Monday, December 15, 2008

The church youth sponsors

Last week, I shared that I had gone to our church's other campus to share the ministry of Compassion with the youth there. My presentation went well, I think. I didn't get the impression that the kids were into it. But their leadership certainly was, in a big way. I guess after a year of struggling to get people to hear what I am saying, to see people go from being completely un-familiar with Compassion to being just absolutely on fire for the ministry is still taking me aback.

I had taken 5 packets with me for the youth to prayer-fully consider and pick 1 or 2 for them to sponsor. When I was done with my presentation, the adult leader of the youth was very excited and he said he was going to en-courage the youth to sponsor 2 children. But before we could discuss which ones they might sponsor, another mom came up to me and said she wanted to sponsor one of the children. You really have to understand that I have had a very, very difficult time getting people to sponsor children. I've tried my bible studies, twice! And I never had someone choose a packet I had on hand. So, I was pleasantly surprised. On Dec. 14th, I went and saw those same youth leaders again and learned that one other child packet was taken by another family. When I asked about the other packet, the leader said "Don't worry! I'll get that child sponsored too!"

I feel a heavy weight of responsibility when I get child packets. I feel that I am the one who should be carrying them to find them sponsors. I need to let that go and remind myself that these children are all in God's care and God will find them the sponsors they are meant to have. I'm just the "middle man". God has gone on ahead as I have gotten out of his way.

I do want to have their pictures here on my blog though. I'll have to see if when this all shakes out, I can get their pictures to share with you here.

Friday, December 12, 2008

Why Ethiopia - Wess Stafford

I found this at the blog of Shaun Groves. You might need tissues.

Thursday, December 11, 2008

When you get out of God's Way

Galations 6: 7-10
7Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 8The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. 9Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 10Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

For the last 13 months, I have been approaching my church about holding a Compassion Event. There have been many, many setbacks but at the same time, I have been encouraged by the leadership that something would come together some time. I almost had the opportunity in September, but then Hurricane Ike made his presence known. I was recently greatly discouraged again, but spoke up once again to open the door for the ministry of Compassion. I spoke up and then stood back to see what God would do with it. I got out of God's way.

Do you want to hear what God did?

I got a phone call today from the Exec. Pastor at my church. Pastor Karl. He called to invite me and open up the opportunity for me to present the ministry of Compassion International at our church for.... Are you ready for this?....

5 WEEKS OF LENT.

Our church has 2 campuses. I will be presenting the ministry to the main campus for 3 weeks in a row. Then, I will go to the other campus and present the ministry for 2 weeks there. The main campus averages 1000 worshipers through Lent and the other campus will average about 200.

THIS is what happens when you speak up and then get out of God's way. This is a GOD SIZED miracle. I am so excited and in such awe that I can not even contain myself.

And I can not wait to tell Azalech what we have done together.

Monday, December 8, 2008

Sara's Mother

I was blessed with more mail today. I was in a sour mood all day long until I got the mail. It sure puts my day into perspective to walk out to the mailbox and see "A Letter from your Sponsored Child".


We sponsor a young woman in Tanzania named Sara. Sara is 17 years old and lives away at a boarding school. She wrote that she did not see her family very much. So, when it was time to send her a birthday gift, I thought I would send a financial gift and I asked that it be used for travel expenses for Sara to go and see her family - but, if it was not practical to do that, use it as they saw fit. Her birthday was in September and I know that I had sent the gift in sufficient time for it to be received then. So, I was anticipating a response about what happened with this gift.

That is what was in the mail today. The letter stated that Sara had not been able to come home but that gifts had been bought for her and she would receive them when she got home. I'm not sure, but it seems like this gift that I sent was divided evenly between Sara and her mother. The best part - I got a picture!

This is Sara's mother. Her gift was the "Kitenge" that she is wearing and the other one over her shoulder. Kitenge is an African Sarong (thanks Google!) plus the cooking oil and the large cooking pot. I know Sara has two brothers still living at home, so this is a gift that Sara's mother will use to bless the whole family.

The letter is a full page of "thank you's", "bless you" and "gratitude". I wish they had squeezed in Sara's mother's name in there - but I imagine it was being dictated to the writer by Sara's mother and those were the only words that came to her mind.

This makes me wonder also if Sara has very many pictures of her mother? I wonder if she would get a copy of this? I could make a copy and send along in my next letter.

Thursday, December 4, 2008

If you sponsor a little girl... a handmade gift suggestion

I have always wanted to send my sponsored children gifts that I made myself. There are strict regulations on the types of gifts that you can send - they must be made of paper, but you can send small bits of ribbon. they can not be bigger than 8x10 and a foldest stack can not be bigger than 1/8" thick. It's perfectly acceptable to send financial gifts. With a financial gift, the staff at the Compassion center can go out and find out just what your child needs and they buy it for them. By spending this money locally, it also helps the local economy in the area.

But anyway... back to my original idea of this post. Several months ago, I thought of the idea to send Haoua a gift of paper dolls. Look at these -


I printed these dolls out on Card Stock. And then, before I cut them out, I put reinforced, clear packing tape on the back of the doll. I made sure that the packing tape went over where I would cut. Then, when I went to cut it out, the packing tape created a very strong support to help support the paper and prevent it from tearing.

When I colored the dolls with colored pencil, I made one doll white/cream colored and the other one brown. BUT! I colored their clothes the SAME color - pink shorts and a baby blue top. I labeled one Haoua and the other Morgan, for my daughter.


With the clothes, I did the sam thing. But the tape did make it difficult to fold the tabs back, so I used a craft knife to score the fold lines to break the reinforced tape string.

I have wondered if Haoua has played with her paper dolls or if she has just kept them safe and treasured. She has two little sisters now and I have wondered if they are all still intact! I will ask her in my next letter and see if she would like some more dolls. Perhaps I should make a whole set JUST for her little sister.

You can find the paper dolls I used at Marilee's Paper Dolls.

If anyone comes up with a creative, homemade gift for a little boy, please share it!

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Veral Bautista, you have SPONSORS!

This morning, I met with our Youth Pastor to fin-alize the paperwork for Veral Bautista's sponsor-ship. This last Sunday, the youth offered an opportunity to sign up and commit to sponsoring this boy. Those who signed up promised to bring $1 a month to help support the sponsorship of this boy. Also on that day, they took in $93 to kick off the support of this boy!
There are two young ladies in the Youth Group who have taken this idea and really pushed it. I introduced them to it, but they have taken it over. I won't post their names on a public blog, but God knows them and I know he is smiling!
Veral Bautista is from the Dominican Republic. He is 9 1/2 years old. He lives with his mother and two other siblings. His favorite thing to do, like all little boys from the Dominican Republic, is BASEBALL!

I look forward to hearing about how this relationship between Veral and our church youth grows and develops. I pray that Veral is blessed by having so many praying for him. And I pray that the Youth as a group and as individuals, seek out other opportunities to bring Jesus to others.

This is a great starting point for my church and the growing partnership with Compassion International. I am so excited for what God is going to do here!

Monday, December 1, 2008

World AIDS Day

On Facebook, there was a group for those who planned on attending Starbuck's World AIDS Day. For every cup of coffee sold today, Starbucks would donate 5 cents to Project RED.

5 cents per cup of coffee really is a paltry amount of money for a corporation like Starbucks. For a $5-$8 cup of coffee, I think they could do better. But, in my opinion, I don't think of Project RED as the perfect mode of raising money to make a REAL difference. The only way to make a real difference in the lives of those affected by AIDS is JESUS.

But what it does do - and does very well - is to raise awareness. I still run into people who don't realize the scope and depth of the AIDS crisis in Africa. Project RED has made "being aware" cool. Yes, it is pretty pathetic that people will buy a $100+ pair of RED tennis shoes just to look "Cool". It's a negative side effect of our culture. But! ANYTHING that raises awareness is a good thing. For many people, that awareness becomes a spark and then it grows into a cause and then it blooms into action. Once people get a real grip on the crisis, they are quite often to do more, say more and be more involved. They can moved from needing those $100 pair of tennis shoes to just giving the $100 to the cause.

The value in the cup of Starbucks coffee or the size of Starbuck's donation to PROJECT RED is not in the now - it's the cost of a seed that is planted in someone to DO SOMETHING.

I run into these people who don't understand the AIDS crisis and they feel helpless to actually DO SOMETHING. My suggestion -

JOIN COMPASSION - SPONSOR A CHILD who is an AIDS affected country.
Luke 30- 35

30 Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32 So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan while traveling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, ‘Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.


Pick that child up and bring them to Compassion where they (and their caregivers) will receive AIDS medications, nutrition, education and the gospel of Jesus. READ MORE about what Compassion offers to those affected by AIDS.

Whether all you can offer today is a prayer, a cup of Starbucks coffee or you sponsor a child - shout out for for those who cannot speak for themselves today.