Your Top 5 Compassion Stories of 2021
As editor of the Compassion USA blog, I always love looking back over the previous year to see which articles resonated with you the most. It gives me a chance to reflect on the powerful stories and photos that come from our photojournalists around the world and writers in the U.S. I also get an idea of what type of content to gather and share with you in the year to come. In case you missed them, here were the top stories of 2021 on the Compassion USA blog.
A Very Maasai Christmas
Seven-year-old Pesi is part of the Child Sponsorship Program at a church in Kenya. She is also a member of the Maasai people. Every year since she can remember, her family has celebrated Christmas.
The Tear-Jerking End to Norah’s Search for Her Sponsors
A graduate of Compassion’s program gets the surprise of her life when she meets the people who sponsored her as a child.
Bolivian Church Helps Father of 7 Get Back on the Road
Richart has seven children. When he was diagnosed with hydrocephalus — a serious condition where fluid builds up on the brain — he worried how he could afford treatment, especially as he couldn’t work. With the support of a Compassion church partner in Bolivia, he received the care he needed.
We Asked Alumni to Write 1 Final Letter to Their Former Sponsors
Vitoria was the first child I sponsored with Compassion. In her photo, she had pigtails and a shy smile. I wrote letters to her where we talked about the grades she made in school and her dreams to be a veterinarian. I watched her grow up through letters and photos for over a decade. She graduated from the Compassion program in 2015, and I never got to meet her.
The Moment When 2 Sponsors Saw “Behind the Scenes”
It was 1995 when 20-year-old Bonnie picked up a child sponsorship packet from a table at church. She looked down at the photo of a girl in Uganda who was waiting for a sponsor. It would be 26 years before Bonnie realized the magnitude of her decision to become part of Norah’s amazing story by sponsoring her that day.
She Never Knew She Had a Twin Sister — Until Now
Twin sisters who were separated as toddlers and raised without knowledge of each other were reunited at their Compassion center after both were registered in the Child Sponsorship Program.
Musician Mike Donehey Shares Why (and How) He Writes to the Kids He Sponsors
Most people know Mike Donehey for his singing and songwriting. But the children Mike sponsors know him for another reason: his letters of encouragement.
Mike has been sponsoring children through Compassion since 2000, when he chose his first child at a music festival.
How Salt Saved the Day in This Indonesian Village
Salt is a highly sought-after commodity in the Indonesian village where Filia lives. Her father, Bagus, leads and mentors an income generation program for new farmers, initiated and funded by the local Compassion center.
From Hunger to Hope: A Brave Girl Named Norah
Norah’s mother, a hairdresser, and her father, a soldier in the Rwandan army, worked hard to provide for their daughter. But when war and genocide tore through Rwanda in 1994, it also ripped a hole straight through Norah’s heart.
What I Want To Be: 10 Kids With Big Dreams
In partnership with local churches, Compassion sponsors allow kids to dream about the future by helping to meet their physical, emotional and spiritual needs.
Hear from 10 special kids as they share their dreams.
How to Go From Guilt to Gratitude With Your Letter Writing
If you haven’t written to your sponsored child for a while — or ever — you’re not alone. So don’t feel guilty. Read their letter and be reminded of the difference you’re making in their life; then write a few lines in return before life gets in the way. You’ll go from guilt to gratitude in minutes.
