Gifts that Give Back (along with 6, 7, and 8)

6. Let your Kids see you Be Generous. There are so many creative and fun ways to do this, especially this time of year!

Participate in programs like Operation Christmas Child.

Lifesong for Orphans is giving out a special Advent Calendar that incorporates giving into your holiday season.

Take advantage of Christmas Catalogs that ministries like Compassion, World Vision and Lifesong put out. Consider cutting back on Christmas gifts and shopping these catalogs as a family with the money you saved.
Or ask friends to bring money to your birthday party instead of gifts and shop the catalogs as a group.

Purchase gifts that give back. We are That Family has a list of places to shop here. HKI (a charitable organization that raises funds for orphans in Suhn and Zak's province in China) is doing a fundraiser with Thirty-One Bags here until November 23. Scarlet Threads and Live Fashionable are two other organizations that will give back through your shopping support.

Whatever you do, let your kids see you do it! Take the time to turn your Christmas shopping into a teachable moment. Let your kids shop with you to fill the shoe box for Operation Christmas Child. Pour over the ministry catalogs together. This holiday season let your generosity be visible and contagious!

7. Sponsor a Child
We have sponsored children through Compassion  International for over ten years. Two of our Compassion kids have aged out of the system. When the last one did, we decided to sponsor another child, but this time let Mya pick.

We now sponsor a child in Ethiopia who is about Mya's age. Mya is in charge of writing letters to her. She knows where she lives on our map, and whenever Compassion sends updates or our sponsor child writes letters it gives an amazing, personal teaching moment for our daughter on what life is like on the other side of the world.

8. Take your Kids on a Mission Trip
Many of these ideas will involve a sacrifice of time and money, but the perspective it gives our kids is priceless. Mya traveled with me to Zambia this past spring.

Mid-way through the trip she looked up at me and said, "Mom, the world is a lot bigger than I thought."

Exposing our kids first-hand to the way others live can be a life-changing experience that will encourage a global perspective like nothing else.

Your Turn: Please share places you have found where you can purchase gifts that give back, or any other ways you encourage a global perspective in your kids.

An End and a Beginning

A few weeks ago we received a letter in the mail. It informed us that one of our Compassion kids is leaving the program and no longer needs a sponsor. They told us this is common for older kids. She is 16 and we have been exchanging letters for close to ten years. We had met face to face in the heat of El Salvador two years ago.

Now she is moving on. We will probably never have contact with her again, but our prayers will follow her wherever she goes. There is a little sadness, and a lot of thankfulness that we were given the chance to partner with God and play a small role in the life of a girl in El Salvador. I am trusting He used our sponsorship in Yesenia's life. I know He used it in ours.

And now we get to do it again. Only this time, we want to share the experience with our daughter.

The pictures of the children we sponsor are on our refrigerator. Our kids see their faces on a daily basis. Sometimes they read the letters we get, but it is really more our project than theirs. Mya is old enough for that to change.

The next child we sponsor will give Mya the opportunity to get involved. I hope the process will help broaden her world, so she can see a little more tangibly what life looks like in another part of the world, and that it will continue to grow in her a heart of compassion.

So, we are saying hello to Lebene. Lebene lives in Ethiopia. She is five years old and we are her sponsors. Mya chose her and will be the one writing her letters. I hope they will be friends.

Dear Lebene,
Hi. I'm Mya, my parents and I are your sponsors. I have one sister and three brothers. My sister's name is Suhn. My brothers names are Simon, Jonah and Sean. Simon and Jonah are twins. My parents are Megan and Kory. I am getting ready for school next week. I love to swim. We will pray for you and your family. We are so excited to be your sponsors. We love you.
Love, Mya

And so it begins. We get to partner once again with God's work, playing a small role in the life of a very special little girl living in Ethiopia.

If you are interested in sponsoring a child or learning more about Compassion please click here.


*On another note, THANK YOU for your comments and ideas on my last post. One of the things I love about blogging is the sharing of ideas and you all had great ones! Thanks for sharing!!!

Compassion makes a Difference.

If you are going to be at Hearts at Home's National Conference this March, you are in for a treat. It is going to be a great conference on so many levels.

There is one speaker I am especially excited about. Her name is Michelle Tolentino and she was once a sponsored child. Her testimony is moving, inspirational, and one more reminder that by choosing to sponsor a child with Compassion International, you can partner with God to directly impact a life.

If you aren't going to be at Hearts at Home this year, good news, you can still hear Michelle's testimony on the video below!

Meeting Yesenia - the movie

Many of you know, I had the opportunity to travel to El Salvador two years ago with Compassion International and Hearts at Home. On that trip I met Yesenia, a girl we have sponsored for over 10 years.

Even now, two years later I still can't believe I went.

If you'd like to read what I blogged about in El Salvador, you can go here.

Or, you can watch my Compassion video below!

Either way, if you don't already sponsor a child, please consider doing so today. If you already sponsor a child, write your child today. Your words have an amazing impact. That child is more than a picture, he or she is a living, breathing person struggling to overcome insurmountable odds and your words can and do make a difference.

Make a Difference - PRAY!

The needs are overwhelming. They are everywhere. They are hard to understand.

The names of thousands of families fill up adoption waiting lists, while millions of children wait for families.

An earthquake shatters an already poverty-stricken country. Killing thousands. Taking away material possessions from those who had so little to begin with.

What can we do?

We can adopt. We can give. We can raise awareness.

AND, we can pray.

Sometimes, prayer feels like a cop out to me. A way to act like I'm doing something, so I don't have to do something more. I know that is not true, but sometimes it feels like that.

This week I was reminded of the importance of prayer. A friend shared the following story:

As a girl, her family had the opportunity to adopt two girls through the foster system. They invited the girls into their family for a weekend, but in the end did not feel called to adopt. Others questioned the decision. They second-guessed themselves and felt guilty. And they prayed for the girls.

Well over 10 years later, my friend happened to be at a dinner where one of the two girls they had almost adopted shared her story. The girl paid tribute to the residential care facility where she and her sister had received some much needed help. She also paid tribute to the couple who eventually took them into their home and invested in their lives.

I like to think part of their success story is because of the prayers of my friend and her family. Maybe God wanted my friend to pray so she could share in the story of those girls, a chance for her to participate in God's work. I don't know. I don't understand prayer, but God's word says it is important. So I need to pray and trust that God will use that offering to change the world.

That doesn't excuse me from doing more, but it should be what I do before... and during... and after.

With that said, I want to encourage you to continue to pray for those in Haiti. I want to encourage you to continue to pray for the millions of orphans who are waiting for a family (if you google "waiting children" you can find thousands of individual children to pray for by name!).

And if you want to do more while you pray for those affected by the Haiti earthquake, consider donating to Compassion International.

The needs are overwhelming. But we can make a difference.

Donate Online

Tomorrow is Global Food Crisis Day!

Some days it feels like we have nothing to eat.

At least nothing that I'm craving in the moment... like chocolate.

I look in our cupboard and nothing looks good. Nothing appeals to me.

So I either make due with an inferior snack, like pretzels, or I go "hungry" until dinner time arrives.

I recently received an e-mail from Compassion. There is Global Food Crisis affecting millions of families around the world. Even in America, we have felt the tremors. Food prices are going up in our grocery stores. It affects what and how much I buy.

Even though I feel the tremors, it is hard to imagine families going hungry. I am insulated from that because of where I live. But it doesn't change that fact that there are people around the world going hungry. It doesn't change the fact that I can do something to help.

Here are the facts:

• The UN World Food Programme calls the current global food crisis "a phenomenon, a silent tsunami," that is affecting millions of families in every nation on every continent.
• This global food crisis is more rapid, urgent and devastating than any other in the history of our planet.

Why is this happening?

• The cost of food staples have roughly doubled in many countries
• Some of the original factors that turned this trend into a world calamity recently include unstable oil prices, increased meat consumption in countries like India and China, droughts in major crop-producing countries, and increased production of bio fuels

How can you help?

• Compassion has created a Global food crisis fund. This fund provides food vouchers to children and families in need of immediate relief. It provides seeds and agricultural tools so that families can grow their own food as well as earn extra income. And, it provides supplemental nutrition services at Compassion-assisted centers around the world.
• Please visit Compassion to learn more and to donate to this cause.
• Add a Global Food Crisis widget to your blog to help Compassion raise awareness.

I know the current economic conditions have people worried. It is hard to give money when the economic future is uncertain and our dollars are not stretching as far as they once did.

BUT, there are moms who are sending their children to bed hungry. Compared to that economic condition, we live in a world of abundance no matter how tight our grocery budget is.

THEREFORE, we can help. Every little bit counts. Every dollar makes a difference. Please consider donating to Compassion's Global Food Crisis Fund today.

Blog Action Day - Talking about Poverty

Sorry friends, no Wordless Wednesday today.



Today I am participating in Blog Action Day. The topic is poverty.

Where I live, poverty is hard to imagine. I realize that poverty exists in America, but I don't see it in my day-to-day life.

The current state of the economy is making everyone fearful. It is getting harder and harder to make ends meet. Rising food and gas prices are something to be concerned about. They stress me out as I look at our budget.

However, at the end of the day we have food to eat, shelter (of the four-bedroom variety), closets full of clothes, and floors strewn with toys.

I do not know poverty. Poverty is hard for me to imagine.

In his book Soul Survivor, Philip Yancey writes, "I belong to a privileged minority. Everyone reading this sentence belongs, in fact, for only a small percentage of the world's people has the ability and leisure to read and the resources to buy a book."

Yancey raises the question, "How do we, the 'privileged ones,' act as stewards of the grace we have received? We can begin by finding a community that nourishes compassion for the weak, an instinct that privilege tends to suppress. We can begin with humility and gratitude and reverence, and then move on to pray without ceasing for the greater gift of love."

Prayer. That is the first place to go when looking for a solution of any kind.

But what are some other ways we can "act as stewards of the grace we have received?" as Yancey so eloquently put it?

I have two thoughts.

The first one came from the Beth Moore Bible Study I am participating in.

Don't lose touch with the poor.

This is easy to do in America where we are surrounded by affluence. But how can we help the majority in our world living in poverty if we ignore them and pretend they don't exist.

I think we should take the advice Daniel gave to King Nebuchadnezzar, "Make a clean break with your sins and start living for others. Quit your wicked life and look after the needs of the down-and-out."

The second thought, I heard in a talk by Andy Stanley years ago. According to Andy, the antidote to Greed (a symptom of materialism and an enemy of poverty) is...

Write a Big Check.

I know our country is experiencing economic stress right now. Families are experiencing economic stress right now. But there are millions of people in our world who have it so much worse than we do. We need to be writing checks. Big checks.

I feel hypocritical as I stand here on my soapbox because I struggle with materialism and greed. I fail to write the big checks because I spend too much money on myself.

And yet, I want to do something even though I fail miserably in so many ways. Maybe putting my thoughts in print will give me greater accountability to follow my own advice! One can hope...
If you are looking for a trustworthy place to write your big check as well as one that will help you stay in touch with the poor, I can think of two great organizations.

Compassion International is an organization that strives to release children from poverty. Through Compassion, you can sponsor a child and have a direct impact on a life.

Lifesong for Orphans is an organization whose mission is to bring joy and purpose to orphans. By supporting this ministry you will have a direct impact on orphans living in Ukraine, Zambia and India.

As always, I would love to hear your thoughts and ideas.

Thanks for "listening" to mine.

Will You Join Me?

Do you ever struggle to stay on budget in the food category?

I cannot lie, it is a challenge at our house. At times it stresses me out.

And then I got the following letter from Compassion International regarding my sponsor child Yesenia.

"I am writing with urgent news affecting your sponsored child in El Salvador.

Incredibly, the price for rice, beans and other food staples has increased dramatically in the past few months--by more than double in many areas--creating a life-threatening food crisis throughout the area where Yesenia lives. Poor families subsisting on $2 a day or less have been unable to buy the food they need, resulting in severe hunger and suffering.

Virtually all Compassion-sponsored children and their families in this region have been devastated by this horrible food crisis. The situation is spreading rapidly throughout the world and has the potential to threaten all of the children in our program."

Kinda puts my food budget in perspective.

Kinda puts my stress in perspective too.

$39 will help one family for a month.

Rising food and gas prices affect me too. But I'm not worried about my next meal. I have a pantry filled with food. I have to be very careful with how I spend my money. Sometimes it feels like there is never enough...

But, I AM SO BLESSED. I HAVE BEEN GIVEN SO MUCH.

I think that instead of using that blessing on myself, maybe it was entrusted to me so that I could pass it on to someone who really needs it to survive.

Will you join me?

To learn more about the food crisis or to give online, visit www.compassion.com/gfc.

Compassion International - El Salvador - Pictures from the Trip

We made it home safely. It was so fun to be welcomed home by my kiddos at the airport. I am so glad I went. I hope I do not get so caught up in the busyness of life that I forget what I saw. Thank you so much for your prayers, they meant so much to me!

One of my take aways from this trip is a desire to create an awareness in my children of what life is like for kids around the world. I want my kids to do great things for God's kingdom, but in order for them to do that, they need to be aware of the needs. But I will share more about that later. For now, here are a few pictures from the trip!

 

At one of the projects we visited, the moms drop off their children and wait for them at the project. They make these bags while they wait and sell them. It has become a "moms group" as well as an extra source of income.

 

The view when we stepped off the bus at one of the projects. This is the one where the marching band played and we were all given crowns!

 

 

Me and Rocia. Rocia works with Compassion in El Salvador and was our tour guide for the week. She is amazing at her job and has such a love for Christ, the children of El Salvador and her country. It was an honor spending time with her this week. She is also very ornery! At one of the projects she told us to make a noise like our favorite animal. What she told the children is that we were making the sound of the animal we look like!

 

Visiting one of the classrooms in a Compassion project.

 

The home of one of the children in the Compassion program. There was a full bed and twin beds in this home (and room for nothing else). 5 people live here.

 

Me, Yesenia and her mom

 

One of our group members getting his hair done! Compassion tries to teach the children job skills. They teach them to sew (Yesenia made me place mats as a gift to take home!), type, and use the computer. One project started a chicken farm which teaches the children to work and makes money for them to help their families. At the project where this picture was taken, they teach the girls hair salon skills!

I met my sponsor child today!

I met a girl, my girl, Yesenia Elizabeth today. What an experience. She had the sweetest spirit and a beautiful face. I can't wait to post pictures when I get home, but I must warn you, pictures do not do her justice!

She came with her mom and a Compassion worker from her project.

Her mom cannot read, but Yesenia can. She is learning English. She wants to be a doctor. She is in the 8th grade and is working hard to keep her grades up.

Yesenia turns 15 in September. Turning 15 is a big deal in El Salvador. She said I was her 15th birthday present!

Honestly, I still can't believe I met her. It feels like a dream.

I always knew she was a real person, but to actually see her face to face, to talk with her, and see her laugh was an amazing blessing.

I feel at a loss for words. How do I tell you about an experience like this?

And now, as I think back, I start to doubt myself. Did I take advantage of the time with her? We don't speak the same language, but I felt a connection - did she? Was I what she expected? I know she exceeded my expectations.

I didn't get emotional while I was with her. I was so happy to see her, but I didn't cry. But thinking back over the day as I stumble through this post, I feel the tears welling up. And, I don't know what to say.

Thank you for your prayers. If you don't already sponsor a child, sponsor one today. If you do sponsor a child, write your child. We heard the testimones of 4 young adults who graduated from the Compassion program and each one of them talked about the letters their sponsor wrote them and the impact that had on their lives.

I have always thought Compassion was a worthy cause, but as a result of this trip, I have seen Compassion up close, first hand and I have been blown away.

Compassion allows you to impact a child on the other side of the world for Christ. I can't think of a greater honor.

Remember when I said we were treated like a rock star...

Our welcome at the Compassion center this morning blew us all away (Compassion staff included). As we got off the bus, a band (think marching band) started to play. Children put crowns on our heads, and led us through a walkway of kids blowing kazoos and waving flags. Children holding the American flag and the El Salvador flag led the way. It was a literal parade. And then, as we entered the center we were showered with confettii by the Center's staff. Let's just say, we felt very welcome.

We found out that we were the first outside group to ever tour this center. The staff and the kids were so excited. It was an honor to share the experience with them!

And what do you imagine is a child in El Salvador's favorite food? Would you believe corn flakes. It was the most popular answer to the question, "What is your favorite food?"

Tomorrow I meet Yesenia, my sponsor child. They are driving her and her parents (or at least parent) over 3 hours to meet me. She will be traveling with us to the center we visit tomorrow. We will be spending the morning together.

Please pray that God would bless our time together and use it for His Glory. I am not the best conversationalist and the thought of making conversation (especially with a language barrier) for that long makes me a bit uneasy. But, its not about me right? My prayer (please make it yours too) is that Yesenia will feel the love of our Father. And if he chooses to use me, then Praise God!

Compassion and El Salvador, Take 2.5

As I was heading up to my room last night after posting, I kept thinking things like, "Oh I should have said that,"or "I should have worded that differently." or "I should have linked to Compassion straight from my post." There are just so many experiences and things I would love to share, but there just isn't time, the right words just don't seem to come, and sometimes (i.e. at night when I am tired) my brain just moves a little slow! If you have any questions about this trip or Compassion feel free to leave one in a comment and I will do my best to answer.

So, it is Wednesday morning. I woke up at 5:30 this morning and couldn't go back to sleep so I decided to get up which is why I have time to write this post before the day starts.

At the two Compassion centers we visited yesterday, when we arrived we were treated like rock stars. It was a very warm welcome. We were then treated to a program. One young boy ministered to us by reading John 3:16 and then shared a message on that verse. Children sang and acted out skits. And then at the end of each program, a surprising thing happened (at least to me). The children placed their hands on us (on me) and prayed for us (me). I was so touched. I was so blessed.

Today we will be visiting another center. Then tonight we will be having dinner with kids who have graduated from the Compassion program. I am looking forward to the day.

Compassion International in El Salvador, Take 2

Well, I just completed another day in El Salvador. It has been such a good day. Two things stand out to me that I want to share before I shower up and hit the sack.

1. We visited the home of a little girl (about Mya's age). Her house was smaller than my master bathroom and housed a family of 5. We got to talk to her parents. Her mom and her dad. It is very rare for a dad to be involved. As we were talking, the little girl started to cry and whine a little. She was tired and needed a nap. Jill made the comment that kids are the same no matter where you are. It is so true. Circumstances and environments may differ, but we are all human.

2. As we were about to get off the bus at the second project we visited, one of our guides Roberto referred to the Bible verse where Jesus says that if you minister to the "least of these" you minister to me. As we went into the project the kids led us in worship. Two little girls were sitting beside me. As I sat there listening with my arms around these little girls, it hit me that I was treading on holy ground. I had my arms around Jesus. I felt so unworthy to be there in that place. To put my arms around Jesus. Words fail.

3. I know I said two, but I have to add one more. The work Compassion is doing is amazing. They are so well-organized. They are making a difference and changing the world. And, the amazing thing is that for $32 a month, you can partner with them. You can impact a child for Jesus. This organization is the real deal and if you don't sponsor a child, I would highly encourage you to (if you scroll down to an earlier post with a picture of my sponsor child Yesenia, you will find a link to their website).

That's all for tonight. I am tired and am looking forward to my bed! (By the way, they are putting us up in a wonderful hotel - as a friend said on a trip to Ukraine - "Hey man, anything for the kingdom!")

Love you all, hopefully I will be posting more throughout the week. Thanks for your prayers, I can truly feel them.

Coming to You, Live from El Salvador

Greetings from San Salvador. I can't wait to crawl into my bed tonight! We got into Houston late last night (around 12:00), and had to be back at the airport at 7:30 this morning. I never sleep good in hotel beds the first night, so I feel very tired today.

We arrived in El Salvador around noon. Unfortunately, my bags won't arrive until later tonight. They did not loose them, they just decided to leave them behind in Houston (along with 55 other bags).

So far, I am very impressed with Compassion. We visited their El Salvador headquarters today. We will be visiting the centers that work with the kids tomorrow.

There is so much to say already, but I have to meet the group for dinner in about 5 minutes so I will just list a few facts I learned:

- there are 33,000 children in Compassion's program in El Salvador.
- approx 800 letters are received from sponsors each week
- approx 1500 letters are sent to sponsors every week
- there are 25 people on this trip with me from all over the U.S., all with a platform of some kind, all here to learn about Compassion and spread the word back in the U.S.

This post feels very random and disjointed, but my brain is not really working at full capacity right now. So, I will post more when I can. Keep us in your prayers. I think this is going to be an interesting week. :)

An Unexpected Opportunity

Kory and I have had the priveledge of sponsoring children through an organization called Compassion International. Originally, we decided to sponsor a child because it felt like a way to directly impact a child. It was a tangible way to make a difference in someone's life.

Over the years we have written letters to our "kids," and "added to our family." We currently sponsor three children: Lorena from the Philippines, Yesenia from El Salvador, and Jose from Ecuador. It is a unique relationship. Writing letters to children we have never met and receiving letters from them. Praying for each other even though we have never seen each other's faces.

I never thought I would get the opportunity to meet one of my sponsored children. But, next Sunday evening, I will be boarding a plane heading towards El Salvador. Not only will I get to see how Compassion works up-close, I will get to meet Yesenia. A 14 year old who we have been sponsoring for over 7 years.

How did this happen? Here's the scoop. Hearts at Home has partnered with Compassion for several years. Compassion asked Jill Savage, CEO of Hearts, to travel to El Salvador with them to see their ministry first-hand. Jill, her two daughters, and Hearts at Home's Director of Development will be going. And, because I am the only staffer at Hearts with a sponsored child in El Salvador, I will be going as well.

I am very thankful and excited for this opportunity. I never dreamt I would be able to meet my sponsored child face-to-face (although I am afraid her first words to me will be "Why don't you write me more!"). But, I am also nervous. It is always hard to leave my kids, especially when leaving the country. And, although I am glad Kory will be home with our kids, I wish I could experience a trip like this with him!

So, I want to ask for your prayers. Prayers for travel safety. Prayers that I will be Available to His purposes. Prayers for safety for my kids and hubby (and sanity for their babysitters!). And, prayers for peace of mind and courage (this trip is WAY out of my comfort zone).

Jill will be blogging about our trip throughout the week on her blog and I hope to as well. If you want to make a tangible donation to the trip, check out Jill's blog here for ways to help.