From Farm to Table: What Safe Food Means to One Child
World Health Day is April 7 and this year’s focus is food safety. More than 200 diseases are caused by unsafe food containing harmful bacteria, parasites, viruses and chemical substances. Helping meet the physical needs of the children in our program, and of their communities, sometimes means having to find healthy food sources. Often, farm to table is the best solution possible. This is where little Borisut comes in. He is a sponsored child in Thailand’s rural northern region. And we’d like you to hear his perspective on how farm-to-table living has benefited not only his family but also his entire community.
Continue Reading ›Kid’s Snacks in Haiti
As many other Caribbean countries, Haiti has a very rich cuisine. Haiti however, maintains an independently unique flavor.
Continue Reading ›
Bearing Good Fruit
The ministry that Compassion does around the world is development. And, just as in farming, we do what we do for the outcomes—the fruit—not for the activities themselves. A farmer doesn’t grow trees because it’s good to grow trees; he grows trees in order to get the apples. At Compassion, we don’t busy ourselves with activities, because the activities are good, but because we want to see an outcome of our labor—good fruit.
Can Anything Good Come Out of a Slum?
My biggest fear in life is not reaching my God-given potential. And for the first 20 years of my life, I found myself being increasingly shaped by worldly values. That is, until I came face to face with Jesus!
Since then my Creator and Saviour has been helping me to weed out values that are contrary to those of the Kingdom and walking with me towards the dreams He’s planted in my heart. It’s been a step-by-step process of learning to be faithful with what He entrusts me with.
Of course, going against the patterns of this world isn’t easy, but the fruit of obedience is liberating! I wouldn’t want to live any other way. Life’s exhilarating when you’re dancing with a God of the supernatural.
Thanks to modern technology, I met a Compassion alumnus Paul Omondi through Facebook! Paul shared his testimony with me … It’s more than encouraged me to be all that I can be; it’s given me hope.
Paul completed the Leadership Development Program in Kenya years ago (a program that educates, trains and disciples servant leaders), was recently married (congratulations Paul!), and now works to help his fellow Kenyans escape the cycle of poverty in his role as a Community Development Manager.
But every achievement starts with a heart that dares to dream.
Twenty nine years ago in Kibera, 15 minutes outside of Nairobi, Kenya, a baby boy was born. Kibera is the biggest slum in Kenya. I can’t imagine what would’ve become of me if I was born there.
I’m reminded of the words of Nathanael when Philip told him that he had found ‘the one’ that Moses and the prophets wrote about. He said,
“Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” — John 1:46a (NIV)
Can anything good come out of a slum?
Tune in all next week as Paul tells his story.
– Irene
My Best Day in Ministry: Fruits of Our Labor
Spiritually speaking, some of us plant seeds, some water, some are the sun, but we all get to taste the fruits of our labor sometimes.
