of Bangladesh celebrates this glorious occasion with great joy and arrangements.

The celebration styles at the villages are different than that of the urban areas. In the villages and the rural areas, the most important part is the morning devotion at church, which take place around 8 or 9 o’clock in the morning.

After that, the Christian families share sweets and pies with their relatives and non-Christian neighbors.

The tradition of new clothes is also a part of Easter. The capable parents try to buy new clothes for their children, not dress clothes, but just everyday clothes. The exchange of gifts like Christmas time is not common.

The lifestyle of the people at the villages is very simple, and they celebrate Easter in a simple way and that brings an exceptional flavor to this joyous occasion. Their simple lifestyle allows them to focus completely on the resurrection rather than on fancy clothing or food.

Acmeshall’s mother, Lodis, shared her Easter experience with us.

“Easter is very important for us, as it tell us about the resurrection of our Lord. I am very happy that my daughter learned at the Compassion child development center that Jesus is alive. She can pray herself, and she is building a great relationship with God.”

Little Acmeshall was very excited about Easter.

“Did you see my new skirt? My mother made it for me. We had a great Easter day. I know Jesus is Alive and he will come to take me. I love Jesus.”

In the capital Dhaka, the most exciting part of Easter Sunday is the Sun Rise Service. It is the special morning devotion, arranged in front of the Parliament building before the sun rises.

More than 15,000 Christians from all over Dhaka join the Morning Prayer to celebrate the precious occasion of Jesus’ resurrection. This worship and prayer service is a symbol of fellowship and love.

The dawn of Easter Sunday starts with worshiping our God and remembering His most precious gift for humanity. After the service, greetings are exchanged by the people.

Almost every church arranges a special service and fellowship meal in the evening. Adults as well as the children together enjoy the happy moments.

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I Have Hope Now

Erina, a 32-year-old mother of five, used to ask God to kill her family all at once so that she would not die and leave her children to suffer alone. Three months after her youngest child, Ibrahim, was born, her husband left, taking two of their older children and most everything they owned.

“I would wash other people’s clothes or dig for food,” says the young Ugandan woman. “Sometimes our own clothes were not washed for a week because we had no soap. I couldn’t afford to buy firewood to cook our food. I had to walk 25 kilometers to look for firewood in the forest.”

But Erina has an aunt who encouraged her that God is good and will provide. When Erina looks at her baby boy, born healthy and with rarely even a cold, she believes this is true.

She had even more reason to believe when Ibrahim was chosen to be part of our Child Survival Program (CSP).

Through the program, Erina and her children received food, bedding, toys, and Christmas presents. Erina learned how to keep her home clean and healthy, feed her children nutritious meals, and to read and write. She is also able to earn reliable income by cooking for the church. And in April 2007, Erina gave her life to Christ.

“I have hope now. I am happy. I am alive and healthy. CSP has helped me with education, living with people peacefully, and starting up my own business so I am no longer helpless.”

She has also learned compassion for the suffering people around her.

“CSP fights for us. They check on us even though we are not home—they come back again. They don’t give up on us. This has helped me because now whatever I get, even though it is little, I can be compassionate to [others] who have nothing. I can help others as I have been helped.”

Ibrahim, now three, is thriving as well. Erina describes him as more intelligent and receptive than her other children because of the attention and help he has received.

When asked what he wants to do someday, the boy says he wants to be a doctor. His mother has confidence that because of his involvement with CSP, he will be able to attend school and achieve his goals.

Eager for the Future

Gobindopur is the last village in Bangladesh, separated from India by only a small river. Located ten hours from the capital city of Dhaka, Gobindopur is cut off from the health and educational resources that would offer its residents a brighter future. Though the people of Gobindopur have received temporary support from several relief agencies, no agency has stuck around long enough to offer the life-changing care this village so desperately needs.

In a culture where people live day by day, without any thought of the future, Compassion Bangladesh has set out to offer new hope.

Partnering with Garo Baptist Church, Compassion began investing in children like eight-year-old Selim. Like so many other children his age, Selim’s simple life consists of one meal a day and endless hours playing in a field.

Like his parents and grandparents before him, Selim knew nothing of regular medical check-ups or the opportunities of education. But when his parents signed him up for the Child Sponsorship Program, they changed Selim’s life.

For the first time, he had the opportunity to receive regular medical attention, to attend school, and to get extra coaching through the project to improve his learning.

“They gave me nice school dress and a new school bag.” Selim says. “I love to stay at the child development center!”

Selim and his classmates have also been introduced to Jesus for the first time. Learning Bible stories and memorizing Scripture has changed their attitudes and improved their behavior.

“We knew that education is essential for our child,” says Selim’s mother, Selina, “but we couldn’t afford his school fees.”

She is impressed not only with what he’s learning academically, “but he is also learning manners and getting healthier.”

At first, the Compassion child development center was received with skepticism and even disdain by the villagers. They were apprehensive about a Christian program run through a Christian church. But the activities and facilities—and especially the gentle behavior of the project staff—eventually won the people over. Parents who were initially uneasy with Compassion’s presence are now eagerly awaiting next season’s registration.

For now, it is easy to recognize the children who are part of the child sponsorship program. They are some of the first in their village to dream about the future. And they are the ones trudging through the mud, during the country’s notorious rainy season, eager to go to school and make that future happen.

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