The Question Game
Warning: This post may be bit uncomfortable…
Before I sponsored my first child back in college, I had a lot of questions:
- Where is all my money going?
- Will this child actually know about me?
- Is she really the one writing these letters?
- Does she really need my money?
Wow! Those questions are somewhat embarrassing to write out, but I want to be honest with you. And honestly, the answers to those questions were about to dictate my opportunity to glorify God and bring hope to a precious little girl.
Since that time and over the years I have learned that I often ask the wrong questions, which can be a problem when I am looking for an answer.
Ever notice how Jesus would often answer a question with a different question? That is one of the reasons why I am so wondrously captivated with Him … His initiative to give us new understanding. He knows the answer but He also knows the question we need to be asking.
Our questions can be very critical to how we are living our lives and what we are putting our hope in.
I’m curious, what questions do you find yourself asking? Be honest, I won’t judge.
If you need a little nudge, I just so happen to have one.
This is Eric Timm. Listen to what he has to say.
You can also view the Question Game on YouTube.
Did you get that? Instead of continuing to ask, “Why is there poverty?” he is now asking, “Where are God’s people?”
This clip, which I saw awhile back, has challenged me to keep my mind focused on the things above when everything in me starts producing a list of questions.
Here is what I believe I should have been asking when it came to sponsorship (or my spending in general):
- Am I glorifying God with how I use my finances?
- Will I be faithful to encourage and support this precious child?
- Am I obeying God in how He has asked me to use His money?
- Do I really need all the stuff I think I need and spend my money on? And if I don’t, who does?
How is that for a dose of perspective? I think it is challenging but in a refreshing kind of way!
OK, here’s your cue. Remember those questions I wanted to know you were asking? Well, through this lens, what questions are you asking now?
Outliers Need Opportunity to Succeed
Malcom Gladwell’s latest book, Outliers, doesn’t mention Compassion once. But it’s still about what Compassion does: We transform lives by giving children in poverty opportunities to succeed.
The Community That Ended Poverty
Just the other day I read something in the Bible that, although I must have read it a hundred times before, never jumped out at me the way it did this time. The words practically threw themselves off the page. I was reading at the end of Acts 4 …
“All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continues to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all. There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands and houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need.” – Acts 4:32-35 (NIV)
Wait a minute … did I read that right? There were no needy persons among them. How did I miss this before?
Back in July we had a discussion about whether or not we should – or even can – end poverty. It was a good discussion with some very insightful comments.
This verse wasn’t mentioned in that discussion, but as I read the verse I started to ponder something.
If the believers in Acts were able to essentially eradicate poverty among their community, why couldn’t we (the Church) follow their lifestyle and do the same today? What would happen if churches would simply start following the model of the Church in Acts? Could we eliminate poverty?
What do you think? Does this verse change how you think about poverty and the Church’s role in ending it?
Do You Sponsor a Child in Ecuador?
If you sponsor a child in Ecuador, at one of these child development centers*, let us know.
- Vida Abundante Student Center (EC-431)
- Eden Student Center (EC-479)
Tom Emmons is traveling to Ecuador next week (January 12-16), and he has agreed to TRY to get a photo of your child for you.
Please don’t leave your child’s name or Compassion number in a comment. Use our contact us form, and we will reply to you via e-mail.
*UPDATE: 1/6/09 – The first five characters of a child’s number represent the country and child development center the child lives in and attends. Children with numbers that begin EC431xxx and EC479xxx are in the two development centers Tom will be visiting.
New Year’s Resolutions
I’m not much into New Year’s resolutions. I find it an odd tradition. If you really want to change your life, why wait until January 1 to start? But perhaps it’s a positive thing if it helps us to truly focus on being better human beings — even if our New Year’s resolutions only last a few days or weeks!
Take a look at some of these popular New Year’s resolutions for 2009:
- In 2009, I resolve to eat better.
- In 2009, I resolve to keep my home in better shape.
- In 2009, I resolve to take better care of my body.
- In 2009, I resolve to be better about what I spend my money on.
- In 2009, I resolve to look for a new job.
Any of those look familiar?
Now, go back and read those resolutions again … but this time, from the perspective of a person living in poverty.
Imagine a little boy in Kenya who resolves to eat better because he’s tired of going to bed hungry. Imagine a single mother in Peru who resolves to keep her 6’x6’ shack clean. I’ve seen families that sweep their dirt floors just to try to keep their humble homes presentable.
Imagine a little girl in India who wants to take control of her own body instead of falling prey to the men who abuse it. Imagine the family that scrapes together spare change to eat today. Imagine the father who is desperately searching for a job so he can give his children an education and a shot at life.
This year, I urge you to resolve to do something about global poverty. Get involved.
Here’s a list of suggested, revised New Year’s resolutions for you:
- In 2009, I resolve to go on a mission trip.
- In 2009, I resolve to help my church start a food pantry — or donate to an existing one on a regular basis.
- In 2009, I resolve to pray for children trapped in poverty.
- In 2009, I resolve to support a ministry that cares for the poor.
- In 2009, I resolve to think beyond myself and truly make a difference in the life of a child living in poverty.
And let’s try to make these New Year’s resolutions last.
I Pray That My Sponsored Child
In 2009, I pray that my sponsored child . . .
Win a Free Trip By Finding Sponsors for Children in Poverty
This post was originally published November 28, but some things have changed.
You have until December 21 to order your child packets, and until January 30, 2009 to mail in your completed sponsorship forms.
If you’re reading this, you’re most likely already transforming lives with us. Or you’re curious about what we do and how we work. Either way, we’re inviting you to help us inspire others to rescue children from poverty in Jesus’ name.
This battle we are in — the battle against hopelessness and lies — places millions of lives at stake. And of the more than 1 million children we help, more than 165,000 children still desperately need sponsors. Will you ask your friends, co-workers, family members and neighbors to sponsor these?
If you will, we’ll send you child packets of children waiting for sponsors so you can share the packets with others.
If you find the most child sponsors by December 21, 2008 January 30, 2009, we will send you and a guest on an all-expense paid trip to a country where we work!
You’ll be able to choose from upcoming trips and travel with a group of sponsors to see our ministry firsthand.
You’ll meet the children we are rescuing — face to face.
Also, every person who finds a sponsor for a child will be entered into a drawing for a trip.
Order your child packets today, and thank you for your devotion to God’s children.
P.S. If you’re not already a sponsor and you want to be eligible to win a trip, please sponsor a child first, then order your child packets. Once you’re a sponsor, we’ll be able to credit your referrals to your account.
Creating Freedom From Poverty
“CompassionArt is a charity that joins the dots between art and poverty. It raises money to help breathe life into the poorest communities, restoring hope and igniting justice.” – compassionart.tv
Compassion U.K. is one of 12 charities receiving royalties from the album sales.
The widget below has lots of details on the CompassionArtproject, as well as a link to download a free song with song sheet and the first chapter of the book, which explores the inspiration, motivation and passion behind this exceptional collaboration.
Nativity Set Giveway
Yesterday, we introduced you to Chantal, a 9-year-old girl from Rwanda.
Chantal is a beneficiary of our Highly Vulnerable Children (HVC) initiative, and during the Christmas season the vulnerability of these children parallels the extreme vulnerability that our God entered into on Christmas Day.
It’s a vulnerability portrayed in homes throughout the world by the nativity. And this Christmas season, we’d like to share with you a reminder of God’s love and sacrifice for us all.
This handcrafted Rwandan nativity set is as fragile and vulnerable as many of the children we serve. And it’s available to one randomly selected reader who answers these questions for us.
- What do we mean when we say complementary interventions?
- Why is the HVC initiative considered a complementary intervention?
On December 18, we’ll randomly pick a winner from the comments we receive.
Thanks for participating, and Merry Christmas!
Healing Prayer
Every month we receive prayer requests from our country staff; prayer requests that we publish in our monthly prayer calendar, on compassion.com and as tweets.
Would you mind joining us in healing prayer for these sponsored children:
- Komol in Bangladesh, who is suffering from heart disease
- Soledad in Bolivia, who is waiting for a kidney transplant
- Jacob and Asish in East India, as they are suffering from malaria
- Miguel in Nicaragua, who has rheumatic fever
- Mukankusi in Rwanda, living with diabetes
If you leave your prayers as comments to this post, our country staff will be much encouraged. We’ll make sure they’re aware of the post.
And in cases where a child development center has a computer, the children and church partners will also know you are speaking to the Lord on their behalf.
