Our Mission Statement Expanded and Explained
Our mission is our enduring purpose. It describes why we exist, what we are passionate about and what our programs are meant to accomplish. It’s summed up in the phrase, “Releasing children from poverty in Jesus’ name.”
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Thirty years ago I went to Brazil as a short-term missionary with five other young adults. Little did I know how much that one decision would shape the rest of my life.
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Join Us for One Day Without Shoes
Join us tomorrow, April 5, 2011, in TOMS Shoes’ annual event — One Day Without Shoes — to raise awareness of the impact a pair of shoes can have on a child’s life.
The Trials of Job
When I asked how we could pray for the family, Job started to cry. I was told, “Job needs to experience a father’s love right now.”
Undercover With Compassion
I have been feeling challenged lately to get closer to the heart of Compassion, where we interact with sponsors, churches and children. I recently read a quote from a top executive of a large retail chain (I can’t remember which one — maybe Best Buy). He said, “I have never wasted a day visiting a store.” So, I arranged a trip to Honduras where I spent six days at two different child development centers in the central zone of the country … the Honduras Country Office did a marvelous job of setting this trip up so that I could be a regular guy without any fanfare or protocol.
Bearing Good Fruit
The ministry that Compassion does around the world is development. And, just as in farming, we do what we do for the outcomes—the fruit—not for the activities themselves. A farmer doesn’t grow trees because it’s good to grow trees; he grows trees in order to get the apples. At Compassion, we don’t busy ourselves with activities, because the activities are good, but because we want to see an outcome of our labor—good fruit.
Living the Legacy
We are all in a story. A great creative process of writing history and being swept up in history at the same time.
God is the author of the BIG story, the story of His great love and redemption. And we’re all a part of that big story. But we each have our own stories to write, and I believe that God invites us to joyfully and playfully join Him in the creative process of writing our parts.
The World Needs Light Now More Than Ever
I expect that many of you are aware of the global economic situation. Developed economies around the world are reeling. Food prices around the globe have skyrocketed. Businesses are struggling.
Non-profits are laying people off, cutting back programs and scrambling for donations. The world seems dark.
So, how will we respond?
We will not shrink back in the face of adversity. God has called us to be an advocate for children in poverty, and the children need our voice to ring strong and clear when speaking out on their behalf.
We know that when the rich of the world catch a cold, the poor get pneumonia. When the well-off suffer, the poor die. The world needs light now more than ever.
Nonetheless, economics are a reality.
You, our sponsors and donors around the world, are feeling the financial strain already and will likely feel this for months, if not years, to come. So, what do we expect the impact on Compassion to be?
Truthfully, only God knows. But we know that in the end God will prevail.
We know that He will be faithful to His word and to His promises and so, with God’s help, we will prevail. Things may not go exactly according to our plans, but I am confident that God will continue to allow us to help more and more children in a deeper and more profound way, despite the economic and food crises.
In our Executive Group devotions the other day, my co-worker Laurie shared from Isaiah 42 and I think it was Scripture meant for all of us.
Since we are to be Christ in this world, read the passage below knowing that Compassion is God’s servant:
“Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him and he will bring justice to the nations. …He will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth. …I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles. …I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them.” (VS. 1, 4, 6, 16, NIV).
So, be encouraged. We are all in the palm of God’s hand, and as we pray for the children one million children around the world are praying for us.
Compassion Sri Lanka
In addition to the expectation and excitement of registering our first child in Togo later this year, I’m very excited to say that two weeks ago our Board of Directors unanimously approved plans to begin work in Sri Lanka.
Of course, there is still much preparation that needs to be done to launch this new country, but we’ve proposed a timeline that includes registering the first children in Sri Lanka during the summer of 2009.
Please pray with us that this will be a smooth process, that doors will open as needed and that many little lives in Sri Lanka will be changed for eternity.
“Poster Boy” Done Good!
A few years back, Israel Candia from Bolivia served as our “poster boy” for the Leadership Development Program* (LDP). He entered our Child Sponsorship Program at age 4 and graduated from LDP in 2004.
Today, Israel is demonstrating the Lordship of Christ by serving as pastor of the Villa Moscu Church. He is also supporting himself economically by practicing law. And, on March 29 he exchanged wedding vows with his beautiful bride, Benedicta!
So, our “poster boy” done good! And that means, you done good! Way to go! Way to go Israel! And, of course, way to go God who “is able to do far more than we would ever dare to ask or even dream of…” (Ephesians 3:20, Living Bible).
*This content honors our historical Leadership Development Program. To learn more about our current youth development opportunities, click here.
