My Change Of Mind
Authenticity.
This is me.
Walk into a Jars of Clay (or insert Christian artist name) concert.
Hear great (or not so great) music.
Hear them talk about Compassion International.
Not be moved because I think they are rock stars and shocked when they go on Compassion trips because they are not like you and I.
See the pictures of the kids outside and think someone else will sponsor them.
Go home after stopping at Starbucks and drinking 2 weeks of wages those kids parents make.
That is just me. Not you. But that was my calloused way of thinking.
I could not have been more wrong.
Now you guys are reading the words of people just like you.
Anne, Sophie, Heather, Spence, Keely. Me.
These kids are as real as the ones you live with or hold in the nursery at Flip Flops or Waumba Land.
But they are being held by their 5 year old sibling.
This is real.
Kids are being rescued and nurtured.
You are those rescuers.
Sponsor a child here.
Share your child here.
Share your thoughts of Compassion before and after this trip here.
Los
I’ve always thought Compassion was great and adopted a little girl from El Salvador last year, but it never seemed real to me. Reading your blog (and the other blogs) have really shown me how real their poverty is. There is a Compassion sponser trip to El Salvador coming up, and the more you post, the more convinced I am that I should go.
I’m with you – it’s easy to disconnect that these kids are real when we only hear “celebrities” talk about them. Sometimes our own Compassion kid doesn’t seem real. Whoa, that stings to realize…
Happy Valentine’s Day – send our love over that way, too.
My kids and I signed up to sponsor a Ugandan child this morning, due to all these amazing and challenging blog posts by all you talented bloggers on the trip.
Keep going guys – you and HE are making a difference.
that was me. i was on tour with an artist and my job was to set up the Compassion table. i would always walk out during the talk….i would leave at the end of the night and eat.
keep going. you all are doing such a needed and amazing thing!
praying for you all!
Your Dad and I sponsored Nuwagabe Caroline Yesterday. That was our Valentine Present to each other. Happy Valentine’s Day Babe, Love, Mom
We received a letter just yesterday from Jinet in Colombia. We also sponsor Carlos, not Whittaker of course. Jesse and Cole pray for Jinet and Carlos daily. We look forward to meeting them someday soon.
This kind of stuff kills me. I am SO guilty of ignoring the chances to sponsor and give to these children, and like you said, it is such a calloused way of thinking. Your post is a great reminder to me that I need to be the hands and feet of Jesus, and this is one way to do it. Thank you!
I’ve been enjoying your posts, photos, and videos. I have a friend, Kepher, who lives in Kampala and wish I were with the group so I could see him again and visit his homeland. It must be such an amazing, heart-wrenching, life-changing experience, and I appreciate the perspectives that all of you are sharing.
I already sponsored four children through Compassion, but I have never visited them. I’ve spent little time in poverty stricken countries.
I think this trip has helped me to make it a priority to really work on my spending and budget so I can sponsor another sometime this year.
Carlos, So me, adopted a kid some 8 months ago at some concert. Put her picture on the frige, let it go at that. A month ago was even going to stop the payment. Man thanks for sharing this, thanks for bringin this home, thanks for helping stir that ember inside..Blessings to you and Heather. Man now I want to go and experience it for myself…
Thank you. God works in mysterious ways and I have been to church at Sandals. I used to attend Set Free in Yucaipa and just moved to Missouri. The church I go to has an Africa project as well and I adopted one of those children and hope to visit him this year. I had to put a link on my blog to you because I am always talking about the children in Africa and wanted to use your videos… Thanks
Just like some of the other comments – this makes sending in the money and not really thinking about it so much more real. I mean I see the update letters and such but this has really made me want to pray more for her (our sponsored child) and her family. Thank you.
Child sponsorship is amazing. I have seen Compassion in action in Guatemala, Brazil, and Indonesia. I am totally connecting to your videos and stories. I am actually sitting here in tears after watching a couple of the videos. My tears are part from being moved by your stories, and part frustration that I can’t DO MORE. We have 3 sponsorchildren. If I strike it rich I’d like to sponsor an entire village. When I was in Guatemala I will never forget seeing little 5 year olds having their hair washed and teeth brushed in the project because thats the only time they could do it. When I saw my money in action like that I was never the same.
THANK YOU LOS AND FAMILY FOR DOING THIS!! We cant be there with you but we feel like we are there because of your videos. Thank you!! Thank you!! Thank you!!!