Awa is a housewife living in Burkina Faso. She lives with her husband, Irissa, and their five children in a typical Muslim compound of approximately 50 people. They have lived a difficult life.

Awa’s husband does small jobs and earns meager wages. He once left the family in search of gold; he worked five years without finding even an ounce. Awa cooks and sells cakes made of millet flour. What she and her husband earn every month is not enough to take good care of their family.

The only positive thing Awa could see about their hardship was that she was her husband’s only wife. All of the other women living in the compound are married to men with multiple wives. Every cloud has a silver lining, Awa would say, as her husband could not afford to take a second wife.

“I could spend three weeks without any food supply in the house. My salvation was in wandering from place to place asking for help.”

Awa tried in vain to find help from the Muslim community surrounding her. Although they were living in front of the community mosque, she and her family felt abandoned. Her sorrow was compounded when her younger brother and his wife both passed away, leaving a 6-day-old baby boy in Awa’s care.

Awa needed to find milk for the baby but could not afford it. She was so depressed by her helplessness that she considered putting an end to her life.

One day she wandered into the local Assemblies of God Central Church to ask for help.

“The day I entered the office doors to the child development center and told them my story, workers were with me.”

Unfortunately, Awa’s baby nephew could not be registered because we have not yet established a Child Survival Program in Burkina Faso. But the center workers showed Awa where she could find milk for the baby, and the pastor provided Awa with money to buy milk and other food supplies for her family.

After her visit to the center, one of Awa’s aunts advised her to give her life to Jesus if she wanted to get out of the mess she was going through.

“From that day on, I started going to church on Sundays. Three months later I gave my life to Jesus.”

A significant change has occurred in Awa’s life since she met Christ. She can now count on God to solve her problems.

Just a month after she received Jesus, Awa’s little girl Fatimata was registered at the Assemblies of God Central Church Child Development Center. Soon, someone sponsored Fatimata and Awa considered it a miracle.

The turnaround even brought dreams into little Fatimata’s heart. She was able to go from worrying about daily food to dreaming about tomorrow. Fatimata would like to be a primary school teacher.

Fatimata is in 1st grade and has a gentle spirit. Her mother encourages her to work hard at school to fulfill her dreams.

Within two months of her registration, Fatimata’s sponsor sent a family gift. It was like manna for the family. Awa used the money to purchase food supplies and a bicycle, and she was also able to restart her business of selling cakes.

Some weeks ago the family again received some extra money from Fatimata’s sponsor, and Awa used the money to buy provisions. The storm is over for Awa and her family. The time when they were living from hand to mouth is over.

Awa is now confident in life and has started praying that her husband would come to know Jesus and give his life to Him.

While the family’s livelihood improved dramatically after Fatimata joined the child development center, Awa was not out of the woods yet.

Being from a Muslim family, and living in front of the community mosque, her decision to become a Christian was not acceptable among the Muslim community.

Recently Awa was summoned to the mosque by religious leaders, who questioned her about her Christian faith. They pressured her husband to give her an ultimatum: give up Christianity or leave the house.

But Awa refused to reject her new faith. She told the Muslim leaders,

“When I was suffering with my kids under your eyes, no one dared to lend me a hand. Now that the church has saved my life, would I give it up? Never ever.”

Awa was ready to leave if her husband asked her to. The mosque leaders told her to take a week to think and make up her mind. When Awa met with them a week later, she told them again,

“I have decided to follow Jesus and you will not make me change my mind. It is because of Jesus that I am still alive.”

The Muslim leaders were speechless. They had all witnessed the hardship Awa had gone through with her family and they had never lent her a hand or paid her a visit.

They could not stand against her arguments. That was how she obtained freedom to go to church with her kids. Her husband has given up trying to convince her to give up her faith.

As for Awa’s daughter Fatimata, she has also changed. She used to be extremely rude, insulting people around her.

Since Fatima joined the child development center, a radical change has taken place in her life. Fatimata has become polite and disciplined; she no longer insults others. She is now the one advising other children not to be rude or insulting.

Though Fatimata is a bit shy, she has a gentle spirit. Her mother considers Fatimata her “lucky star.” The whole family is benefiting from the spiritual, educational, social and physical help Fatimata receives through the Child Sponsorship Program.

Awa and her family are experiencing the difference it makes when someone dares to give his or her life to Jesus. And it takes a lot of courage for a former Muslim woman living in front of her community mosque to give her life to Jesus openly and to take a stand for her faith.

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“You have been tested positive for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the micro-organism that causes the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).”

When the doctor announced the results, a mood of gloom and despair descended on Zainabu. She did not know where to go or what to do.

“It seemed like my life and the livelihood of my children had been cut, since they all depended on me.”

Looking for a shoulder to cry on, Zainabu wondered whom to inform or talk to. Her family and the community had no place for HIV-positive people. “I am an abomination,” Zainabu thought to herself.

Zainabu has had a difficult life. Harsh living conditions and extreme poverty left her trying to sell fried cassava and sometimes exchanging sex for money to support her family. This is how she contracted HIV, all in the name of providing for her young family.

Sadly, Zainabu’s story is not an uncommon one in Kenya. The prevalence of HIV among Kenyans ages 15-64 is 7.1 percent, which means about 1.4 million people live with HIV (Ministry of Public Health and Sanitation – Kenya World AIDS Day Address,  Dec. 1, 2009).

When Zainabu learned she was HIV-positive, she stayed in denial for some time. She came to grips with her situation when Compassion child development center staff members visited her home during their routine home visits and noticed her ill health. She then had the opportunity to disclose her HIV status.

The staff came to her help and encouraged her to think about life, and began to help her develop goals for living positively. It was during this period that she was given access to health facilities and connected to a doctor who advised her to join support groups and disclose her status.

“After long soul searching and prayer, I joined a local support group and disclosed my status publicly. After disclosing my status, I felt relieved. It was the best medicine for my disease. A new sense of hope arose in my spirit. A dawn of a better future emerged with high determination and commitment to face the disease head on. My anguish and fear were all gone, I could now break the silence, all because Compassion cared for me through the church and the access to health facilities.”

Zainabu joined Jipe Moyo Support Group, an initiative supported by the child development center which educates its members on HIV and AIDS. It also empowers family and community members with knowledge of long-term support and care, and raises acceptability of People Living With HIV/AIDS (PLWHAS) by family and community for stigma reduction. Jipe Moyo in Swahili means “take heart, take courage”

As a leader in the group, Zainabu has been very resourceful in the startup of a unique approach to helping PLWHAS. Through community education and meetings, she has helped ensure that other members of the community protect and give support to PLWHAS.

Zainabu’s CD4 count has improved significantly, and she has discovered hope and inspires hope in others suffering from the same condition. She now earns her living as a counselor helping other women and families to protect themselves against HIV and AIDS. She also has a small-scale business selling planting seeds and cereals.

Zainabu thanks the pastor and Compassion for allowing her to be the beneficiary of a revolving loan fund, where she got Kshs 5,000 to start the business.

“Since I joined Jipe Moyo Support group, I have gained a lot of knowledge and experience on new strategies for education on HIV/AIDS and therapeutic nutrition for People Living With HIV/AIDS. I have also acquired a lot of spiritual, psychological, emotional and economic support from the group.”

Zainabu admits that she has sometimes wondered whether proclaiming her status has put her at risk of ridicule and discrimination. However, she takes it in stride and still commits herself to protecting children and caregivers against HIV and AIDS in the center. And she says that her experience with HIV has increased her faith in God.

“I was running a race moving full speed, when suddenly, Wham! I hit a wall of HIV/AIDS. I was tempted to quit, turn back in defeat, perhaps fall down and die. But I didn’t.

“I have learned a lifelong lesson that when you feel the worst, when failure is breathing down your neck, look up and reach out to hope as never before. Believe in God and like dawn in the morning, light will come pouring in. You will see a breakthrough by breaking the silence. All you have to do to speak the Word is to have faith in the Word of God and in your God-given potentials.

“Breaking the silence and disclosing one’s status is the greatest challenge. I am not going to tell you it’s easy. The truth is, it is tough. Nevertheless, pushing on through the tough times is inevitable if one is to have a breakthrough.

“Once that happens, you will never be the same. You only need to take a step of courage and break the silence to make a never dying, never-quitting champion out of you.”

In her situation, through the assistance of church staff, Zainabu has brought light to the community. The development center offers free medical camp and voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) services. It also invites people in the community who are HIV-positive and are happy to speak to encourage others about their status.

Staff members raise awareness about the need for antiretroviral therapy medicines for people with HIV, raise awareness about the need to accept people with HIV or AIDS, and raise support for children whose family members have HIV- or AIDS-related illnesses.

Zainabu also encouraged her mother to go for a test, and she turned out to be HIV-positive.

“As a family, we have committed ourselves to helping other people. Our advice: Eat good food, be faithful in your marriage, go to hospital immediately when you have an infection, plan your family, keep your mind on good thoughts, and share your problems – do not hide them. I can now work hard and focus on my health and that of my family.

“I am determined to see all my children finish school, go to university and even get married. I am determined to make the most of my new life. HIV should not stop anyone from achieving his/her goals in life.”

Zainabu was able to avoid transmitting HIV to her youngest daughter during childbirth. Zainabu is a happy mother because the baby was HIV-negative.

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In 2008, when the church began partnering with Compassion, Pastor Korogo was recruited as child development center director because of his long-standing experience in the ministry among the children of his church.

The development center has 220 registered children who take part regularly in center activities. Like all the other centers in the country, it is located in an area where poverty is visible in people’s daily lives.

The great majority of the population does not have access to drinking water or electricity. When someone in these families falls ill, he is cared for with indigenous methods, as families can’t afford medical care or drugs at the pharmacy.

The child development center is located in a community that is nearly 70 percent Islamic. The largest mosque in the city is 10 meters from the church that shelters the center. This proximity sometimes makes it difficult for Muslim children to effectively take part in the center activities.

“Several parents withdrew their children from the center because they were convinced by their religious leaders that the objective of the center was to convert their children to Christianity. What these parents were afraid of was that their children would be taken away by the church.” — Pastor Korogo

The center workers continue to take care of the children who come to the church on Thursdays. The radical change in the lives of these little ones has convinced more than one parent of the great opportunity their children have in coming to the center.

As a result, the Muslim community lives in harmony with the Christian community. Today, more than 70 percent of the children registered at the center are from Muslim families who still encourage the children to persevere in their participation in the activities.

This happy situation is largely the result of the frank relationship of love that exists between the children and their sponsors. It is very difficult, if not impossible, to imagine the joy that fills a child and his family when the child receives a personal letter written from abroad.

In nearly all families, these letters are preciously kept and shown to the important visitors, demonstrating the pride the family has in being known beyond the borders of the country. This restores the image of the whole family, even if this family was “watched out of the corner of the eye” by members of the community.

When a child does not receive letters, the relationship is weakened a little. So the relationship must be dynamic. Letter writing establishes the relationship with the sponsored child. It makes it possible for the child to communicate with an adult, and like any child, this gift is seen as a sign of very strong love.

But the height of joy for a family is, without any doubt, to be visited by their child’s sponsor. This constitutes the highest honor, and helps fulfill the hope that they get to know each other deeply. The sponsor also sees the child’s daily life and notes the differences that sponsorship has made.

Pastor Kogoro hopes that if the sponsor takes this step to visit, it will not only further encourage the sponsor and child, but the sponsor will be convinced of the salvation brought to the child, who in his turn will know for certain the true love expressed by his sponsor.

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The biggest signs of Christmas (i.e. the traditions of the Western festive season), can be seen in the malls. Most of the major stores in the larger cities like Bandung have huge Christmas trees, and restaurants tend to put on some manner of Christmas fares.

For example, the big stores have had their Christmas decorations up for weeks in anticipation of cashing in on the season. Naturally, hotels and malls cater to visitors by erecting Christmas trees ornately decorated, and “Merry Christmas” signs. Shopping hours are extended, and the seasonal specials jump out of nowhere.

There is a Christmas tree in every mall, and a man dressed in a Santa Claus suit and a white beard can be seen giving out presents to the children. It is the same in the other cities like Jakarta, where all the major department stores join in on the festive season.

One of Compassion’s partner churches in Bandung is Immanuel Baptist Church. Christmas decorations have been in place since the first week of December. A plastic Christmas tree stands by the front entrance door to welcome all the visitors; its snow-like glitter and many small butterflies on the leaves delight the small children.

Yes, the church entrance had been decorated with an artificial Christmas trees replete with pristine snow-like glittery ornaments and small butterflies – standing unaffected by the boiling tropical heat.

Why butterflies? Because butterflies were made the Christmas theme of the church: “Be like butterflies!”

The head pastor of the church chose this theme because:

“On this Christmas, I would like to challenge the congregation to learn from the butterflies, how they endure the metamorphosis process and become beautiful butterflies. It takes a real, serious effort.”

This small church of 150 people uses every effort and resource to bring Christmas alive within their church members. Christmas service involves many sponsored children in the performance and the decorating.

After the sermon, the Christmas child choir celebrates their anniversary as a part of the church ministry. They celebrate it by exchanging gifts, initiated by one of the alumni of Compassion’s sponsored children who led this child choir.

Her purpose was to allow many of the less fortunate children to be able to express their love through giving and receiving simple gifts.

Many of the choir children come from poor families who rarely receive gifts during Christmas. Many of the children, especially those who are not registered in the student center, might find this gift exchange activity as their only chance to have a gift at Christmas.

The rule is simple: Every child will bring a wrapped gift to be exchanged with someone in his or her group. The gift budget is 50 cents.

The gift exchange was announced three months earlier so the children could save for their gifts. This activity turned out to be a fun and laughter-filled moment. Everyone looks happy as they leave the church, with grins on their faces and Christmas gifts in their hands.

Eight-year-old Herliany, called Any, is the youngest singer in the child choir. From her sponsor, Any got some money as a Christmas gift, and she spent the Christmas gift money on one lovely green shirt for a more formal occasion, one white T-shirt for her daily activities, and a pair of a blue plastic shoes and plastic sandals.

“Plastic is the best kind to wear during this rainy season, because it is easily dried up, water resistant, and it’s cheap.”

She paid $1 each for her plastic shoes, leaving her enough money to buy the other two of her favorable clothes. She went to the local market with her mother and bargained for the stuff because they needed to report back to the church with an official receipt from the store. This is the agreement for every gift received by the children, as part of the integrity processes.

Any is hoping these clothes and shoes she bought will last long enough to be considered a reasonable investment with long-term use, as her family does not have the privilege to often buy luxurious things, clothes included.

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I, Irene, grew up in a sheltered, middle-class family. Whilst I didn’t make it to India at the age of 14, I ventured to Kyrgyzstan at the age of 24 with a team of medical professionals and helpers. It was a completely humbling and mind-blowing experience.

I met church pastors who have been blessed with so much more materially than I, yet they have chosen to live in abandonment for the expansion of God’s kingdom.

I met Muslims in remote villages who suffered advanced stages of cancer, but had no means to receive medical treatment. All that my team could give them were vitamin supplements.

I met orphans who were stunted from malnutrition and sometimes from past substance abuse, but have found the love of their heavenly Father.

I can’t quite imagine how I would’ve coped on the same journey at the tender age of 14.

If you read the Reflections of a Compassion Traveller series, you may have gained some guts –- I mean, a new level of desire to meet our friends living in poverty.

It definitely takes guts to travel to less developed nations. It’s inevitably a confronting experience.

The thing is, I have always walked away deeply moved by the compassion that God has for His people and with a fresh reminder of how much I need to give. Plus, it’s quite simple to become a “Compassion traveller.”

Remember that 14-year-old I mentioned? She’s a high school student who joined our India and Bangladesh trip in February. Her name is Stephanie Harrison, the daughter of our Executive Director of Child Development, David Harrison.

Steph would make any father or mother proud. David has admitted to finding the slums of India the most challenging ones he’s visited. So imagine what Steph’s first taste of extreme poverty was like!

I recently read a blog post (A Cup of Rice) by SquiggleMum –- an Australian mum and Compassion child sponsor (her real name is Cath by the way). As a mother of two, SquiggleMum plans to introduce her precious children to their sponsored child and to develop a heart to reach out to the poor. And here’s why:

“Maybe if we show our kids what’s wrong with the world, they’ll do a better job than we have of making things right.”

I wholeheartedly respect SquiggleMum’s parenting approach and, I daresay, David’s decision to take Steph on that trip. If you’re a parent, you may have concerns about unveiling the ugly things of the world to your child(ren). But what’s really stopping you?

If you’ve been thinking about visiting your sponsored child with your child(ren), why not start planning now? The power of being there is beyond words!

I’ll share snippets of Steph’s Compassion Traveller experience with you in tomorrow’s post. But in the meanwhile, you can get started on organising your own sponsor child visits:

If you live in Australia, contact our travel team.

If you live in the USA, visit compassion.com to get more information about trips and visits.

Then you’ll be able to tell us firsthand whether children and poverty are meant to mix.

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

The other day I had an opportunity to spend an hour with a couple of our field staff, Mathew from India and Kevin from Bangladesh, and I asked them this question: How can Compassion work in India or Bangladesh or Indonesia?

Here is what they said …

We redefine the meaning of “evangelism.” The true way to evangelize someone is simply to act in a way that causes them to ask, “Why do you care?” This is what we do. We don’t “evangelize” the children in the sense most Westerners do. We simply care for them and then the parents ask why.

I’ve been processing that conversation ever since it occurred. Perhaps many of us have our focus in the wrong place. If Christians would make relationships our top priority, we wouldn’t have to put so much time or effort into evangelism. It would be the natural result.

What do you think?

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

Kudra is now taken care of by his grandmother. After the death of his father, Kudra’s mother remarried another man and left Kudra with his grandmother.

The grandmother of Kudra, Miriam, is now 53 years old, a widow taking care of seven grandchildren, of whom five are AIDS orphans.

Miriam is a subsistence farmer and became a widow as the result of the 1994 genocide. She is a Muslim woman but also believes in the healing power of Jesus Christ.

“I have been blessed to know more about Christianity during my encounter with Compassion student’s center at the Presbyterian Church.”

Dear Good Samaritans,

I am very proud that I am alive so that I can witness and testify to the love of God through Compassion’s ministry in our area. Dear Compassion, you picked up my grandson in the valley of poverty and enlightened him with knowledge and exposure to the better world of knowing God. It’s such an amazing act that only God’s true servants can do.

Three of my children died of rampant AIDS and left me with young children who seemed a burden to me due to my age and lack of resources to sustain them. As I watched my children die one by one in my hands, I was helpless — with no one to turn to and no one to comfort me — and was in a total dilemma. But finally I saw God’s hand through Compassion’s ministry that sponsored my grandchild Kudra, and my hope was restored.

I can guarantee you that every single day I live I will always say a prayer for Compassion that wiped away my tears through sponsorship.

It was such joy to see Kudra being registered by a Christian organization; it immediately revealed the love of God to me.

Kudra received all the required support needed for a better start of a new life. This included scholastic materials, medical care, physical support and awareness of the true God. Kudra was given a Bible, which he considers as a great gift, and it is always placed in the house for everyone to read, because it was the first Bible in our house.

In reality AIDS folded both my hands after I lost my children who were helping feed me and whom I saw as my future. It only left me with a burden of children always needing from me. Look at me. I cannot do any business or search for a job because I never attended school, not even having any skill that could sustain me.

In the recent earthquake that struck our area, the rented house fell down and we had to request temporary shelter from a neighbor. What really touched my heart is the way God revealed Himself to me once again when Kudra told me that Compassion had come for relief support and was ready to construct and rehabilitate all the demolished houses.

I was speechless by the love of God to a poor Muslim widow supported by Christians through Kudra’s sponsorship. I was really happy to see the saving hand of God through Compassion.

We were given kitchen utensils, blankets, mats, a basin and a promise for house construction for us. God, thank you for restoring my joy, hope and meaningful life.

Dear Compassion, AIDS has left no stone unturned in our community, but we thank Compassion for supporting us in different ways. I have seen Compassion widows of AIDS running business, rearing domestic animals, forming tailoring associations, and creating awareness to the entire community, and all the credit goes to Compassion’s ministry and praise to the most high God.

Furthermore I have seen Muslim mothers celebrating with Christians as a sign of togetherness that Compassion has brought to our community and making a difference in the world.

Thank you Compassion, for taking care of AIDS orphans, they have no one to turn to but only you Compassion — a mother, a father, a sister and a friend.

God bless you,

Miriam

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