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.

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 a sponsor tour 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

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…)

Hello everyone. This will be my last post from Mexico. I need to put the computer aside and experience God.

I’ve lost my way and made this trip about something other than Him.

I’ve uploaded another 50 photos to Flickr tonight. I’ll have more after August 23, when I return home.

I’ll also have some video of the welcome presentations at the two child development centers we visited today.

And I’ll have one more blog post.

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.

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 . . .

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.