From time to time I whine on this here blog of mine. You know what I mean; it’s your run of the mill pity party for one. Only it’s different, cause I invite ya’ll to join the party. It’s silly, isn’t it? I mean really, what do I have to complain about? I’ve got a great husband, two amazing, healthy, kiddos, a posse of friends, a house, food, and a computer to toil away my time on. When one puts it into perspective, it’s all pretty trivial.
With that being said, I’d like to introduce you to something that isn’t trivial. It’s called Compassion International. As American’s we don’t always agree on things. Heck, most the time we cannot agree on the simplest things, such as which is better, dark or milk chocolate. But one thing rings true: we are a giving people.
Compassion International was started in 1952 by the Rev. Everett Swanson. Compassion provided Korean War orphans with the basic ingredients for life: food, shelter, education and health care. They also provided Christian education.
Today, Compassion International can be found in 24 countries, helping to feed, clothe, and educate over 1 million children.
In the past we as a family sponsored a child from South America. It was fun to write letters to our sponsor child but even more moving to receive one back. For just a few dollars per month, the cost of a pizza night, we made a difference in one child’s life.
And lest you think that America’s poor has fallen threw the crack, you should know that Compassion has a sister ministry called Youth Partner NET. This vibrant ministry launched on July 1, 2003 and serves children who suffer from physical and spiritual poverty. No, many children in this country do not suffer the same level of poverty as those children overseas, but there is suffering here just the same.
Becoming a foster parent changed me in many ways (we’ve been over what a nutcase I became). It made me more aware of some of the daily challenges children in poverty face. Yes, even in this country children go hungry. Ask the Z-Monster, she’ll tell you. When we consider the state of the world, the plight of the poor, the sorrow of the hurting, can we truly just sit by and watch?
Visit Compassion International at Compassion.com and Youth Partners at youthpartnersnet.org (or click the links above).
4 comments:
i so admire what you do and then how you share it with all of us.
Our compassion "son" just graduated from the program. It definitely is a worthwhile investment into a child's future.
I'm going to the Youth Partner NET site after I finish leaving you comments.
I often feel the same way about my whining. I call it whining about my blessings. =)
Thanks for the links.
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