As the sun fades away, I rest with a million thoughts and concerns for that one child who once lacked a safe place to lay his head for the night, a full stomach, and the ability to overcome hopelessness.
In the quest to share my times and moments as a sponsored child, I’ve come across amazing men and women of faith with hearts of gold on a mission to serve wholly.
I must admit, it is precious to hear their expectations, including how they can motivate and have great impact on their sponsored child.
Twenty-plus years down the line, Compassion International is the benchmark of hope in the heart of Africa’s second-largest slum in addition to many other communities under similar conditions. Compassion offers cutting-edge opportunities to lay a foundation of Christian faith, set a meal, and provide quality medical attention.
There are many of us who pose as a testimony to such a journey worth patience and trust.
Age 6 marked the genesis to my relationship with a young sponsor from thousands of miles away who shaped me into the husband, brother and scholar that I am today.
Without Compassion at the scene, I wonder who and where would I be and what my relationship with Christ would look like.
No doubt, education would have been a tale to a little poor kid engraved in a community of crime, drug addiction, HIV/AIDS, illiteracy and poverty. Still, I go strong.
Without Christ, I would be nowhere and nobody.
For many years I saw unsponsored children clinging on the child development center’s fence around mealtimes in hopes of getting food just like those of us who were sure of a nutritious meal.
This image has always been part of my driving force for speaking at Compassion events: I believe every child sponsored is equivalent to at least one waiting for food on the other side of the fence.
As the world keeps changing faces — be it politically or socially — many seem to overlook poverty and turn to social stratification. This raises attention to the widespread poverty in developing countries.
As a person who lived through such poverty, I believe it is the individual who is able to make a difference — one child at a time.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Born in Nairobi, Kenya, Godfrey Miheso graduated from Sterling College with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication in 2011. He currently resides in Orlando, Florida, with his wife, Kate, where he coaches soccer at Orlando City Youth Soccer and The Master’s Academy.