“He who is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward him for what he has done.” Proverbs 19:17
Previously, I wrote about a challenge my wife, Andrea, and I were given through a bible study we went through just after we were married. In that study it challenged us to ask God to bring a poor person into our lives. One of the ways He did that was to introduce us to Compassion International, a ministry who meets the needs of children in poverty around the world.
Compassion gave us the opportunity to sponsor a child. We chose to match our four children with children in poverty around their same ages. Our youngest daughter, Emma, formed a relationship with her Compassion child “Ciprus” from the Philippines when they were both nine years old. The Phillipines is an island in Southeast Asia in the Pacific Ocean near Taiwan and Vietnam.
Ciprus and her family live in a section of a coastal city of about 26,000 people. Her father is a carpenter and her mother’s tasks include sewing. Ciprus enjoys many activities Emma enjoys: group games, bicycling, playing house, running, reading, and singing. Most houses in her area are made of wood floors and tin roofs. A normal meal may include chicken, rice and/or fish. Most day laborers like Ciprus’ father make the equivalent of about $70 per month.
Compassion partners with the the Child Welfare Student Center to provide Ciprus with Bible studies, reteats, medical and dental checkups, tutoring, shoes, medicine and more. The parents also have opportunities to attend parenting seminars.
Emma waited for several months before she received her first letter from Ciprus. The day finally arrived and Emma was so excited. Ciprus’ mother wrote the letter and Compassion has it translated into English so we can read it. Eventually Ciprus began writing her own letters.
Our family has found it to be a great blessing to use some of the money God has entrusted to us to financially support, pray for and encourage through letters these precious young ladies literally in four different parts of the world: Africa, Colombia, Guatemala, and the Philippines. Could we use the money we invest in other ways? Certainly. However, there is great joy knowing that we are helping others through giving, prayer, and writing.
Perhaps you have considered sponsoring a child like Jessica, Erika, Maame, or Ciprus. You can pick the gender, age, and area of the world. Or you can ask Compassion to do it for you. If you’d like more information, you can contact Compassion at 800-336-7676. After giving to your local church, this is a wonderful opportunity to make a true difference in the life of a child whom God has created.
