Despite the fact that there are only three days left in this work week, it feels as though there is two weeks worth of work to be done. I will be putting the finishing touches on the proposal today and will be presenting it to the marketing “big-wigs” on Thursday.

The presentation is weighing heavily on my mind for a number of different reasons. For starters, it will be the first, and potentially only, chance that I have in front of such an influential audience here at Compassion.

Secondly, I simply want to do well. This project is close to my heart and I want to do it justice. I don’t just want to sell it. I want to inspire my audience to feel as passionately about it as I do and see the vision that I have for it. I don’t want them to merely associate this proposal with “the intern’s project,” but instead I want them to think that “this is where Compassion could go; this is what Compassion should do.”

While there are other matters that seem to float aimlessly around in my thoughts, the most important and imperative at the moment is the question of my immediate future. I have applied for several positions here at Compassion, but as of today, have yet to hear back. And waiting patiently is not my forte.

As is usually the case, the Lord revealed a scripture to me last week that has brought some much needed comfort and strength. In Isaiah 43:18-19 it says “Forget the former things, do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! … I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland” (NIV).

I don’t think we give God enough credit for being creative in terms of humor. Let me explain.

A few weeks ago, while driving towards Denver, I made the comment to my friends that the terrain of Colorado was surprising in that it was much dryer and less lush than I envisioned it to be.

“That’s because this is desert land,” Molly said.

“But there are mountains,” I replied.

She half laughed. “There can still be mountains in desert lands,” she informed me kindly.

Not to be completely outsmarted, I Googled “Colorado topography” later that evening. Sure enough, the entire eastern portion of the state lies within the borders of the “great plains,” a large, high-plains region known for its dry, arid climate and lack-luster vegetation.

So what does Colorado topography have to do with my future?

In case you haven’t seen the weather channel, it has been raining here for the past week straight. This desert land has been recently refreshed. Standing water can been seen in the deep ravines by the highways, an uncommon occurrence here, especially during this time of year.

In the same way that the Lord rains down life and renewal to the earth in its time of need, so too does He promise to reign down the blessing of His perfect provision in our time of need as well.

I don’t know what door He will open in the coming weeks. I don’t know where He will lead me to work or what He will lead me to do. But I do know that in the midst of my Moses-like desert experience, He will bring forth water from the rocks and manna from the heaven.

In church this past Sunday, my pastor finished a sermons series on the twenty-third chapter of Psalms. In the last verse, David says that “surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life” (ESV).

The terms “goodness” and “mercy” will all mean different things to different people based upon their circumstances and what the Lord wants to show them individually. However, the universal message is this: surely they will come to all of us. Surely, Will, and All. Three big words. One big promise.

For those who have journeyed with me, thank you. I will continue to keep you posted on how things are going. Your company, comments, and words of encouragement have brought peace, joy, and hope that I can not begin to describe. My hope is that you continue to walk with Him, seek Him, and know Him more everyday. And if you find yourself in the desert one day, I pray that He would grant you the strength of faith to wait patiently for the rain.

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

Today we present part two in a series of blog posts from staffers of Compassion Uganda who will give you an inside look into how Compassion’s ministry operates among the poorest of the poor.

The Child Survival Program (CSP) serves caregivers, infants and toddlers in some of the world’s poorest communities. Caregivers enrolled in CSP are visited each week by dedicated staff, whose passion is to bring health and healing to homes affected by poverty. Patience Musiime, a CSP specialist in Uganda, shares her favorite stories of hope from the Child Survival Program.

In 2004, Uganda opened our first Child Survival Program. At the Bugongi CSP, we have seen so much happen in just four years. In the Bugongi CSP, all of our 20 pregnant mothers have given birth to bouncing, healthy babies. This is a miracle! In Uganda, 200,000 children under the age of 5 die every year. But the babies in CSP are living!

In Uganda’s CSPs, we first understand that a mother must be healthy if she is to take care of her children. So we make sure our mothers go to a licensed health care center for their medical care, both before and after the baby is born. Since hundreds of thousands of mothers and children in Uganda are infected with AIDS, we also make sure to teach our mothers about protecting themselves and their families from this disease. For mothers who have HIV, we arrange medical care and teach them income-generating activities. But CSP is not just about caring for a family’s physical needs. We believe spiritual poverty is just as deadly as physical poverty.

In the first year that the Bugongi CSP was open, two mothers made a commitment to Christ. Today, 75 of our mothers know Christ as their Savior. These mothers are able to attend Bible studies, discipleship classes and home fellowships. Also, when we visit the homes of these mothers, we pray with them and help them understand how much Jesus loves them.We believe that we can end poverty for the families in our Child Survival Programs. If we can teach our mothers income-generating activities, they can help support their families and gain confidence.

Bugongi CSP runs an adult literacy class, and 26 mothers who formerly could not read and write now write their names, do simple arithmetic. and read in the local languages. Five mothers have successfully graduated with certificates in fashion and design. Mothers are also given skills in crocheting and home baking.

If you could visit us at the Bugongi CSP, I would introduce you to so many of our mothers whose lives have been changed. You would meet Mary, mother to Doreen, who tells us, “CSP has helped me through parenting seminars to attain parenting skills. My child now looks healthy. I have learned to read and write. I now can write my name. I gave my life to Christ through evangelism sessions in CSP.”

And you could meet Anne, who is enrolled with her twins Angel and Andrew. She told me, “CSP has done a lot in my life. I have learned how to prepare a rich meal for my children, the importance of immunization and how to live peacefully with other people. I can now talk in public and I really love my children, play with them and teach them.”

CSP is changing lives. So far, we have witnessed 46 of our children transfer to the sponsorship program. These children are well developed physically, spiritually, socially and mentally. All because there are CSP partners who believe in releasing children from poverty in Jesus’ name.

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