Let’s Make 2021 an Epic Year of Gratitude and Praise

The only way through hard times is … well, through them. You can’t go over, under or around difficult seasons. You simply plow through, one step at a time.

I don’t know about you, but that’s how 2020 felt to me, and probably to millions of the children and their families we serve. I spent a lot of last year writing weekly COVID-19 updates for friends like you to stay educated and informed, and to give you specific ways to pray for the countries where we partner.

Each month, I also wrote a story for every country where we work, highlighting how Compassion’s ministry has continued on in the midst of the pandemic.

And I just have to say, those stories are beautiful. Getting to write about pastors and staff sacrificially serving, about children and their families growing life-giving gardens, and about children who are not merely surviving — they are thriving.

Last year was hard. And that didn’t go away because the calendar flipped to 2021. But there is still good in the world.

This year, in Compassion’s Prayer Network, we have decided to intentionally focus on gratitude. Each month, we will combine prayer requests from around the world with stories of gratitude and praise. When I reached out to our staff across the globe to find those stories, I was overwhelmed by their response. I needed 10 people to write about gratitude so we could feature those in the prayer calendar.

Instead, I got nearly 30! So throughout the year, we will feature some of those stories from our global staff, reminding us that we truly have so much to be grateful for.

This month, I wanted to feature a story of gratitude we received from Chukulisa Roba, a Compassion Partnership Facilitator in Kenya …

“Our Mission is God’s Mission”

I am reminded of the hymn “To God be the glory” as I share my story of gratitude as a testimony of how God can call, equip and facilitate us to do ministry.

“Why do you want to join Compassion?” was the last interview question I was asked by one of the panelists on April 24, 2018, at the Compassion Kenya office. I answered, “Because I want to be an active participant in the Great Commission.” That was all I desired to be, even in my place of work.

Thankfully, I got the opportunity to work with Compassion Kenya as a PF (Partnership Facilitator), serving with 16 partner churches and over 5,000 children and youth. My two years so far have been amazing. Being a young lady of 25 years and the youngest employee by then, he gave me the grace and favor to serve with pastors, bishops and church leaders effectively. Besides that, I come from a marginalized community where women being in frontline ministry is rare. I thank God that I am counted among the few.

I am sincerely grateful to God that I am part of this journey of releasing children from poverty in Jesus’ name and for the constant reminder that our mission is God’s mission.

I pray that as we journey, we will constantly remember the higher calling that is beyond our line of duty and give ourselves fully to the call to witness to the children and youth entrusted to us.

In Christ,
Chukulisa Roba Halakhe
Partnership Facilitator
Compassion Kenya

Share Your Praises

I hope these stories of gratitude will bring you hope this year.

We also want to invite you to share your own story of gratitude and praise with us on our new virtual Wall of Gratitude today!

Photos by Vera Aurima, Nico Benalcazar and Kevin Ouma