hope through relationship

The Compassion bloggers flew home from the Philippines yesterday.  You can read their final posts--and all their posts--here.

I don't know whether you had time this week to read any of the Philippines' posts, but if you did you're probably emotionally exhausted from the buckets of tears.  

Learning about abject poverty is hard for all of us.  

It's even hard for Shaun Groves, who for six years has chosen successful Christian bloggers and taken them on these trips (different location, different bloggers, every six months).  

On his blog, Shaun describes the intense joy he felt on the last day in the Philippines, as he played with the wonderfully sweet, unspoiled, joyful Compassion Child Development Center kids.  Shaun's words in red:

"At that moment that child development center may have been the happiest place on earth. And I was honored, amazed to just be there."

Then he noticed the kids gathering on the other side of the fence, watching the fun with longing eyes.  They weren't Compassion kids.  They didn't belong.  They didn't have hope yet.

As he watched them line up, Shaun's joy left.  

"I don’t know if it was just plain old corrupted me or some dark power creeping up unseen, but something pulled the drain plug and out ran all my new happiness. In an instant it was gone. And in the empty echoed a voice – a convincing voice. My voice?

You’ll never save them all.

 All those miles traveled. Words spoken from stages. Pleas written in pixels. Thousands sponsored over the last six years. Insignificant.
 

You’ll never save them all."

When you read such powerful words, you want to do something.  Desperately.

But what if you don't have anything monetary to offer?  What then?  

Then it becomes even harder to learn about abject poverty.  

Our economy is still ailing and I know $38/mo. is a lot right now, with gas prices squeezing most of us into some meatless meals, or into predominately ground-meat meals. When you can't buy the foods you prefer, or when you constantly eat the same meals over and over because they're cheap, making a giving commitment beyond your church tithe--called an offering in the Bible--can seem overwhelming.  

You might ask yourself:  What if I don't have the money some months--what will happen to my sponsored child then?  What if I have to abandon my sponsorship commitment altogether?  How can I take that risk with someone's heart?

Like tithing 10% of your income to your church every month, offering money to the poor regularly takes a mighty leap of faith. Faith is actually considered a spiritual gift, just like teaching, helping, administrating, mercy, hospitality, discernment, leadership, etc.  Many of you have probably had a spiritual gifts inventory done at your church, and you may already know if you have, or don't have, the gift of faith.

If you can't take that leap of faith, if it's just too foreign to you to commit money you can't justify on paper, I have good news for you!

There is another, non-monetary way to help these kids, and in many ways it means more than the sponsorship money.  

Letter writing.  Relationship.   

Each of the three Compassion trips I've covered here (Africa, Guatemala, Philippines) emphasized that the relationship developed through letters, pictures, and other correspondence give these children a sense of hope.  

Poverty can easily be defined as the absence of hope.  The posts from the Philippines were littered with photos of joyful Compassion kids.  They are still in abject poverty, but it doesn't define them. They have hope. 


Someone decided to be the face of Jesus and give them hope through relationship.

Isn't that how Jesus gives us hope on a daily basis?  Through relationship? 

I believe you, dear reader, would make an excellent friend to one of these kids.  Open your heart, your life, and write letters to a child who needs to hear that she matters. That Jesus loves him.  That you love him, that you're praying for him, that you're proud of her.  

You can also send monetary gifts or little trinkets to your child, as extra money comes to you.  No cash commitment ever, just your choice to give--when you can do it. 

Juli Jarvis, a Compassion employee, wrote a post about being a correspondent. I have included excerpts from it below.  Read it to learn how you can become a messenger of hope and love. 

____________________________

What is a child correspondent? 

A person who writes to a child in place of the sponsor.

  

Why is letter writing so important that correspondents are necessary? Isn’t financial support enough?

When you become a sponsor, you tell a child in need, “Yes. I want to know you. I want to have a relationship with you.” Your sponsorship models Christ’s love through your involvement in the child’s life, through the act of writing letters.

Poverty tells children, “You don’t matter!” But that is a lie. Your letters shine light into the darkness. They say: “You do matter Suzana.” “I care about you Renato.” “Jesus loves you Lerionga.”

The power of words, the power of a letter is tremendous, and for an impoverished child to know that you, someone from across the globe, cares . . . well, that’s the difference that can release the child from poverty.

Sponsorship is much more than just the financial support. Obviously, the financial support is critical, but it’s the letters a child receives that play a crucial role in his or her development and growth on many levels –– emotionally, spiritually, and intellectually.

How do I sign up to be a child correspondent?

If you want to be a correspondent, call 800-336-7676. Any sponsor relations representative can help you.

Your name will be placed on a list of willing correspondents. If the need arises, you will be contacted to correspond with a particular child, and that child packet will be sent to you.

Please realize that you may or may not be contacted, depending on the need. Also, it could be several weeks or months before you receive the opportunity. The number of children on the list varies greatly from time to time.

Can I send gifts to my correspondence children? Can I visit them?

Yes. Call 800-336-7676 to send a financial gift to your child or visit compassion.com for a list of gifts that can be included with your letters or to arrange a visit with your child.