In recent weeks that message has come to me over and over again in so many subtle, and some not-so-subtle, ways. I knew that there was something I was supposed to do, but I could not pinpoint what that was. The conviction that there was something was so forceful that I manically purged belongings for charity and made Lenten commitments to service. Regardless of the actions I took, it did not feel right. Until…

I stumbled upon this blog through a series of links in other blogs. I read the first entry. I cried. I closed the link. I refused to return for days.

My husband works in the international humanitarian community in disaster response. We have seen extreme poverty and suffering. We have lived in separate countries continuously for almost a year and spent much time before that separated for months at a time. At some point, I became desensitized to the plight of many in this world. Not because I no longer cared, but because the worry and the hurt became overwhelming at times. I felt that we were giving enough. We committed our entire marriage, the comfort of being together, and the stability of being a “normal” family to the aide of others. I convinced myself that “there will always be poor people” and continued with my overindulgent life.

Days later, I returned to this blog. Not so much willingly, but more so because I felt I had no other choice. Like a spoiled child, I basically whined “I don’t want to.” But I did. I am glad I did.

I would like to say I decided, but that really isn’t the appropriate word, it had been decided long before I threw my childish tantrum. I finally realized that I was going to sponsor a child.

Ledama Kipkuro broke my heart with his precious face and his mischievous eyes. This is what I had been directed to do with the message I had received. This is why I had it placed on my heart that I have so much more than I need.

Satan would love nothing more than to strip us of the image of God that is indelibly stamped on us and poverty is a great tool in his arsenal. But God is greater and through his immeasurable grace toward us, He lifts us out of the pit of despair and hopelessness and shines his light of freedom and hope and triumph through us.

This trip is a reminder to all of us to soberly manage whatever God has entrusted us with to maximize the glory He receives through our lives and our resources.

Thank you to all of the bloggers for making this trip and allowing your lives (and ours) to be forever changed.

it was the pictures in your Sight For The Blind blog that froze time for me. I literally just stared at each picture for about a minute and went back and would look at them again. Aside from the numerous pictures of Haiti that completely tore my insides apart, these pictures in this blog did the same thing but differently. They felt real, almost as if I had been there myself and had been standing there when the picture was taken. It’s hard to explain…

About 2 years ago I was going to sponser a child through Compassion but I got a rare spinal disorder that made me have to leave my job. Needless to say I ran out of money & my parents & sister are supporting at this time.

So, when Haiti happened and now after reading your blogs I’ve just been praying like crazy since that’s all that I can do.

God has been teaching me compassion. I really didn’t have any. So thank you for letting God use you. You’re blessing so many people including me.

Love,
Nikki

I wrote a post (that I am not proud of) that you can access at http://www.everythingelsethrownin.net/2010/03/i-failed-him.html

It basically tells the story of a young man I was sponsoring (ten years ago) through Compassion and let my sponsorship lapse–you guys helped me decide to put that failure behind me and try again.

Thank you seems so small,
Dianne

For the past year, we have not been in great financial shape. We have almost lost our house twice, there are times we didn’t have money for gas to get to work, but I felt God calling us to sponsor a child. With our financial situation, I didn’t feel like we could do it, but then I remember. God doesn’t call the qualified, He qualifies the called. God gave us Maxwell, and I know that he is going to qualify us to send that $38 per month. His plans are infinitely better and my human mind will never comprehend it. I am only his vessel. He will do the rest.

“Sometimes I would like to ask God why He allows poverty, suffering, and injustice when He could do something about it.”

“Well, why don’t you ask Him?”

“Because I’m afraid He would ask me the same question.”
(Anonymous)

My prayer is that we would spend less time criticizing the efforts of others, and more time making ourselves a part of the solution. Why don’t more people know about the deplorable conditions in which the poor exist in developing countries? Because we don’t think about it enough to even notice it’s absence from the news channels and newspaper headlines. We also mistakenly think that our ‘little contribution’ won’t even make a ‘dent’ in such a huge global problem.