5 Children in South America Share What They’re Thankful For

Maira in Colombia holds a sign that says Gracias, Spanish for thank you. She is thankful for her sponsor and her family's food farm.

It’s always so touching to hear what children in poverty feel thankful for. They live with less than most people, but their gratitude overflows. It helps put things in perspective and reminds us to give praise in all circumstances!

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Watch: A Compassion Storyteller’s 4 Favorite Videos

Man carrying a young boy on his shoulders

Ryan Johnson, Creative Manager for Global Marketing at Compassion, is an award-winning documentary director and humanitarian photographer who has worked in six continents and 40-plus countries, telling stories in some of the most remote and challenging environments on Earth.

Recently, we asked Ryan to choose a few favorites from films he’s worked on since joining Compassion in 2012. Watch his top picks and read why he chose each.

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A Wedding Surprise Highlights Her Incredible Sponsorship Story

For an unsuspecting family in Colombia celebrating a wedding rehearsal dinner, a single word was powerful enough to bring every member to tears: “Sorpresa!”

Wondering what the surprise could be, the family turned to see the last person they could have expected: the Compassion sponsor of the groom, Mateo. For eight months, sponsor Kristen had been regretfully telling Mateo and his family that she wouldn’t be able to make a trip to Colombia for his wedding. But what they didn’t know was that she was determined to be there — and Compassion staff were helping to make it a surprise.

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Grandmother holding her newborn grandson

Read a Grandmother’s Hopeful Letter to Her Baby Grandson

Baby Deinner was delivered prematurely via emergency surgery as his mother, Cindy, battled COVID-19. Tragically, Cindy died the day after — leaving Deinner’s grandmother, Bridis, to raise her baby grandson and his two siblings.

Bridis shares her daughter’s story and expresses her hopes for Deinner’s future in this letter she wrote for him to read one day.

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An up-close photo of a Ugandan boy with blue eyes and a white stripe of skin down his forehead.

Best of the Blog 2020: Your Favorite Stories of the Year

As you might expect during an incredibly challenging year, your favorite stories on the Compassion USA blog were inspirational ones. The most popular blog posts we shared during 2020 were those that showed the resiliency of the human spirit and the ability for God to redeem the most desperate situations. Here they are — your five favorite stories on the blog during 2020. May they inspire you all over again — or for the first time if you missed them before!

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A girl wearing pink stands outside a small pink home with a tin roof. There is a fence made of pieces of wood and barbed wire around the home.

When All You Want is a Pink House

After her family was evicted from their home, 5-year-old Deneilis shared a two-bedroom home with 11 other people. Her family had to wait for their relatives to go to bed before they could pull out old mattresses and sleep on the living room floor.
Since the pandemic hit their island community in Colombia, jobs had become scarce. Her father looked for work every day but came home empty-handed all too often. Soon, hunger and stress took their toll on the family.

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A group of boys and girls are playing soccer on a dirt field at the project. A boy in a red shirt is kicking the ball.

Facts About Colombia: The Gateway to South America

Colombia – one of the most biodiverse countries in the world – is home to striking mountain vistas, tropical coastlines, powerful rivers and a portion of the great Amazon rainforest. Located in the northwest corner of South America, Colombia borders Panama, Brazil, Peru, Venezuela, Ecuador, the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean.

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A man wearing a bottle for a face mask hands out food.

Pastor Makes His Own Mask and Gives Away His Own Food to the Poor in His Community

Meet a superhero: Pastor Ganiban! He’s using whatever he can so he can give whatever he has to those struggling. This man is just so incredible, using faith to fight fear during this global pandemic.

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A man poses in a blue superhero cape

How These 4 Heroes Are Helping Kids Right Now

The immense passion and heart of these four heroes just amazes us. They sacrifice and they give until it hurts. Be inspired. In this difficult time, the church is rising up around the world.

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Two girls in blue hold up small GoPro cameras

A Day at the Compassion Center Through the Eyes of the Children

Have you ever wondered what the child you sponsor experiences at the Compassion-assisted child development center? Take a peek into child development centers in Colombia and Sri Lanka!

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A boy stands at a fence holding a glass of water.

Kids Around the World: Where I Get My Water

Find out where these 13 kids from around the world get their water in these beautiful photographs that show the need for more accessible safe water.

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Two girls in white and red shirts stand amidst foliage, looking somber.

What’s the Difference Between a Refugee, an Asylum Seeker and an Immigrant?

In the past several years, the number of people moving away from their homes has exploded. War, violence, political instability and poverty are pushing people to search for better places. But the terminology can be confusing. What’s the definition of a refugee? How is that different from an internally displaced person, a stateless person or an asylum seeker?

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