Compassion in Colombia

What do you think of when someone mentions the country of Colombia?

I would have to say that most people don't have a very positive view of Colombia. This was very evident to me whenever I would share about my trip to Colombia. A lot of people were very concerned that I was traveling to Colombia, and that I was traveling without any other family members.

But I have to tell you, I fell in love with the country and its people!

We learned quite a bit about Colombia and the work that is being done through the local churches in partnership with Compassion while we were there for our week. A lot of positives to contradict so much negative. Lots of smiling faces which show me that God is working and making a difference in the lives of so many children and their families.

Compassion has been working in Colombia since 1974 and is currently serving more than 62,200 children through 235 child development centers. (Source: Compassion Colombia Facts)

While we were in the country, we were given a pretty neat little pamphlet with some interesting facts that set Colombia apart from many other countries in the world! In fact, do you know that:

• Colombia has 733 species of amphibians which makes them #1 in the world
• The world's largest emerald mine is in Boyaca, Colombia
• Colombia has 1200 rivers and 1600 lakes
• Hakim valve, gas powered iron, pacemaker, and contact lenses for babies are a few of the inventions that have come from Colombia
• 1515 species of birds live in Colombia

Over the next few posts, I will be sharing more about our week in Colombia, visiting the local churches, and helping you see that God is working in these communities to help more people know about Him and the love He has for each one of them.

The Power of One

Five years ago, one friend wrote a few blog posts that have changed our lives. We had heard about child sponsorship at a few concerts we had been to, but had been a bit skeptical about if it really worked or not.

Because God tugged at our heart strings, we began to make a difference in the life of one child. We only sponsored that one young lady for a few months. Soon after we started sponsoring her, her family moved away from the center she had been attending.

Our friend encouraged us to select another child to sponsor. That is when we started sponsoring Lina, our 15 year old Colombian 'daughter' who I will be visiting next week!

On my blog, on my Facebook page, on my Twitter account, and on my Instagram account, I share a lot about Compassion. Why?

I believe in what they are doing to make an eternal impact for children, one by one.

This morning, I read a story on the Compassion blog that reminds me why I love this ministry.

Photo credit: Compassion International

Marlo is not a sponsored child. But because Compassion works through the local church, Marlo is not going to be left behind. This one young man will have one mentor to encourage him, pray for him, and be there for him to give him hope. The hope that can be found in that one relationship.

Knowing Jesus.

For $38 a month, you can sponsor a child through Compassion.

For $38 a month, you can share the hope of Jesus with one child.

For $38 a month, you can make an eternal impact for one child.

I pray today, that you will make that one decision for one child.

Sponsor one child today.

Come With Me to Colombia!

One week from today, I will be on my first trip to another continent! And I still can't believe that I have the opportunity to go on this trip, with Compassion, to visit Lina, our sponsored child in Colombia who we have been sponsoring for 4 1/2 years.

I want to invite you to follow along with our trip and there are a couple of ways you can do this! Our trip leader, Becca, has set up a Facebook page for our trip. Once we are in Colombia, this will be one place that Becca and others in our group will be sharing about our days and posting pictures for family and friends to see while we are out of the country.

We have been told we should have Wi-fi at each of the hotels we are staying at in Colombia, so it is my hope to share at least one (or maybe two!) photos a day on my Instagram account. If (and this is a big IF!) I have time, I may try to write a blog post or two while we are in Colombia. If the blog posts don't happen while I am away, I will definitely be sharing about our trip once I am back home.

In the meantime, I would ask that you pray for our group, the country staff in Colombia, the workers and volunteers at the projects we will be visiting, and most of all for the children. Pray that God prepares our hearts and our minds for what He has prepared for each one of us to experience on this trip.

What Would You Ask?

Last week, my tickets and trip itinerary arrived for my upcoming Compassion Colombia trip! I believe I have read through the itinerary at least a dozen times already. Yes, I am just a bit excited!

We are going to be visiting 5 different child development centers! One will be for a church service on Sunday morning, one will be as part of a Child Survival Program, and we are going to have the opportunity to do multiple home visits and hear from Leadership Development Students at dinner one evening. Of course the highlight of the trip is going to be spending the day with Lina, the young lady we have been sponsoring for the last 4 1/2 years.

With all of these opportunities, I am going to want to ask a lot of questions!

But I thought I would ask you, my readers, if you had this opportunity, what questions would you ask?

What questions would you have for the moms of the Child Survival Program?

What questions would you have for the country staff?

What questions would you have for the children who are able to attend the Child Development Centers?

What questions would you have for the Leadership Development Students?

I want to take all of you along with me on this trip (I really wish I could!), so please, in the comments below, let me know what questions you have. I will do my best to ask as many questions as possible (and I will probably have quite a few of my own!).

One thing I learned on our Mexico trip last year, being on a sponsor tour, we represent all of the sponsors to these children. They wonder about us, just as much as we wonder about them!

Compassion Share & Tell 2015

Last year, I wrote a lot of letters to my Compassion kids. But I know I can do better.

Sometimes I really struggle with what to write to them and what to send to them.

Writing to seven children now (I just added two correspondent girls from Kenya!), I have been trying to think of ways that I can still share something with each of them every month, but still keep the letters somewhat personal.

I really love the letters that my friend Hannah shares with her kids each month. Last year, she was sharing missionary stories and games with her kids in each letter. My friend Jill has been writing to her kids about the different fruits of the spirit. 

But while I am still pondering what to focus on each month to share with all of my kids, I put together something simple to mail this month.

After Christmas, I found these cute cards and decided to just write a simple message to each of my sponsored children. I want them to know that I love them! Most of my sponsored children live in Spanish speaking countries, so I wrote 'I love you' in Spanish and looked up John 15:12 in Spanish to share with them. Then to each card, I added a strip of heart stickers.

Simple...yes!

There is no 'one way' to write to your sponsored children. They just want to hear from you on a regular basis. And it can be as simple as writing 'I love you' in a card and dropping it in the mail.

Don't you miss the days of handwritten cards in the mail?

I hope you can take a bit of time this month, and quite a few times this year to let your sponsored child know that they are loved by you.