There’s more than one way to change the world. My favorite is so simple it fits on a napkin.

In the middle is one child.

The next ring is that child’s home.

Then comes her community.

Next, her country.

Beyond that, the world.

There are two main ways of going about changing the world. From the outside in. And from the inside out.

I’m no expert, but both make a lot of sense to me. Still, I’ve chosen to invest more in one than the other.

When I sponsor one child through Compassion International, the $38 my family gives every month provides education, nutrition, health care, and the Good News for that one child.

Our family is meeting the most basic spiritual and physical needs of Yanci in El Salvador, Sweety in India, Achille in Burkina Faso and Moses in Uganda. Each of those kids are served by a church in their neighborhood – called a Child Development Center – that partners with Compassion International.

1.4 million children in twenty-six countries are served by Compassion in this exact same way! Children like the ones I met today in Peru with Angie, Jennifer, Layla and Kevin.

And the sponsored children aren’t the only ones who benefit from Compassion’s ministry. The whole family is impacted.

The financial burden for mom and dad is lightened when Compassion pays school fees for the sponsored child, provides nutrition and health care. Compassion can make improvements to shelter, patch roofs, solidify walls, and everyone living there benefits – not just the sponsored child.

The family is stronger for being connected to the church community that serves them – whether that family is Christian or not.

Moms and dads can be taught a trade and how to parent well. And what that child learns about math and history and brushing teeth and Jesus? She passes on to her family too.

And the impact of Compassion’s ministry extends beyond a sponsored child’s family to the community around her.

When hundreds of children (and their families) have their basic needs met, how can it not make their neighborhood better? When hundreds of children are educated, how can the community not benefit?

Children who were taught a trade in Compassion’s program grow up able to provide for their own families and for others. Children who believe in Jesus grow up to share Him with others.

And the community often benefits from child sponsorship in more measurable tangible ways too: For instance, when Compassion installs a water purification system at one of its partner churches so that sponsored children can have clean water? The community – not just the sponsored children – has access to clean water. As Compassion meets the basic needs of the children it serves, the community has many of its needs met in the process.

Compassion is serving more than 55,000 children in Peru today. What happens when that many healthy, smart, God-following kids grow up? A nation can be changed!

Now, what about when 1.4 million Compassion children around the world reach adulthood? And 1.4 million more after that? And on and on… The world can be changed!

Tens of thousands of Compassion children are already adults today – legislating in parliament, pastoring churches, teaching school, starting families, creating ministries of their own that serve the poor in their country.

$38 goes a long way. From the middle of my napkin to the ends of the earth.

Sponsor a child and change the world.