Stories to Connect You With Compassion & Grow Your Faith

The Latin term “imago Dei” is one that I first heard in a college Bible study. I remember sprawling on the floor of our dorm lobby, rolling the funny words around in my mouth.

Imago Dei. Image of God. That phrase has meant a lot to me over the years. For an organization that works in 25 developing countries, each with its own cultures, languages and customs, it is so important to see the imago Dei in every church and child we work with. Simply put, we must always make sure we are honoring a child’s dignity.

The issues that prevent a child from thriving — malnutrition, illness and emotional and relational instability — are symptoms of poverty, what it looks like from the outside. That means that addressing just one of these areas of development, while temporarily helpful, won’t do what we as the Church are ultimately called to do: release God’s children from poverty in Jesus’ name. That’s why in addition to helping children with education, health care and nutrition, Compassion sponsors also help kids spiritually.

Indonesia is a stunning country found on the archipelago between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. Made of about 17,500 islands, Indonesia has unique geography. These fun facts about Indonesia will give you a deeper insight into the culture and traditions of this country where over 150,000 Compassion-assisted children live!

We all struggle to separate truths from untruths, especially these days.

Children living in poverty are surrounded by untruths too — lies told them by their circumstances of poverty. So when you write to your sponsored child, look for ways to incorporate biblical truths into your letters. Here are five ideas to get you started.

Experts predict half a billion more people are at risk of being pushed into extreme poverty due to the impact of COVID-19. Now, more than ever, we need to stand together in unity to fight poverty!

Bolivia — a beautiful highland nation in South America — is nicknamed “the Tibet of the Americas” because of its similar high elevation and climate. See breathtaking photos and learn some interesting facts about Bolivia to get to know the country where over 93,000 Compassion-assisted children live.

“It is easy to get discouraged in a world full of evil, murders and lack of opportunity. It is easy to take our eyes off God and see our weakness and limitations. But with God, there are no limitations.” These are the wise words of 17-year-old Compassion student, Meryl. She’s our inspiration for these curated stories of courage and bravery from around the world.

Burkina Faso — known as the land of honorable people — is home to more than 60 ethnic groups and many rich cultural traditions.
Today we’d like to share an array of facts about Burkina Faso — facts that will give you a deeper look into the culture of this beautiful country where tens of thousands of Compassion-assisted children live.

The Dominican Republic – located on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola – is a country with a bright and lively culture. We’d love to share some interesting facts with you about the Dominican Republic to give you a deeper look into the culture and life of this island country where over 67,000 Compassion-assisted children live.

No matter where you are in the world, a love for food is one shared trait that unites us all. Yet each culture has its own unique way of preparing, spicing and serving its traditional dishes.

To give your family a taste of what kids around the world eat, we came up with a fun dinner idea featuring recipes from the regions where Compassion works. We call this version of a progressive dinner Taste of Compassion, and we hope it helps your family connect more to the diverse cultures of kids in Compassion’s program. It’s also a great chance to pray about child hunger and poverty around the world while thanking God for his provision. Let’s get started!

February feels like a lifetime ago now, doesn’t it? But on Feb. 29, we posted this prayer request in Compassion’s monthly prayer calendar: “Pray for the families of 1,558 children in Sri Lanka affected by recent heavy rains and flooding. Pray for grace and provision.”

Grace and provision. Those are things that we need today, too. That’s why we wanted to share with you some GOOD NEWS about Densy, whose family was among the thousands affected by flooding in Sri Lanka. As a reminder that God hears our prayers. He never stops listening.

Millions of children around the world remain trapped in child labor. Ebenezer was 6 years old when he was sent to work on Lake Volta, a notorious hotbed of child slavery. These 15 powerful photos capture the injustice he faced … and his journey to freedom.