I am sharing an excerpt from a letter a formerly-sponsored child wrote to his Compassion International sponsor. The author of the letter, now an adult, has been the host for Compassion Bloggers this week in the Dominican Republic. His sponsor dramatically changed his life with her love, her prayers, her comfort, expressed through letters through the years. He refers to her as Grandma. Holley Gerth shared this excerpt on her blog. Read the full letter here.
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| image courtesy of Compassion International |
What am I here for?
That was the question I asked myself many times when I was lonely, sad and empty, without purpose. And it was at that very moment that God used Compassion International to help me understand that, yes, I have a purpose and a reason to exist. This is what 80% percent of the children living in third world countries think–that they are nothing and that they have no future.
I wanted to start this letter that way because I wanted you to know that my life has really changed.
A very famous atheist said one day: “God does not exist because if God existed there would not be so many hungry children on this earth, nor so many diseases and catastrophes in the world.” My answer to that atheist is this: ”Millions of children, including me, have been released from material and mental poverty that undermined their lives through wonderful ministries like Compassion International.”
You are the protagonist in this love story–you are responsible for this change.
God has made man in His image and likeness and has given man the tremendous power to create; create Love, Faith, Hope, Dreams, Desire, Families, Communities, Cities, Nations, Opportunities and Compassion.
I will never be able to be grateful enough with words for your love for someone you never met before, someone who is not your family, your son or your nephew, or your grandson but someone that you loved without knowing him.
This is the answer to all those who claim that God doesn’t exist. You’re the answer.
And God is pleased with your work, God is happy because you have given more than what you had just like that widow who gave all she had. “In truth she has given more than all of you,” said Jesus.
You are the hands of God! And that’s why I no longer pray as I used to do before. I heard a pastor say: ”Do not ask God to feed the hungry if YOU have enough food in your pantry.” The truth is that many times we ask wrongly, because we ask God to do things when in our ignorance we forget that we are God’s response to the misfortunes of others.
This is why Jesus said: “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.’’ John 13:34
Thanks again for writing. I treasure every one of your letters not only in a chest but also in my heart. I take time to read them over and over again because they are like oil of joy in times of distress.
I will never forget your prayers for me and for the coming generations–you left personal things to leave a legacy to the world.
With much love,
Jonathan Almonte
If you aren't already a sponsor, may I ask...what's holding you back? His Word is clear about what we are to do for children and the poor, and his faithfulness in our lives is proof we can do it without fear or doubt. If you aren't already committed beyond your means to other ministries, please consider Compassion, who seeks, through your love, devotion, letters and funds, to change a heart for Christ--a heart that goes on to bless multitudes of others, for Compassion children always give back to their communities.
Become a part of a beautiful testimony of God's grace and love. Sponsor a child. For the earth is the Lord's and everything in it. We don't own our bank accounts or our paychecks or our possessions. We don't own the future and we can't secure it, either. We can only love the Lord with all of our heart, all of our mind, all our strength, and our fellow man too, trusting God for everything else.
The more possessions we fill our life with, the further we get from God and His blessing of provision. He knows what we need for abundant life. We are sorrowfully mistaken that it has anything to do with the material, for all the material things we need will be given to us as we put first the Kingdom of God. And that doesn't just mean going to church on Sunday. We have to live our lives for the Lord to be seeking first His Kingdom. We all fall short in this...we all want more than we need. In first-world countries, we all have more than we need. As we cling to God and his Word, he opens our eyes to what it means to be blessed, and what it means to be a blessing.
Please, sponsor a child today. We need to be rescued from our abundance, as much as Compassion children need to be rescued from the hopelessness of poverty.
If you already have a sponsor child, write to him or her today and at least monthly. On behalf of Jonathan Almonte and other graduated Compassion children like him, thank you for your love, your time, for your desire to be obedient and share the overflow of your heart.
Matthew 6:19-21 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Other posts from this Dominican Republic week:
Bonnie at Faith Barista: Why Compassion Isn't a Project But an Intimate Whisper of Love
Ruth Soukup at Living Well Spending Less: Just One
Bonnie at Faith Barista: Why Love is Not a Consolation But a Light
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