In honor of the one month anniversary of my visit to the King’s Children Ambassadors Student Center (ME-730) and the Jesus’ Friends Student Center (ME-737), I finally have some video for you.

I wouldn’t call the cinematography enthralling. It’s kinda got an “old Aunt Betty filmed a home movie” feel to it, but despite that, I do think I captured something unique to sponsor tour visits - the welcome that visiting sponsors receive. Hope you enjoy it.

P.S. You should thank my “old Aunt Betty” (a.k.a. Brianne) for getting these videos presentable.

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Wanna peek into my e-mail inbox?

I have the great pleasure of “talking” (read: e-mailing) each day with some of our great staff around the world. They always challenge me with their perspective.

I’ve been reading along with all the posts and comments about visiting your sponsored child, as I weigh the decision of when to make a trip. (I just happen to sponsor children in two of the most expensive countries to visit!)

This e-mail from Samuel Llanes, our field communication specialist in Guatemala, about his recent experience accompanying a sponsor tour gave me a new perspective on sponsor visits.

We’ve talked a lot about how it impacts the sponsor and how it impacts the child, but this e-mail made me realize a whole other aspect: how it impacts the universal Body of Christ. As we visit members of our family around the world, God uses it to unify us, helping us to recognize that we are part of a global family — the Body of Christ.

Hi Amber,

I want to share with you about what I learned in this sponsor tour we had this summer.

Commitment

I knew the kind of heart a sponsor is supposed to have but NEVER had the experience of “experiencing” it first hand. It was amazing to see and feel the kind of heart they have and how humble they are. And not just them, but even their family! Some of the sponsors came with their entire family and it was so awesome seeing how their kids were so “into” everything! Some of those kids started passing around a plastic bag to collect food to give later to some of the students at the center. For me, it was really amazing. Also, there were some “advocates” there. I had never had the chance to see one of them, but I saw how a heart like theirs really is!

Tenderness

I saw some of them who met their sponsored children for the first, second or third time. They were so happy (they were even crying!) when they saw them! For me, it was a very touching thing to witness because I could see and prove their commitment toward our fellow sponsored children! It really touched my heart, and those people are a real blessing to me!

A Genuine Heart for the Poor and Compassion International’s Help

I know that the American culture can sometimes be seen as a cold and individualistic culture, but this trip taught me that not everybody is like that. All the sponsors had an utterly different way of treating people (and even me! Hehe!) and they broke indeed a lot of paradigms I had about the American culture. I never saw hearts like those EVER in my life, and I was completely touched by it.

Love

Seeing how humble their hearts and spirits were for the children it’s something indescribable! I could see God’s love showed there and I couldn’t believe it. It was like they were their very own children!

These are what I thought were the most remarkable things I saw. My heart continues to be shaped into something different, and know that I truly want to make a difference as I write these stories! I am so glad I work for God, and I want to serve him for the rest of my life!

Sam

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Last week, I was in Mexico. On a sponsor tour. And I saw the deepest, darkest poverty of my life.

But I didn’t have to travel to ME, the abbreviation we use when referring to Mexico, to see it. I only had to look at me.

I was in Mexico for the wrong reason. I didn’t go for the children, to become a stronger, more passionate voice for them. To serve them better. To serve you better. I went because I like to travel. I went for me.

There certainly are solid business reasons for me to have gone on the trip, but I didn’t get out of my own way long enough to realize them. I hate that.

How do I redeem the opportunity God gave me and that I squandered? (more…)

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Yesterday ended today at 1:30 a.m. 16 bags were missing. Some still are.

The start line for the Mexico City Marathon was right outside of our hotel, in the Zocalo. I’m told that fireworks announced the “presence” of the race at 5:30 a.m and again at 7 a.m. I slept through ‘em.

My roommate told me I yelled in my sleep during the night - twice. I do that sometimes.

Breakfast was an authentic Mexican buffet. I don’t know everything I ate, but I liked it all. That’s why I made two trips.

The white drizzle on the pancakes tasted like vanilla. YUM! Some people think vanilla is for weenies. What say you?

The green drink was called “mixed juice.” It tasted like celery.

We had a great view from our breakfast table.

We attended church at The Caminando Junto con la Ninez Student Center (ME-857), and enjoyed their lunchtime hospitality afterwards.

Lunch was tasty. I had two bowls of whatever it was. I was told what it was, but I don’t remember.

After service and lunch, we piled on to the Magical Mystery Sponsor Tour Bus and got lost. The magical mystery part is how we manage to squeeze down the narrow roads around here.

While lost we saw two dead dogs on the side of the road and debated over a third. He was sleeping. We also made an infinity-point turn to go back in the direction we had just come from ’cause we wanted to get unlost.

At the end of the day, we climbed the Teotihuacan piramide and got rained on as we descended. My camera died at the top of the pyramid, taken as a sacrifice by the Teotihuacan gods.

But it did manage a few pics before giving up its life. Here’s one.

The pyramids’ resident vendors were offering amazing prices for their wares. “Just for us.” That’s what they said. The price? “Almost free.”

Tomorrow, we will spend the morning at the Compassion Mexico office, have lunch with the office staff and then catch a plane to Tuxtla Gutierrez.

Tuesday is when we get to lovin’ some kiddos. Hope the Internet works down there.

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We heard what you think about visiting your sponsored children. And some of you shared some great experiences with us too, which got us wanting more.

Want! Want! Want! That’s us.

So, if you didn’t comment, haven’t ever commented or still have more to say, finish this sentence:

On my sponsor tour . . .

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I’m going to Mexico! And I want you to come with me.

I was left behind once, and I’m grateful it wasn’t in the “missed the Rapture” sense. Because of that experience I will do my best to make you feel like you’re in Mexico with me.

I’m going to Mexico as a co-leader on a sponsor tour, not as a Compassion Blogger.

My first responsibility on the trip is to support the sponsors who are traveling with us to meet their sponsored children. However, you will always be in my thoughts.

I intend to:

• upload photos to our Flickr photostream, and I’ll add the best ones to our Flickr group, which you can see in the sidebar under Your Flickr Photos.
• tweet - send regular text updates of what’s going on - so follow us on Twitter
• write colorful and moving commentary you’ll find here, on this very blog
• take some Blair Witch/Cloverfield amateur-style video to share with you when I get back
• eat lots of beans and rice
• hug lots of kids
• et cetera

I don’t sponsor a child in Mexico but if you do, and they’re at one of these child development centers, let me know. I will TRY to get a photo of your child for you. I cannot promise anything other than I’ll try.

The child development centers are:

• The King’s Children Ambassadors Student Center (ME-730)
• The Jesus’ Friends Student Center (ME-737)
• The House of Bread Student Center (ME-708)

Please don’t leave your child’s name or number in your comment. Just let me know you have a child at one of the centers and someone will contact you via email to get the information.

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Sponsor tours usually cost from $2,000 to $4,000, plus airfare to the departure city.

• Is that the best use of your money?
• What is the benefit to your child — to children in poverty?
• Would it be better to use that money to:
• send a family gift
• sponsor another child
• donate to the Global Food Crisis fund?

When we published our first Ask the Field post, one of the questions we received was:

Is the benefit to the child and sponsor worth the cost of a visit to Uganda? I would love to visit my three sponsored girls, but I hesitate to spend a considerable amount of money for “my dream” when the money could be used to sponsor additional children or ministries. I think I would feel guilty. What are your thoughts? –Shelly Quigg

We thought it would be better to have a discussion on this, to hear more than one person’s opinion, rather than just include it as one question in an entire 10 questions post.

What’s your answer? How should Shelly spend her money?

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As many of you know, I recently took a trip to Bolivia to visit my sponsored children. It was an experience I don’t think I’ll ever forget.

I had planned on visiting my children for a long time, and this was one of the reasons why I sponsored all of my 12 children in one country — Bolivia. This way, I could visit them in one trip, creating a logistical headache for the person in the country office trying to organize all of this. Doing it this way is probably the least expensive way per child to visit them. It’s not for nothing that they say, “Cheaper by the Dozen!” (more…)

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1. Do you have a favorite Bible verse or story that has personal meaning to you?

Yes, I do. My favorite Bible verse is Lamentations 3:21-25. And if you read the whole chapter you’ll see why even more.

My favorite Bible story is the story of Joseph, for I can associate with how brothers (and sisters in my case) can disown you or treat you in a way that suggests that you are not part of the family, and how God uses all those bad experiences not only for His glory but also to lift us up and to bless others in the process.

2. What piece of the Compassion program had the biggest impact on you and your life? (Fellowship with Christians, having access to medical care, meals that were provided, educational opportunities, or something else?)

Gosh, it’s really hard to pick one program that had the most impact because all of them played a major role in my life as I was growing up, but the one that comes to mind was the Thursday Bible study I used to attend when I was 9 years old. It was here that I was exposed to the word of God, which gave me a chance to give my life to Christ (my best decision ever) and equip me with the basic foundation for the Word of God and fellowship with others - something I still treasure to date.

By the way, I can’t forget the meals (which tells you I love to eat … Ha!) coz honestly, this was the only place where most of us children from the slums had the chance to enjoy three meals a day.

And yes, educational opportunities, because I wouldn’t be where I am were it not for the chance to go to school.

3. Are there things Compassion could do to improve their service to young people and families?

(more…)

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Hey! I have new photos of Amisi. I was so blessed to meet him on my trip to Uganda last month.

He’s such an ambitious child! As soon as I gave him his new coloring book, he was on a serious mission to get every page colored.

I bought him some ice cream, but he wasn’t crazy about it at first. He’d never tasted anything so cold. Once it melted though, he became a fan.

I was told the outfit he’s wearing, along with his shoes and socks, were purchased through the Christmas Gift Program.

Amisi is so full of life and joy. It’s hopeful to know he’s receiving health care, food and educational opportunities. And most important — he’s learning about God’s love. To be just a small part of this is such a blessing. Even though he’s only 5 years old, I pray he remembers my visit through the years and knows that I adore him.

During my visit, I also gave him a banner that says, “With God, all things are possible.” As he grows up, I hope he clings to this message. I can’t wait to see how God works in his life. He may be living in a poverty-stricken African village now, but with God, the possibilities for his life are endless.

Have you visited your child? I’d love to hear about it. Leave a comment and tell me!

And if you have any photos, add them to our Flickr group. Be sure to include brief descriptions and I’ll share some of them here in a few days!

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