When I was a college RA, I suggested that the girls on my dorm floor sponsor a child through Compassion. We collected loose change and did a few fund-raisers, and I made up any shortfalls every month. At the end of the year, I continued my sponsorship of our child, Betty, as an individual. Betty wrote me letters and I wrote her letters. She told me what she was learning in school and thanked me for the clothes, food, and school supplies provided by my sponsorship. I received an updated picture of her every year and watched her progress from a small girl, to an awkward teen, and then to a lovely young lady. Her sponsorship ended when she turned 18, and I lost track of her. But I feel confident that through Compassion’s education and training programs, she was able to find a job and support herself. And through their church programs, I know she developed faith in God as well.
Over the years, I have sponsored a number of children from various countries through this program. I chose Compassion because of their encouragement of the sponsors to try to get to know their sponsored children, and to tell the children about themselves and their own families. They not only assist individual children by providing food and clothing, but they also assist entire communities by using funds to set up school systems, provide clean water, improve infrastructure, provide medical personnel and supplies, offer health and parenting classes, and provide disaster relief where needed.
I am thankful that I have been able to be a part of Compassion’s mission for many years, and I am thankful for their staff, both in the United States and in countries all over the world, who work tirelessly to improve the lives of children and families in third-world countries.
Three things I am thankful for today are warm sunshine, toy trucks (it’s the trickle-down effect – they keep Ryan happy so they keep Mummy happy), and the cake of suet that is attracting so many pretty birds to my birdfeeder today.
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