Yesterday I shared with you how my life purpose came to me. It came only after I realized, on that camping trip of prayer and fasting, that God really didn’t need my accumulated education, skills or experiences. He only wanted me, specifically my love for Him.

Here is the rest of that story.

The very next day, one of my Wheaton professors told me about a job opportunity that seemed tailor-made for me and all of my seemingly unrelated life experiences. It was a position in service to the poor with a consortium of relief and development agencies in Haiti. And, you guessed it, Compassion was part of that group of agencies.

That was 35 years ago. Decades have passed, and I’ve never once regretted my decision to dedicate my life to the mission of Compassion. God has blessed this organization greatly over the years. He has blessed me, too.

But every once in a while I stop and realize that nothing has really changed. He still doesn’t need me to lead Compassion in order to bless the poor. He can do that all by Himself. He still wants only my love.

I’ve made it a habit to pause daily and ask myself,

“Do I really love Him today?”

I encourage all of us in this Compassion family do the same. Had I not discovered that truth — that what He wants from me is my love — I am convinced I never would have found my life’s purpose.

If you will love God with your whole heart and trust fully in Him, He will direct you. He wants to use your gifts and experiences to accomplish His perfect plan for your life. Where will loving God lead you?

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. — Proverbs 3:5–6 (NIV)

Prayer: Dear Lord, thank You that we can trust You with our lives. Thank You that when we commit to put Your kingdom first, all these other things, including our path in life, are added to us. May we live lives pleasing to You today.

Read all the One in Spirit devotionals.

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When I was a young man, there was a joke in the Stafford family that went something like this: “What is God ever going to do with Wess?”

It was a good question! I grew up in an African village, I had worked as an ambulance driver, I served in the U.S. Army, I was a disc jockey for a while, and I spent some time in France. I had lots of interesting experiences, but none of them seemed related. I laughed at that joke, too, but by the time I was finishing my master’s degree it was no longer funny. What was God going to do with me?

With great anticipation, I set out alone for one week to fast and pray, eager to hear God’s direction for my life.

I pitched my tent in a quiet place and, with pad in hand, I began to list the pros and cons of my various career options. I prayed and waited for God’s voice. I prayed for days. I waited for days.

Nothing! God was never more silent.

When I headed back to civilization, I was deeply disappointed. I angrily said to God, “I guess Your silence is my answer. You don’t need me after all!”

Then God spoke. He very clearly said, “You’re right, Wess. I don’t.”

I was stunned.

“Then why did you bother to make me?” I said aloud.

“To love me,” said the same voice. Just then a meadowlark warbled out a beautiful song. “Like that,” I heard Him say.

Suddenly my whole life fell into place. I could do that!

Forget achievement, fame or wealth. My life would be all about loving my Lord! I began thinking about the simplest jobs I might pursue. This new realization was so basic, yet so profound!

I’ll share the rest of this story with you tomorrow, but let’s pause here for a while today. Have you ever considered that God created you simply to love Him?

If you make that realization the center of all you do, it could drastically change your life.

Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.” — Matthew 22:37–38 (NIV)

Prayer: We love You so much, Lord! We surrender fully to You and pray that Your love will guide us today and every day. May we simply be conduits of Your love to the children in our care.

Read all the One in Spirit devotionals.

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

Karen is a 13-year-old girl who has been forced to mature quickly. Her parents left her when she was 2 years old and her two sisters, Katherine and Micaela, were 3 years old and 8 months old, respectively.

The girls’ parents were young, lacked experience and had serious problems as a couple, so they decided to get a separation. Their mother, who wasn’t even 18, chose to go back to Colombia, the country where she was born.

She left her three little girls under the care of Miriam, her kind sister-in-law who, little by little, became a mother figure to Karen and her sisters.

There’s no doubt that Karen’s life is full of the love of her devoted Aunt Miriam, who Karen calls “mom.” But it’s also undeniable that she’s lacked real family love.

Karen’s parents weren’t there to enjoy their little girl’s growth and to watch their precious daughter play.

However, when Aunt Miriam thought she was surrounded by nothing but tragedy, she found a light of hope.

Through her neighbors, she heard about a local Compassion-assisted child development center – where the main objective has always been to serve boys and girls from Guasmo Sur, a poor neighborhood in Guayaquil City on the Ecuadorian coastal region.

Miriam registered Karen at the Damasco Student Center when Karen was 5. It was the beginning of an unforgettable and incredible experience.

Karen made new friends, interacted with others and lived new adventures of games, surprises, trips and a lot more.

“I always loved the development center. Here I play with my friends, have fun, learn new things and have a really cool time.”

And that’s not all! The Damasco Student Center has given Karen the opportunity to make a good friend thousands of miles away. Her Compassion sponsor, Kyoung, is a Korean lady.

“Kyoung has been a great blessing to my life. I love to read her letters at home.”

Every letter from Kyoung is a valuable treasure to Karen, and each letter has a message of hope, encouragement and love. With sweetness and gratitude, Karen remembers something she shared with her sponsor:

“My daddy was in jail a while ago, maybe about a year. I told my sponsor and said that I suffered a lot for that reason.”

Kyoung replied,

“Trust in the Lord because He’s going to make things work and everything will be all right.”

Even Miriam, Karen’s aunt, remembers,

“My brother passed away. He was Karen’s favorite uncle so she was in a lot of pain, but her sponsor comforted her and gave her the courage she needed. She told her life goes on and cheered her up through the distance.”

But maybe the most crucial intervention of Kyoung in Karen’s life has taken place in the spiritual area. Karen honestly admitted,

“For many years I only attended church because the tutors at the child development center asked us to; therefore, I felt obliged to [go]. I shared this with my sponsor.”

What did Karen’s sponsor do? She prayed for her! Kyoung prayed for her sponsored girl to start going to church because she wanted to go; to feel it within her heart.

Until she was 11, Karen attended Sunday school only because she had to. Then she received the letter from her sponsor that read,

“I’ve been praying for you to go to church and to not turn your back on God.”

Those words made little Karen shudder and opened a door for a miracle. What had been an obligation and a tedious commitment suddenly turned into a strong desire to go to church and enjoy the presence of the Lord and the company of her friends, brothers and sisters in Christ. Karen remembers,

“With tears in my eyes, I ran to my mom and showed her my sponsor’s letter. I promised to faithfully attend the youth group services every Saturday, and I still keep my promise.”

Karen’s sponsor’s faithful and persevering prayer commitment brought about a dramatic turn in Karen’s life. For about three years Karen has shown genuine commitment, loyalty and joy for everything related to the Lord. She loves to praise Him, finds His Word delightful and enjoys every single thing she learns at church.

“The other teenagers and I just love the worship times directed by Brother Roberto. He motivates us to feel God’s presence and praise Him. Every time we pray, we feel like He’s actually listening.”

When she was 12, Karen decided to accept Jesus as her Savior.

“It happened during a wonderful worship time at a special service for the youth group. I accepted Jesus as my Savior. Nobody forced me; I walked in front of the congregation because I wanted to.”

Miriam, Karen’s aunt, doesn’t go to church on a regular basis because she works very hard as a maid to provide for her three nieces.  But she’s aware of the importance of God’s preeminence in the life of every human being. With full conviction she affirms,

“My family has been richly blessed since Karen joined the child development center. She learns about the Word of God there. I’m so happy that Karen goes to church instead of being anywhere else wandering around.”

It’s the era of telecommunications and cybertechnology, but traditional correspondence still has relevance – even when it takes more time to reach its final destination.

It’s a fact that “old-fashioned” letters have the power to give encouragement, hope and love. Kyoung has exchanged simple conversations with Karen about their countries’ traditions and their daily activities, but beyond all that, they have had a positive influence over each other’s lives.

There’s no doubt that Karen has, in a way, experienced the love of a mother when she prays and God starts working. And Kyoung has had the chance to bless a little girl as though Karen were her own child – her “little angel,” as she calls her in her letters.

Kyoung represents a true source of hope, encouragement and love to Karen. Their friendship is a beautiful example of how God works through caring Christians to change the world … one child at a time!

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

Have you ever heard a non-Christian say,

“I have no problem with God or Jesus — only Christians”?

It’s actually a common theme among some nonbelievers. Unfortunately, it’s also becoming more and more common among Christians.

This worries me. How can we serve our communities with Christ-centered joy if we can’t serve each other in the same manner?

Let’s be real. The question I’m raising can’t be resolved in this one small message. But I am asking you to think hard about it.

What’s preventing you from living out a Spirit of Service in your work environment or better yet, in your life?

Wess Stafford washes the feet of a Leadership Development Program graduate.

Is there a bad experience that you can’t forget, a wrongdoing that you can’t forgive, or a fear of being used, mistreated or disrespected?

We all have our baggage, but the great thing about being a believer in Christ is that we have a “safe place” to unload it — the Cross.

If you’re struggling with this concept, I encourage you to consider the following three steps:

1. Meditate on the Bible, particularly on the verses that deal with service.
2. Pray for God to reveal His plan for how you should deal with this concept.
3. Re-examine the way you treat those around you. Are you respecting your co-workers, friends, family, etc.?

It may sound simple, but in order to have a true Spirit of Service, you have to have a spirit of love — and that can come only from God.

“You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.” — Galatians 5:13, NIV

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

Letters equal love.

It is a message I have heard many, many times during my journey as a sponsor and Advocate.

When I’ve met young adults who were once sponsored children, they always convey the importance of our letters. One young man from Kenya told me his sponsor was the first person to ever tell him he was loved.

This theme also plays out when I hear about sponsors’ experiences in visiting their sponsored children. My friend Jill Foley shares some insight from a recent trip.

“Last year in Peru – my one and only trip – we asked the kids we met if they could ask their sponsor anything, what would they ask. More than one child wanted to know why their sponsor didn’t love them.

“We probed a little deeper to see what they meant and it turns out their sponsors don’t write to them. They have translated this lack of communication into a lack of love. Just heartbreaking!”

I was thrilled to find out that Compassion is rolling out a new and improved way to send some love to our sponsored children!

This all-new online letter-writing tool, which is accessible through the Write My Child link within My Account, allows you to create bright and beautiful messages with 33 different background templates to choose from.

You can choose from a variety of colorful prints including whimsical animals, flowers, bold sports themes and even special templates for birthday and Christmas letters. There are choices available for boys and for girls, and for the youngest child to the teenager or young adult in the final years of sponsorship.

When writing to our 17-year-old Kazihizina in Rwanda, I chose a pale blue-green template featuring flowers and a dragonfly. I planned to share some information about a recent home-school project about raising Monarch caterpillars and thought the background would go nicely with the topic.

Once you choose a background template, you can type in the text of your letter, even saving a draft if you have to leave the computer while you are typing.

Unlike the older version of the online letter-writing system, the new system regularly saves your work, which will prevent you from “timing out” and accidentally losing your message.

You can choose up to three photos to upload and attach to your letter. This feature allows you to easily send pictures and will help your sponsored child feel even more connected with you and your family.

With how easy it is to attach a photo, it’s still important to avoid sending pictures in which people may be immodestly dressed or that accentuate our economic differences.

For my letter to Kazihizina, I chose photos taken during our caterpillar project. One by one, I clicked the “Upload” button and picked the pictures I wanted to share from my computer.

Each image uploaded quickly, and I was able to crop them to fit within the frame on the stationery.

Once you have added your photos you can preview your letter. If you’re pleased with how it turned out, just click “Send This Letter” and your message will be on its way!

The new online letter-writing tool makes it easy for you to create a one-of-a-kind personalized message. I hope it inspires you to take a few minutes each month to connect with your sponsored children.

Remember, your letters equal love. Send a little love to your Compassion child today.

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

Children living in poverty face daily challenges. However, through sponsorship you are providing children hope, love, the chance to succeed and the chance to know Christ.

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

Images and original message courtesy of Christer Tschamler, tscha*ching Design.

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

The director of our Child Sponsorship Program, Emily Sarmiento, explains how to live out love in devotion to one another and the important role that loving one another “on purpose” plays in building unity in our personal and corporate relationships.

It is absolutely and without a doubt the will of God that we be united.

We’ve created an audio podcast of our chapel messages, which this message is a part of. You can subscribe via iTunes.

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

Do you remember the words and kind acts that encouraged you when you were young? Who was the adult that spoke into your life? Hopefully, they spoke words of love and acceptance that encouraged you to explore an interest or talent that is uniquely yours.

A life can be launched with as little as a single phrase, an uplifting word or an act of kindness. Think of the impact we could make if we were to become more intentional about encouraging the children around us!

The words of adults quickly take root in the fertile soil of a child’s spirit, for good and for bad. Sadly, some of us have been profoundly impacted by harsh words, neglect and even abuse. But even out of those tragic circumstances our heavenly Father can redeem our past.

Perhaps you know my story of childhood abuse in a West Africa boarding school. Mine is a story that Satan intended for evil but that God redeemed for good. My story is what has fueled my passion against injustice, my crusade against abuse, my fight against poverty.

It is what drove me to Compassion, where I now have the great privilege of speaking up for the little ones who have no voice and no choice.

Will you join our campaign to motivate adults to deliberately bless the children in their lives? We’re gathering stories from across the world to powerfully demonstrate that children are indelibly shaped by the words and actions of adults.

By simply sharing our true life stories through various media channels, I believe we will challenge and inspire others to actively invest in the lives of children!

Who believed in you before you believed in yourself?

Who told you that you were smart and then that encouragement planted a seed of confidence in your life?

Who said, “You have a beautiful voice; I loved your song,” and now you sing for a living or get great joy from singing for others?

Who told you they appreciated your creativity and their comment gave you a sense of self-assurance that is still with you today?

Who said, “My, what a lovely picture you drew,” and now you make your living as an artist?

Please share your unique story with us! Or, share someone else’s story: that of a friend, family member, historical figure or Bible character.

In addition to posting your story as a comment on this blog, it may eventually be printed in a book or perhaps in Compassion Magazine or featured on my daily radio program, Speak Up With Compassion. Let’s share our stories with one another and become very intentional about blessing the children God brings into our lives!

Please post your short story (300 – 400 words) below, send us a private e-mail via the “Contact Us” button at the top of this page, or leave us a voice message at (888) 503-4589, if you prefer to share your story by phone.

Written stories may also be mailed to:

Compassion International
Tell Us Your Story
Colorado Springs, CO 80997

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

Pink is associated with purity, love and compassion. It communicates gentleness and freshness. Pink represents good health and life, which you offer to children in poverty.

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