Colombia Day One: Morning of Music

My Compassion trip to Colombia was at the end of February and I am finally making time to share some of my experiences with you!

Let me just start by saying, before you leave for a trip, you have every intention of taking tons of photos, jotting down lots of notes, and hoping to remember so many details about all that you experienced. Since this was my second Compassion trip, I knew things would be a bit different.

But on this trip, I actually took less photos than on my first trip. Don't worry, I still have plenty to share. I really wanted to connect with the children on this trip, and not just be capturing moments on my camera.

One thing I am really happy that I did do on this trip was capture more moments on video! Since we arrived in Colombia late in the afternoon on Saturday, our first visit on Sunday morning was to a local church, just outside of Barranquilla. The really good news is this church is one of the church partners, so some of the sponsored children would be attending this service also!

Are you ready to see some of what we experienced that first morning? You are in for a treat!

So here is the pretty incredible thing about technology...while in Colombia, I was always three hours ahead of the time zone at my home. Since I knew we would be heading back to the hotel after the service on this morning, I was able to send these videos to my son. Then he was able to share them at our own church service in California that same morning! It was a great way to share a bit of what I was experiencing with my church family back home.

This was just the beginning of our week in Colombia, and I have a lot more to share!

Nurturing Dreams and a Free Printable!

A couple of weeks ago, I posted about Crystal Stine's Creative Basics course and shared a few images I had been able to create with the very helpful information she shares in the course.

Well, the 30 day challenge is over, which means...I get to share a FREE printable with you today!

At first, I had no idea what my printable was going to look like. But as we got closer to the end of the month, and I started using the same fonts in Canva to create my quote images and realizing the message I wanted to share with my readers, it really just came together.

Earlier this week, Crystal had use create a new Facebook and Twitter cover photo. Honestly, I was quite happy with my cover photo. So with a little resistance to the assignment, I created this cover photo:

This is one of my favorite photos from our Compassion trip to Mexico. I just love all the joy filled smiley faces of these children. Because of the local church and faithful sponsors, the dreams of these children are being nurtured.

Creating this cover photo helped to realize I could create a printable that I know people who care about children would love. So, here is a FREE printable for you:

Click on the photo and you will be taken to my Google Drive to print this PDF file

My First Post Visit Letter

It has been just over a month now since my Compassion trip to Colombia, and I have been hesitating to write that first post visit letter to Lina.

I was eager to upload and print out photos of my trip to mail to her, they have been here on my desk for at least a couple of weeks now.

So why has it taken me so long to write that first letter?

When I sat down at the table to start that letter and started looking at the photos of my time with Lina, the tears started falling down my cheeks.

How do you even express in words what a trip like this means?

We had such a precious time together. I learned more things about Lina that I wouldn't have known if I hadn't made the trip. Precious things that fill my heart with so much joy!

But I also learned a couple of things that will keep me in continually prayer for her.

So what did I write to her? I told her I was so thankful that God gave me the opportunity to travel to Colombia to meet her. I asked her to thank her family for the sweet gifts and for allowing her to travel to meet me. Also, I asked her to thank her travel companion who chaperoned her on her very first airplane rides! 

Most of all, I reminded her that God loves her more than anyone and He has a plan for her. This is the most important thing I can share with each one of our Compassion children, each and every time I write to them.

Good News Still Comes in the Mail

Back in October of 2011, my daughter became the correspondent sponsor to a young lady in Uganda. Since that time, Kelsey has been a faithful letter writer and prayer warrior for Alesi.  In her letters to Alesi, Kelsey shares with her little things about her life and Bible verses to encourage her. 

Today, she received the best news in a letter from Alesi!

"I have accepted Jesus into my heart and I have accepted Him as my personal Savior in August 2014"

Everyday, we get really excited when cream colored envelopes from Compassion arrive in our mailbox. But this one letter, from one young lady in Uganda, is an extra special letter.

Because of one faithful sponsor providing the financial portion of Alesi's sponsorship, and because of the faithful workers and volunteers at the center Alesi is attending in Uganda, and because of the faithful prayers and letters of a 15 year old young lady, Alesi now has an eternal home.

"For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" - Romans 6:23

Is it heartbreaking?

Yesterday, while volunteering at a Compassion table at an event, I was sharing with a potential sponsor about the opportunities I have had to travel with Compassion to Mexico and to Colombia.

Her initial response..."It must be heartbreaking."

I had to think a moment before I replied.

Heartbreaking? Yes...and no.

Which is exactly what I ended up telling her.

But as I was pondering her question a bit more last night, some of these thoughts were whirling around in my head and I just had to write some of them down and share them with you here.

Heartbreaking? Yes...because I see how little in material possessions those families need to survive.

Heartbreaking? Yes...because I realize how selfish we are.

Heartbreaking? Yes...because I stand in my home with all of the modern conveniences and wonder how those moms handle life each and every day.

Heartbreaking? Yes...because I wish I could do more to help.

Heartbreaking? No...because the smiles on the faces of the children and the many volunteers show me they are not just happy, but they are filled with joy...joy that only come from knowing Jesus.

Heartbreaking? No...because I know that many sponsors around the world are making a sacrifice to make a difference in the life of a child.

Heartbreaking? No...because these children and their families are hopeful for the future.

Being filled with joy and having hope are not things I would associate with heartbreaking...would you?

And I would hate for anyone to start sponsoring a child because they felt sorry for them.

My hope and prayer is that many people will realize that a small sacrifice on their part makes a big difference for a Compassion sponsored child.

And as a sponsor, not only do you bring joy and hope to the life of a child, but you will be filled with joy and hope as you pray for and encourage the one child God has connected you with through the gift of sponsorship through Compassion.