I am a Leadership Development Program alumnus. One day at my former child development center, we children picked up papers thrown in the dust bin, and we realized they were old home-visitation reports made by the development center staff. I came across mine and read a comment made by the center director at that time.
It said: “Moses stays with his paternal uncle. His mother died. His father went to Rwanda in 1994 and left him at his uncle’s place because he was registered with Compassion and never wanted to miss the opportunity. Follow up should be made to find out what challenges he faces and know how to help him better.”
This motivated me because I realized there was someone who knew me by name, who cared about me, and kept records of me! I kept this paper for years.
As we focus on child development, we realize we can’t do anything extraordinary. That’s not what children need from us, anyway. They just need us to spend time with them, know them, love them, and be available for them.
This is what we should emphasize even to the Implementing Church Partner staff and people who visit the development centers. Let us learn to do small things but with great love.
When you consider the widow’s offering in Luke 21, Jesus wanted to show the difference between doing things out of our hearts and doing things out of our heads. Children do not need only material welfare, and even if they do, we don’t have enough to satisfy their needs.
Let’s learn to celebrate children as they grow. Let’s teach communities that children are not problems; they are a blessing.
He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. “Truly I tell you,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.” —Luke 21:2–4, NIV
Prayer: Dear Lord, I pray for all Compassion staff worldwide. Give us wisdom as we work with the children. Let us take this ministry into our hearts and continue to rejoice when children grow. In Jesus’ name, amen!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Moses Mbonigaba is a Leadership Development Program Specialist in Rwanda.
Read all the One in Spirit devotionals.