Twice a year we take a team of bloggers to the developing world to learn about our ministry. Today, the team is in Nicaragua. Take a glance at what the bloggers will witness firsthand.

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

This week is the week. Our Compassion bloggers are traveling to Nicaragua. Beginning tomorrow you will be able to experience what poverty is like for a child in Nicaragua through their eyes.

Their pictures. Their blog posts. Their tweets.

We also have a little contest. It is an incredibly simple way for you to take part in this trip and potentially be one of three winners of a prize package.

This prize package includes nine, yes nine, books. Each of them written by a blogger who has been on a trip with us! Hello summer reading list!

Beginning right now through this Thursday at 4:00 p.m. MT, complete any of the following and you will be entered into the contest, numerous times.

Here’s how to participate:

1. Write a blog post about the Compassion Bloggers trip to Nicaragua.
   
   In your post you must link to a post written by one of the bloggers on the trip. Once you publish it, paste the link of your post in the widget below. This is worth 10 contest entries. You can do this once a day.
2. Leave a comment on a Nicaragua trip blog post from any of the bloggers on the trip.
   
   Who doesn’t love some comment love? Let the bloggers know what you think about their posts, that you’re praying for them, or that you’re just thankful for their perspective.

   Paste the link to the post you commented on in the widget below. This is worth 5 contest entries. You can do this once a day.

3. Share a blog post from one of the trip bloggers on your Facebook profile.
   
   Paste the link of your status update in the widget below. How do find the specific URL to use?

   Once you update your Facebook account, go to your profile and scroll to the update you just published. Under your name you will see a time stamp:

   

   Click on the time stamp, copy the URL that appears in your browser and then paste it into the widget below. This is worth three contest entries and you can do it once each day.

4. Pin or repin blog trip content.
   
   Repin any of the Nicaragua blog trip content that is on our blog trip Pinterest board OR pin Nicaragua trip content directly from one of the bloggers’ blogs.

   Of course, you will need to have a Pinterest account to do this. Here is an explanation about how to pin.

   Once you’ve published the pin, copy the URL for the pin, which you can get by clicking on the pin once it’s live, and paste it into the widget below. This is worth three contest entries and you can do this once each day.

5. Retweet any of the tweets from the bloggers on the trip.
   
   Paste the link to your tweet in the widget below. To get the link, go to your Twitter profile, click on the date in the upper right hand corner of your tweet and copy the link in the URL. This is worth one contest entry and you can do this once each day.

And there you have it! A variety of ways for you to participate in the trip, to increase your chances of winning a fabulous prize package, and to spread the news of the Nicaragua trip to your friends, family and followers.

What’s the prize package? Oh yes! It’s a good one!

Many of the bloggers we’ve taken on trips have written some truly wonderful books. We’re putting nine of their books into three separate prize packages:

1. Southern Plate: Classic Comfort Food That Makes Everyone Feel Like Family by Christy Jordan
2. The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Food from My Frontier by Ree Drummond
3. Saving Savvy: Smart and Easy Ways to Cut Your Spending in Half and Raise Your Standard of Living…and Giving by Kelly Hancock
4. A Little Salty to Cut the Sweet: Southern Stories of Faith, Family, and Fifteen Pounds of Bacon by Sophie Hudson
5. Mended by Angie Smith
6. One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are by Ann Voskamp
7. Plan B: What Do You Do When God Doesn’t Show Up the Way You Thought He Would? by Pete Wilson
8. Organized Simplicity: The Clutter-Free Approach to Intentional Living by Tsh Oxenreider
9. Sparkly Green Earrings: Catching the Light at Every Turn by Melanie Shankle

So you see? We’ve got your summer reading right here.

The contest closes this Thursday, June 20 at 4:00 p.m. MT, and the winners will be randomly selected and announced during a Twitter chat the same night.

At 7 p.m. ET we will host a Twitter chat with Resourceful Mommy. All of the Nicaragua trip bloggers will take part. Don’t miss it!

Be sure to follow #CompassionBloggers to join the conversation.

Lastly, an added bonus – a link-up! If you do write a blog post related to the trip, add it to our link-up.

We are excited to have you come alongside us. Let’s do this!

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

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

On a warm morning in Thailand, Somporn slings a wide woven scarf over his shoulders with the chubby arms and feet of 9-month-old Pidsinee wiggling through. As she fusses and cries, he tightens the shoulder sling and walks alone with his daughter.

Despite this beautiful morning, the grief in Somporn’s heart is inexpressible, beyond what words could describe. The sudden loss of his wife is weighing upon him.

From the Karen tribe, Somporn and his wife Sopak dreamed of having a big family. They planned to spend many sweet long years together, until they grew old. They did not imagine that “’till death do us part” would come so quickly.

When Pidsinee was only 2 months old, Sopak was diagnosed with Japanese Encephalitis, a serious mosquito-borne disease.

Because traveling from their village to the hospital was almost impossible during the rainy season, Somporn decided to wait it out to see if his wife would get better. He did not want to risk the rough terrain and was not sure if she would be able to handle it.

Unfortunately, her high fever persisted and Sopak went into shock. Somporn decided to borrow a car and drove her to see the doctor at the district hospital. She was admitted for three nights before the doctor sent her home.

But after just one day, her condition worsened. Not willing to take any chances this time, Somporn drove his wife to a hospital in Chiang Mai. But it was too late. Sopak passed away within the first few hours there.

“The doctor said that there was nothing he could do to save her. How I prayed every day for my wife. But God did not come to her rescue.

I could think of nothing, just wondering how it all happened. It was like a dream. How could one die so easily?”

Beneath the mask of masculinity, Somporn felt lost and did not know how to continue on, living by himself with his firstborn child.

Being the youngest son of his own family, he never had any experiences of babysitting younger siblings. Now with his wife gone, no stable income and little knowledge in child rearing, Pidsinee’s future seemed to be hanging by a thread.

Phongphet, Project Director of Bethania Church Child Survival Program shares,

“When I saw Somporn’s situation, I thought of the Child Survival Program. With no stable income and little knowledge of childcare, our program could be the answer for him.”

A few months after the loss of Sopak, Somporn and Pidsinee were registered with Bethania Church Child Survival Program. Attending not only helps Somporn to learn and grow as a parent, but it helps Pidsinee as she also needs our support.

In our program, Somporn has not only learned about personal hygiene and household safety but he has also received necessities that he and Pidsinee need to live, including formula and complementary food such as eggs and meat.

Because the activity in our Child Survival Program is directed toward female caregivers, Phongphet had to come up with new ways to reach out to Somporn, the only male caregiver in the program.

“Initially, we taught him about practical skills and provided for his immediate needs to better care for his child. Since he has been with us for a few months, we are trying to assess his capability and interest.

In the future, we may provide agricultural resources and teach him about organic farming if it lies in his interest to give him an income-generating skill.”

With his daughter’s best interest in mind, Somporn decided to teach all the lessons he had learned in the Child Survival Program to his parents so they would be able to properly care for Pidsinee.

“I taught them how to prepare a bottle, as well as how to clean it. In our house, there is one corner used only to wash the bottles. No one is allowed to cook or boil anything in this area.”

With the loving hands of the community and our staff, Somporn’s life is gradually turning around. He used to be angry at God for not coming through for his family when they needed Him the most. But with love manifested in deeds, Somporn is a changed man.

Phongphet adds,

“Somporn saw how we had helped him; how we did not just pray for him and left doing nothing. He saw that we lived out our faith through action. When he witnessed this, it brought encouragement and peace to him. Now he smiles more and has the strength to keep raising Pidsinee as best as he can.”

In spite of his loneliness, Somporn is not alone. His beautiful baby daughter is not just the face of his wife, but a gift from God, to help him walk this earth with hope and strength.

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

Jethro attends the child development center every Saturday with more than 200 other children. They sing the same songs, dance to the same music, listen to the same lessons, eat the same foods and enjoy the same activities.

At the end of the day, however, there is a difference. While most of the children are fetched by their mothers, Jethro is picked up by his father.

Jethro loves making the 15-minute walk home with his father, Joseph!

“I enjoy hanging out with him. He is a good role model for me.”

A father picking up his son from the student center and mingling with the mothers and center staff is a rarity. Lanie, center director tells us,

“We really admire Joseph. He not only fetches his son, he also attends parent meetings and church activities. He is just one of the two fathers who regularly come to the center and make friends with everybody.”

Fillipino society is widely matriarchal, according to most experts. Many deny this, but it is the mothers who usually make major decisions, budget the family money, spend time with the children and take them to church.

This is also why, in most cases, churches in the Philippines have mostly female attendees. Men are expected to work and earn money for the family, not go to church or take care of the children. But Joseph is not the typical Filipino father.

“I want to see my children grow. I want to spend time with them and be with them as they try to understand life.”

To have more time at home with his children, Joseph opened a small variety store as a means of providing for his family. It is from this tiny store he earns a meager income to feed his wife and two kids.

“My store earns enough so that we can eat the next day.”

He sells canned foods, chips, salt, pepper, soda and other items for loose change. When the earnings aren’t enough, he looks for other ways to earn money. Sometimes, he assists barbers and welders, work that earns little money.

Joseph has potential. He can cook, sing and write music.

“But I am too shy to let people hear me sing. I only sing at home, when no one is around. I feel that I missed so many opportunities because I am now 39 years old, and not qualified for any professional career.”

Today, Joseph has simple dreams in life. He hopes that his son, Jethro, will be like him and unlike him at the same time. He explains that he doesn’t want Jethro to be like the other boys in their neighborhood.

“I see the children here cursing, stealing, fighting, smoking and getting into drugs. I have not been like that and I hope that my son will not be like that as well.”

The hard-working father was quick to also tell us that he doesn’t want his son to miss the opportunities in life that he did.

Partnering with 330 churches scattered over the Philippines, we minister to more than 50,000 children. Each child is given the opportunities in life that Joseph missed when he was growing up, and which he hopes his son will have.

Jethro comes to the center every Saturday and takes part in all of the activities. He enjoys the singing, but his favorite part of the day is listening to Bible stories just before lunch. He also loves the afternoon playtime before his father picks him up and it’s time to go home.

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

Do you have one of “those” stacks in the corner of your living room? YOU know the one we’re talking about. It’s on the coffee table or next to your favorite chair — it’s the pile of magazines you love but are not sure what to do with!

Magazines are fantastic. But, living in this digital age, more and more of us are decluttering our homes by opting for electronic versions of our favorite reads.

And because we want to meet you where you live, we created something special — Compassion Magazine on iPad.

Now, rest assured non-iPad users, we still offer the print and online versions of our magazine. For those who do use the iPad, this new version allows you to experience great interactive content that the print and online versions cannot. Take a look…

Compassion Magazine for iPad is free and currently available three times per year in winter (February), summer (June) and fall (October) and the latest edition is now available. To receive the iPad version of Compassion Magazine, go to:

MyAccount –> Magazine Preferences –> Check the box that says “Compassion Magazine iPad Version.”

You shouldn’t have any problems signing up for this resource, but if you do, please call us at (800) 336-7676 or send us an email at compassionmagazine@us.ci.org.

Expand your world with Compassion International’s free iPad magazine! [Tweet this]

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

For most of my life, Father’s Day was a holiday that I hoped would come and go as quickly as possible. Like a full third of kids in the United States* today, I was raised by my mother, without a fatherly influence other than a few select people who occasionally filled the role.

My childhood was hard, filled with courts, cops, group homes and questionable friends. My mom and I struggled in our relationship, fought and were continually on the move.

It wasn’t until 11th grade that I spent two full years in the same school. I’m not sure what might have been different if I had a supportive, loving father, but that question is still something I ponder from time to time.

In school I was often asked what it was like growing up without a father, and I always gave the same response,

“I don’t know. I don’t know how to miss what I’ve never had.”

But through all our struggles, there are two things my mother did for me which I can say truly transformed my life.

First, she taught me about my Heavenly Father, His love for me, and to praise Him in good times and bad. And second, she kept finding earthly father figures to speak into my life, encourage me, and help me know that I was loved.

Throughout my travels and time with Compassion, I’ve been amazed at the parallels between the way that father figures spoke into my life, and the way that child sponsors speak into the lives of our kids!

Words like “you are loved,” “God has a plan for you,” and regular encouragement to seek God through prayer, are some of the things that father figures shared with me – that you share with your sponsored child.

Now that I’m a dad, Father’s Day is AWESOME!

It’s a day that my son and I celebrate and remember the great things we do together throughout the year – road trips, camping, cooking, church and much more.

My son and I are very close, and I’m still amazed at how much I love him. I have always tried to instill in him God’s enduring love. I’m confident that he knows how special he is to both God – and me.

As an added bonus and reason to celebrate Father’s Day, two years ago I found my biological father. Naturally, we had some difficult talks. I asked questions I’d had for years, like “why did you leave,” and “do you regret not being a part of my life?”

I am sure the experience was painful for him, but he was honest, and God’s grace helped us both reconcile years of anger and regret. In the end we both realized that God has provided us with a great gift to know each other from this time forward.

It still makes me a bit sad to think about all the kids in this country and across the globe who don’t have a father in their life. But I’m thankful for the father figures who influenced my life growing up, and I’m thankful for the sponsors who speak into the lives of sponsored children around the globe.

God is a true and great Heavenly Father, but it takes an earthly father/father figure – or in my case a diligent mother – to help kids know about God’s love. We are the hands and feet of God the Father, and called to share His love with His little ones all around the world.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Geoff Peters works as a Product Development Manager at the Global Ministry Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.

*Data cited from Washington Times article, Fathers Disappear from Households Across America

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

Sujon was furious when he heard that his wife gave birth to another girl. He took it as a curse from God. He already had one daughter and one son.

Sujon is a simple day laborer. Maintaining a family of five is a huge pressure. He was anxious about his family’s future and the future of his newborn daughter. In Bangladeshi rural culture, a dowry is a burden for the parents of a girl. This practice has become a curse in the remote villages of Bangladesh.

In some cases, husbands throw out their wives for failing to provide dowries. Every year in Bangladesh, a large number of young girls are killed or commit suicide — victims of the dowry system.

A girl’s marriage becomes a matter of distress for millions of families in rural villages. The bitter experience of the dowry system has deep impact on the minds of new parents. Parents, mostly fathers, don’t accept a daughter because, in this culture, girls do not carry the family name.

Sujon was no different. He considered his newborn girl, Somapti, a long-term burden for him and his family.

So little Somapti started her life with rejection from her father. Sujon decided never to see his daughter’s face. Ignorance, superstition and the effects of a dowry system had hardened his heart. Little Somapti had a father, but she was virtually fatherless.

But the Bible says, “The LORD sustains the fatherless” (Psalm 146:9). And God kept His promise to this baby girl.

Somapti and her mother, Shefali, were soon registered in the Child Survival Program, where Somapti was given baby food, health care and lots of love from our staff. Sujon didn’t have to provide additional supplies for his daughter, something he was afraid of. The needs of Somapti and her mother were addressed and taken care of.

One day Shefali shared her story with Sushila, the Child Survival Program implementer. Her story shook the entire staff. Project manager Manik advised Sushila to have a conversation with Sujon.

Sujon was a little surprised that one of our staff members visited him. He knew that the church-based program was helping his daughter, but it didn’t change his mind about her.

Sushila spent time with Sujon and his wife, but couldn’t change his attitude. So Manik came to meet Sujon. Manik has a wonderful heart for children and he tried to help Sujon see what a wonderful blessing he had in his daughter.

But the father’s ignorance and stiff mentality hindered Manik’s every effort. When Manik saw that his efforts were in vain, he told Sujon,

“OK, let it be according to your wish. You don’t have to look after your daughter. We will take care of Somapti. Let us see in coming years whether your daughter is worthy or not.”

Manik left, but he kept in touch with Sujon. As the months passed, God moved Sujon’s heart and he realized the importance of his little daughter.

Today, Sujon is a wonderful father to Somapti.

There were a few factors that led to his change of mind, the most important being the commitment of Manik and Sushila.

“When I had my second daughter, I was very angry. I was thinking that I have to feed another mouth. At the same time, I was anxious because, when Somapti will grow up, then I will have to pay big money as dowry for her marriage.

“I didn’t want to see her face. But Manik and Sushila talked with me so many times. I wondered about their love and affection for my daughter. I realized if these people who are not my family members could be so concerned for my daughter, then, as a father, I have to be caring about my child.”

The moment Sujon realized the importance of his daughter, he became a new person. Previously, his wife, Shefali, had to walk a long way to attend the Child Survival Program. But now, Sujon carries his wife and youngest daughter on the bicycle and brings them to the CSP center on activity days.

It was Manik’s continuous attempts that made it possible for Sompati to have her father’s love.

“When I heard of Somapti and her father, my heart was broken. Somapti is such a beautiful baby, and she was deprived from her father’s affection.

“Through the Child Survival Program, we were able to bring changes in her and her mother’s lives. But she needed her father too. We unceasingly gave him counseling. The result is visible now. It is only because of this program that we can continue our counseling with Sujon, and God turned his heart.”

Through the Child Survival Program, we are able to go inside the homes of families. Fathers like Sujon are experiencing the difference when they see our staffers walking the extra mile for their benefit.

Baby food, medical support, care and education for mothers are regular activities in the Child Survival Program. However, a caring attitude and the love of Christ are bringing huge alterations in families.

Somapti is no longer rejected by her father. Sujon now understands that his daughter is not a curse but a wonderful blessing from God.

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

The Los Amigos de Jesús Child Development Center is located in the Porfía neighborhood in Colombia, where more than 250 children are cared for by our ministry.

At the child development center they receive an annual medical examination to check their health and physical development, with medical intervention when necessary. A recent medical examination left our staff worried, since the majority of children had dental problems, a recurring issue observed during previous medical examinations.

Access to dental care and health in general is a complex topic for families in the lowest social strata. Dental problems are compounded by parents’ neglect of their children’s dental health — in many cases due to lack of knowledge and awareness.

The child development center staff, headed by Pastor Alirio and Project Director Arley, designed a Complementary Interventions proposal to solve this problem through three phases.

In the first phase, dental problems are detected and children receive treatment.

In the second and third phases, experts check the children’s dental conditions and perform additional treatment processes if necessary.

Lessons about teeth cleaning are also provided, not only to the little ones but also to their parents who, through awareness-raising workshops, have learned the importance of brushing, prevention and good dental habits. The center staff have also been trained, so they can reinforce good dental hygiene habits for the children.

José is a dentist with more than 18 years of experience. He agreed to do the work at lower patient costs, being aware of the good cause.

Although, for some, visiting the dentist can be scary and something they prefer to avoid, experience and patience make José a trusted professional. He is happy to be part of this program, because he feels that in some way he is contributing to the children’s wellbeing.

During the children’s care, he is patient, precise but delicate, effective and fast in his job – qualities that are very good in a profession that, although necessary, is not fun for many patients.

Among the dental treatments provided are prophylaxis, fluoridation, resin on cavities, teeth extraction and pulpotomy, which consists of extracting a part of the nerve harmed by cavities.

Also, each child has a record of his or her dental history created that contains data about each one’s dental health and treatments. Parents or guardians sign papers, giving permission for these treatments and verifying that they took place.

These processes improve not only the children’s dental health, but also their quality of life.

Such is the case of Lina, who suffered from severe dental problems, causing her discomfort and pain. Lina is a very friendly and smiles a lot. According to her mother, Hermita, Lina wants to play with her friends all the time.

Months ago, Lina’s teeth were black due to cavities, but now she has a beautiful smile. Her mother is grateful for the help her daughter received, and knows that she has to take better care of her daughter’s dental health.

Alexis is another child who had severe pain in one of his teeth and who consulted with Dr. José several times. The dentist sought to solve the problem of one tooth without extracting it, because it was a permanent tooth.

In spite of his efforts, extraction was the best solution, because Alexis’ mouth was overcrowded. His mother, Betty, is a housewife in charge of her children’s care, and she is now aware that she has to pay more attention to her son’s dental health. She is making sure that he brushes his teeth correctly to prevent future problems.

Arley is close to the children and is often in charge of taking them to dental appointments because their parents lack time. Arley is very grateful for the opportunity our ministry has to help the little ones by taking care of their dental health.

“With the weak points Colombia’s health system has, it is very difficult to have access to dental care, and this care arrives at a moment of need to guarantee complete care. A Complementary Interventions donor can be satisfied that their money is being used in the accurate way and is reaching those who need it.”

Pastor Alirio adds,

“Many of these children had not been to a dentist and I, as pastor, am very grateful for this opportunity. The people of the community see the church as a group of people who help, and this has given us more credibility among them.”

Many little ones now enjoy good dental health. Their pain and cavities are taken care of, and their smiles continue lighting up those around them.

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