Many of you have asked about the impact Hurricane Ida had on your children as it moved through El Salvador. As we receive specific details from the El Salvador office about they’ve been affected we will contact you.

The good news is that no children were physically hurt. But we understand that you want more information.

Here’s an “on the ground” perspective from Shaun Groves and the Compassion Bloggers.

What happens when a hurricane hits the U.S.?

Telethons. Thousands donated.

FEMA. Thousands housed.

Hospitals. Thousands healed.

Insurance. Thousands rebuild.

What happens when a hurricane hits a house made of mud?

When earth by the ton gives way and slides through a neighborhood?

When beds, clothes, and families are swallowed up by flood waters and mud?

What happens when all this happens in a small village in the smallest nation in Central America? With almost no government resources? Without insurance and a hospital nearby or a car to visit it? What happens then?

The Church happens.

Read what that means on Shaun’s blog. And watch the video he included in the post.

Apparently, a singing bunny has made its way into our child sponsorship program in El Salvador. The Compassion Bloggers saw it.

Sponsor a singing bunny in El Salvador.

Thanks for the video Patricia.

These tips come courtesy of Shaun Groves, learned from his personal experience as a speaker on behalf of children in poverty, figuring out what works and what doesn’t … usually.

They are relevant whether you’re speaking in front of a crowd of thousands or to one person in an elevator.

They are as true for persuading people via Twitter, blogs or Facebook as they are for concerts and festivals.

They will help you effectively speak up on behalf of children in need and our holistic Christian approach to releasing children from poverty in Jesus’ name.

1. Tell us a story. The best arguments and the greatest passion in the world are forgotten sooner than a story. Every bit of advice here can be carried out in a story.
2. Don’t lie. Exaggerating is lying.
3. Why do you care? You’re not in it for the money, right? No, you saw something, felt something, learned something once that changed your heart and mind. You were captivated, fell in love, got angry. Tell us a story that shows us why you care and we’ll probably care, too.

Read Shaun’s entire list.

Hello. My name is Gail Perry Johnston. I’m an author, art director and speaker … and a wife and mother of two.

I started sponsoring children when I was 14. Now close to 50, that’s a lot of years of making a difference in kids’ lives with relatively little effort, thanks to Compassion and a few other well-run organizations.

Why aren’t all people of adequate means sponsoring children?

Fear of the unknown? Fear of commitment? Ignorance of the fact that they can, in fact, spare the change?

Maybe it’s simply that they still haven’t heard of it yet.

My main career is graphic design, but I’ve also become a bit of a writer. My faith has largely been developed through the simple pleasure of curling up with a good book — thank you C.S. Lewis, Paul Little, Jim Burns — and I would like to give back in the way that I have been impacted, or at least try.

With the subject matters I tackle, I hope to ignite interest in the most important things in life (which are not “things” at all, of course).

Two years ago, I compiled a collection of stories about service. It’s called The Social Cause Diet: Find A Service That Feeds The Soul.

Three of the 45 stories are from avid Compassion fans and spokespeople:

• Shaun Groves
• Justin McRoberts
• Shannon Lowe

I am so grateful for their contributions (and their awesomeness), and anticipate increased awareness of child sponsorship through them.

Presently, I’m working on Volume Two of The Social Cause Diet. If you are reading this blog, it’s likely that you have a story to share! Please consider writing it down and submitting it through www.socialcausediet.com.

As with the first volume, my goal is to communicate that “it is more blessed to give than to receive” while showcasing a wide variety of services. The more stories, the better, and the greater chance readers will find ways in which they would like to serve.

I should mention why the word “diet” is in the title of my book. (more…)

After seven years of selling music on those little silver discs, I’m giving it away. My new song, “Kingdom Coming,” is totally free. But it might cost you something else.

Let me explain.

When you download the song you will not be asked for any money, or a friend’s e-mail address, or to fill out a survey.

“Kingdom Coming” is totally free. Truly! No strings attached.

But the song, I hope, will move many who hear it to give to those in tremendous need around the world, and right next door.

“Kingdom Coming” was inspired by my many years of partnering with Compassion to release children from poverty in 25 of the world’s poorest countries.

Four years ago, after seeing for myself how far a little goes in the developing world, my wife and I were inspired to sell our house, cut off the cable and make several other changes in an effort to simplify our lives so that others could simply live.

Because of those changes our expenses are so low that we’ve been able to do nothing for the last four years but sing and speak (100 times a year) and blog on behalf of Compassion, at no charge to the public.

In that time thousands of children have been sponsored through Compassion and have been educated, fed, healed, played with, and told about the love of Jesus as a result. This free download, and the ones to follow, are just the next logical progression for us.

When you visit http://www.shaungroves.com/freemusic, you’ll see a small link to compassion.com. My hope is that thousands of you will download “Kingdom Coming” for free, enjoy it, and then click that link and decide to meet the physical and spiritual needs of a child through a local church in the developing world by sponsoring them.

Helping me spread “Kingdom Coming” and the free music download page is helping bring the Kingdom (God’s will done on earth as it is in heaven) to the developing world.

Please, e-mail this song or link to a friend, use it at your church, play it on the radio, make a YouTube video, let your Facebook friends know about it. I own this song and all rights to it, and you hereby officially have my permission to use it in anyway you’d like as long as no one’s being charged to hear it.

Thank you for listening, giving and passing this music and message on.

Please let me know if I can ever serve you in any way.

- Shaun

And they’re off! Well, not yet. But they will be on November 2.

Be a part of the five-day experience (November 2-7) as these bloggers learn and talk about our ministry in the Dominican Republic (DR) first hand.

• Melanie – BigMama
• Jennifer Donovan – 5 Minutes for Mom
• Mary Ostyn – Owlhaven.net
• Tim Challies – Challies.com
• Shaun Groves – Shlog
• Brian Seay – A Simple Journey
• Marlboro Man, from ThePioneerWoman.com

We encourage you to visit each blog daily to find out what’s happening in the DR.

Would you like to be a Compassion Blogger?

Submit your blog, and add your voice to theirs. Tell the world how you are helping release children from poverty in Jesus’ name.

The Compassion Bloggers are at it again.

Uganda last February. The Dominican Republic this November.

Here’s who’s going. Go ahead and get familiar.

• Jennifer Donovan – 5 Minutes for Mom
• Mary Ostyn – Owlhaven.net
• Tim Challies – Challies.com
• Marlboro Man, from ThePioneerWoman.com
• Melanie – BigMama
• Shaun Groves – Shlog