Monday, May 13, 2019

My Introduction to Compassion International


When I met my wife she introduced me to a ministry called Compassion International. I had never heard of them before and knew nothing about it, except that when Charity talked about Compassion her eyes lit up and her smiled widened. Charity began to tell me that as a seventeen year old she began sponsoring a child in another country. I was shocked; what seventeen year old gives their own money to help another kid in a another country. I didn’t have any context for this in my mind.

The more we spent time together the more our relationship began to heads to marriage. One day Charity said something like, “The only way I’ll marry you is if you sponsor a child with Compassion too.” I was taken back but later that week I realized how important this was to her but more importantly to God. I began searching the Scripture to see God’s heart for the children who were oppressed, marginalized, and forgotten. It was at that point I became a sponsor with Compassion.

Fast forward a few years and I found myself in Africa working on churches that would soon be centers for Compassion to meet. One day we had the opportunity to visit a Compassion Center that met at a local church.

While visiting this center, one of the directors told us about the impact of Compassion. Students, families, or individuals will sponsor a child for $38 a month. That provides the child with access to: clean water, education, Bible lessons, and nutritious meals that the family can’t provide. They have a day that they call Compassion day when all the kids come to the church. On this particular day a young boy didn’t show. The Compassion staff walked to his home and found him lying in a ditch. They brought him to the church and gave him medicine that cost about $2 and his life was saved. I asked what would have happen if he wasn’t a part of Compassion and they told me he would have died.

That day I made a promise that I will help in any way I can. I don’t think that kids should die because they can’t afford $2 in medicine.

If you're curious about how you can help, check out Compassion International.

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