Matthew never stopped smiling as the children swarmed around him and wanted to shake his hand. Even though he was not their sponsor, the children were thrilled to meet the very first sponsor to visit their child development center.

“Matthew! Matthew! Look at my picture!”

The children called out enthusiastically in Indonesian as they ran to Matthew, carrying pieces of paper in their hands to show off their artwork.

Matthew responded in English, a language they had never heard before, and smiled warmly at them, causing them to laugh.

Although the children could not understand what Matthew said, they were delighted with his presence.

Matthew is a young man from the United States who, since January 2009, has given from his heart to support one of the registered children at Sangihe Evangelical Church in Kolongan Beha, Sangihe Island.

He sponsors Mariana, a child who lives in East Indonesia on Sangihe Island, where her child development center is located.

Although their communication before Matthew’s visit was only through letters, Matthew and Mariana enjoy sharing many things as they write to one another.

They understand that mail can seem slow because it first has to be processed and sorted through our Global Ministry Center before it is sent to Mariana’s home country. Our office in Indonesia then processes the letters by dividing them according to area, then sends them to each development center.

Although Mariana and Matthew have to go through a long process to send and receive letters, they never stop writing about their day-to-day lives.

This includes sharing information about their family members or their favorite things.

Mariana wrote in one letter that she learned about Jesus Christ.

“I like to share anything that I experience with Brother Matthew because he loves to hear what I am doing every day.”

As their friendship grew, Matthew wanted to meet Mariana face-to-face and interact with her directly. Matthew took a big step: He decided to go to Indonesia and visit his sponsored child.

So along with a friend, Matthew traveled to Indonesia. In addition to meeting Mariana in person, he touched more lives than he had ever imagined. Matthew had not realized that his decision to visit Mariana would impact other children, parents and community members who at times had doubted whether their “invisible” sponsors actually existed.

Pastor Leopold Tamalawe of Sangihe Evangelical Church shared,

“People in this area did not believe that children have sponsors. They thought sponsors were just in a dream and they thought we lied to them.”

Because a sponsor had never before come to visit the Ikhtus Student Center, this belief is not surprising.

Sangihe Island is one of the remote areas of East Indonesia that can be reached only by an eight-hour boat ride or by plane, and it is not well known to foreigners. Not many people, especially from abroad, visit this island.

“It is very rare to see people from abroad come here, especially sponsors of our children.”

When Matthew arrived at the center, the children surrounded him to shake his hand and hug him. Children everywhere long for their sponsors to come and meet them personally, and as the first sponsor to visit the Ikhtus Student Center, Matthew demonstrated to the children and their families the reality of sponsors and their love for the children.

Matthew’s first opportunity to see Mariana in real life came when he and a translator picked her up from school. After meeting the school principal and asking about Mariana’s academic progress, Matthew and the translator then visited Mariana’s house. Mariana smiles as she describes her first experience with Matthew,

“I took Brother Matthew to play and took cassava that we planted behind our house for our lunch. He even liked to eat it. We ate it together.”

Matthew spent several hours with Mariana and her family, trying local dishes like cassava. He also tried pineapple, fried banana, and panada — fried local cookies filled with vegetables or meat. Matthew even went to see the sweet potato tree.

Fransin, the development center coordinator, shares,

“Matthew loved to try anything. He not made difference between Western people who has to eat Western dish with Asian people like us.”

During their short time together, Mariana and Matthew really enjoyed interacting in person. Although they could talk only through the translator, they communicated through actions such as holding hands and sharing one coconut with two straws.

They encouraged each other and promised to continue upholding one another in their daily prayers.

“Brother Matthew promised to keep praying for me, so I can reach my dream one day. He also asked me to pray for his ministry so he can help others to know Jesus more.”

Matthew’s visit was not only a special moment for Mariana, but it was also special for the other children who felt their sponsors’ love through Matthew because he was very welcoming to all the children. Fransin told us,

“After Matthew’s visitation to our development center, we can see that children and their parents realized that the invisible sponsors that they thought were a lie all this time have great love for them.

“We also got acknowledgment from local government in Sangihe because the development center impacted tourism sector in this area. Many foreign people are getting know about Sangihe Island.

“Even though we live far away from North Sulawesi capital city, but we believe a step of a sponsor has changed everything.”

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

A trip never imagined!

A table, a photo of a child, and a curious young boy all led us to a trip we never imagined possible!

Ten years ago our son, Torrey, saw a photo of James in a Compassion packet. Torrey read that James liked music, sports and reading. Torrey liked all of those things as well. James was the same age as Torrey and lived with his mother and father.

James lived in India. Torrey lived in the United States. Two young boys who enjoyed the same hobbies yet lived vastly different lives.

Torrey picked up the photo of James from the table and brought it to me.

“Mom, we need to sponsor James.”

Thus began a 10-year-long relationship with James through Compassion International.

Last fall my husband, Jay, observed,

“James will be graduating from the Compassion Child Sponsorship Program. I doubt we will ever get to meet him.”

Meet James? Never even considered it a possibility. He lives in India. When are we going to go to India? Do I even want to go to India?

Recently our entire family made the phenomenal trip. We flew halfway around the world to Chennai, India and boarded a sleeper train for a 12-hour ride to Tuticorin.

Then we rode in a bus through crazy traffic to a quiet village 30 miles outside of Tuticorin to meet James.

We were greeted with flowers and smiles by James and his mother and father; his brother, Johnson; and his sister, Jemi. We hugged, ate, walked and visited for an entire day with James, our Indian son!

The next day, James and his sister traveled with us as we visited a few Compassion programs in the area.

We spent the morning at a Child Survival Program. Babies galore! The Child Survival Program assists mothers in taking care of their babies. Through this program mothers are taught proper care and feeding of their babies.

The women are also taught how to learn a trade in order to provide for their families. Many of these young mothers have husbands who are not around or cannot provide for their families. In this particular program many of the women made baskets and scarves and sold them in markets to make some money.

We visited a child development center as well. This center was the one James had attended as a child.

A child development center is a haven for sponsored children to attend Bible classes, enjoy recreation, and receive much-needed food, medication and other essentials. This visit was great fun because we got to see James in his element, with his friends.

Goodbye was bittersweet: the hugs, the tears, the joy of meeting our son and the pain of saying goodbye. All I can remember is James saying,

“Please don’t forget me.”

A trip never imagined became a trip never to be forgotten.

1.2 billion people live in India. 600 million of them live in poverty. 200 million of those people live on less than $1 a day. Paul, the country director for Compassion, shared,

“Some days I feel as if I am digging a hole with a toothpick.”

We understand this sentiment.

We know that through our son, Torrey, we have made a difference in the life of James. He has a brighter future. He has received a good education. Most importantly, James loves Jesus. Yet this is only scratching the surface of what can be done in India — one child at a time.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Laura Laffoon and her husband, Jay, live in Alma, Michigan with their children, Torrey and Grace. They are the founders of Celebrate Ministries, Inc., a ministry helping couples celebrate marriage. The Laffoons have been Compassion sponsors for 10 years.

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

When I began sponsoring my little boy in El Salvador I had my heart and mind set on helping a child in poverty.

Tony with his sponsored child Cesar (right) and Cesar's brother

I saw the photo in the child packet, of this adorable creation of God and immediately wanted to throw on my superhero cape to save him.

I saw my child, who is an orphan, as a person in need of as much love and support as anyone could ever offer another human being. However, when I arrived at my child’s development center last month, God showed me something completely different.

I joined a room full of children whom I had never met before and was greeted as if I were a long lost relative. I was greeted by children, some of whom have been rejected and abused by the people who are supposed to protect and watch over them. Instead of hate or resentment, these children had warm hugs and smiles to give out.

How many of us after feeling the sting of rejection and abuse could do the same?

As I surveyed the area surrounding the development center, it was hard to see hope or anything remotely positive. I imagine that the average American looking at what I saw would think how sad or how awful it must be to live in a place like this.

But is it any more awful for a child in the U.S. to live in a home where that child is abused and feels neglected and uncared for?

You and I may not have to worry about where our next meal is coming from, but all too often we can go weeks without hearing a kind word or receiving a hug.

So there I was standing among the children, and I realized:

Sponsorship isn’t about us as sponsors trying to save these children; it’s about us working together to save each other.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Tony Brizendine is an IT technician supporting our global staff. He visited El Salvador on the anniversary of his fifth year of employment at Compassion.

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

Sponsors travel far and wide to visit their sponsored children and see how we work in the field. For many, a visit to their sponsored child’s country is simply not an option. Most likely, it’s because of health or financial limitations.

I would LOVE to go and meet all three of my sponsored children, but I definitely don’t have the thousands of dollars it would cost my husband and I to do so. So why can’t my sponsored children come visit me in Colorado?

Even if the child’s parents allowed them to travel outside of the country (many children have never left their communities), there are many logistics that would make this trip difficult.

A sponsor with her sponsored child

Think about it – arranging the child’s visa and departure requirements, finding a Compassion representative to accompany the child, accommodations, translation issues, and most important – protecting the child from unsafe situations.

Child protection is something we take very seriously. We know that 99 percent of you would smother your sponsored child with love, prayer and encouragement. Regrettably, it’s the few bad apples we have to be careful about.

Allowing a sponsored child to travel to his or her sponsor’s home increases the risk of abuse or exploitation dramatically – a risk we cannot take.

Notice that I said this would be difficult – not impossible. Yes, I admit it. It’s possible. But that doesn’t mean we can allow it.

Our purpose is to holistically develop children through child sponsorship. Bottom line, it’s all about the children and what is best for them.

Yes, a trip to the U.S. or wherever you live may seem like a great cultural experience for your sponsored child, but can you imagine how scary that might be for a child who has never left his or her community? Talk about culture shock.

I don’t like the thought of my sponsored children visiting me. I remember how horrified I was at the depth of poverty I witnessed while visiting Zambia a few years ago. The guilt I felt upon returning to my warm home and fully stocked kitchen was debilitating for several days.

Although it would be fun to show my sponsored children the States, I really don’t want them to see my house, my car or my city. I’ve seen pictures of where they live. I know their circumstances. At the core of me, I don’t want them to see how I’m living. Why you ask? I’m ashamed of it.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m very average according to America’s standards. However, a much different picture is painted according to their standards.

But that’s just me. Everyone’s struggles are different, and this is one of my many.

So no, your sponsored child will not be able to visit you – and maybe you won’t be able to visit him or her. But that’s okay. The words of encouragement you speak in your letters mean everything.

Don’t believe me? Listen for yourself.

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

I was recently able to be a co-leader on a Sponsor Tour to Guatemala (you may have seen some of my previous blogs from that trip). The last day of our trip was the one everyone had waited for — Sponsor/Child Fun Day! It was the day that busloads of sponsored children came to Guatemala City, and their sponsors, many for the first time, meet them.

The day was unique for me, as I don’t have any sponsored children in Guatemala. It was beautiful, watching these sponsors, who have faithfully prayed and written letters over the years, be able to hug their sponsored children. To play with them. To look them in their eyes and tell them how much they are loved.

OK, I was pretty much crying the whole day.

But I saw a phenomenon that day I want to tell you about.

Sean, the leader of our trip, had spoken to the group about how each sponsored child would be uniquely theirs. They may not know the reason exactly, but that child was chosen for that sponsor for a reason. And that sponsor was chosen for that child.

I saw that as I watched these sponsors interacting with their sponsored children. I saw talkative sponsors trying to keep up with their chatty children through the translators. I saw shy children paired with sponsors who were perfectly content sitting and holding their child’s hand.

But I wasn’t prepared for how these children would physically fit into their sponsors’ arms.

It’s like they were made for their hugs.

I saw little girls nuzzle into the shoulders of their sponsors.

And their heads fit just perfectly.

I saw cheeks cupped by hands that seemed to be created for that job alone.

I saw God bringing together people from all walks of life.

Like they were made for each other.

I guess, because they were.

God is amazing like that.

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

We walked on a muddy path that wound through cornfields. The stalks reached above our heads on either side as the rain continued its lazy sprinkling.

There is nothing in the world like visiting a Compassion-assisted child’s home. Absolutely nothing. Nothing can prepare you for the sights, the sounds, the smells. Most of all, nothing can prepare you for the beating your heart is about to take. It’s like you got in a fight with the Holy Spirit. And every time, the Holy Spirit leaves you limping and bruised and, thankfully, a better person for the battle.

We arrived at Cesar’s house and ducked inside. Sheets of blue plastic formed a barrier against the rain, but nothing could stop the water and mud we tracked inside. Stools were brought in for us, and several of us sat on the three beds that took up most of the space.

Cesar’s mother welcomed us warmly. I loved hearing the word “Dios” so often as she spoke. But her story was heartbreaking. Her husband had left her. But before he abandoned her, he had beaten her. What must it have been like for Cesar, the youngest in his family, to watch his mother beaten by the man who was supposed to be his role model?

And then Cesar spoke to us. He told us about having to drop out of school this year because there wasn’t enough money. This quiet 15-year-old explained that he would have to begin working in a fabric plant soon.
And then I watched as every person in that room spoke words of encouragement to this brave, beautiful, inspiring young man.

God has a plan for you.

You will succeed.

You can do anything.

You are talented.

We are proud of you.

We love you.

And I watched as tears poured down his face.

He was ready to give up. You could feel it in every fiber of his being.

But somehow, now, I know that he won’t. Don’t ask me how. I just know.

I know because I watched a sponsor envelop Cesar in his arms. I watched that sponsor’s heart break. And in that brokenness, I saw determination.

Cesar and his family knelt while our group circled around him.

We prayed, our words thick with tears.

Their prayers were fervently whispered.

And the rain began to pour, thundering on the roof.

I have never heard a more beautiful sound.

After the last amen, Cesar’s mother rushed into the yard. I watched her grab a stick, and begin poking at the pear tree in their yard.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

Pears fell to the ground. She picked them up and brought them to us.

“Muchas gracias,” she said to us.

“Gracias,” we repeated.

She wanted so badly to give us something back.

Little did she know how full our hearts already were.

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

If you can, please do. If you can’t, please use all the words you need.

And if you haven’t met your sponsored child, or think you may never be able to, live vicariously through this 29-minute subtitled video, which recently aired on Dutch television. It documents a young sponsor’s trip to meet her child for the first time.

Watch it and you’ll understand what the sponsor means when she says,

“It’s beautiful to meet him. Yes, it’s worth everything.”

You can also view this “What’s It Like” Compassion Netherlands television documentary on Vimeo.

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

Chico is an adorable 9 -year-old sponsored child. He and eight other family members live in one house with no electricity. His mother, Miriam, does what she can to support her family.

“I work all day, every day to take care of my children. I make tostadas and sell them. Since their father left me, it’s up to me.”

Making and selling tostadas brings in about $10 a day.

While we interviewed the family, Laura, a sponsor from Virginia Beach, Va., asked Chico if he knew Jesus. After our interpreter, Carlota, asked Chico the question for us, she started to cry. I couldn’t figure out why.

Carlota explained that Chico’s answer was no, but that he was ready to invite Jesus into his heart. He had heard about Jesus at his development center, but hadn’t committed his life to Him yet. So, right there in the middle of their kitchen, Laura led Chico in a prayer of salvation.

She explained to Chico that when someone invites Jesus into their heart, angels in heaven rejoice (Luke 15:10). She told him, “The angels are having a big party for you, Chico, right now.”

Chico’s smile at that moment will stay with me the rest of my life.

If you’re part of Compassion’s ministry, you were a part of this moment.

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

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.

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

When I came home from that trip, I signed up to be a volunteer child advocate. I made coffee mugs with photos of my sponsored children on them, and I spoke of the kids often.

“Hey Patterson, you know those kids that you’re so fond of? ”

“Yeah, Norm.”

“I think we should sponsor one of those kids as a shift.”

I explained to Norm that a typical child sponsorship is under $40, but then I told him about the Leadership Development Program. I suggested that if we were able to get 12 firefighters together, we could sponsor a Leadership Development Program student and it would cost only $25 per person each month.

Norm made a commitment immediately and started recruiting others. I contacted Compassion the following day, and later that afternoon we had a student to sponsor – Juan David Dominquez Galvez.

At age 5, Juan David had lost his father in a construction accident. His mother was left alone to care for four children. In her desperation, she enrolled Juan David in the Compassion-assisted child development center in their community outside the capital city of Santo Domingo.

Shortly after enrollment, Juan David was sponsored. His new sponsors, the Hopper family in Australia, wrote letters of encouragement often and continued to do so for 13 years.

Thanks to the support of his sponsors, Juan not only graduated high school, but he also earned his school’s Most Excellent Student Award. Then Juan applied for the Leadership Development Program and, after months of academic tests and intensive interviews, was accepted into the program.

Just a couple weeks after Juan David became eligible for the program, I returned to the Dominican Republic with my wife and daughters on another sponsor tour. We knew that on this trip we would not only be able to visit the girls we sponsor, but we would also have the opportunity to meet Juan David and tell him about a group of firefighters who would be his sponsors for the next six years.

On Wednesday evening of the trip, the Compassion staff had prepared a meal for the visiting sponsors. Four Leadership Development Program students were asked to give their testimonies. One of them was Juan David.

It was on this evening that Juan David learned that he had been sponsored, and that his dream of becoming a pediatrician is possible. When he heard the news, he wept. So did 40 Compassion sponsors.

Being part of this amazing student’s life has had great impact on many people. Juan David continues to communicate with the Hopper family in Australia. My family and the Hopper family communicate with each other regularly by e-mail. Juan’s letters to his sponsors and to my family are regular reminders of God’s grace. To my children, he is a living example of faith.

Today, Juan David and his fellow Leadership Development Program students in the Dominican Republic express their gratitude for the opportunity they have been given by sponsoring a little girl in Haiti, named Lovina.

I look forward to the day when I sit beside a group of firefighters from Seattle at Juan David’s graduation ceremony.

Who can you sponsor a student with?

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