This year, you’ve shared in incredible stories of hope, love and triumph against insurmountable odds.
Together, we prayed for rescue from disastrous cave floods and child slavery. Told personal accounts of overcoming harmful cultural taboos and physical disadvantages. But we also had a lot of fun, sharing some of the beautiful places and things the kiddos you sponsor find most special.
Here are the stories you read and shared the most in 2018!

#10
This Thai church developed an innovative plan using soccer to prevent young boys from falling prey to the sex trade in Thailand. This year, we celebrated it yielding incredible results.
READ: How One Church Is Winning the Fight Against the Sex Trade in Thailand With Soccer

#9
Noah, a young boy in Ghana, felt like his chest was ripping. His heart wasn’t working properly and he needed God to make a way for him. In 2018, we told the story of his miraculous recovery and the heart-change that led to him getting a new sponsor.
READ: The Remarkable Boy With More Than One Heart

#8
Ebenezer was only 6 years old when he went to work on Lake Volta in Ghana. What did the injustice he faced look like? How did he find his way to freedom? Together, we shined a light on the dark realities of child slavery.
READ: 15 Powerful Photos of the Journey From Child Slavery to Freedom

#7
Many people find peace in the simplicity of tiny homes. You enjoyed seeing remarkable photos of tiny homes from communities where we work.
READ: 11 Remarkable Photos of “Tiny Homes” in the Developing World

#6
We made this a year of answering your important letter questions. None were more resonant than your question about how often you should write your kiddo.
READ: How Often Should You Write to the Child You Sponsor?

#5
Grace’s community saw her disabilities as a curse and even threatened her life. We told the story of how her mother risked everything to keep her safe, loved and without limits.
READ: This Is How Grace Lives Without Limits

#4
Annet is an awe-inspiring single mother of triplets and earlier this year, she needed your help. After delivering one baby, she rushed to a hospital on a motorbike where she unexpectedly delivered two more! Abandoned by her husband, she is raising these precious miracles alone. Her family desperately needed a safe home. And SPOILER ALERT, you made it happen for them! Thank you!
READ: Help These Miracle Triplets Have the Best Birthday Ever!

#3
This year, we had 10 children sponsored through Compassion share the possessions they treasure the most. Their beautiful, surprising and funny answers were very effective in making all of us smile! 😄
READ: 10 Possessions Kids Living in Poverty Treasure the Most

#2
In many impoverished communities, menstruation is a stigmatized issue shrouded in silence, secrecy and shame. We shared three personal and societal aspects of life that are restricted when menstruation becomes an unmentionable part of being female.
READ: Suffering in Silence: The Menstruation Taboo

#1
In 2018, the story that stood out the most, by far was about the triumphant rescue of an entire Thai soccer team from a disastrous cave flooding. We told the story of Adun, the Compassion-assisted student who was rescued from the flooded Thailand cave and hear from his parents as the Wild Boars soccer team returns home.
In a second blog, we shared how his whole community rejoiced his return. At a thanksgiving service at his church, Adun shared how he prayed and clung to his faith in God while awaiting rescue. Both articles were by far our most popular blogs of the year.
You boldly prayed, desperately shared and joyfully celebrated all along the way.
And to most powerfully tell this to you, here’s the untold story of the Thai Cave Rescue.
READ: Thailand Cave Rescue: Adun and His Church Gather to Praise God
And
READ: Thailand Cave Rescue: Parents of Rescued Compassion-Sponsored Student Say “Thank You”
As we reflect on the past year, the one word that has inspired us was
Compassion.
We’ve seen that in every prayer, letter and sponsorship you’ve made possible by reading and sharing these stories. And we look forward to another year of answering your questions, passing on experiences of compassion and most importantly, releasing children from poverty, in Jesus’ name!
What stories of compassion do you have from this year?
Tell us about your story or the blog you loved the most this year in the comments below.

2 Comments |Add a comment
Yo estoy muy contenta por qué Dios me dio la oportunidad de trabajar en compassion yo soy de Chiapas y si alguien lee este mensaje que Dios le bendiga
Y también a esas personas que ayudan a esos niños necesitados que están en la pobreza
Dios nos utiliza de una manera extraordinaria para que nosotros ayudemos a esas personas más necesitas en este mundo.y sigan ayudando Dios les va ayudar sobreabundantente
Hola Simeydi! ¡Gracias por su apoyo a nuestro ministerio! ¡Que Dios te bendiga grandemente!