Tag: Guatemala

My Best Day in Ministry: A Changed Perspective

Haley Birdyshaw, a supervisor in our contact center, took a group of employees on an exposure trip to Guatemala. The trip was a life-changing experience.

Comfort the Afflicted and Afflict the Comfortable

We must ignite passion for children in poverty, to the glory of God. Nobody is garbage.

Watch Comfort the Afflicted and Afflict the Comfortable and subscribe to Compassion YouTube for more stories.

Love Thy Neighbor (in Action)

A teacher of the law walks up to Jesus while He is teaching and asks Him, “Of all the commandments, which is the greatest?”

Jesus says to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second greatest commandment is to love your neighbor as yourself.

The teacher of the law responds to Jesus, agreeing with what He has said, and then in understanding also states that these two commandments are “more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices” (summary of Mark 12:28-34).

I have found that this act of love, to love our neighbor as our self, is no mystery. It is the living, breathing body of Christ working within the power and capacity of the Lord. Hurting when others are hurt, rejoicing when others rejoice.

We walk forward and love with love that has been poured on us, our hearts made sensitive to the needs of those around us.

We are intricately connected, I believe more so than we even suspect. We are one body, the Bride of Christ, each one of us examples of Christ’s love.

I expound upon this for a reason; I recently heard a story at Compassion in a meeting that left such awe resonating in my heart. So much so that I went and hunted down the pictures, the full report,* and then I requested to share it with you.

It is an account of the body of Christ in action, the call to love our neighbor being fulfilled.

Breathing was extremely difficult and oxygen had to be administrated 24 hours a day. His daily life had to be overseen 24/7 and the worries of the medics grew day after day as Stuart had to struggle with an illness called subglottic stenosis.

Subglottic stenosis causes the throat to narrow and makes the breathing process complicated, and for Stuart restricts his life to 50 percent of normal capabilities.

Stuart has suffered from this illness since he was 3 years old, and as the doctors in Nicaragua examined his case, they realized that the appropriate treatment could not be done there but rather only in Europe.

Dr. Erick Castillo (Compassion Guatemala’s Health Specialist), worked closely with Dr. Nubia Figueroa (Compassion Nicaragua’s Program Implementation Manager) sharing reports about Stuart’s health status, and found in Guatemala a medic who could fulfill this surgery and suggested this new option.

Reluctantly, Stuart’s mom agreed to travel to Guatemala, but later regretted her decision and turned down her permission to let Stuart travel. Her fear was that this surgery leaves a small open hole in the patient’s throat for at least one year, depending on the alimentation and care that he is given.

Eventually, though, Stuart was able to travel to Guatemala and had this laser surgery that resulted in a successful outcome for his life!

Ingrid González (Compassion Guatemala’s Curriculum Specialist) opened her home doors for Stuart and his mother while he was recovering from this surgery, and along with Erick Castillo, treated him the very best they could by praying, giving encouraging words and striving to help them feel at home as they were in an unknown country.

Compassion Guatemala, through its Country Director as well as the local office’s prayer group and many of its staff, constantly monitored Stuart’s case to see how he was doing. Stuart received many gifts from the staff and was even taken to church and then to an outing by one of the staff members on a beautiful Sunday.

Stuart continues to thrive in life, and his health is continually improving since his surgery.

Dr. Castillo and Dr. Figueroa continue to oversee Stuart’s health by sharing mutual reports, since Stuart must return soon to Guatemala for his respective medical follow-up to make sure everything is all right, especially the small hole left in his throat.

Compassion Guatemala continues to advise our partners in Nicaragua to give Stuart proper support, from his student center to his home.

Stuart’s birthday was June 9, the first birthday that he did not spend in a hospital. What a beautiful thing!

The command to love our neighbor as our self is a great task but one that can result in victories … even in saving lives.

And let us remember how Jesus responded to the man who acknowledged the beauty of the command:

“When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, ‘You are not far from the kingdom of God.’” – Mark 12:34 (NIV)

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*Stuart’s story was written by Samuel Llanes in the Compassion Guatemala office.

My Best Day in Ministry: Leadership Development

Luis Colmenares is the former country director for Compassion Guatemala. He currently lives in Colorado Springs and works for Human Resources in support of our International Program Group. Luis shares about his best day in ministry with Compassion: the first Leadership Development Program graduation in Guatemala.

Leadership Development Academy

The Leadership Academy in Guatemala was implemented in 2005 for the first time to prepare students to enter the Leadership Development Program and find good candidates for the program.

The idea consisted of a leveling up camp called ‘Leadership Academy.’ Guatemala learned from the Dominican Republic’s experience … We adjusted their idea to our country’s needs and came up with a two-to three-week camp to offer tutoring, leadership training and orientation as the final stage of the selection process.

Home School, Job Search and Sponsor a Child

Hi, my name is Stephan Archer. I joined Compassion a few months ago as the U.S. Communication Specialist. Although I am in the business of communicating from day to day, this is my first attempt at blogging, so bear with me as I try to figure this out.

My calling to Compassion was really a journey that began at home, and it began with two small children — my own.

You see, my wife and I are homeschoolers. Our two girls, ages three and five, are now in preschool and kindergarten. Like other children this age, they have a million questions, most of which I struggle answering.

• Why is God invisible?
• Where does the sun go to bed at night?
• Why are yummy things bad for you and yucky things good for you?
• Why won’t Bambi see his mother again? (Those of you with young children who have a movie collection that teeters heavily towards the cartoon genre will appreciate this question.)

But while our children ask many things, there are many more things they don’t ask that they need to know.

For example, in such a richly blessed country as America, I don’t suppose too many kids learn on their own what it means to be thankful and content. Yet this is so important for children to understand if they are to grow up and be the adults we want them to be.

Thus, like many homeschoolers in search of ideas, my wife and I turned to the internet and started Googling — using words such as “contentment,” “thankfulness,” and “compassion” for those less fortunate.

We came across Compassion’s website and were so moved by what we saw that we immediately decided to sponsor a little girl named Kimberly in Guatemala.

Sponsorship has been nothing short of a wonderful experience for my entire family, as both my girls pray for Kimberly regularly. My oldest even draws pictures for Kimberly and sends encouraging notes with them.

I went one step further and read Wess Stafford’s book, Too Small to Ignore. After reading his book, I was more motivated than ever to be a part of this ministry.

During this time, God led me on a six-month employment-seeking journey as I communicated with various people at Compassion. I was able to examine my own heart and pray for God’s leading.

Now that I’m here at Compassion, I can say with confidence that this ministry is everything it purports to be.

Like any ministry or church body, the day to day things are managed by human beings, and with that, comes challenges. However, everyone here knows that God is ultimately leading this ministry. I’ve never seen a leadership team more dedicated to God’s will than I’ve seen at Compassion.

I’ve enjoyed reading what all of you think and would love to share with you from time to time what’s on my mind. Sometimes, I’ll jump in on your conversations and share my personal thoughts on the matter as well. Either way, I’m looking forward to being blessed by our discussions, and my hope is that you benefit as well.

A Field Perspective on Sponsor Trips

Wanna peek into my e-mail inbox?

I have the great pleasure of “talking” (read: e-mailing) each day with some of our great staff around the world. They always challenge me with their perspective.

I’ve been reading along with all the posts and comments about visiting your sponsored child, as I weigh the decision of when to make a trip. (I just happen to sponsor children in two of the most expensive countries to visit!)

This e-mail from Samuel Llanes, our field communication specialist in Guatemala, about his recent experience accompanying a sponsor trip gave me a new perspective on sponsor visits.

We’ve talked a lot about how a sponsor trip impacts the sponsor and how it impacts the child, but this e-mail made me realize a whole other aspect: how it impacts the universal Body of Christ. As we visit members of our family around the world, God uses it to unify us, helping us to recognize that we are part of a global family — the Body of Christ.

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Hi Amber,

I want to share with you about what I learned in this sponsor trip we had this summer.

Commitment

I knew the kind of heart a sponsor is supposed to have but NEVER had the experience of “experiencing” it first hand. It was amazing to see and feel the kind of heart they have and how humble they are. And not just them, but even their family! Some of the sponsors came with their entire family and it was so awesome seeing how their kids were so “into” everything! Some of those kids started passing around a plastic bag to collect food to give later to some of the students at the center. For me, it was really amazing. Also, there were some “advocates” there. I had never had the chance to see one of them, but I saw how a heart like theirs really is! 🙂

Tenderness

I saw some of them who met their sponsored children for the first, second or third time. They were so happy (they were even crying!) when they saw them! For me, it was a very touching thing to witness because I could see and prove their commitment toward our fellow sponsored children! It really touched my heart, and those people are a real blessing to me!

A Genuine Heart for the Poor and Compassion International’s Help

I know that the American culture can sometimes be seen as a cold and individualistic culture, but this trip taught me that not everybody is like that. All the sponsors had an utterly different way of treating people (and even me! Hehe!) and they broke indeed a lot of paradigms I had about the American culture. I never saw hearts like those EVER in my life, and I was completely touched by it.

Love

Seeing how humble their hearts and spirits were for the children it’s something indescribable! I could see God’s love showed there and I couldn’t believe it. It was like they were their very own children!

These are what I thought were the most remarkable things I saw. My heart continues to be shaped into something different, and know that I truly want to make a difference as I write these stories! 🙂 I am so glad I work for God, and I want to serve him for the rest of my life!

Sam

Math Olympiad

Today’s post is written by Jose Merida, a data analyst, lay preacher and volunteer. He’s a member of the Church of the Nazarene, supports the ministry of Semillitas de Fe Student Center and reads our blog on a regular basis. Jose lives in Guatemala City where he’s constantly dreaming up ways to change the world for the Lord.

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Last month the leadership from our student center, Semillitas de Fe Student Center (GU-950) in Guatemala City, invited me to come up with a program to encourage our sponsored kids in their academic achievement.

A couple of years ago, I taught many of the kids from this student center, and I was excited to be back, even if it was for a little while. So I asked the Lord for His guidance in prayer.

I used to coordinate the spiritual development program at GU-950 and shared lots of time, through lessons, camps and vacation bible study programs, with these kids. I knew them well enough to know that when I ask them for their favorite subject, they say math, over half the time, but also that they often get bored and discouraged with monotonous homework.

Knowing this and having a degree in math and physics myself, I proposed conducting a Math Olympiad for them on August 15, a local holiday, and right in the middle of the Summer Olympics. I wanted to get the kids excited about math and academics in general.

The local leadership liked the idea and approved it right away.

I had a great time preparing all the workbooks and problems, diplomas, medals, arranging for the food, inviting the teachers to come and help, and on the morning of August 15 we were ready to serve the 46 kids that showed up to participate (16 boys, 30 girls, ages 7-15).

I also invited a local doctor to encourage and challenge the kids to study a lot. It was amazing to see these little brothers and sisters of mine, all of whom are sponsored through Compassion, showing up courageously to participate in this event armed with their pencils and erasers and a big smile.

We actually conducted two different contests, one for elementary and another for middle school students. The contest itself lasted around 30 minutes, but the kids stayed for a couple more hours to have some pizza, playtime, and participate in the award ceremony.

We started the day in prayer and reminded them that this was just a contest, as we tried to help ease any nervousness among them. After the contest, every child was recognized with a certificate of participation. And during the award ceremony, they all also got a chance to hear from this young doctor who grew up in the community and at this church. He encouraged them to dream big and put their dreams in the Lord’s hands.

Finally, the top 12 scorers were called to the front to receive their medals and diplomas. The Olympic champion’s fanfare played in the background, as their names were announced. Their peers cheered them, and Olympiad’s best marched to the front to receive their awards. Then we sung the national anthem.

It was a moving time for the teachers. We congratulated all the kids and once again encouraged them to study their math and give their best at their schools.

We closed with our theme verse for the event, which was also printed in the diplomas and certificates – Mark 12:30 (NIV).

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.”

Then in prayer we thanked the Lord for the experiences of the day and for all the sponsors who funded this event, and asked Him for His blessing upon all of us.

Since the Olympiad we have heard testimonies of parents in disbelief when their kids showed up at home with a medal. Now the parents feel very encouraged to support their kids more.

We have also heard testimonies from some of the kids who never thought they could do well at math or have a talent for this or any other subject, and now they embrace the challenge to put more focus on their academics.

Even the teachers got excited and tried to solve the problems themselves, and although they didn’t score as good as the kids ; ) , they felt encouraged to organize more events like this one for other subjects in the upcoming months.

And many of the kids are already asking for another Math Olympiad next year.

Praise be to the Lord!

The Journey of One Letter

Have you ever wondered how your sponsored child’s letter gets to you? The long journey it takes from Tanzania or Thailand to Connecticut or California? There’s a lot more to it than you might think!

Samuel Llanes, Guatemala’s Field Communication Specialist, gives us a peek at the journey of one letter from Guatemala to a sponsor in Australia.

Focusing on the Leadership Development Program

I’ll start by saying this: It’s very hard to explain impact a Compassion trip can have on a person.

For most of my life, the only thing I knew about poverty was the Sally Struthers commercials. You know, those spots from the ’80s with all the slow-motion shots of children crying. I have been given the opportunity to go with a video production crew to various countries to film the work of Compassion. In some way, I expected to see this Sally Struthers image. I was totally wrong.

I’m a sound engineer for Student Life. We produce large camps, conferences and a variety of additional resources for churches. About the time I started working there, Student Life had just partnered with Compassion. Since then we’ve always had a Compassion presentation at our events, and work to educate our attendees about what sponsoring a child means.

Last year we were sent to Uganda to interview students from Compassion’s Leadership Development Program* (LDP). Our hope was that some of the students would travel with our camp teams throughout the summer and lead the Compassion presentation from stage. What better way to show the work of Compassion than to put living proof of that work on stage?

Before this trip I had already been on one Compassion video shoot, but it was a 48-hour whirlwind trip to Guatemala. It was a fast turnaround, and we were only able to see a few children. Our video focused on one child’s experience meeting her sponsor. I could see the impact Compassion was having on a single child, but what would the finished product look like? All I knew going into the Uganda trip was that LDP students had grown up through the Compassion child sponsorship program, graduated, and were then sponsored through college. These students were the cream of the crop.

We arrived in Kampala and tried to get some rest. The next morning we had our first LDP student interview. His name was James.

This was initially a typical setup for our team. We had done hundreds of interviews. What I did not know was that my life and perspective of Compassion would be changed forever by the testimony of this man.

James was more educated, well spoken and passionate about his relationship with God than I could say I have ever been. He described his childhood –- one that was riddled with loss of parents and siblings, leaving him alone to live with an aunt. He spoke of being malnourished and without hope. Then he said all that changed when he joined Compassion.

I could have probably predicted most of his interview to this point. We had asked most of the questions, and it was the picture of so many nonprofit companies and others who serve those less fortunate than most Americans. He was a child in poverty who was given a chance. It was his answer to our last question that stopped us all cold. (more…)