Our team of Compassion Bloggers will be in Nicaragua from June 18 through June 22, 2013. Throughout this week you will experience a unique glimpse of what it is like to live in this beautiful Central American country through the words, photos, videos and tweets of:

• Christy
• Edie
• Kelly
• Traci
• Mike
• Keely
• Brianne
• Shaun

Whether or not you sponsor a child in Nicaragua, you can still tell others about this great adventure!

Are you on Facebook? Use a blog trip Facebook cover.

Do you tweet? Follow the team on Twitter.

Don’t have a Twitter account? Not a worry — you can always follow the latest news about this trip here or at compassionbloggers.com.

And let’s not forget Pinterest. You can find blog trip pins on our Pinterest board or Shaun Groves’ board.

As we share about this trip, we welcome any questions you may have. So be sure to check in often to read what God is doing to eradicate poverty in Nicaragua. Let the adventure begin!

My Account l Sponsor a Child l Help Babies and Moms l Crisis Updates

Recently I was able to go to El Salvador to witness the ministry’s work firsthand and to meet my sponsored child Mayra, her sister, Marina, and their mom, Veronica.

Our story began in July 2009 when I volunteered at my church’s Compassion Sunday event. I fell in love with Mayra’s smile. And when I discovered she shared my grandmother’s birthday, I knew I should sponsor her.

Since that day, I had been praying about the moment I would meet Mayra and her family.

One month before going to El Salvador, I received a letter from Mayra in which she shared,

“I would like to meet you which would be my biggest dream come true.”

God’s timing couldn’t have been better!

Now fast forward to the night before our big day. I wanted to make the most of our time together, so I wrote out pages and pages of questions and prayed God would bless our time and further knit our hearts together.

Some questions were easy and there were smiles and giggles. Others were more difficult and tears surfaced.

Mayra and Marina’s mom, Veronica, is the sole financial provider for their family. Their father left six years ago to live with another family. He is still in the area and stops by about once a week for less than an hour.

I could see the pain in Veronica’s face as tears fell. She has experienced this abandonment twice – first with her father and again with her husband. Veronica humbly shared about her work and how she supports her family, including her mother.

But despite the hurt and past experiences, Veronica has hope that her daughters’ futures will be different. Our ministry is fueling that hope through the local church and child development center where Mayra and Marina are registered.

Each child registered with our ministry has a file that shows their physical, social, economic and spiritual growth and development.

Both girls were malnourished when they entered the program. They are now healthy. Mayra dreams of being a secretary, and Marina is learning cosmetology.

Veronica is so thankful for the benefits her children are receiving, specifically how her daughters are learning from the Bible and their whole family is learning more about the love of God. She also appreciates the additional educational opportunities that are available for the girls.

During our time together, I asked how I could be a better sponsor. They quickly responded,

“Write about everything! We want to know more about your personal life, family, and how we can pray for you.”

My hope is that I will be able to bless this family as much as they continue to bless me.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Suzi Martin works as a mid-level donor relations specialist at the Global Ministry Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.

My Account l Sponsor a Child l Help Babies and Moms l Crisis Updates

A question we sometimes hear from sponsors is,

“What happens to unsponsored children?”

Do they have to wait to receive benefits until a sponsor is found? What if someone stops sponsoring — does that child lose benefits until a new sponsor is found?

The answer to those questions is a resounding “No!”

We have some generous supporters who give to the Unsponsored Children’s Fund.

Through this fund, children begin to receive benefits as soon as they are registered in our sponsorship program. It can take months — and sometimes even over a year — for a child to be sponsored.

Until a sponsor is found, these children receive the same care that sponsored children receive, including medical care, educational opportunities, nutritious meals, and a chance to learn about God’s love for them.

When someone stops sponsoring, this fund also fills the gap so children can continue to receive support until a new sponsor is found.

For 9-year-old Happy*, this fund helped save her life.

She lived in one of the poorest villages in Togo. Happy’s father had four wives and too many kids to care for. The children were left to fend for themselves. Happy would eat clay for lack of any real food to fill her stomach. When her aunt Dunya came to visit, she found Happy with red hair and a bloated belly from malnutrition and parasites.

Dunya rescued Happy from this situation and took her home with her to the village of Hohotoé, with plans to return for Happy’s sister. But when Dunya returned, Happy’s sister had already died.

Happy’s aunt and uncle did their best to provide for her. But her uncle is an out-of-work driver and her aunt’s business making mats doesn’t earn much, so although Happy’s situation was far better than it was at home, there were still many things they couldn’t provide for Happy.

Several months after she arrived in Hohotoé, Happy was registered at one of our child development centers. When she arrived at the center, she was obviously ill, so the staff ensured that she received the medical treatment she needed for parasites.

She also receives supplementary food through the center to help her overcome malnutrition.

And this year, Happy will start school, something she couldn’t have dreamed of at home in the village.

We have provided her with a school bag, uniforms, notebooks, slates, books and pens.

Happy is still unsponsored, and all this has been provided through the Unsponsored Children’s Fund. She waits with great hope for the day she’ll have a sponsor and will receive personal, loving support through letters.

Tutors at the child development centers know how discouraging it can be for unsponsored children when other kids receive letters and they don’t. So they put extra care into letting these children know that they are special and loved.

The tutors also pray with the children as they wait for sponsors.

They see the huge difference that a loving sponsor makes in the life of a child, and they beseech God to bring sponsors to all of the children still waiting.

But until a sponsor is found, the Unsponsored Children’s Fund allows vulnerable children like Happy to begin flourishing in God’s love with the support they need.

*Happy’s story courtesy of Bernard Gbaga, Field Communications Specialist.

My Account l Sponsor a Child l Help Babies and Moms l Crisis Updates

The value of family in the life of a child is priceless. And because of the lies of poverty, the value of family in a child’s life often suffers.

Some of our best blog posts have tackled this topic through the years. From reasons why sponsorship benefits a family living in the developing world, to an entire family embracing their sponsored child, the value of family is a theme you will often see woven into the stories we share.

We took the liberty of choosing some of our best family-related blog posts for you. As you read them, please think about this question and share your thoughts in the comments:

“What about family is most valuable to you?”

Lifting the Burden of the Family By One

Our child development activities in developing countries are facilitated by the local church. We don’t work through missionaries, and every child is guaranteed to be taught the Gospel. Whether children accept the Gospel is up to them. We work with the poorest of the poor to change the community inside out…starting with the kids and moving into the family.

Cherish Family

We cannot do global child development and neglect our own families. God would not be honored if we poured ourselves into the world’s children and neglected our own.

“If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?” – 1 Timothy 3:5, NIV

How Deep Does Compassion Run in Your Family?

We had grown up with Nuy, reading her letters around the dinner table and praying for her.

I didn’t know what to expect when we met her, knowing she had grown up in poverty. And when I saw her, right in front of me — beautiful, intelligent, nicely dressed — I wondered if she’d really needed us.

Then I realized, it worked. It really worked. She’s no longer in poverty.

Yes, she has chosen to stay with her mother in simple surroundings, caring for two small nephews, but she has a good job, is supporting her family, and is out of poverty. Wow! Compassion works.

My Account l Sponsor a Child l Help Babies and Moms l Crisis Updates

What is beautiful? How is beauty defined? God has made everything beautiful. And this is beauty as defined by God.

Don’t be concerned about the outward beauty of fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes. You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God. – 1 Peter 3:3-4 (NLT)

You are more beautiful than you know. And you are so much more than beautiful.

God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. – Genesis 1:27

My Account l Sponsor a Child l Help Babies and Moms l Crisis Updates

I met Esther and Marcos at the Compassion office in Lima, Peru. They help process letters between sponsors and sponsored children. They were both sponsored children themselves.

I met Angie in Ica, Peru. She has just recently been sponsored.

The three of them taught me about the power of a letter.

The Power of a Letter

Esther grew up poor in the country of Peru
She wanted to dream but didn’t know how to
Her stomach often empty, holes in her shoes
Poverty doesn’t ask, it’s not something you choose

Marcos had a mother, she did the best she could do
Life was hard, his belly hungry, in the sands of Peru
He longed for a father, he longed for a dad
He grew into adolescence, he grew into sad

Angie’s sister was sick, her four siblings prayed
Their faces full of tears, while at church they played
Momma held her tight, through the Peruvian night
But her sister grew weak, and gave up the fight

Esther found hope, she found God’s love redeems
She found a church that cared, they told her to dream
They gave her food that filled, and shoes that were whole
She discovered new skills, new purpose, a new soul

Marcos learned to read, to write and to finally understand
That he had another Father, who loved him and had a plan
The church taught him, fed him, quickly growing tall
But he still struggled and wondered the meaning of it all

Angie hugs her momma, she squeezes out the grief
She tells her sis is in heaven, it’s the core of her belief
Her dry mouth is thirsty, water comes once a week
She’s thankful for the church, it delivers her relief

Esther has a new friend, a sponsor from another land
They say they really love her, yet letters they never send
Everyone else seems to get one, a new one every day
She sits, watches and wonders, will one ever come my way

Marcos brain is spinning, he’s wondering if life’s worth living
He doesn’t know where to go, is another day worth giving
But his new friends who sponsor, who write him quite often
Remind him of some wisdom, and his heart begins to soften

Angie’s roof is leaking, it’s made of straw and hay
But her smile is a sign that she’ll make it one more day
Her house is very fragile, but she is standing strong
Around the world a sponsor is telling her she’s not wrong

Esther grew into a woman, with great faith and passion
She grew as a leader, it’s what was taught by Compassion
She struggled not knowing her sponsor’s opinions
Made a vow it wouldn’t happen to other children

Marcos read the letters, memorizing his sponsor’s scriptures
It brought healing to his mind, and to life a clearer picture
He now makes sure that others can receive the same gift
By processing words that give children a positive lift

Angie is still young, she will have a sponsor for years
But she is still yet to get that first letter, so she fears
Will she be like Esther, waiting day after day after day
Or will it be like Marcos, receiving words that will light her way

The good news is Jesus lives in Esther, Marcos and Angie’s heart
Their sponsors gave willingly and it played a huge part
But don’t underestimate the power that a simple letter can make
God’s wisdom does not return void, it’s a gift you can’t forsake

So if you sponsor a beautiful child made by God’s own hands
Write a letter today and tell them about God’s amazing plans
Write them a scripture, one they will surely memorize
Maybe it’s Jeremiah 29:11, God’s promise they will thrive

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Ken Burkey is the Senior Pastor at Green Valley Community Church in Northern California. His family sponsors 6 children, 3 from Burkina Faso, 1 from Haiti, 1 from Mexico and 1 from Peru.
The families of Green Valley Community Church sponsor over 1000 children.

My Account l Sponsor a Child l Help Babies and Moms l Crisis Updates

Indian student Maggie nurses her father. She feeds him, dresses him and washes him. Not so long ago, her father systematically abused her.

“I hope that he will show repentance before his death. I believe that God has a plan with our family, and so I care for him, instead of shutting myself off from him.”

Maggie was in the Netherlands in January and told us her life story:

I grew up in the slum Nichu in Kolkata. ‘Nichu’ means lower. Not because of it’s location, but because of our low mentality. The people who live here are penniless, and almost no one believes that his or her life can improve.

We had a small house, without toilet and bathroom. It was very noisy – traffic sounds, lots of fights and people watching movies.

I talk about it as if it were in the past, but I live still in the same house, in the same neighborhood.

“There was no sense in dreaming.”

When I was young, my father had a good office job. I loved him. But as I grew up, I noticed that he wasn’t there for me. He never loved us. He lived in our house with us, but that was all.

He almost always spent his salary on alcohol and gambling. When I was 5 or 6 years old, he lost his job.

I knew that there was no sense in dreaming. My situation would never change. There was no prospect of a better future, so I did not dream.

Sex industry

When I was 5 years old, I was taken into a Compassion child development center, which was run by the Salvation Army. When I was 15 years old my father left. He simply disappeared. We didn’t know where he had gone or why.

We soon discovered that he had debts. His creditors began to threaten us. They threatened that they would kidnap us and sell us to the sex industry. My mother no longer dared leave us home alone and stayed with us all day.

Because of this she could not work and our food was soon gone. Fortunately, I was fed every day at the child development center. I decided to secretly fold my lunch in my dress and to take it home with me.

Beaten with a belt

When I was 18 years old, I thought that everything was my fault. That is what my father always used to say to me. He beat me, called me names and blamed me for all the misery.

At some point I started to believe it more and more, and felt more and more responsible. This is why I sacrificed my food for three years and gave it to them.

When I was almost 19 years old, my father came back unexpectedly. He had been gone for 5 years. We thought that he had changed perhaps, that he had work and would bring money home.

But he was more addicted than ever. He drank a lot and beat my little brother with a belt. Later he started to beat me and my mother.

I was broken

Thankfully I was allowed to participate in Compassion’s Leadership Development Program. That meant that I could accomplish my dream: to become a teacher. I want to help children, understand their situation and be a mother to them. I can do something for them.

And yet this wasn’t just an opportunity. I also experienced it as a burden since I had to study a lot and could not use that time to earn money for home. During the day I was at school, in the evening I earned some money and at night I studied.

Letters from my sponsors

My father was angry that I was going to study further and worked that off with the help of his belt. But my teachers at the center were like fathers and mothers to me. They were always there to listen to me and love me.

In that time I felt inferior to the other children. But they taught me that I truly belonged.

As a result, I grew to believe that I am important and can make something of my life. My sponsor’s letters also played a very large part in this. They were like love letters to me.

Hope for forgiveness

In spite of everything that has happened, I want to look after my parents. My father can no longer run and talk, because he has had a number of strokes. Before, he called me names.

When he did that, was I furious. But now I take care of him. Sometimes I am angry when I think about what he has done to me. But I feel that God asks me to take care of him.

I want be there for him until his death. I hope that he will accept us in the last period of his life and will ask for forgiveness.

God’s promises

Poverty is a virus that eats at people. It’s very difficult get rid of it. It is only possible if you are very resolute. You need someone who will continue speaking truth to you.

When things are difficult, I think of God’s promises. I think about how He has promised never to leave me and that He has good plans for me. That helps me through it. I also remind myself that my troubles are only short lived.

My Account l Sponsor a Child l Help Babies and Moms l Crisis Updates

I recently saw a photo essay that Feature Shoot characterized as Photos of Children From Around the World With Their Most Prized Possessions.

With that title I expected to see evocative photos capturing the strong personal connection between the child and whatever was most dear to him or her. However, what I got was interesting photos of children from around the world with their toys.

I’m not in a position to say that the most prized possession each of these children have isn’t a toy; however, the phrase “most prized possession” and its connection to children reminded me of a story about the immense value our sponsored children place on the letters we write and the relationships they represent.

I even know a little girl in Honduras whose house was flooded, and our project director went in and rescued her from the rising water.

It was up as high as her chest. And he picked her up and carried her out of her house and the whole time, she was reaching back toward the house, crying. And he thought: ‘She must have a puppy in there or she must have a doll or something that she doesn’t want to leave.’

When he put her down on dry ground, she turned around and ran back into that flooding house. She felt around in her little corner of the house until she found her little baggie with her sponsor’s letters in it, and only then, with that in her hand, was she willing to be rescued. She was not going to leave that behind.

That’s how precious it was to her. These sponsors are so much more important in that child’s life than they can possibly imagine.

~Wess Stafford, as recounted by Kees Boer

So, with that background, here’s a different look at what some children around the world consider their most prized possessions.

Burkina Faso

Nicaragua

Kenya

Bangladesh

Ghana

Peru

My Account l Sponsor a Child l Help Babies and Moms l Crisis Updates

My Account l Sponsor a Child l Help Babies and Moms l Crisis Updates

On January 12, 2010, more than 250,000 people died in less than a minute when a catastrophic earthquake hit the island nation of Haiti. Over 1.5 million people found themselves homeless.

Three years later, our long-term strategy to help rebuild Haiti embodies four key areas — equipping pastors, offering child protection to highly vulnerable children, creating income-generating programs, and reconstructing schools and Compassion-assisted child development centers.

My Account l Sponsor a Child l Help Babies and Moms l Crisis Updates