She's Here!!

Well, not here here... but it finally happened - We've finally been assigned our little girl through Compassion International.

This is Nester. She's from Tanzania. She's only 6 years old (yesterday, actually - that was her birthday). Also, one of her listed favorite hobbies is Singing. I guess we already have something in common!

Isn't she sweet?! I can't wait to start writing her and sending her pictures and cards. I'm told that they really treasure the pictures from their sponsors.

Apparently, living in poverty sends a message that "no one cares", and this is a message that I intend to put an end to, at least in the heart of Nester and maybe even her parents.

Well, I'm still reading up on what's going on in Tanzania, but I already know that average income for a family is around $8 a month. And it is a country in Africa that is heavily effected by AIDS and HIV.

Please pray for Nester and her family. I could definitely use some help with that. You an never pray too much for someone, right?!

And just for your reading pleasure, go here to learn some of the differences between Tanzania and the US. It's definitely an interesting read.

Well, that's about it for now. I'll let you know, occasionally, how she's doing. Also, feel free to let me know any questions you may.

Toodles!

Not much longer now...

I sponsored a child through Compassion International with a small group when I was a teenager, and when our small group ended, I tried to continue the sponsorship myself (which wasn't easy, since I only made $50 a month, at the time).


I was so bummed when I had to end the sponsorship, and I've always wondered what happened to the girl we sponsored. I can't even remember her name now... how awful is that? It was a really long time ago.


Well, since McStudly and I got married, I've been wanting to sponsor another child. I looked through World Vision, as well as Compassion International and we finally decided to go with Compassion International again. We filled out the paperwork earlier this week, and after looking through pages and pages and pages and pages... and pages... and more pages... of children needing sponsorship (some have been waiting for over 6 months!), we decided to fill out a form and have them select a child for us.

It was awful looking into the eyes of all of these children that feel so forgotten. All that I have read says that living in poverty sends the message that "I don't matter." Isn't that horrible? All because they live in a land out of our reach and where people take advantage of those who aren't given the chance to do better for themselves... they think they're insignificant.


That boggles my mind.


This isn't a blog about the injustices of the world, though I could write for DAYS on that topic. No, this is about our child.


We have a dog. And he's like a child to us (especially when we're exhausted but can't sleep or just relax because he needs attention), but it's still very different. We know that.


I've read a lot of first hand accounts on how much these child sponsorships have helped people move on to great things. It teaches them to overcome the lies of insignificance and that they are able to do great things. They can do whatever they put their mind to. Most of them probably think this is a tease, but the opportunities these sponsorships afford these children - it's amazing.


We are just days away from finding out who our child will be. We have yet to meet him or her. We don't know where they are in the world. We have no clue what they will look like, but we do know that they will need to know that they matter, and that at least 2 people, though on the other side of the world, care very much about them.


I can't wait to meet them!! Even though it'll just be through letters and pictures, it's so exciting to think of getting to know them and watching them grow. I can't begin to fathom what their life is like right now, but I do know that they will be loved and encouraged.


Most agencies, such as World Vision and Compassion International, even offer the chance to meet your sponsored child, now. I'm not sure if we'll ever be able to actually meet them, face-to-face, but I can dream, right?!


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


If you've ever considered sponsorship, I encourage you to look into the many agencies that offer the opportunity.

If you're one of those people who think it's a crock or waste of money, and it's just another way that people been able to use the poor status of the world to rip people off, then I encourage you to look deeply into the realities of what these organizations provide for these children, and sometimes whole families. Google it. Look for first hand accounts. Read about it on their webpages. Do what you can to find the facts for yourself.



And then, sponsor someone.