If you are anything like me, you've probably seen the commercials on TV asking you to sponsor a child in need for only a dollar and day and thought, "Do these programs really make a difference?" You can call it being a skeptic or just plain ignorant, but up until our involvement in child sponsorship programs, I didn't realize the real difference that these programs can make in a child's life. You may remember reading my post here about meeting our sponsored child in Ethiopia through Yezelalem Minch and how wonderful of an experience that was. Well, more recently we learned about another sponsored child and how a Compassion International Sponsorship saved his life. Here is the touching story . . .
Five years ago, a youth group in Texas was attending a youth event where Compassion International was working to find sponsors for children. The youth group picked the picture of this child from Ethiopia out of a group of children and decided that they wanted to sponsor him.
The sponsorship was eventually taken over by a Texas family who worked with the youth group. Over the years, this family not only provided financial support for the child, but also prayed for the child and corresponded with him via letters.
Compassion also sent updated pictures to the family over the years.
Little did this family know during their sponsorship what a great impact they were having on this child. The boy had been living with his mother in a very poor area of Ethiopia and the two had essentially nothing; the boy, therefore, was in poor health. The sponsorship provided by this family changed everything. Soon after the sponsorship began, the family was provided with financial help to provide for basic needs, the child was able to attend school, and they were connected with a church in the area who provided for their spiritual needs. The child's health improved and his family was back on their feet. It was clear that without the support that they received through this sponsorship, this child would have been left in a grave situation.
For those of you who haven't caught on by now, this sweet boy pictured above is our Solomon!! And the story is ALL TRUE. From what we learned in Ethiopia, this Compassion International sponsorship saved our son's life!! While I won't divulge all the details online - what I can tell you is that he went from being in a very bad situation to receiving life-saving care.
And how do I know who sponsored Solomon you may be wondering?? Well , after learning this story and upon arriving home in St Louis, I contacted Compassion International to see if I could get in contact with Solomon's sponsor. That was when I was given the name of the man mentioned above and his family in Texas. I contacted the family last week and learned how they came to sponsor Solomon. They shared with me that when Solomon was moved into the orphanage, his sponsorship ended. They said that they have been SO worried about him since, and were very happy to learn that he been adopted and a part of our family. The family even sent me all the letters that Solomon had sent them while he was in Ethiopia (hence the letter above.) I can't tell you how thankful we are for this wonderful family.
So if you weren't a believer in sponsorship programs before, I hope I have made a good case for you today! I have seen first-hand how child sponsorship for $1.00 a day can save a child's life! I urge you to consider sponsoring a child in need. There are many reputable organizations that have sponsorship programs. Of course, I am a believer in Compassion International, but you may also want to check out World Vision, Yezelalem Minch, Holt International, or Bethany Christian Services. Most programs are $30-$40 a month and you have the opportunity to communicate with your sponsored child in most of them.
Heavenly Father - THANK YOU for laying it on this family's heart in Texas to sponsor our son. We sing praise to You that they stepped into his life at just the right time and gave sacrificially for our son. We ask that you would use this example of faith to raise up more supporters and give more children a chance at life.
How great the love lavished on us, that we should be called children of God. 1 John 3:1
Five years ago, a youth group in Texas was attending a youth event where Compassion International was working to find sponsors for children. The youth group picked the picture of this child from Ethiopia out of a group of children and decided that they wanted to sponsor him.
 |
| Picture courtesy of Compassion International |
Compassion also sent updated pictures to the family over the years.
 |
| Photo Courtesy of Compassion International |
Little did this family know during their sponsorship what a great impact they were having on this child. The boy had been living with his mother in a very poor area of Ethiopia and the two had essentially nothing; the boy, therefore, was in poor health. The sponsorship provided by this family changed everything. Soon after the sponsorship began, the family was provided with financial help to provide for basic needs, the child was able to attend school, and they were connected with a church in the area who provided for their spiritual needs. The child's health improved and his family was back on their feet. It was clear that without the support that they received through this sponsorship, this child would have been left in a grave situation.
For those of you who haven't caught on by now, this sweet boy pictured above is our Solomon!! And the story is ALL TRUE. From what we learned in Ethiopia, this Compassion International sponsorship saved our son's life!! While I won't divulge all the details online - what I can tell you is that he went from being in a very bad situation to receiving life-saving care.
And how do I know who sponsored Solomon you may be wondering?? Well , after learning this story and upon arriving home in St Louis, I contacted Compassion International to see if I could get in contact with Solomon's sponsor. That was when I was given the name of the man mentioned above and his family in Texas. I contacted the family last week and learned how they came to sponsor Solomon. They shared with me that when Solomon was moved into the orphanage, his sponsorship ended. They said that they have been SO worried about him since, and were very happy to learn that he been adopted and a part of our family. The family even sent me all the letters that Solomon had sent them while he was in Ethiopia (hence the letter above.) I can't tell you how thankful we are for this wonderful family.
So if you weren't a believer in sponsorship programs before, I hope I have made a good case for you today! I have seen first-hand how child sponsorship for $1.00 a day can save a child's life! I urge you to consider sponsoring a child in need. There are many reputable organizations that have sponsorship programs. Of course, I am a believer in Compassion International, but you may also want to check out World Vision, Yezelalem Minch, Holt International, or Bethany Christian Services. Most programs are $30-$40 a month and you have the opportunity to communicate with your sponsored child in most of them.
Heavenly Father - THANK YOU for laying it on this family's heart in Texas to sponsor our son. We sing praise to You that they stepped into his life at just the right time and gave sacrificially for our son. We ask that you would use this example of faith to raise up more supporters and give more children a chance at life.
How great the love lavished on us, that we should be called children of God. 1 John 3:1
Dana this amazing and so glorious!!!! God is amazing and all things through this story from start to finish show that God was there with Solomon and the Texas family, you and Jack knowing the plan from the start of Solomons' life. Thank you so much for sharing!
ReplyDeleteOh, Dana! I love this. How beautiful. How cool for you to be in contact with that family, to have those photos and letters. What a blessing!
ReplyDeleteI am a firm believer in Compassion International as well. They have been nothing but up front and honest with us since we started sponnsoring children in 2006. While these other organizations that you talk about, Dana, are wonderful organizations, there are others out there that are not quite what they seem to be. I urge everyone who is thinking about sponsoring a child to do your homework! There are several websites that you can go to, such as charitynavigator.org, charitywatch.org, or the Better Business Bureau's Wise Giving Alliance website to find out about each organization's financial health and accountability/transparency.
ReplyDeleteI cannot tell you how rewarding it has been for me and my family to be able to make a difference in a child's life. These children are living, breathing miracles and if you don't believe that you can make a difference in someone's life, even if it is someone that you've never met and lives a half a world away, YOU CAN! However, you have to take the first step and become a sponsor.
Dana, I pray for you and Jack and your wonderful family, that God blesses you with all the richness and love you deserve.
Dana, your post takes my breath away. What a magnificent God we serve.
ReplyDeleteThis gives me hope to continue sponsoring the four Compassion children I have sponsored since 2003 (rotating new children in when the older one age out) even through some very challenging circumstances. How blessed you and Solomon are!
ReplyDelete