My wife and I have been on three mission trips to Nicaragua, where we have built several relationships with people living in extreme poverty. Since that first trip, we have made fighting extreme poverty a life-long goal.

I have struggled to figure out how to use the gifts God has given me to do the work He wants me to do, which is how the seed of making a difference was planted for me and has now sprouted into a company: ResQrags.

My concept is to create shirts with a simple design that emphasizes a powerful message of hope and love. Every message is inspired by the Word of God. Every shirt has a purpose.

I donate more than 50 percent of the proceeds from ResQrags to causes I believe in. And if you purchase a shirt, you decide which program your purchase should support.

• Rescuing moms and babies
• Developing future leaders
• Disaster relief and stability
• Health and medical needs

10 Ways ResQrags Make the World a Better Place

1. “My shirt raises awareness.”
Whether it is about extreme poverty or the meaning of the shirt’s specific message, ResQrags raise awareness.

There are too many people who simply do not understand what extreme poverty means. People need to know that 1.4 billion people live below the poverty line of $1.25 per day.

ResQrags give you an opportunity to speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. They allow you to share your faith and talk about things that matter to God.

2. “My shirt encourages others to take action.”
Many people want to make the world a better place but they don’t know where to start. ResQrags give you an easy way to get involved.

Buying a shirt provides financial support and wearing your shirt encourages others to take action. There is strength in numbers, which is why I have made ResQrags as affordable as possible.

The more people who wear the shirts, the more of a positive impact we can make in the world. Everyone needs to be encouraged.

3. “My shirt provides disaster relief.”
Whether it is a tornado, earthquake, tsunami or hurricane, when natural disasters strike, people come together and help each other persevere.

Compassion’s Disaster Relief Fund provides food, blankets, shelter and replacement belongings for children and families when disasters strike.

4. “My shirt feeds the hungry.”
The current global food crisis is being called by many a “silent tsunami” that could plunge an additional 100 million people on every continent into hunger.

Food prices have risen as much as 100 percent in some countries since 2006. Compassion’s Global Food Crisis program provides food for the hungry.

5. “My shirt fights deadly diseases.”
My shirt helps break the devastating cycle of AIDS and provides care for people who are often cast out by society.

Compassion’s AIDS Intervention program helps staff, partners and families understand and prevent the disease, care for children who have lost their caregiver to AIDS, and provide treatment and care for people who already have the disease.

Compassion’s Malaria Intervention program helps children and their families receive the resources they need to fight the deadly disease, including mosquito nets to protect children from mosquito bites, prevention education, and access to medical treatment.

6. “My shirt builds unity.”
When people join forces and support a common cause, that’s when mountains can be moved.

Companies, non-profit organizations, churches, governments, faith-based groups, schools, and other groups need to find more ways to work together to help those in need.

ResQrags brings people together and partners with people committed to fighting extreme poverty and providing hope to the hopeless.

7. “My shirt develops leaders.”
Compassion’s Leadership Development Program helps identify young men and women who have shown potential to become Christian leaders who can, in turn, influence their own churches, communities and nations.

The Leadership Development Program assists with college tuition, books, and room and board. Leadership is crucial to making a difference. ResQrags is committed to building new leaders.

8. “My shirt shows compassion.”
Everyone needs to show mercy and compassion. And Compassion’s Child Survival Program saves the lives of young, vulnerable children and helps set them on the path toward healthy development.

The Highly Vulnerable Children program provides food, clothing and a nurturing Christian home environment to children in poverty who are orphans or who have no adult caregivers. Compassion is God’s way of motivating us to do His will.

9. “My shirt gives hope.”
A common theme in poor villages throughout the world is hopelessness. Without hope we have no reason to live. We are told in Romans 5:3-5:

“Suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”

Hope reminds us how powerful God is. When we rely on God and follow His lead, He will provide. Hope does not disappoint us.

10. “My shirt shares my love.”
Jesus tells us to love each other as He has loved us. If we did everything in love, the world would be a much better place. I often take love for granted and underestimate its power. Without love we have nothing. ResQrags remind people how important it is to love one another. After all, God is love.

Wear love well. Join the fight against extreme poverty at www.resqrags.com. And show us how you “Wear It Well” by sharing your photos with us on Facebook.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Michael Gannon and his wife, Tina, are the founders and owners of ResQrags. They live in Fort Myers, Fla., with their twin 6-year old boys.

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

Bolivia has a very low percentage of youth who graduate from school. Only around 18 percent finish their school studies and 71 percent of them enter university. However, later on 38 percent abandon their studies, according to SITEAL (Educative Information System of Latin America).

Considering the statistics, it is considered a great success when someone graduates from school and especially from university, even more if they have very low economic resources and have had to bear with family problems and mistreatment since they were a child.

Josue, 18 years old, is a resilient young man, as many other sponsored children and youth we have at the child development centers in Bolivia. He recently graduated from Los Olivos Child Development Center, and he is now in his first semester studying civil engineering at the university.

Josue comes from a family of six children. His father is a taxi driver and his mom travels to the tropic side of the city of Cochabamba to harvest coca leaves and that way support her children with a few things.

Josue started to attend the center when he was 7 years old; however, he missed many of the celebrations and special activities because his father took him to work on every vacation, holiday and in any spare time Josue had.

Josue’s father used to be a bricklayer, so Josue helped by picking up rocks, passing him buckets, nailing some nails, and passing him some tools. But as Josue got bigger and stronger he did other things, such as prepare the mortar mixture, pour the sand, place the bricks, etc.

“Honestly, I used to go to the center to get away from my house. I didn’t want to be at home because I always had to do something, and if I had free time my father always took me to work. I loved to go to the center to get away from my father, but as time passed I learned about having a Christian life and having Christ in my life and that is what helped me to not give up.”

Josue still works in construction with his uncle in order to pay for his studies, transportation, clothes, etc.

“My parents don’t help me with my studies; they only give me a place to sleep and food. To be able to pay for my studies, because I didn’t have money and my parents couldn’t support me, I had to work a semester after graduating from school and that way be able to enter the university.

Josue and friends at university

“That’s how I support myself, I work during vacations and save the money to study. I work as a bricklayer with my uncle. He is a constructor, and I have been working with him these past months and also on Tuesdays and Saturdays that I don’t have classes at the university.

“My dreams are to build my own house as I like it, not that someone else would build it for me. Another dream is to bring innovation to the country – for example, buildings with solar panels that could generate their own energy, buildings that could be attractive for tourists and bring incomes to the country, infrastructures that were never seen, or could attract tourists, like in other countries. I would like to do that, to innovate.”

Josue has a very special dream because of what he has gone through with his father:

“Most of the construction workers always have an alcoholic life. Since I will be a civil engineer once I graduate I want to have my construction company with my brother. I would like to implement a half an hour where they could read God’s Word. I would like to gain their trust so I could help them with the alcohol problem.

“The construction workers have that problem. The little they earned during the week they spend on alcohol instead of giving it to their children, because they need that support. A child always wants and needs something. I could make all my workers responsible and have a life with Christ, not forcing them. But since I am a worker we always like free time, so who wouldn’t want a half-hour seated and paid, so I know this goal I have will work.”

Josue still goes to the center to give classes in chemistry and physics to the students that have problems with those subjects.

“I don’t charge. I couldn’t. It is like returning to the center what they did for me for so many years. What they did for me is to form me as a person, support me, help me and encourage me to go on and mainly for placing God in my life.”

However someone who also affected Josue’s life was his sponsor. Even though Josue didn’t receive many letters, his sponsor encouraged him to go ahead.

“Having someone who didn’t know me but helped me had an influence in my life because a person who doesn’t know kindness is selfish and only wants things for himself.

“My sponsor, by supporting me without knowing me and even living so far away, made me realize and think: Why can’t I do that?

“Why can’t I give things only for love and not for interest, like if I give something I expect to receive something. These days not many give things for love. People are selfish. So having a sponsor made me a more kind person, to want to give more than to receive. I am also a person that wants to do always better, at the church, at the university, everywhere.”

Compassion had a great impact in Josue’s life and thanks to sponsorship, he is accomplishing everything he wants. Thanks to the Lord, he also recently learned that he has been accepted into the Leadership Development Program, something he wanted very much.

“I wouldn’t like to imagine how my life would be now if I hadn’t been in Compassion. If I wouldn’t have had the help of the center, my sponsor and all the tutors, I wouldn’t be at the university, my parents would be divorced, maybe I would be with my mother or father or even alone, maybe working in something.”

At the center Josue was always encouraged to go ahead and never go back, to look for choices. People from the center were always there, and that is encouraging.

It was always meaningful for Josue to receive that support because at his house he often gets insults and mistreatment from his father. His father didn’t even want to sign the authorization so Josue could enter the university. He only wants him to work, and is usually drinking. So the support from the center has been so important to Josue.

“I am Josue’s tutor since he was 12 years old or even younger, since time passed by he started changing in a positive way, he became more responsible. Between all of the sponsored children he always showed leadership in every assignment, he always encouraged the group, he always wanted to work in what we said.

“Josue is in the choreography ministry and in the band at his church. I see him as a responsible person, he has many potentials that he can still develop and he has a great talent. The good thing is that he is grabbed to God,” says Freddy Lazaro.

Everybody who gets to know Josue is sure that God has a great purpose for his life and that Josue will achieve what he sets for himself, always with God’s guidance.

Josue and family

“I want Josue to study and not to be apart from the Lord. I want Him to be respectful person and not to be like his father because he doesn’t worry about their studies, clothes, he doesn’t care about anything. He wants them to work, not to study and he made him work since he was little,” says Felicidad, Josue’s mother.

At the center he is a reference of the results they want to accomplish with all the sponsored children.

“We feel happy and proud for the results that the ministry has formed. Thanks to God’s mercy we have this kind of people that will replicate what they learned at the center, in the place they may be, with their friends, at the university, etc,” says Eriberto, the Center Director.

According to Eriberto the values that have been instilled in the students can influence other lives.

“Josue is a person who since I met is interested in learning more about God and is focused on leadership. He is in a ministry and when he speaks with his friends, he is always encouraging them when there is a problem, despite his own problems at home, especially with his father.

“He wants to go ahead, despite that he suffers in those situations, he takes blessing to other people; that is very nice and not everybody does that, usually one drowns in his/her problems.”

Josue loves sports; at first one of his main motivations to attend the center was also to play soccer. Eriberto affirms that in the field is where you know the character of a person. “Josue is always encouraging and calming down his mates; he is an example.”

Josue still has problems at his house. He is praying for them, and he won’t give up. He will continue bearing fruit wherever God places him.

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

The Pastors Discipleship Network (PDN) is an initiative begun by Leadership Development Program graduate and Moody Bible Institute scholar Richmond Wandera. It exists:

“to train and equip local pastors in Africa with basic study tools for accurately interpreting God’s Word through monthly seminars, accountability relationships, and the provision of study resources.”

We’re bringing PDN to your attention as an example of what we mean when we say,

“The Leadership Development Program identifies young Compassion-assisted men and women who have shown potential to become Christian leaders who can, in turn, influence their own families, churches, communities and nations.”

PDN is an example of your support bearing fruit! Even if you don’t sponsor a leadership development student, your commitment to Compassion helps create the environment for opportunities like this. That’s what holistic child development is.

You can learn all about PDN at pdnafrica.org and can stay current with Richmond’s work via the PDN Facebook page.

But the philosophy essentially boils down to this:

“When a pastor is trained, his church is also trained; when you resource the pastor, his church is also resourced … everything rises and falls on leadership … a trained pastor becomes a watchman against heresy and false teaching. Therefore, training a local pastor protects the church.”

“My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge” — Hosea 4:6 (NIV)

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

“Through this center, we not only influence individuals, but also inspire them to influence communities. One such innovative step taken by this project is Child Parliament.”

Parliament is the supreme legislative body of India. The cardinal functions of the legislature include overseeing of administration, passing of budget, ventilation of public grievances, and discussing various subjects like development plans, international relations and national policies.

In a similar fashion, in order to create a growing awareness among children about the Indian political system, a Child Parliament was started, identifying the potential among children and nominating them as ministers of concerned departments.

The objectives of the Child Parliament include:

• making the children aware of their needs
• protecting the rights of children
• making the children advocates for the neighboring children
• teaching children responsibility and duty
• enabling children to make right decisions
• enhancing their problem-solving skills
• providing quality education to children
• inspiring children to be role models to the community
• inculcating leadership qualities at a young age
• building self-confidence and self-sufficiency
• creating awareness among children of important health issues
• motivating children to dream of a prosperous future

Child Parliament functions just like the Indian Parliamentary System. Child Parliament consists of numerous ministers, each selected in a democratic manner through casting votes.

The finance minister is in control of the Children’s Bank. Children save their money in  the Children’s Bank.

The education minister is concerned with the academic performances of the children and how to encourage them to go to school regularly. Apart from this, it is necessary to enhance the communication skills of the students, increase their desire to learn, and encourage children to study well.

This spiritual/ethical minister deals with the importance of the fear of God and the attitude of children. This minister arranges for conventions, sets a good choir, practices new songs, and arranges for children’s retreat and spiritual activities.

The sports minister conducts games for the people in the village, mainly during  school vacations so that all children can participate and share love with one another.

The social welfare minister deals with issues related to electricity, water and child protection.

The electrical ministers is in charge of electrical items such as tube lights, lamps, bulbs, etc. He conducts training sessions on how to save electricity. Global warming projects are also conducted by him.

The public works minister is in charge of maintaining cleanliness and hygiene.

The arts and culture minister conducts talents show for children. He must be skilled enough to acknowledge their talents. He also conducts cultural programs for the children.

The health minister ensures cleanliness in the village and can report problems to concerned authorities. He must be aware of communal diseases and take needed steps to prevent them.

The minister of food and human rights focuses on helping villagers understand the importance of storing food properly and avoiding any waste.

Through Child Parliament, children have become aware of their rights. They become responsible citizens of the country. A network of children has been established, and they are exploring their talents and innovative ideas in a host of creative activities. Confidence and self-reliance is developed among the children.

The Child Parliament has helped achieve many things:

• Child Bank was started in 12 child development centers in the area, and children are saving the little money they get from their parents.
• Trees were planted in villages in the area. Almost 40 children planted trees for a better environment, and an awareness program was organized in nearby villages about global warming.
• A rally was organized to encourage people follow traffic rules.
• An awareness program concerning the ill effects of drug abuse and smoking was conducted.

These children, who are the ministers of the Child Parliament, went to nearby villages and found out the issues prevalent among children. They approached the local leaders and spoke about the Child Parliament.

Not only that, they went a step ahead and demonstrated Child Parliament. Through their demonstration, many children who were school dropouts decided to rejoin the school.

Many children volunteered to start Child Parliament in their own communities. Thus, eight community Child Parliaments have been started in different villages in Madurai with the help of the local political leaders.

In statewide election for Child Parliament, the children of St. Andrews were selected at both district level and state levels. Among 200 children who participated in this election, it is a matter of pride that four of the Compassion children were selected.

Nicholas proudly says,

“We are actively involved in transforming villages through Compassion. We instill social values in the little minds from their childhood. This enables them to become active, influential leaders of the society. The children raised through this project are now significant leaders in various fields such as industrial, political and social areas. I feel a deep sense of achievement on seeing my children achieving great heights in the society.”

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

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

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

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

After watching it, will you sponsor a Leadership Development Program student? You can do so by yourself, but you can also do it as a group, with family, friends, co-workers, your small group, etc.

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

In this clip, Tony explains how Leadership Development Program students are missionaries to their classmates.

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

In this first clip, which is just over 13 minutes long, you’ll get to see how Richmond, Tony, Michelle and Jimmy interact with one another.

You’ll get a taste of the strength of their relationships with one another and with God.

And you’ll get a little insight into what Jimmy probably asked his sponsor when they met at Catalyst 2009.

Beyond getting to know them a little better, by learning what these agents of change are studying at Moody and why they chose their fields of study, you’ll also hear, among other things:

• Tony speak about his call to serve teenagers
• Michelle and Richmond share about their desires to develop strong Christian leaders in the Philippines and Uganda
• Jimmy relate what life was like before he was sponsored

Enjoy.

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