Are you a college student that wants to do something meaningful with your summer? Are you looking for more than a job? Something with purpose?

You need look no further than our paid summer internship program! Come help us release children from poverty in Jesus’ name. Apply online today!

What You Need to Know

• Our summer internship program is open to undergraduate students graduating between May 2012 and May 2014.
• You must have at least a 3.2 cumulative GPA and have completed two years of college by May 2012.
• The internship begins May 21, 2012 and ends August 3, 2012.
• Positions are available for the following functions, among others: accounting, business, marketing, civil engineering, communications, finance, information technology, human resources and computer science.
• You will be paid $9 an hour.
• Work weeks will be Monday through Thursday with various opportunities for Friday activities.
• There is a trip to the Dominican Republic to visit several child development centers at the end of the internship. It’s an optional, self-funded trip.
• The internship application deadline is January 2, 2012.
• For all the details about our paid summer internship program, visit compassion.com/internships.

My Account l Sponsor a Child l Help Babies and Moms l Crisis Updates

This past summer, I interned at Compassion in the Global Ministry Center. There, I worked to establish the Delivery Community* as well as to formulate a detailed road map for upcoming project management training intended to further equip and empower Compassion staff.

When I started my internship, President and CEO Wess Stafford offered a revolutionary idea during my first day of staff orientation. He held up his hands and used his thumbs and index fingers to form a triangle. This top-down pyramid is the traditional model of leadership.

Yes, I’d heard this before. This is how the working world functions — the base supports the top, and the top, due to its position, makes the final call on all projects, decisions, etc.

But then Wess moved his hands, flipping that triangle upside down and said this is how leadership is supposed to look.

I gawked as Wess explained he may be in a position of leadership, but that didn’t mean he was at the top of the triangle.

Instead, he calmly clarified that because of his position in leadership, he was the bottom point of the triangle. As a leader, it is his responsibility to serve and support the rest of the organization — the staff, the global partners and, most important, the sponsored children.

That day I squirmed in my chair, confused by this role reversal. This is not how business functions. This is not how projects are executed. This is not how the world works.

But while this is not how the world works, this is how the kingdom of God is meant to be.

Philippians 2:3-8 adds value to this worldview and the concept of servant leadership. In the New International Version (yes, I prefer this version over ESV) this reads:

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

“Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death — even death on a cross!”

When I arrived at Compassion, I came as a culturally aware college student from a secular university. I saw these verses in Philippians as vital to following Christ. Yes, implement them at home, with friends, at church and in the streets. But in my occupation?

Surely, this didn’t have a place in the power plays of the business world.

Due to previous work environments at my past jobs, I was baffled by the integration of Compassion’s core values into the attitudes and work of all staff, from the bottom to the top.

Why was everyone so nice? Why is everyone poured into their work 100 percent with no complaints? Why aren’t people fighting their way to the top of the ladder, of the triangle? Why do they want to help me? Why does my role matter to them? Why do I matter?

I didn’t understand the idea of the upside-down triangle. Perhaps more striking, I didn’t see its place in a grand-scale organization.

But after a mere month my heart changed as a result of working in such a Christ-centered environment.

Through what I (far right) saw in others, I saw a need to change within myself. I was blessed every day by the servant attitude my co-workers and supervisors exhibited.

I learned that to lead I must serve, that to give is better than to receive, and that to help others is better than to solely help myself.

As you carry out your work, regardless of your position, you are in a position of power. You have the opportunity to lead, to execute and to finish projects that matter to the people involved.

I encourage you to not buy the lie, the worldly and culturally acceptable belief that traditional leadership denotes power. We don’t need all-knowing decision-makers. We need responsible leaders who lead by example — by Christ’s example.

Compassion has a long history of good stewardship. Partake in that legacy. Do nothing out of selfish ambition, be consistently humble and look to the interest of others. Actively seek to invert the triangle, and then watch God’s kingdom impact our world.

*The Delivery Community is targeted to Compassion staff interested and engaged in Project Management. Through regular group meetings and the Intranet, employees come together to learn how to more effectively manage projects and deliver them on schedule, on budget, and within scope.

My Account l Sponsor a Child l Help Babies and Moms l Crisis Updates

Here’s another question for you: Remember how I started out as an intern? (I really hope you are nodding your head up and down at the moment.)

Since the internship program was so successful last summer (and by last summer I mean three months ago) we are now beginning the process of promoting the 2009 internship program.

There are more differences than similarities this time around, and they are all for the best. When I began blogging at the start of the internship, I didn’t say much about the logistical set-up of the program, so allow me to fill you in.

I applied for the internship in mid-March, had a couple of phone interviews and was selected in mid-May. All was fine and dandy; I had a short-term, future plan. And then my parents asked, “Where are you going to live?”

Dang it. Minor detail.

Like everything else, the Lord opened doors, and living arrangements came together like peanut-butter and jelly. I’m hungry as I am writing, so excuse the lame metaphor.

As you can imagine, I was not the not the only intern that faced this “where to live” dilemma. That was hurdle number one.

Other hurdles included transportation; some interns didn’t have cars. Obviously, we all took turns and made up a car pool system of sorts, like little soccer moms. While it was an obstacle that was easily overcome, it was something that had not been entirely prepared for either. And considering gas prices in July, it was a slightly expensive act of love.

Speaking of expenses, unlike most internships, we were paid. And more than minimum wage.

Believe it or not, I am grateful for all of these little facts. Without them, I would have not seen as clearly the provision and hand of God. Without the distraction of simplicity and ease and, dare I say even comfort, I would have been blind to God’s goodness and grace. For it alone is more than enough.

Needless to say, there have been changes made to the 2009 edition of the internship. Let’s take a look, shall we?

Here’s a little bit about the program.

For starters, the biggest alteration comes with the overall length of the internship. Instead of a six week stint beginning in July, the new internship will begin May 25 and will end ten weeks later on July 31.

This is a change that I think will contribute to an overall improvement in terms of the ability to learn more while at Compassion and will allow the intern to inevitably accomplish more.

Another big change (improvement) is that Compassion will be providing housing arrangements for those who need it. Compassion will be asking employees and members of our local church partners to prayerfully consider opening their homes to interns.

Considering that ten weeks is . . . well, ten weeks, the interns will be required to make a one time payment to the family that they live with in order to offset any extra cost incurred during their stay. I think that it is not only fair to the family, but that it encourages financial responsibility on the part of the intern.

Oh my word! I sound like my Dad.

There are still other changes.

During my internship experience, Fridays were non-work days. Instead of working in the office we dedicated ourselves to community service.

Every Friday we went, as a group, to a different ministry organization within Colorado Springs that needed help in some way. We did everything from painting, cleaning, cooking, stuffing envelopes and much more. This day was completely unpaid. And perhaps the most rewarding day of the week.

For the ’09 internship, Fridays can be spent in one of three ways: working in the office, volunteering, or taking the day off completely.

There is one other major change that I believe will be a huge attraction: an optional, one week trip to Mexico to visit several different child development centers. The trip will not be paid for by Compassion; the bill will be footed by the student.

I think that this is a brilliant idea. Giving a student the opportunity to see what they are working for is an awesome way to connect the dots. My prayer is that not only will every student be able to take the trip, but that they will also not have to fight the emotional disconnect that I harbor. God, in His limitless grace and infinite wisdom, has been softening my heart and granting me better understanding in this area as of late.

Applications will be available on November 17, 2008.

The deadline for applying is January 15, 2009.

Learn a little bit more about the internship’s eligibility requirements and details. And if you know someone who may be interested in applying, please spread the word! Thanks.

As always, I covet your prayers.

My Account l Sponsor a Child l Help Babies and Moms l Crisis Updates

As of about a week ago, I think I have finally got my hands around something solid. Now, the fun and creative part is over and the nitty-gritty, detail heavy part is looming.

In all honesty, it’s wearing me out. I’m not a detail-oriented person. I like to look at the big picture. And it’s in the details that I get lost, feel inadequate, and am ready to toss it to the wind or pass it off to someone else. After all, I’m just the intern.

But I read something yesterday that revitalized my efforts and has given me a hope about the future of this project. Donald Miller, the author of Blue Like Jazz, was recounting a conversation that he had with a friend about how they came to Christ and were saved. His friend made the statement that it “just happened.”

It seemed as though it was completely out of his control. It was unavoidable and yet untraceable. He was looking for something; he just didn’t know God was looking for him.

As random and unexplainable as his search was, he found himself in church one Sunday and as the pastor made the altar call, he was compelled to walk the straight and narrow aisle without reservation. And that was it. He was a child of the King freed from guilt, shame, condemnation and death; given abundant life. He’s a pastor now.

God knows what he wants. He wants us, the way a groom longs for his bride. Isaiah 62:5 says that “As a man rejoices over his new wife, so the Lord rejoiced over you.” But there is more to it than that.

He has a plan and purpose for each of us. He has prepared good works in advance that we are to walk in (Ephesians 2:10). And this is what gets me excited. As inadequate as I feel when I work on this proposal, I know that if it is the Lord’s will, He will accomplish it; He will bring it to fruition no matter who, what, when or where. It is not dependent upon my ability or effort.

More than that, our salvation (how great, how strong, and how fruitful) is determined by the Lord as He grows us, stretches us, teaches us, and equips us. I don’t know about you, but often times I try in my own strength to be some sort of “super-Christian.” The thing is, this effort leads to an inward focus and eventual disappointment because I never get it right. But I am learning that when I let go and let God, my eyes turn upward and its no longer me striving but God refining.

It’s messy, but beautiful. It’s not easy but it’s necessary. I’m not always happy, but I have joy. I’m not strong enough most days, which is perfect, so that God’s power might be seen and He might be glorified.

All that to say, this proposal may not be the best written document Compassion has ever seen, because I am not the best writer Compassion has ever had. But God’s penmanship, His will, is greater than all of this.

My Account l Sponsor a Child l Help Babies and Moms l Crisis Updates

The past three weeks here at Compassion have been some of the sweetest times in my life. As cliché as it may seem, I feel as though I have found myself. Or better yet, I found the Lord. Not to say He was hiding, but I feel as though my eyes have been unveiled and my heart has been opened to see and experience Him in a new way.

As with any halftime, the focal point has now turned from offense to defense. We have successfully created an idea that I think will be huge hit and now we need to find a way to defend it against the onslaught of logistics, financial resources and all other realistic killjoys. This is where it gets interesting.

Interesting also is the possibility of staying here at Compassion. I have recently applied for several positions which I am praying the Lord will make available. In His faithfulness, I know that He has prepared a place and purpose for me and so I am trying to wait in patient faith for Him to open the doors He wants, where He wants, when He wants.

I am surprised at my intense desire to stay here, not only at Compassion but in Colorado Springs. I have never been the kind to stray far from home, venture into uncharted water, or do anything on my own. Ironically enough, this internship has encapsulated all of those very things.

Colorado Springs is a long day’s drive from Texas. Working in general, while inevitable, was not something that was familiar to me. Most significantly, coming out here by myself, with no one to meet me at the airport, was never something anyone in my family ever thought I might agree to. Perhaps the story of my journey here would help to highlight why I went against every instinct I had.

I was flying back to school after a much-needed Christmas break. I boarded my flight in Denver after a quick layover and was headed back to Virginia for the last semester of my college career. The weight of reality had begun to set in over the break and I was anxious, to say the least, about how my life would pan out after I walked across the stage.

As I sat gazing out the window, I decided it would be better to talk to a perfect stranger than to be alone with my own thoughts.

“Where are you going?” I asked the woman sitting next to me.

“I’m going on a cruise with my Bible study who is also on this flight,” she responded as she sipped her coffee.

As the conversation progressed naturally, she informed me that she worked in the HR department at Compassion International. “You have got to be kidding me,” I thought to myself.

Somewhat jokingly, I asked her if I could send her my resume since I would soon be graduating and was in need of a job. “Sure,” she replied kindly and gave me her contact information.

When my plane touched down in Virginia I darted to my car, raced to my dorm, and took two stairs at a time in order to e-mail her all the necessary information.

Resume. Check. Letters of reference. Check.

Shortly thereafter, I received an e-mail from her informing me that they were piloting an internship program this summer and that it would be a wonderful opportunity to get a glimpse of Compassion and get my foot in the door. I applied on a Friday night. A few weeks and two phone interviews later, I committed to spending six weeks of my summer interning in a land far, far away.

The journey here has been one of refinement to say the least. But having shed the layers of worry, fear and uncertainty and put on robes of peace, patience and hope, I am learning daily how to walk humbly with my God.

Job offer or not, this internship has changed me. I don’t know that I qualify as a “grown-up”, but I am not the child I was before. Your prayers would be much appreciated as I wait to see where the Lord will lead.

My Account l Sponsor a Child l Help Babies and Moms l Crisis Updates

My friends and I camped at “The Crags,” which lies directly behind Pike’s Peak. Words simply don’t do justice to the splendor and majesty of God’s creation. It is breathtaking and awe-inspiring. And that’s what got me thinking. Everyone needs to feel this small so they can see just how big He is.

As you know, I’ve spent the last several weeks brainstorming about how to capture Gen Y and move them to action. They need only to be given the right opportunity to go out into the world; because once they are there they can make a difference.

And now, an idea has been born!

• It’s about giving young adults the opportunity to completely participate in what Compassion is doing around the world.
• It’s about getting intimate with extreme poverty.

I can attest to the growing pains in my own soul, to see and experience God in a big yet intimate way. For whatever reason, there lies within me the idea that He is where I have yet to go: out there. Among people groups and areas of the world that our society says are off limits; dangerous.

I also know that my feelings are shared by many of my peers. There is an overarching sense of duty that we feel we must fulfill, a holy war we must wage. My generation is on the horizon, and we are ready to fight; we need only to be equipped with the proper armor and the opportune time.

There are still countless bases to be covered, details to be ironed out, and logistics to be overcome. But, driving the progression of it all is an extreme excitement about the possibility of taking my generation on a journey that will change our lives and the lives of those with whom we share the story.

I know that I am more moved and inspired by sitting down with someone over a cup of coffee and hearing about what the Lord is doing in that person’s life than watching yet another commercial that exploits pictures of children in poverty in order to tap into the pity that lies in wait within our souls. At the end of the day, pity fades. We forget about them, not because we mean to, but because we haven’t heard their story.

I think that as this idea takes shape and people who participate come back to share what they encountered, listeners would see in a new light the work that needs to be done.

The bottom line is this: God will accomplish His will in some form of fashion, using whichever generation will make itself available. My question is simply this: Why not us? Why not now?

My Account l Sponsor a Child l Help Babies and Moms l Crisis Updates

Another week has begun and my feeling of being overwhelmed has yet to subside. The good news is this: it is something else that keeps it afloat.

In my first week, I felt that the seemingly endless amount of information and research would overcome any ability I had to unscramble and make sense of it all. But, through much prayer and divine intervention, excitement and inspirations are beginning to summit; brainwaves are coming in with tides of insight.

If you have not noticed already, our society and culture are on the brink of monumental changes as a historically influential and significant generation (the Baby Boomers) are headed towards retirement. It is also no surprise that my generation, Gen Y, having grown up in such a technologically advanced society, are much more globally minded and aware than our parents were at our age. With the help of the internet, orbiting satellites, global political unrest and other end-time achievements, we are fully conscious and concerned about the part we play.

All that to say this: I have been burdened to reach my generation with a new marketing campaign. There is a strange sense of romanticism that I feel welling up inside me as I envision my peers coming to know and see what Compassion is all about. Not only do I get excited at the thought of Compassion’s mission spreading, but I am hopeful that these young adults, who are passionate about so many similar things, will be moved to take responsibility and action for these children.

Being globally aware, politically active, and socially cognizant of poverty, AIDS, and other injustices around the world is trendy. It’s cool to drive a “green” car, be a vegan, have dreadlocks, sip tea, and read and write poems while listening to soft, mellow acoustic music in a small locally owned café. Frankly, apart from dreadlocks, I fit that mold. But what’s not common is the root and reason behind this.

It’s one thing to support the (RED) campaign because Bono does; it is another thing entirely to go to Africa and hold those same children in your arms. I don’t want to change the collective mindset of my generation; they are on the right track. But I do want to change the heart that motivates them.

In all honesty, I am looking to be changed too. Like most of my generation, I have lived a comfortable, safe, and trouble-free life, full of luxuries and indulgences that are hardly necessary. I have not been on a mission trip and so there stands in my way an emotional disconnect. When it comes to seeing the pictures and hearing the testimonies, I am moved but often stop short of complete understanding.

Do I believe in what Compassion is doing? Of course.

Do I want to be a part of it? More than anything.

But like my prayer for my peers, I pray for myself that the Lord would break my heart for what breaks His, unveil my eyes to see as He does, and to grant me the passion and vision to do what He wants.

The older I get, the more I realize that this is a lifetime objective. I will not accomplish this with the remaining five weeks of my internship. But I do know that the Lord has prepared in advance good works for us to accomplish. And so I am keeping my eyes peeled and my ears open.

That’s this week’s progress. What do you think? Possible?

My Account l Sponsor a Child l Help Babies and Moms l Crisis Updates

I recently graduated from Liberty University with a B.S. in Business Marketing. I can honestly say that I have a true passion for business and a genuine love for marketing. They’re challenging, they inspire, they’re innovative, and they’re excellent examples of competition in our socially saturated and economically dependent culture.

At the same time, marketing stimulates and increases jobs, technology, products and services, as well as creates economic stability for our country and the world. Ever since my first week of college, I have wanted to be a business woman, never once having changed my major or my mind.

That being said, upon graduating, I was very apprehensive about entering into the “Corporate America” setting. I despised the idea of reporting to an office, sitting in a cubical behind a computer, and being forced to substitute “number crunching” for human contact.

More than that, I have a deep, intrinsic fear that I will get lost in some cosmic void, becoming obsessed with work, money, the stock market, and most of all … myself.

I have witnessed such lifestyles. The selfish pursuit of wealth has left its captives devastated, lonely, and feeling as though their lives are without an innate meaning or profound purpose.

Scared of becoming yet another cog in this immortal and endless machine, I desperately wanted to find a place to work that would fulfill the deepest passion and longing in my soul: to make a difference.

I think that any Christ-follower, because of the change that Jesus has made in his or her heart, wants every area of life to be reflective of His image and productive for His kingdom. He has in fact called some to go to “Corporate America” to be a light. Others He has called to the medical field, mission field, or asked that they simply mow a field. Whatever the individual case may be, God has absolutely created and fashioned each of us with a specific talent, tool, or trade that we are to use for His glory.

My new journey begins here, at Compassion, where I will be interning for the next six weeks. I am working in the marketing department, and as I said earlier, I’m on the web team.

For those of you who noticed, a first-time blogger might not be the best asset to a technologically savvy web team. But God has a sense of humor, and so here I sit blogging to you, my webby friends.

As an outlet of emotions as well as an avenue of ideas, opinions and some much needed help, I will be writing to you frequently to keep you posted on the inner workings and latest happenings of Compassion.

My specific task is to create a new marketing campaign that will not only spur and maintain your dedicated interest, but hopefully spark the interest and hearts of others.

As I attempt to complete this assignment, I would truly appreciate and welcome your input, thoughts, suggestions, and constructive criticism (note: criticism is the last on the list) It is my hope to craft a marketing campaign that will be effective and efficient in gathering sponsors for our children.

You, Mr. and Mrs. Reader, are the target market. It is your attention that we want to capture and captivate. It is you we want to engage and involve. And with that being said, please be open and honest as I come to you with questions, ideas, etc. You know we will.

My Account l Sponsor a Child l Help Babies and Moms l Crisis Updates

Mentos had an intern. And when you plop a Mentos into a 2-liter bottle of Diet Coke cool things happen. Really!

We (the web team) want to be like Mentos … at least as far as the intern thing goes … but not exactly like Mentos. We’ll be a bit (meaning a bunch) more traditional in our approach.

And as far as the Diet Coke thing goes, we (Compassion) can’t compete with Mentos.

My Account l Sponsor a Child l Help Babies and Moms l Crisis Updates