Something Beautiful, In Jesus' Name

Compassion International, one of the most successful child-rescue missions on earth, has reached Uganda with its trip bloggers. For the next five days, they will share stories of hope in Jesus. 

Compassion's work is not just about feeding and ensuring schooling and medical care for children in abject poverty. They do something much greater. They teach Jesus, who births Hope. Hope heals. 

Hope and poverty can't exist together, for poverty is the absence of hope.

These trips are never exploitative of anyone. They are not designed to make us feel guilty, but to make us see. See what, you wonder? Read along with me, and see if you can't answer this question yourself by Friday.

I will share the highlights with you, and yes, I will ask you to sponsor a child in Uganda for $38 a month. But don't do it because you feel guilty for being richer than these children. You aren't richer. Do it because Jesus asks you to, and because for you, the spiritual blessings that come from this new relationship are greater than the financial sacrifice. Each year, the money we give to this organization, and to these children in birthday gifts and family gifts (gifts are extra, not required) comes back to us with dividends. Spiritual dividends, as well as financial. I promise you, it is win win, all the way, for everyone involved.

And the letters you will receive from your precious child? They will be imprinted on your heart forever, whether simple or newsy. You will treasure every letter.

Compassion International Photo, Uganda Blogger Trip, 2014

Here are some quotes from today's posts:

Jeff Goins
Poverty, as I understand it, is more than your economic situation or a lack of resources. It’s a mindset.

That feeling of utter helplessness, of being stuck in a situation from which you cannot escape — that’s what it means to be poor.

There are people in this world who lack basic necessities, who need legitimate help, but that in itself is not poverty. Poverty is an attitude that crushes your spirit.

And as I sit down with this family, I do not see poverty. I see possibility.

Emily Freeman

The children looked back at me on that page and in that moment, unplanned and undecided, I did something completely counter-intuitive. I forced myself to focus on the one I was least naturally drawn to.

It was a ten year old boy named Otwii Paul. His face seemed harsh, his gaze unreadable, his jaw set against the world.

I hope it’s okay I’m about to say this, but it’s the truth about my first impression of him.

At first glance he looked a little bit like a bully.

I closed the laptop, uncertain.

Later, on day one of the trip, after she meets Otwii Paul, Emily writes:

As Wess speaks, he keeps his hands on Otwii Paul’s shoulders, and then the director of the Compassion Center, the same soft-spoken woman as before says the words I will never forget:

“Otwii Paul is our spiritual leader.”

What? The boy with the scowly face and the unreadable expression? The boy who I thought, based on his photo, I was least likely to connect with? This boy was the spiritual leader of this group of over 200 kids?

I wanted to know what she meant by that, how she knows that, what he does to make her say that. About five minutes later, I find out. Read the rest of Emily Freeman's post here, at Chatting at the Sky.

Read all the blogger trip posts here.

Sponsor a child in Uganda, taking only 10 minutes of your time, here. The sponsorship goal for this trip is 400 children. Currently, 23 have been sponsored. Won't you be hope for child number 24?

Compassion International Photo, Ugandan Blogger Trip, 2014