Before my husband and I had children of our own, we had Joan. She was an adorable 5-year-old girl from the Philippines whom we chose to sponsor through
Compassion International. For the past 8 years, we have come alongside her and her family and have watched her grow from letters and pictures. Back then, I would write letters to her...now my 7-year-old enjoys writing to her. It seems like such a small gesture in the grand scheme of things when you see poverty in so many places around the globe. What can
one person do to change
one life? But I was so encouraged by an interview with Scott C. Todd, Compassion's Senior VP of Global Advocacy.
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| Joan age 5 |
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| Joan age 12 |
While discussing how God is calling ALL of us to do our part to eradicate extreme global poverty** in our time, Todd states, "There are a lot of options, a lot of good causes, and a lot of things that really need to be done...I was aware [after reflection] of the benefits of addressing issues of infrastructure and the needs surrounding water, sanitation and hygiene. I knew that we need to address policy and justice issues. All of those things deal with the circumstances that surround poverty and are important. But I believe the heart of overcoming poverty lies in developing people, and with people development you get the most impact during their childhood. Compassion's program contains the core components of really good child development ...and it points kids to the only true source of hope, which is the gospel of Jesus Christ."
Todd goes on, "When the tactical value of all these things really hit me, I understood that this Compassion thing that I was already involved in wasn't just a cute thing to do to help out a kid. A Compassion sponsorship is actually a profoundly strategic approach to dealing with poverty. You enter into children's lives with the message that 'you matter,' you introduce them to Jesus, you give them protection and opportunity, and then you watch them flourish. Then those kids grow up to be the kinds of people who change their nations. When the poor themselves become the solutions to the problems they face in their societies, that is sustainable development. So for me, the simple and practical step toward tackling poverty is to sponsor a child through Compassion."
Wow!
One person reaching out to sponsor
one child really DOES make a global impact! Would you prayerfully consider getting involved in this ministry, too, dear friend? There are sooooo many children awaiting sponsorship and depending upon YOU to be involved! Please check it out here at
Compassion International today!
**Defined by the World Bank as a per-capita income of less than $1.25 per day, per person
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