Category Archives: Compassion International

by

Common Childhood Memories

DSC_2480

Jose at the skate area of Play Zone Park in Managua.

Whether it was endless hours spent skateboarding on neighborhood streets during hot summer afternoons or roller skating at the local air-conditioned rink while avoiding the heat and listening to popular 80s tunes, those activities account for many enjoyable memories for me as a child.

DSC_2507

Our wonderful translator Nicole helping Jefry to keep his balance.

Because of this, one of the most fun parts of child visit day during my recent visit to Nicaragua was watching my sponsored children try out the very activities that shaped own childhood.

Sometime after lunch, the boys made their way to the skating area of the park, where they could choose between roller-skating and skateboarding.

The two oldest boys, Jose and Esteban, along with my son Aidan, opted for skateboarding, while the youngest, Jefry, wanted to try roller-skating. After the attendant helped them all suit up in appropriate protective gear, they were ready to go.

The boys were cautious on the skateboards at first, but after some coaching from one of our translators, Silvio, their confidence grew. He joined them on the skateboards, and soon they were criss-crossing the course, smiling, laughing and enjoying their new skills together.

While the older boys practiced skateboarding, our other translator, Nicole, patiently helped Jefry’s mom to keep him on his feet in the roller skates.

This was no easy task, as Jefry found it much more fun to kick and flail his legs than to make any progress with the wheels attached to his feet. He seemed to find it hilarious, and would make his legs fly out from under him fearlessly, laughing the whole time.

Jefry managed to wear himself out, and all the boys seemed pleased with their efforts. It was priceless to see their happiness when they finished, and to know that they have added this time to their own collection of childhood memories.

DSC_2479

Jose suited up and ready to skate.

DSC_2490

Esteban balancing on the skateboard.

DSC_2501

Aidan and Jose finding their balance.

DSC_2495

Our translator Silvio instructing Jose.

DSC_2505

Nicole and Jefry’s mother trying to keep the little wild man on his feet.

by

Frisbee Fun

DSC_1863

Children playing frisbee with Aidan at NI-155 near León, Nicaragua.

In a trip that was loaded with emotion while experiencing a new culture, observing Compassion’s effect in people’s lives and even meeting our sponsored children in person, there were plenty of beautiful, light-hearted moments as well.

One day after lunch, a fellow sponsor brought out some frisbees to play with the children of the project. She invited Aidan to join in, and it became apparent it was a game the children weren’t going to let him quit easily.

In fact, one little boy named Javier, whom Aidan nicknamed “the ninja” because of his interesting poses while catching and throwing the frisbee, kept Aidan busy long after the other children had tired of the game.

DSC_1848

Children of NI-155.

DSC_1875

Children of NI-155.

DSC_1868

A boy from NI-155 playing frisbee.

DSC_1866

Javier playing frisbee with Aidan.

DSC_1867_2

Javier playing frisbee with Aidan.

DSC_1871_2

Javier playing frisbee with Aidan.

DSC_1880

Aidan and Javier after a long round of frisbee.

by

Hope

DSC_1900

The home we visited and surrounding area.

Our group waits at the entrance to the small lot, calling out a greeting to those living there as several skinny dogs run toward us.

The afternoon heat has been relentless, the humidity soaking our bodies and our clothing as we made the short walk from the nearby Compassion project just minutes earlier.

We are six sponsors, a translator, the Compassion Nicaragua tours specialist, and a local project worker with her daughter. And we are all here to visit one young woman, who is enrolled in the Manos de Compasion Child Survival Project.

The project gives this young mother training in parenting and job skills, and in doing so, it gives her something even more valuable in an area overtaken by poverty… hope.

The young mother’s name is Magdalena, and she is 19 years old. She shyly invites us into her home, where we crowd in to ask her questions while admiring her beautiful daughter, 6-month-old Maybelline.

As Maybelline sits on the bed slapping at the blanket and grabbing her own feet, Magdalena tells us that her husband couldn’t be here for the visit today because he is picking up his final paycheck from a job he recently lost. We tell her we will pray for him to find work soon.

The floor is hard-packed dirt, and the red brick room holds a bed in the corner with a few feet to spare on two sides. There is a tin roof and two doors to the room, but no windows.

DSC_1895

Magdalena in her outdoor kitchen.

Magdalena takes us outside to show us her kitchen area. She has potable water, an area to cook and wash dishes, and a hammock for the baby to rest in while she works. She explains that through the CSP, she learned to bathe her baby safely in this area. Wet babies are so slippery, it is hard to imagine wrestling with one on the cement surface.

In the distance, she points out a river that floods sometimes. She says it has never reached her home, but has come close.

Her little family lives on this lot with her mother-in-law, who has her own home just a few steps away. We jokingly ask her if she gets along with her mother-in-law, and she smiles and says she does.

Before we leave, we are able to give Magdalena a gift bag from Compassion. It is filled with essentials like flour, sugar, rice, beans, dehydrated milk, cereal, cooking oil, soap, laundry detergent and toilet paper.

We pray for Magdalena and her family, and say our goodbyes, trusting that God will watch over this young woman and thankful that she has the support of the CSP as well.

DSC_1892

Carlos, Compassion translator, holding baby Maybelline.

DSC_1898

Magdalena with the items supplied by Compassion.

DSC_1899

Magdalena’s home.

by

Manos de Compasion

DSC_1819_2

A young mother works on a project in the Hands of Compassion sewing room.

In a room buzzing with activity, young mothers are busy cutting patterns from cloth, sewing new outfits, practicing and perfecting a trade that may give them financial support in the future.

There are young children running in and out of the room, and babies playing in a crib in the corner, as the women work. Many patterns hang from a nearby wall, and the women will learn to make each one.

DSC_1822_2

The sewing instructor, holding a pattern, explains her program.

These women are part of Compassion’s Child Survival Program (CSP), which currently has 30,269 mothers and babies enrolled worldwide. This project near Leon, Nicaragua, called Manos de Compasion (Hands of Compassion), is serving 43 women. Of these, five are still pregnant, while the remaining have had their babies already. Mothers can stay in the program until their children turn three years old, when the child is registered in Compassion’s sponsorship program.

The sewing instructor teaches the women using five treadle sewing machines. She shows us some items they’ve made, including a toothbrush holder for the children at the project, and a nurse’s outfit for the CSP director, Julissa, who is going to nursing school.

When the women aren’t learning to sew, Julissa teaches them valuable parenting skills and covers topics like nutrition and health and shows them how to stimulate and teach their babies.

Julissa keeps a three-ring binder for each mother in the program, tracking each baby’s milestones and medical appointments. She also makes home visits to the mothers and babies, giving both much-needed care and attention.

If you are interested in supporting a CSP similar to Hands of Compassion, please click here. Your donation will help to prevent illness, give children a healthy start, provide training to mothers, and offer spiritual nurturing while Compassion ministers to the whole family.

DSC_1826

Julissa in the baby room.

DSC_1824

A mother and baby in the sewing room.

DSC_1827

A toddler napping at the CSP.

by

Matthew 25:40

DSC_1878

Children attending a Compassion project in Nicaragua.

“…Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” – Matthew 25:40

by

Meeting Marlon

DSC_1958_2

Marlon with Aidan and Kerri at his Compassion project.

He sits in a plastic white chair by the doorway, shoulders hunched forward, eyes down.

That’s my first view of my newly sponsored boy, Marlon. He’s seven years old, and we are about to meet for the first time.

I have never met one of my sponsored children before this day. My son Aidan and I chose this boy from a stack of child packets during our flight from Miami to Managua just days earlier.

As we prepared for this trip, we purchased three backpacks and filled them with gifts for our other three Nicaraguan boys. Then we decided to sponsor one more boy during the trip, so back to the store we went. One more backpack and a few other items later, and we were ready.

While looking through the packets on the airplane, we narrowed our choices down to two boys. In Marlon’s photo, he had a bit of a scowl, and his information showed that he lives only with his father. There is no mother mentioned. My heart broke for him when I read that, and I knew he was the child for us.

Marlonpacketphoto

Marlon’s Compassion photo.

The night before we visited Marlon’s project, Aidan and I filled his backpack and wondered what our meeting would be like the following day. We’d seen many videos of joyous children at the moment they learned they had been sponsored. The videos showed tears, hugs and smiles from both sponsors and children, the start of beautiful relationships around the world.

But our meeting with Marlon would not be like this.

As we approach Marlon, he is surrounded by other children from the project. Korina, Compassion Nicaragua’s tours and visits specialist, is nearby, ready to translate for us during this special meeting.

She tells Marlon that I am his new sponsor, and I kneel down in front of him, and can see right away that he is closing down quickly. He is nervous, probably scared, and continues to look down, unable to meet my eyes. As more children gather around us, he begins to cry quietly, wiping at his face quickly as if to hide this fact from the rest of us.

Of course, this has me in tears instantly as well, and I tell him not to worry. I tell him it’s OK to be nervous, and that I have children at home who would be shy and nervous in a meeting like this as well.

DSC_1951

Marlon surrounded by the crowd.

To break the ice, I give him the photo album I brought for him. I go through each photo, introducing him to each member of my family, as Korina translates. He gives very little response.

I give him the soccer ball we brought for him, and he holds it in his lap. I begin to show him some of the items in the backpack, as Aidan takes photos, and the other children press in to see. We don’t get far before I suggest that he explore the bag on his own at home, as I can see this curious crowd, the pressure of my presence, is just too overwhelming for this young boy.

I move to the chair next to him, and we take some photos together, but I can feel the tension in his back, and it is difficult to give him his space, when I really want to wrap him in my arms and tell him there is nothing to worry about.

Marlon’s young aunt is with him at the project on this morning, so I ask her to tell me what his life is like at home. Her answer is not easy to hear.

She says Marlon lives with his father, grandmother and two brothers. His mother left him when he was a baby, and he has only seen her a few times.

I pat the knee of this brave boy sitting next to me, whose heart has been broken and battered already, at such a young age. I marvel at this perfect match for sponsor and child, him abandoned by his mother as a baby, and me by my father at birth, similar scars on our hearts.

We sit together quietly for a while, and the crowd, losing interest in us, begins to move away.

DSC_1971

Marlon shows interest in his backpack.

Marlon bends over and touches the backpack. Progress, I think. He struggles to adjust the straps on the bag, and I reach in and help him. He doesn’t seem to mind. He discovers the ball pump in a side pocket of the bag, and I use hand motions to show him where the needle is, how to put it in the pump, where it goes into his soccer ball.

So we have connected in a small way, but our time is up. I promise to write him many letters before I stand to leave, patting his knee one last time. It is not easy to walk away from this boy.

And I pray he will remember these moments when he begins to receive my letters, that he will remember the love in these moments, and that we will meet again in the future, to continue to build this blessed relationship.

by

Fuente de Vida

DSC_2007

Fuente de Vida church, in San Benito, Nicaragua, is partnered with Compassion project NI-176.

The sun hitting the tin roof of the church in San Benito begins to warm up worshippers as the service goes on, but we hardly notice as we are treated to so many children’s performances, songs, puppet shows, and even a skit.

Upon arrival earlier that morning, we were greeted by a barrage of popping balloons, a firecracker welcome, as the children gathered to greet us at the gate. Their little hands reached out to touch us as we walked past, and shy smiles welcomed us to their church, Fuente de Vida.

DSC_2006

The children of NI-176 welcome us to their church.

I was surprised when I saw the church name painted on a wall I passed on the way to my seat. Fuente de Vida, Fountain of Life, is the name of my church at home. The church where I was married 19 years ago, where all of my children have been baptized, where my family continues to attend today.

I’ve always heard God is in the details, so why am I surprised by this beautiful reminder of home as I am missing my own family this Sunday morning?

Two young girls stand at the pulpit now, ready to sing, as the opening notes to Simon and Garfunkel’s “The Sound of Silence” are played. They sing a worship song in Spanish to the tune of that 1960s hit, and despite a lack of comprehension on my part, the song is deeply moving to me.

DSC_2024

Girls singing a worship song in Spanish to the tune of Simon and Garfunkel’s “The Sound of Silence.”

It is ironic, as this church service has been anything but silent. This is a group full of energy and love. We have clapped energetically to the rhythm during most songs, and we can hear children playing, chairs moving, even full conversations all around us throughout the service.

After a short message by Pastor Jesús, the service winds down, and we are given cake, baked by the project’s own bakery students, and bracelets, made by the project’s jewelry-making students. We are treated with love and hospitality by our brothers and sisters in Christ at Fuente de Vida, and I suspect this is a service I’ll not soon forget.

DSC_2010_2

Two young children just before singing “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Feet” (yes feet, not toes).

DSC_2019

The children performed a Noah’s Ark puppet show.

DSC_2026

Pastor Jesús with Carlos translating.

DSC_2028

Children drinking juice after church.

by

God is Good

JoseAidanslide

Jose and Aidan enjoying the waterslide at Play Zone Park in Managua.

We are two mothers sitting side by side, watching our sons laugh, play together.

They are climbing the inflatable waterslide’s ladder, then racing down the slide, two boys from different countries who became fast friends this morning. After they tumble into the water, make their splashes, they resurface with huge smiles and climb up again.

JoseAidanLadder

Jose and Aidan

We laugh, too, every once in a while. We are both mothers of sons. She has three, and I have five. But mostly we are quiet, sitting together in the shade, finding refuge from the heat, taking in the scene in front of us.

Our translator asks me, “Is there anything you want to ask her?”

His job is to translate, to encourage us to communicate, and he is very good at this. But he is also a young man. How can he know that mothers don’t always need words to communicate? Mothers can be content watching their sons build a friendship, marveling at their sons from different worlds together, laughing, splashing more.

Is there anything I want to ask her? Of course there is, and questions buzz through my head like a swarm of bees. How can I narrow it down? Which questions are most important?

By nature, I often enjoy silence more than talking, and she seems the same, this mother of my sponsored child. This hard-working woman, whose struggles I can only imagine, has taken a day off from her duties to visit an amusement park with her son to meet me, her son’s sponsor, who lives more than 2,000 miles away from Managua.

Our time together is short, and my questions are many, and as our translator patiently waits, I desperately choose one.

Jose&Mom

Jose and his mother

“Can you ask her, what is Jose like at home?,” I say.

He asks, and she answers, “He is obedient.” She says he plays well with his 5-year-old brother and helps him a lot.

I nod and say, “That’s good.”

But she isn’t finished.

She tells our translator that Jose sometimes becomes so emotional when he reads my letters to her that he cries. She says he can feel how much I care for him in the letters.

I can feel my throat tightening as I take this in, as we continue to watch our boys together on the waterslide, smiling, sliding, splashing.

Then she tells our translator that I sent Jose a financial gift earlier this year. She says she is so grateful for the gift.

I had sent money in March for Jose’s 11th birthday.

She explains that the gift arrived at a very difficult time for her family, that they were struggling, and it enabled them to purchase shoes for Jose and food. She is very grateful, she says again. Unsure and awkward when accepting thanks, I nod again.

I take a deep breath to push back the emotion, and I explain this gift was from God, not from me. He blesses me, and in turn uses me to bless her. And his timing is perfect. He knew when they would need the gift.

After my words are translated, she nods, and I nod. We hug each other, our eyes watering, then look ahead at our sons again, side by side. I swallow hard as my throat tightens again.

Our translator watches us, then says simply, quietly, “God is good.”

by

What Else Could Go Right?

In just three days, I’ll be leaving for a Compassion tour in Nicaragua.

It’s a trip I’ve been hoping to take since first becoming a sponsor through Compassion four years ago, but the weeks leading up to this trip haven’t gone exactly as I had envisioned them.

In that vision, I would have set aside more time to read my Bible, some inspirational faith books and maybe some other sponsors’ blogs about their own trips. I would have spent more time in prayer preparing my heart and mind for the trip ahead. I would have begun writing in my trip journal already. I would have gone into this trip feeling mentally and spiritually prepared for the days ahead.

Instead, the past four weeks have been an exhausting string of medical issues in our family.

First, my youngest son needed to have a tooth pulled. Everything went well, and he bounced back quickly after a day of everyone smothering him in love at home.

Then three days later, my daughter had surgery on both legs to correct a toe-walking issue. She came home in two casts, to be worn for almost five weeks, but her surgeon assured us she would be up and walking in those casts within a few days. That was hard to imagine in those first few days, as it was painful for her to bear any weight at first, but about five days after surgery, she began making short walks around the house. She’s still sore and can’t be on her feet for too long, but she’s healing and getting around now.

The following week, my sister had surgery to remove a large tumor. The two weeks leading up to this unexpected surgery were filled with anxiety and concern that the tumor would require radiation or chemotherapy treatments after removal. But we were all thrilled when the entire tumor was removed, and testing indicated no further treatment would be necessary other than annual monitoring to check for regrowth.

Not even one week later, my husband had knee surgery to fix an old skiing injury. That procedure also went well, and he is slowly healing and getting back to normal.

Finally, just last week, my youngest son had an appointment with a pediatric cardiologist. His regular pediatrician heard a heart murmur during his annual physical this summer, and referred him for a follow-up. At the time, he assured me that children often grow out of heart murmurs, but he felt it best that my son be seen for it. So I took him in expecting to be told the murmur was nothing to worry about.

Instead, my son was diagnosed with a heart condition that eventually will require valve replacement surgery. In the meantime, he will see a cardiologist annually, for life, to monitor the condition. He’s four years old.

There was a time when news like this would have had me asking, “What else could go wrong?” There was a time I would have been shouting that question, especially following the previous three weeks of medical ups and downs.

Thankfully, God has given me a different response this month. I am feeling blessed beyond words, and here’s why:

I live in a place and time where all of the medical issues of the past month are manageable. Having a tooth pulled is better than dying of infection. Surgery to correct a walking issue will save my daughter from future complications with her legs and feet. My sister is cancer-free due to great screening and medical care. My husband will ski again this winter with our children, rather than sit on the sidelines. And by the time my son needs surgery on his heart, procedures and techniques likely will have improved to the point that the surgery is even more safe than it is today.

So although I haven’t had the peaceful, meditation-like preparation I was imagining before this trip, and although I still feel a bit frazzled by the month’s events, I will step on that airplane Thursday ready for the next adventure. I am ready to see what God has in store for me, and I look forward to finding the answers to, “What else could go right?”

by

Nicaragua Countdown: Four Weeks!

After months of counting down the days until my son and I leave for Nicaragua, today we find ourselves with exactly four weeks to go.

Excited doesn’t begin to describe how we are feeling about this upcoming trip. 

Medically, we are ready. Yesterday we started taking the typhoid vaccine, which comes in capsules. We also have a prescription for malaria to take while we are in Nicaragua. And I was lucky enough to require a Hepatitis A shot as well, which I got last month. Aidan got to skip that as he’d already had the vaccine.

Logistically, we are ready. We have begun to organize and pack the gifts we are bringing to our children, and are planning out what to take for ourselves. Our plane tickets have been purchased, and the airlines have already canceled some of our flights, so those have been rescheduled. Hopefully that won’t happen again. We got our passports months ago, so we are all set to travel.

Mentally, though, I’m not sure if we are quite so prepared, but that’s all right, because I don’t think this is the kind of experience that allows for complete preparation.

Sure, I’ve spent hours reading other sponsors’ blogs detailing their own visits to their Compassion children in countries all over the world. I know the general order of these trips: visiting the country office, visiting some projects, then visiting my own children.

My son and I are even practicing some Spanish phrases relating to soccer so we can play more easily with our boys on visit day.

But I sense in this trip something bigger than I can imagine right now, as if there is some grand experience on the horizon, and I’m peering ahead, trying to see it, but it’s a little fuzzy right now. I guess it will be more clear in four weeks.

For now, I’ll focus on preparing my heart for meeting three special boys in Nicaragua, while sharing the whole experience with my own very special boy.

Esteban2014

Esteban

JefryJuly2014

Jefry

JoseSept2014

Jose

by

Seeing Kids Sponsored

photo 5

Table with child packets displayed.

Friday night, I had the privilege of volunteering at a Compassion table at the Michael W. Smith concert in Tucson, Ariz.

It was my first time volunteering, and my son and good friend went with me. It was an awesome experience!

Five children were sponsored before the concert even began, and at the last count toward the end of the evening, 75 children had new sponsors.

It was a blessing to me to see the emotion in new sponsors’ faces as they took that step of faith and chose to change a child’s life. I knew the incredible journey they were about to experience, so it was easy to share that emotion with them.

photo 3

Kerri and Logan volunteering at the Michael W. Smith concert.

photo 4

Seven volunteers in all worked at the concert.

If you are interested in becoming a sponsor, please click here. And if you would like to look for volunteer opportunities in your area, click here.

by

Gift Photo – Bolivia

Daniel&FamilyMay2014

Daniel and his family purchased many items with a recent financial gift: sugar, cooking oil, detergent, two bags of noodles, tennis shoes, sweatpants and t-shirts. Daniel writes, “Thanks for the gift that you sent me because it was a blessing for my family and my life…. We send you a picture of us, and it was taken at our house.”

by

Gift Photo – Ghana

Zainabu&motherApril2014

This photo shows Zainabu, 13, of Ghana, and her mother with gifts purchased using her birthday money!

by

Sponsorship Opportunity

As a child advocate with Compassion, I have five children for whom I am currently looking for sponsors.

These children are all from Nicaragua, where I will be visiting during the first week of October. I have a special offer for anyone who sponsors one of these children: I will carry a gift to your child for you.

This is a unique opportunity to connect with your child by picking out and surprising them with something outside of Compassion’s mailing guidelines. By Compassion’s guidelines, only paper products up to 1/4-inch in thickness can be mailed due to customs restrictions.

In the past, I have been blessed with the chance to send special gifts to my own sponsored children, and it has been so fun to choose something special to send, then to hear from the child later how much the gift was enjoyed.

Please consider sponsoring one of these precious children or praying for them to be matched with a sponsor soon.

Allison

Alisson, 4, lives with her parents on the plains of Reparto Schick in Nicaragua, where the average monthly income is $97. Her father works as a laborer, and there are two children in the family. Alisson is in Kindergarten and enjoys playing with dolls and playing ball games and group games.

Jefry

Three-year-old Jefry lives in the community of Barrio Motastepe, Ciudad Sandino, in Nicaragua. The average monthly income here is $100 per month. Jefry lives with his parents, and his father is a laborer. He likes playing with cars and playing ball games.

Crisbel

Crisbel is four years old and lives with her parents. There are two children in her family, and her father is a laborer. The family lives on the plains of Neighborhood Hamburgo, where the average monthly income is $45. Crisbel is in Kindergarten and enjoys playing group games.

Milton

Milton, 4, lives with his parents, and there are two children in the family. He lives in the community of Barrio Motastepe, Ciudad Sandino, where the average monthly income is $100. Milton’s favorite activities are soccer and other ball games.

Brandon

Brandon will be 7 years old on Aug. 7. He lives with his mother, who is employed as a laborer. There are three children in the family, and they live in Barrio Motastepe, Ciudad Sandino, where the average monthly income is $100. Brandon is in Kindergarten and his favorite activity is soccer.

by

Preparing to Meet Esteban

Esteban, 8, lives in Nicaragua.

In less than three months, my son Aidan and I will travel to Nicaragua. It is a trip I have been dreaming of making since I first became a Compassion sponsor in 2010.

While there, we will have the opportunity to spend a day with Esteban, who is among some of the very first children I sponsored in 2010. For almost four years, Esteban and I have been exchanging letters, and very slowly building a relationship.

Through photos, I have watched Esteban grow from a chubby little 5-year-old, who looked just past being a toddler, to a taller, thinner 8-year-old boy.

I remember the day I chose to sponsor Esteban. While looking through the many faces of children available on the Compassion web site, his sweet little face stood out. When I clicked on the link to read his profile, I found out his favorite sport was baseball. I was sold. How could a life-long baseball fan pass up this boy?

NI2460129

The first photo I saw of Esteban when I sponsored him in 2010.

In his first letter, he wrote that he wants to become a doctor when he grows up. So not only a baseball fan, but a boy who can dream!

He lives with three brothers, very close in age to him, and it seems he sometimes lives with his mother, and sometimes with his grandparents. We’re collecting some small items to bring for him to share with his brothers! They live in a rural area, about 6 miles east of the country’s capital, Managua, which is where our visit will take place.

As I re-read his letters in preparation for our upcoming meeting, my heart melts again each time I come across one of his requests for me to visit him. I am so thankful that it will happen soon!