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| Fhone and her favorite gift...a Cinderella velcro ball set |
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| Fhone and her mother opening the backpack of toys |
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| Fhone took off down the alley to show her friend her new gifts |
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| Fhone smiles for the first time at the Compassion center |
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| Love that face!! |
I owe my Compassion child
from 15 years ago an apology. I stunk as
a sponsor. I didn’t realize my ‘job’ as
a sponsor and I feel like I let her down.
Today, I am going to do it differently as I sponsor Fhone. Being a Compassion International sponsor is
an honor, privilege and yes, a responsibility.
I didn’t realize the depth of a relationship I could cultivate with my
sponsor child until our trip to Asia. In
Asia I saw firsthand how much the children love their sponsors and recognize
what sponsorship means. I also witnessed
first hand that the children look forward to getting the letters and pictures
and treasure them. Most children save
every single letter and picture they receive from their sponsors. It may seem like very little to us, a letter
is precious? Yet, what I learned is that
the letter represents all that the child has probably never felt or heard,
hope.
When you choose to sponsor a
child through Compassion International, you are giving an at-risk child
hope. Hope that they can be more than
they’re currently experiencing, hope for a brighter future and one they may
have never seen or even dreamed about.
My hope and prayer for my 4 ½ year old Fhone is that I will be able to
convey through my letters and pictures that we care. I want her to know that our family is praying
for her, thinking about her and believing in her. I want her to know the same things I tell my
daughter; you are smart, beautiful and special and I love you and so does
God. I want her to wake up and dream of a
future and not just think about how she will survive the day.
If God is tugging on your
heart and you feel lead to sponsor a child, don’t wait. This is an opportunity that will bless you
more than the child that you are blessing with your sponsorship. You are fulfilling God’s call to take care of
the children. In Matthew Jesus tells us
to feed the poor and give drink to the thirsty.
I never knew that we (you and me) would actually have a chance to
fulfill that calling.
Sponsoring is great, and when you've been writing a few years and you get that first letter she wrote herself ... Wow.
ReplyDeleteIf you can, write back as soon as you get a letter. I know I love it when my kids answer the questions I ask, so I think they must love it when I do the same.
I have been sponsoring with my daughter since November, we actually became the sponsor of a little girl named Cyuzuzo on her birthday... we felt that in itself was a sign she was ours to sponsor, love and care for...and to show her how much God loves her too!!! We are truly blessed and honored to be a part of her life. I love writing and sending pictures to her. We hope that someday we can make it to Africa and meet her, hug her!!!! :) Thanks for sharing your experience.. We can't wait to hear from her for the first time!!!
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