Unspeakable

No matter how much we want to deny it, the unspeakable is happening in our world. Children are being exploited to be many things: Soldiers in a war that isn't theirs, Sex toys for men they have never met, and slaves for harsh and cruel masters, being forced to work countless hours in the hot sun for no pay and mistreatment.

Someone I know of went and saw a horrible example of child slavery in Ghana. Please take some time to read her blog post about it. Face to Face With Slavery . I can't explain it as well as she does. I can't imagine seeing these things up close and personal. The photos alone break my heart.

This boy feels nothing but sadness and fear every day of his life

What can we do to change this world? 

I'm Just...In Awe

God continues to amaze me everyday. I am seeing more and more each day how much he truly loves not only me, but how much he loves all the little children of the world. (The song was right!)

The kiddo, Francisco, that I posted about in my last blog entry, just six hours ago, has been sponsored. I don't know if me posting him was actually the reason he got sponsored, but me having posted that picture only earlier today seems too much of a coiencidence for someone to not have seen the blog post that I posted on World Vision's page.

God is really super great at connecting two people, like a needy child and a loving sponsor, together, isn't he? I am happy to be doing God's work.

It's as easy as posting a picture on a blog.

God, use me in any way you need.

Touching Tuesday

It's Tuesday again! This is the day I look most forward to (that at Mail Call Monday) on my blog. This is the day that I choose a child from the World Vision website that has caught my eye and post him/her on my blog, in the hopes of finding them a loving sponsor.

This week, I was browing the pictures and I came across this little boy from Nicaragua. He is half smiling, but his eyes look so sad. He deserves to have a loving sponsor and to have some happiness in those eyes of his.

Here's his picture and information...

Name: Francisco
Age: 7
Birthday: September 23rd, 2004
Location: Nicaragua

I would absolutely love it if he could find a sponsor!

Mail Call Monday!

This is my first official Mail Call Monday. I am beyond excited to be writing one of these, and I hope that I get to write one every Monday from now on.

Just today, I got my very first letter from my correspondence child, Meena from India. It was the intro letter, but it means just means so much to me.

Name: Meena

Mother's Name: Jamuna

Father's Name: Ramakrishna

Brother's Name: Prasanth

Favorite Color: Red (we have the same favorite color!)

Favorite Game: Chess

Favorite Food: Chicken Biryani

Best Friend: Sharmila Devi

My House is Made Of : Bricks

Respected Kayla,

Loving greetings to you from your loving Meena. I am much pleased to meet you through this letter. Firstly, I extend my heartiest thanks for selecting me to sponsor. Now I am studying in 11th grade. My date of birth is 7-16-95. I desire to be an archeoloigst (!!!). Though I belong to Hindu religion, I learnt the love of Christ after I enrolled in Compassion. Since my father earns meager income, I was enrolled in Compassion. My younger brother is in 8th grade. Pray for our studies. We desire to know more about you, how to address you, etc. Please do reply once again. We all convey our heartiest thanks for selecting me to sponsor.

Yours Lovingly,

Meena

I feel like my heart is going to explode today. I am just so happy.

This truly is the best part about child sponsorship.

It's Saturday!

"Clean Apartment, Baby Shower, Bass Clarinet"

No Children?

On Tuesday, I emailed Compassion, asking them for my third and final correspondent child.

Today, I got an email from Compassion telling me this message: "We are happy that you enjoy writing to Meena and Freily. However, at this time there are no children available to correspond with. Please try again in a few months."

Crazy!

I'm stuck between two emotions.

Disappointment (selfishness) that I don't get another child to write to and bond with and make a difference for.

Happiness that there are no children, currently sponsored, that don't have people writing to them. There are serious super sponsors out there! It's hard, and wonderful, to imagine that all of the children sponsored through Compassion are being written to.

It just gives me this overwhelming feeling of the world being connected in so many ways.

Child sponsorship amazes me everyday.

God Is On The Move

God has spoken to me in a fantastic way!

In the last 24 hours I have experienced so many emotions. I felt love as I came across Kabiru's picture on World Vision's website. I felt grief (paired with many tears) when I remembered that I was not able to afford to sponsor him. I felt greed when I let my thoughts take over that if I couldn't sponsor him then I didn't want anybody else to. I felt shame for feelings like this. This little boy deserves happiness and love and to have his basic needs met.

Then I prayed and prayed and prayed. I prayed that God would take away my selfishness, and change my heart to that of love and helpfullness. This praying led me to posting Kabiru's picture on facebook's World Vision page and on my blog.

This afternoon, I came home from work and saw that a lovely angel named Jessica on the World Vision page told me that she had chosen to sponsor him. I went on World Vision's website to double check and little Kabiru is indeed gone from the site. He has been sponsored!

All of the feelings that I have been experiencing turned into a giant tidal wave of JOY! I, fueled by God, actually found a sponsor for a child! I feel like a brand new person.

I wish I could put it into words better.

Praise God! (That about sums it up)

Touching Tuesday

I've decided to start a new thing, which I'm going to call Touching Tuesday.

Here's what that means. Basically, I can't keep myself away from looking at the pictures of kids that need sponsors on the World Vision website. I fall in love with children every week. There is always a child that touches my heart. I've decided that instead of me just falling in love with these children and then leaving the website, I will choose a child every Tuesday and put them on my blog, in hopes that I will find a sponsor for them.

The child this week is...

Name: Kabiru

Age: 6

Location: Ghana

Birthdate: March 14th, 2005

Here's the thing about this kiddo, I have absolutely fallen in love with him. I'm selfishly to the point that I don't want anybody else to sponsor him, I want him for my own. I can't get past the beauty of his smile and God that I see in his eyes.

But, here's another thing. I have college loan payments beginning in January, I'm paying off a bass clarinet, I'm paying off a car, blah blah blah, money money money. The real reason is that my mom is worried about me having enough money. She made me promise her that I would not sponsor another child until after my first loan payment in January, that way I can truly see how my budget is going to work out.

I felt like it was a legitmate promise.

So, as much as I wish this child would not get a sponsor until I can sponsor him, I can't be that selfish. I want him to find a loving sponsor as soon as possible so he can feel as much love in his life as I currently feel in my heart for him. 

Six Word Saturday

I'm copying this from Elephant Grace's blog. The point is to sum up your Saturday in only six words. I love a challenge like this! I'm hoping I'll be able to keep it up every week.

So, without further ado, my six words are...

Shipping, Shopping, and a Musical Performance

Freily Mateo!

Today, I logged onto my Compassion International account and I saw that I had been assigned another correspondence child! My heart nearly leaped out of my chest when I saw him, I was so excited. Without further ado, here he is!

About Freily

Birthdate: 2/17/2002
Age: 9
U.S School Grade Equivlalent: 3
School Performance: Average
Family Duties: Running Errands, Cleaning, Carries Water
Hobbies and Sports: Group Games, Cars, Ball Games
Guardians: Mother and Stepfather (Parents are divorced, but birth father is still supporting the family)
Guardian Employment: Stepfather is a baker & mother is unemployed

About Child Development Center

Name: Divino Maestro Student Center
Opened: 10/28/1997
Last Update Date: 3/27/2002
School Year Begins: September

Your child lives on the plains of San Felipe, Villa Mella, home to about 10,000 people. Typical houses are constructed of cement floors, wood walls, and corrugated tin roofs. The most commonly language spoken is Spanish.

The regional diet consists of chicken, bread, plantains, and rice. Common health problems in this area include parasites and dental decay. Most adults are unemployed but some work as day laborers and earn the equivilant of $117 a month. This community needs law enforcement, potable water, and drug and alcohol abuse rehabiliation programs.

Community

Warmest Month: August
Average warmest temperature: 93 degrees F
Coldest Month: January
Average coldest temperature: 66 degrees F
Climate: Humid
Terrain: Plains/Flat Land
Planting Months: March/April
Rainy Months: May/June
Harvest Months: September/October
Illness Months: January/June/December



It's amazing how I can see a picture of a child for less than a minute and already be completely in love with him. I love being a child sponsor!