For a while now, we’ve — well, more like you have — been discussing “Should I visit my sponsored child?”

Here’s one thing you need to consider when you ask yourself that question. It’s courtesy of Whittaker Woman and the blog trip to El Salvador.

Keep in mind, the girls speaking aren’t even her sponsored children.

If you can’t visit your children, and we understand that it’s not always possible, you need to know this. It’s an absolute truth. Your sponsored children want to hear from you!

Heather’s got it all down on her blog. You should see for yourself.

The thing they desired most for you to know is how important being a sponsor is.

You are important. You are their angels, you make a difference.

There was one thing that they pleaded with me to share, THEY WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!

I asked them if they cared if it was written on a card or an email, their answer was ANYTHING.

They just want to hear from you. Every word you say to them is one of the most important things they ever hear. They treasure it, they soak it up, they read it over and over.

So from Gabriella, Jennifer, Beronica, Cindy, Claudia, Clara, Rosio, Carolina, Karan, please write your sponsor child.

It happens to other sponsors, but not to my family. I read about it every week in the prayer brochures, when Compassion employees lift up the needs of sponsors and our staff and children in the field. But it wasn’t ever supposed to happen to our sponsored child.

My parents recently received a phone call from Compassion staff. Alfan Said Yusuph, our 6-year-old from Tanzania, died due to health issues in his abdomen.

I sat at my desk, stunned by the news. Alfan was such an adorable little boy! Full of life!

In his letters, he expressed his love for the picture we sent him of our family dog. He was excelling in school. He shared about all that he was learning about Jesus and talked about the church he attended.

I found myself very distracted the day we heard of his death. I wondered how his family is coping. I wondered what kind of ceremony they would have in Tanzania to remember such a precious child. I wondered if his family realized that his sponsor family was at a loss over what to do.

I stared at his picture. I thought, How do you say goodbye to a sponsored child? Then it hit me – this wasn’t just a hypothetical question, it was a reality in our lives.

And not just in my life, but in the lives of many other sponsors. On average, about five to 10 Compassion-assisted children die each week.

I still haven’t figured out a great way to mourn Alfan’s death. It still makes me sad. I’m still overwhelmed by the tragedy of the death of a child. However, I cling to hope! I cling to hope and joy that someday, Alfan and I will be reunited.

I anxiously await the day that Alfan and I will meet at the feet of our Savior, Jesus Christ. The day where we are both in heaven, embracing, and praising God for the beauty of binding our hearts together during our short times on Earth.

We should all cling to the promise of God from Isaiah 25:8a (NIV):

“He will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces …”

Because when loss is involved, Christ is our only hope in the face of death.

Recently, I’ve had the opportunity in my job to read a lot about development. After all, development is what Compassion is about. We don’t want to give a handout; we want to do the things that will truly help a child become a self-sustaining, responsible adult.

And although you might not think that theories of international development have much to do with you, they certainly do.

We are compassionate and generous people, and when we hear about a need, we want to help! We want to do something! But our first reactions of how to help may not necessarily be the best ways in which we can help. So understanding how development happens is vital as we seek to do good in this world.

Here are a few things I’ve learned … (more…)

Do you remember Richmond? He’s one of the Wess Stafford-Moody Bible Institute Scholarship recipients Celina told you about.

Do you have 21 minutes? If so, you’ll be hard-pressed not to be impressed by this humble man.

Greg Nettle, senior pastor of Rivertree Christian Church, conducts the interview.

Over on another blog post – Are My Letters Really That Important? – several sponsors have started trying to connect with other people who sponsor a child in the same child development center(s).

Until we have a better way to help you with this – which we are working on and we think you’re gonna love! – let’s make this post the home for making connections.

This post was originally published November 28, but some things have changed.

You have until December 21 to order your child packets, and until January 30, 2009 to mail in your completed sponsorship forms.

If you’re reading this, you’re most likely already transforming lives with us. Or you’re curious about what we do and how we work. Either way, we’re inviting you to help us inspire others to rescue children from poverty in Jesus’ name.

This battle we are in — the battle against hopelessness and lies — places millions of lives at stake. And of the more than 1 million children we help, more than 165,000 children still desperately need sponsors. Will you ask your friends, co-workers, family members and neighbors to sponsor these?

If you will, we’ll send you child packets of children waiting for sponsors so you can share the packets with others.

If you find the most child sponsors by December 21, 2008 January 30, 2009, we will send you and a guest on an all-expense paid trip to a country where we work!

You’ll be able to choose from upcoming trips and travel with a group of sponsors to see our ministry firsthand.

You’ll meet the children we are rescuing — face to face.

Also, every person who finds a sponsor for a child will be entered into a drawing for a trip.

Order your child packets today, and thank you for your devotion to God’s children.

P.S. If you’re not already a sponsor and you want to be eligible to win a trip, please sponsor a child first, then order your child packets. Once you’re a sponsor, we’ll be able to credit your referrals to your account.