The Story Behind the Gift

This month we were asked to write about the story behind a gift.  This can be a precious Christmas or birthday gift, or a gift that can change someones lives such as the ones offered in the Compassion International gift catalog.

Click here to see the Compassion gift catalog.

There are many awesome gifts offered in this catalog that to many would be great to receive (and to us wouldn't seem like the typical gifts), such as clean water, medical treatments, emergency food or shelter, etc.

Today I'll talk about the gifts mentioned under the "Children at Risk" heading.  For $25, you can provide food and water following a disaster.  This is important since just recently, there was another typhoon in the Philippines and those kids at the centers affected will probably need this extra food/water while they are in the process of clean-up, while their parents are without work, etc.  It can mean the difference between going hungry and being cared for and knowing they are loved.

You can also purchase "Emergency Shelter" for $50.  I saw this first-hand while in the Philippines a few weeks ago.  There was an area that was affected by a fire, and there were families living in tent cities.  To us it is not glamorous, but to them, it was at least a roof over their head and a little bit of privacy compared to being forced to live on the streets.  These people who have so little can be devastated when something happens beyond their control (fire, storms, floods, etc.).  Providing these kids with shelter for only $50 sounds like a great deal!

There are many more wonderful gifts you can offer to kids around the world this year.  Offer them hope for a better future, by helping them stay healthy, fed, sheltered, and protected. 

God bless you all this holiday season.

What does it mean to be a child of God?

This month our blogging assignment is to write about what it means to be a child of God.  I think having a relationship where you turn to God, just like you would a parent is a huge part of it.  I talk to God (in my head) like I'm having a normal conversation with a friend or parent.  I turn to him with my problems, and no that no matter what, he'll be there for me like a parent is. 

We were given this verse as one of the examples of being a child of God:

Jesus said,

"Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." (Mark 10:15)

  
I think having the mindset of a child is key here, by believing in God through faith like a child.

I also believe that caring for God's children should be a priority to us.  Not only by raising up our own children in the faith, but in spreading the faith to other kids around the world.  Compassion International is one example of this that through the word of Jesus, these kids are given a future (in heaven), as well as getting their physical needs met by providing them with an education and job skills, food, clothing, medical needs, bible training, etc. 

To me, I see Jesus through these kids.  Their innocence and faith is astounding.  They have gone through so much and have so little (financially), yet they are constantly in prayer and thankful for what they do have.  These kids are a great example of what it means to be a child of God.

This past week we received a few letters from our Compassion kids where they mention that they will not go to bed before praying for us (and we do the same for them too).  It is just amazing the love they have for us, as well as for their father in heaven.

I encourage you to sponsor a child today (or write to yours if you already to).....it is so worth it!

15 kids I'm advocating for still need sponsors!

I still have 15 child packets of kids needing sponsors with Compassion International from Uganda, Guatemala, Haiti, India, Peru, Philippines, and Kenya (both boys and girls of many ages...but mostly pretty young).

Below are links to pictures/brief info on a few of them (one from each of the countries I listed), but let me know if a specific child stands out to you and I can get you even more info on them (more about their family, etc.). I only have these kids for about one more week before their packets go back into circulation so I'm hoping to find at least one of these kids a sponsor. If you want to sponsor one of these (or want me to get you links to the other 8 packets I have), let me know (either comment on here or send me an email to ca85@yahoo.com) and I'll help get you signed up. Thanks for considering it.  






If the links don't open automatically, please just copy and paste. 

https://www.compassion.com/cart/NeedBioPopUp.aspx?needKey=KE7720267&CartItemGroup=ChildSelected&tcmid

https://www.compassion.com/cart/NeedBioPopUp.aspx?needKey=GU9510422&CartItemGroup=ChildSelected&tcmid

https://www.compassion.com/cart/NeedBioPopUp.aspx?needKey=UG7310134&CartItemGroup=ChildSelected&tcmid

https://www.compassion.com/cart/NeedBioPopUp.aspx?needKey=HA8670191&CartItemGroup=ChildSelected&tcmid

https://www.compassion.com/cart/NeedBioPopUp.aspx?needKey=PE5250266&CartItemGroup=ChildSelected&tcmid

https://www.compassion.com/cart/NeedBioPopUp.aspx?needKey=PH8930277&CartItemGroup=ChildSelected&tcmid

https://www.compassion.com/cart/NeedBioPopUp.aspx?needKey=IN9890126&CartItemGroup=ChildSelected&tcmid

Back to school time.....and for some with Compassion, school for the first time!

All around the US kids are getting ready to go back to school.  School that is free and open to all kids (other than some school supplies and lunch of course).

In other parts of the world, kids aren't so lucky.  Education is not always free and poor families are not able to send their kids to school if they can't afford tuition, books, uniforms, etc.  Or they may only be able to send one child in the family to school, leaving the others at a disadvantage.

Compassion can help!  When you sponsor a child with Compassion, they are ensured an education, since this is a huge key in breaking the cycle of poverty for these children and their future generations.  Education is valued so much to these kids and they love going to school.

Consider sponsoring a child today for $38 a month with Compassion International to allow them to go to school, get proper nutrition and hygiene training, skills training, bible studies, medical check-ups, and so much more!  You can write to your sponsored child, encourage them to study hard, and let them know how much they are loved.  They will also write back so you will be able to build a relationship with them over the years (don't worry, letters are translated).  This would even be a great thing to do as a family with your kids.  Your kids can become the pen pals to your sponsored child, teaching your kids letter writing skills as well as about other parts of the world.  What a perfect lesson for this back to school time of year.

Please consider sponsoring a child today.  I have several child packets of kids in need of sponsors that I can tell you more about.  Otherwise, Click here to search for a child to sponsor.  It will be the best decision you ever make! 


To give you more to think about, here are some facts on education around the world:

• Worldwide, nearly 80 percent of primary-school-age children attend school. In least developed countries, this figure is around 66 percent.
• The largest out-of-school population is in sub-Saharan Africa, where around 45.5 million children of primary school age are out of school.
• Of the 67 million primary-school-age children who do not attend school, 53 percent are girls.
• Worldwide, only 49 percent of children of secondary school age actually attend secondary school.
• Of the 49 percent of secondary age students who do not attend school, 52 percent are girls.
• The world’s functional illiterates include more than 130 million children who do not attend school, 73 million of them girls.

Sources: www.crin.org, www.unicef.org, www.childinfo.org

What Inspired Me?

This months Compassion blogger assignment was to write about what inspired us to sponsor a child with Compassion in the very beginning.


For me it wasn't one specific thing.  I'd always thought about eventually sponsoring a child, but I wasn't sure on what organizations were out there, what was involved (time/money/writing, etc.).  I didn't research it either though, so at the time it was just a thought that it might be a good thing to do "someday".  I don't know what I was waiting for really. 

In January 2012 we went to a Christian music concert (there were like 6 different bands).  Compassion had a booth and the different artists talked about what child sponsorship was, how they had met their kids, etc.  Tenth Avenue North was one of the groups who talked about it along with Mercy Me.  During a break between artists they did a "packet pass" where you raise your hand if you are interested in sponsoring and volunteers walk around with packets of kids needing sponsors (I have since helped out at many of these events and done this exact same thing for others). 

We decided that we had the funds and we should sponsor a child.  We raised our hand and were handed 5 year old Said from Peru.  He looked so cute.  You can either sponsor the child you were handed or go to the table at the booth and look through the pile of other kids.  We decided to keep Said since we felt that God had them hand him to us for a reason.  Plus, how can you really pick one child over another.....its so hard deciding!  They all need the help so we filled out the form, handed it in, and haven't looked back. 

Said has been a great letter writer and artist.  Now that he's 7 he is finally writing his own letters (before it was his tutors) so it is neat seeing his handwriting improve.  Right after we signed up to sponsor Said I did a ton of research on Compassion.  I learned about how the money helps the kids in various ways, how to build a relationship with them through letters, etc. I found great blogs and Facebook groups to join and learned that I could be a correspondence sponsor as well (where someone else sponsors them financially but they don't want to write to them for whatever reason, so the correspondence sponsor does that instead......and the kid thinks you are their new sponsor).

In February 2012 I signed up to be a correspondence sponsor to Selemani from Tanzania and Priyanga from India.  I was doing great for about a year with those three, and then decided to get a few more correspondence kids.  In February 2013 I decided we could financially sponsor more than one so for my birthday I decided to sponsor someone.  A fellow advocate was posting about Sonia, who was 5 (almost 6) from Rwanda whom Laurent could go visit and take pictures for us when he let her know who her new sponsor was.  To me that was an awesome opportunity so that helped me decide to sponsor her. 

After Sonia, I got a few more correspondence kids and then cut myself off, since I wanted to make sure I had enough time to write to them all every month.  I said to stop at 8, but then they accidentally added 2 more to my account (which I can't say no to since I'm sure God had a reason for it), so after that I had them for sure take me off the list so that I could keep up.  They were my perfect 10.

Then God really tested us.

As I just mentioned I added Sonia in February 2013, bringing our financial sponsorship to 2 (with 8 correspondence kids whom we also sent birthday money to and letters and such).  In April 2013 we took a missions trip to Costa Rica.  We came back to a voicemail from Compassion stating that Flor's financial sponsor had dropped her sponsorship.  We needed to decide if we wanted to pick up her financial sponsorship or let her go out into the system to be sponsored by someone else.  We hadn't received a single letter from her yet since she was only added a few months before (but I had already sent her like 10 letters telling how much we loved her and such).  Now as I said before, I can't say no to any of them, especially once I've told them we care for them.  After talking to Adam we decided we'd take on her sponsorship too.  Now we were at 3 sponsorships and 7 correspondence kids.

Then a month later we were tested again, when we received that dreaded phone call.  Priyanga's financial sponsor dropped her.  She was our first correspondence girl and she wrote wonderful letters to us (in English even), calling us auntie and uncle.  How could I ever drop her either?  After having them delay the start of the financial charges by one month, we picked up Priyanga.  She was told her sponsor dropped her so she wrote a new "first letter" to us again.  It took a little while for her to realize it was still us!  But now we are back to our great relationship. 

After that I was scared that it would keep happening to our correspondence kids.  We can afford 4 right now (since we don't have any actual kids) but I don't want to get into a position where I'd have to give any up if our finances change so that part worries me with correspondence kids.  I just pray and know God will provide...either for us to keep them, or to allow my heart to let them go if that ever does happen. 

We've been fortunate enough to get to go to Peru and meet our 3 kids there (2 sponsored, 1 correspondence).  We are so happy that we were able to keep Flor since I can't imagine not getting to know that sweet girl.

Back in March 2014 our oldest (and first correspondence boy), Selemani decided to move out of his Compassion project area (so he could no longer be part of the program).  He was almost 21 and had finished high school so it was still a great success.  He was moving to find a better job for himself so that is always a good reason!  It was still a sad day.  I decided to replace him with another correspondence child as they were posting that there was a great need for correspondence sponsors at that time.  I received Diane from Rwanda who is 18 and sponsored by a business (so I can be safe that she won't get dropped, thankfully!).  I was back to my round number of 10.  Then there were still kids who needed correspondence sponsors and I took a leap of faith and got 2 more (one of whom is also sponsored by a business so that should be safer too).  I've kept my requests to the same countries:  Tanzania, Philippines, Rwanda, Peru, and India so that I have multiple kids per country (Tanzania is down to 1 kid now though after Selemani left the program).  That way if we are ever able to visit, we can see more than one kid at a time.

I am content with my dozen :) 

That is my long version of why I started with Compassion, how I've grown in numbers, and grown in faith by picking up additional sponsorships, etc.  I've became an advocate, helped spread the word about Compassion, and helped at events.  I just love this organization and all the blessings it has brought me. Thanks for reading my story.

If you feel ready to sponsor your first child, please Click here to see kids waiting for a sponsor  It will bring you to the Compassion website where you can search for a child to add to your family and heart :)  Thanks.

Finally....a little about our trip to Peru!

I can't believe I haven't blogged about my sponsor trip to Peru with Compassion International yet.  I was busy catching up when I got back, and now I guess I've just been slacking :)

Here are a few highlights:

*Obviously #1 on my list will have to be meeting our 3 sponsored kids!
*Getting to meet other great sponsors who are also passionate about Compassion.
*Learning more about the different aspects and programs of Compassion such as the Child Survival Program, Leadership Development Program, and of course the Child Sponsorship Program.  Seeing these programs first hand was great to be able to see how the kids benefited in each one.
 *Meeting the great staff in the country....tutors, pastors, project workers, translators, etc. Our staff from Colorado was great too :)


Here are a few pictures from meeting our Compassion kids in Peru:

On May 7th, we had a fun day at a water park where we met Yessica (our correspondence child).

Here we are when we first met her.  We were all smiles.  I had cried on the bus in anticipation of seeing her for the first time.  Then when we got there and saw all the kids from a distance I found her in the crowd and got excited.  I held back tears for the hugs....but the end of the day the tears came back during the goodbyes.

Yessica came with her dad.  They had a 6 hour bus ride to the location and came the night before and stayed in a hotel.  I'm sure that was a fun experience for them.  Her dad had a baby only 10 days before so we were able to give them some baby clothes as a gift (we knew they were pregnant but not how far along....it was a little boy).  Her dad was so thankful for our support.  He made a sash for Adam and a messenger bag for me (which took him 5 days to make!).  He does these sort of textiles as a business so it was special for him to share his skills with us.

Here we are with his handiwork (Yessica and her dad are in the middle).

We gave Yessica lots of presents and clothes, including this Minnesota Vikings shirt.  I have the same one so we can be twins :)

Towards the end of the day Yessica and I were crying when we looked at each other and thought about having to say goodbye.  We wiped away our tears and took more group shots so that we'd have memories in the future.  She has red cheeks from the sun (and from crying)....and me too.

 One final group shot towards the end of the day.

Obviously this is only a portion of our pictures.  I took about 100 or so...which I printed out and will be sending to her 20 at a time because of the thickness restrictions per letter.  She'll keep getting pictures as the year goes on and will keep remembering new moments from our fun day together.  She is 14 years old and wants to be a doctor someday.  We love this girl so much!


Now on to the next fun day......where we met our two sponsored kids at an amusement park on May 9th.



First up was Said (age 7) and his mom.  Said was our very first sponsored child.  Adam gave him a big hug and spun him around.  We later found out that his dad is out of the picture so I'm sure he appreciated having a male figure show him affection and love.

 I awkwardly waited for my turn to say hello.

Next up was 11 year old Flor and her mom. 

Adam and Said.

Me and Flor.

We went on rides at the amusement park.  It was the first time they were on a roller coaster (for the mom's too!).  They enjoyed it but were a little scared.  

Flor and Said waiting in line to go on the roller coaster (again).  I love her smile.  She was shy though so when she noticed I wanted to take a picture she sometimes turned away so these moments had to be captured quick!  Said was hyper and talkative like any 7 year old boy so he lead the group around and Flor was quiet and shy and just followed him along.  Flor lives near Lima (so had about a 2 hour bus ride to get there that morning).  Said is from southern Peru so he had a 16 hour bus ride.  Said and his mom came the night before by bus and stayed in a hotel.  It was his 2nd time in a hotel he said, but the first time in an elevator :)  The transportation and hotel costs for the kids and their parents were covered by our trip costs so we were glad they were able to travel and have these fun new memories.

Flor and Said (and Adam) checking out the parrots in the small zoo area of the park.

The four of us being silly.

We had two great translators with us (both on the right side of the table).  With two kids, and two parents having two was awesome!  Said was super talkative so having a fast translator helped us understand him.  And having a second translator helped me try to ask Flor questions while Said was talking with Adam and the others too.

Adam and Said went on the log ride.  We used the towels we brought them (in case we went to the water park portion...but it was too chilly) to keep Said a little dry.  They still got wet but he didn't care.

Flor loved the animals, especially the chickens.  She got a sole (like 30 cents) from her mom in order to get chicken feed from the machine to feed the chickens (we later got more for the other animals).

 Here she is feeding a horse.  I love her joyful smile/laugh.

They both love the horses.

Here we are with both kids, parents, and our one translator (the other took the picture). We gave them backpacks full of school supplies, books, toys, etc.  We also gave each kid a bag of clothes as well as towels and gifts for their families.  I loved shopping for them :)

A group shot at the end of the day.  Said held on to his new soccer ball and liked his new stocking hat (even though it wasn't that cold...lol).

Us with Flor and her mom.

Individual shots so each kid felt special.

Said and his mom with us.

Again, we had a ton of pictures (probably between 150-200) of this fun day.  We printed a ton out for Flor and Said so they will be getting them a small stack at a time throughout the year.  We had given each kid a small photo album to put the pictures in but I should have given them a couple since they won't all fit...lol.

This second fun day we knew more what to expect after already going through one a few days before with Yessica.  I didn't cry at the beginning but at the end after we took these pictures, Flor started to cry so I hugged her and cried....and then Said started to tear up a little!  It was sad waving goodbye to them when their bus left.

These fun days were some of the best days of our lives.


Obviously I have more to talk about with going to the different Compassion projects and such too but this will end my post for today.  Let me know if you have any questions or if you would like help sponsoring a child of your own.  It is so worth it!

Click here to find children who are in need of sponsors.

Advocating for two cuties from Peru!

We went on a sponsor trip the beginning of May to Peru to visit three of our Compassion kids there.  It was an amazing trip (sorry I haven't blogged about it yet....soon I hope!).

After the trip, I received 2 packets for kids from Peru (plus one I had picked up on the trip, whom I found a sponsor for). 

Below are the two kids I'm advocating for another week or so here:

Here are Briggtte and Nilton.

Nilton is 6...almost 7 (birthday is August 23, 2007). He's from the north/central part of Peru, lives with both parents and there are 3 kids in his family. Briggtte is 8...almost 9 years old (birthday is June 20, 2005). She's actually from one of the centers we visited in the north part of Peru (but I didn't have her packet at the time so I didn't get any individual pictures of her unfortunately since I didn't know to look for her). I can show you general pictures of her project though if you do sponsor her. It was a wonderful project with lots of great skills training, great project staff, etc. She lives with both parents and there are two kids in her family. 

 Let me know if you are drawn to either of these kids and want to become their sponsor.  Our Peru kids are great writers so far, and we get letters pretty on schedule every two months or so.

Host your own Compassion Sunday....online!

Each year, there is an official date for Compassion Sunday (May 4th this year), although you can really do it any time that works for your church.  This is a chance for advocates to tell their churches more about Compassion, help people get signed up for sponsorship, etc.

Not everyone has a church that allows this.  And some people are nervous about getting in front of a crowd.  Now there is a new way that allows everyone to participate....online Compassion Sunday :)



Click here to go to my online Compassion Sunday page.

I have created my own page to tell a little about myself and to advocate for one particular child.  If that child is sponsored, then I would just pick a new child to advocate for.  You can also create your own page like this to advocate for a child, or just tell your friends to go to Compassion.com to search for a child they would like to sponsor.  It is easy to advocate and tell others about Compassion.  Finding sponsors isn't always easy but it is fun telling others about the organization, even if it just helps them recognize it again when they hear about it in the future.  It might put the thought on their heart and someday maybe they too will be a sponsor.


Maybe even one of my readers will want to sponsor this cute little Peru girl I'm advocating for on my site (see the link above).  Thanks for considering it :)

Oh Happy Day!

Today I got an email response that I've been dreaming about.....that our church might consider letting me do a Compassion Sunday!  I've emailed everyone there that I can think of with no response, so after checking on another page on the church website, I noticed another email address to try yesterday and I got a response this morning.  The gentleman has never heard about Compassion so he'd like to hear more but thinks it might be a good fit based on what I told him in the email.  We leave for Peru very soon so we might not get to work out the details before our trip but I'm glad I at least found a person who is willing to listen.

I am beyond joyed!  This is a huge church so I figured it would be a tough road trying to find someone to listen or let me do a talk (or even just a table with packets) so I am psyched that the first step is finally broken through!  Plus, this would be a great opportunity to get more children sponsored or maybe even create a letter writing club or something like that to teach sponsors about the importance of writing to their sponsored child.

Please pray that the next steps go well also and for courage at speaking in front of such a large group if they do allow it :)

Cute Video!

This is a cute video of a little boy who you will fall in love with. 

Compassion also helps with medical needs of children in poverty whom would not be able to afford it otherwise.  It is another great benefit of this wonderful organization.  Sponsor a child today :)

Getting ready for our Peru Sponsor Tour

I have been preparing for the past 3 months for our trip to Peru.  It is finally only a few weeks away.  I've gone overboard with gifts for our sponsored kids, promised to bring around 9 or 10 baggies of gifts for other sponsors kids, and then we need to bring gifts for the projects we visit, homes we visit, child survival program, etc.  I'm totally running out of room.

We'll just have to pack really light for what we'll wear for the week and such ourselves.  That way I can cram as many gifts into the suitcases and carry-ons that I can.  The way home we'll combine suitcases inside each other since the majority will then be empty but on the way there will be the main mystery.

Please pray that the remaining preparations go well, for safe travels, and for good days meeting our kids!

We can't wait to give Yessica, Said, and Flor a big hug.

Two other new correspondence kids!

Last week I also received two other new correspondence kids.

We now write to 4 year old Precious from the Philippines and 8 (almost 9) year old Marie Diane from Rwanda.  We can't wait to get to know these girls better!

Selemani is officially off our account

Last week I found out that Selemani had left his Compassion project (not sure on the exact details yet but either he left the area for work, or left to move out of the area with his family).  For a few days he's shown up on my account but his picture was unavailable.  Now this afternoon he is completely off our account.

It is a sad thing to be done writing to a child you have gotten to know for two years (he was our first correspondence child).  He is 20.5 years old so I know he is a grown up and now he is in God's hands. 

I pray that Selemani continues to grow in faith and wisdom and that his life in Tanzania is good.


After he left, I received a new correspondence teen.....Diane from Rwanda who is 17 years old.  Thankfully I found out she is sponsored by a foundation who is very faithful in their sponsorships so I shouldn't have to worry about losing her.  Plus the foundation is great about sending the kids they sponsor birthday and family gifts each year so that is one less thing I will have to worry about.  God is good!

Here is our new girl Diane :)

We can't wait to receive letters from her and learn more about her.

The Season of Lent: Giving things up to gain more!

Today marks the beginning of the season of Lent, with Ash Wednesday.  During Lent, we give things up (such as pop, candy, or other vices).  We give things up to gain more....as in closeness to God, a better devotion, etc.  We grow stronger in faith through sacrificing small things and concentrating on the real reason for the season.....Jesus!

This Lent, I want you to consider sponsoring a child with Compassion International.  Through giving something up in your daily life (or even just once a month), you will have extra money to sponsor a child.  For $38 a month, you can sponsor a child to help provide an education, medical checkups, food, faith education, and so much more to help break the cycle of poverty.  This works out to about $1.25 a day.

While I am not a coffee drinker at all, I know some people do go to Starbucks or Caribou Coffee each day and get a $3 coffee (or are they more?....no idea here).  Even if it is just once a day during the work week, that averages out to $60 a month.  Even cutting back on the amount of times you buy a fancy coffee can help you easily afford to sponsor a child.....and in return you will gain so much!  The love of a sponsored child is evident through letters you write back and forth.  These small sacrifices mean so much, as we are sharing our faith, resources, and time with a child of God.

You can find small ways here and there to consolidate bills, cut extra fees, cancel unused phone lines, sell unused items, etc. in order to be able to pay for the sponsorship.  Eating out one less time a month also pretty much pays for a sponsorship with restaurant prices, taxes, and tips these days.  I use coupons as much as I can and sales racks and clearance racks are awesome!

I'm not saying we have to live primitively by any means but by giving up a few indulgences or extras, we can gain so much in return.  The rewards are both here and now, but also in heaven as Jesus calls us to love children and the poor. 

Please consider using the money you save giving up something for Lent to sponsor a child.  You won't regret it!

Please click on this link in order to get taken to the Compassion site to see children in need of sponsors: Click here to sponsor

"Son of God" movie review

This weekend I went to the movie "Son of God". I helped at the Compassion table at the movie hoping that people would want to sponsor a child through this great organization. We were able to get a few kids sponsored over the weekend so that was great.

The movie itself was great. It had dramatic music, high def type picture, the actors showed lots of emotions, etc. The story is of course the life of Jesus from starting to meet the disciples to his death and resurrection. The movie helps make the Bible stories come to life and is great to get a better appreciation for all Jesus went through.

I recommend seeing this movie if you get a chance. It is almost 2.5 hours long though, so make sure to use the bathroom ahead of time :)

Also, if you feel led to sponsor a child through Compassion International, that would be wonderful too! You can click on the following link to see children in need of a sponsor around the world. This is a great organization who does great work helping children beat the cycle of poverty by providing them with an education, health services, nutritional supplements, faith education, etc. Let me know if you have any questions let me know.

www.compassion.com/sponsor_a_child/default.htm?referer=133043

Go see the "Son of God" movie this weekend!

This weekend I will be helping work at the "Son of God" movie with Compassion International (helping run a table to try to get more people signed up to be sponsors).  I will be able to see the movie at the same time so next week I'll do a review.  I've heard its supposed to be really good though so I suggest you all go out and enjoy the movie, and sign up to become a Compassion International sponsor while you are there :)

Yessica is going to be a big sister!

We will be going to visit Yessica in Peru in a few months so I wanted to make sure I knew how many siblings she had and such (to know what types of gifts to buy).  In her letters she mentioned 2 siblings, but Compassions records showed none, so I had them put in an inquiry to see what was correct.

Here was their response yesterday:

I have heard from our staff in Peru regarding the siblings that Yessica mentioned and this is what we learned:

 

The project in Peru confirmed that Yessica does have two siblings.   Their names are Erika (sister, 10) and Ander (brother, 9). The reason the project didn’t mention the siblings is because the siblings do not live in the same home as Yessica.  In this case Erika is Yessica’s sister only by her father side, however she has never lived with with Yessica. We have just been informed that Erika is also registered in the program and is already sponsored but they see each other frequently in the project. Ander is Yessica’s brother by her father and mother, but the parents separated before Yessica was registered in the project and Ander was living with Yessica’s mother in another place.  Currently, Yessica lives with her father.  Her father recently got engaged few months ago and they are expecting their first baby. Erika loves her siblings very much and has a good relationship with them.

This is awesome since now I know more about her back story.  Plus I can bring a baby gift for her family too (gender neutral of course since I won't know what they are expecting).  This will be something fun we can write about and she can talk about how her sibling is growing and such (once born).  Excited to meet Yessica soon!

Happy 14th Birthday Priyanga!

Our sponsored child Priyanga from India turns 14 today!  She is growing into a wonderful young woman who writes great letters.  She does well at school, is involved in activities, and loves her family.  We are so proud of her!  This was her picture from about a year ago. 

Today I wrote her a quick letter using the online writing tool telling her that we were thinking of her on her birthday and such.  I'm hoping to get all my handwritten letters done for our 10 kids this weekend.  With all the snow, it will be a good thing to stay inside and do!

Letters are the best presents!

My birthday is 2 days before Valentine's day.  We don't really do gifts for these two days much and just go out to eat or a movie or such. 

This year I got the best presents on each day!  Wednesday (my birthday) I received a letter from Priyanga from India.  Then on Friday (Valentine's Day) I received a letter from Selemani  from Tanzania.  Both of those made my day and are better than any flower or chocolates.

I took someone's advice and took a picture of me holding the letter from Priyanga so that I could send it to her sometime showing just how happy I am to receive letters from her.  I'll try to do it with the other kids letters too but once pictures are on my camera, it takes forever for me to get them off of there! 

Make sure to write your sponsored kids letters when you get a chance.  I'm sure it lights up their day as much as it does ours.  This week I need to get around to doing my monthly handwritten letters for the kids. 

Happy Valentines Day!

I want to wish you all a Happy Valentine's Day!  Each year I send my sponsored kids Valentines (around December so they reach the kids by February).  I buy Valentines on clearance after the holiday is done so that I have them when December rolls around.  I buy these cute holographic Valentines with puppies and kittens for the girls, and cool cars for the boys.  I also found some cute bible verse cards with hearts on them too, as well as paper airplane Valentines for the boys.

I tell the kids how it is a holiday about love and how much we love them.

Today, my quote describing my sponsorship experience was posted on Compassion International's Facebook page so that was special that they picked me.  Here are my words in their cute graphic.




It is so true!  I will always love my sponsored kids from now until eternity. They are a part of our family and my hearth.

I wish them all a wonderful Valentine's day today and send them love all year long!


~ Graphic courtesy of the Compassion International Facebook page.

Cute Peru Girl That Needs a Sponsor

We love all our Compassion kids and today I found one with the same first name as our Flor from Peru:

Flor Esperanza Valencia Amaya
Birthday:  August 4, 2009 (so she is 4.5 years old)
She lives with her parents and there are two kids in the family.

If you would like to sponsor Flor, please click here


If you sponsor her, please let me know and I can try to take a small gift to her when we visit Peru in a few months.  Thanks so much.

Or if you would like to sponsor a different child from Peru (or any other country really), please click on the below link to be directed to the Compassion website.

Click here to sponsor a child

Peru kids that need sponsors!

While browsing on the Compassion site I came across some kids from Peru who need sponsors still. Our Peru kids hold a special spot in our heart as they are great letter writers (about every two months on schedule!). We are going to visit our Peru kids in May so I'd love to get some more Peru children sponsored before we go.

If you do sponsor one of the below kids, please let me know and if you want, I can take a small baggie with a gift for your child when we go to Peru (you can mail it to us).

Just click on the link by each child if you would like to sponsor them. Thanks so much!

Leydi 
She is 9 years old (looks much younger in the picture so she'll probably have an updated picture soon, or she might just look young for her age).
Birthday: March 16, 2004 

 Click here to sponsor Leydi

Fabricio

He is 5.5 years old and his birthday is June 28, 2008.  He is a cutie!

 

Click here to sponsor Fabricio 

Or to search for other children in Peru or around the world, click here 

Going to Peru to Visit our 3 Sponsored Kids!

In May we will be traveling to Peru with a group trip for Compassion International. On this trip we will get the opportunity to see several Compassion International projects to see the work they do with the kids, church, families, etc. It will be a wonderful experience, and best of all we will get to spend the day with our 3 kids from Peru (2 sponsored and 1 correspondence child). They will get the opportunity to travel to Lima to meet us there for child visit day. Yessica and Said each live about a 14 hour drive away from Lima (not sure if they will fly them there or take a really long bus ride), but Flor lives pretty close to Lima so it won't be far for her. The last couple of letters Yessica has said "See you soon" at the end of the letter (probably meaning that she'd write again soon). Little does she know that this will be a reality soon! And a year ago Said mentioned his goal would be to someday get to go to Lima....well that is coming true now too! I can't wait to make these 3 kids days by visiting them, hugging them, and letting them know how special and loved they are.