Last month, I hosted a Compassion Sunday at my church. For all my readers who don't attend my church and those of my church friends who couldn't be there that day, I wanted to share a bit about my sponsorship experience and what I like about Compassion International.
My Experience as a Sponsor
I began my sponsorship experience on October 28, 2012, at a For King and Country concert. As Luke (one of the members of the group) shared his family's experience being Compassion sponsors, I felt called to help. When he asked who was interested in becoming a sponsor, my hand immediately shot up, and a volunteer handed me a packet. Luke told us where the table was, and that we could choose another child there if we wanted. The thing is, I didn't want to. The moment I saw Momo's picture, I knew I was meant to be his sponsor.
In the seven years since I have been amazed at how much of a blessing it has been. Each time a letter arrives, I open it as soon as I can, eager to read what it has to say. I have marveled at how he's grown and relished the opportunity to pray for him in whatever way I can. He has taught me about his friends, family, community, culture, and other aspects of his life.
So far, 2019 has been a great year in my sponsorship. Momo turned 10 in January, and I received a letter detailing all the things children in Togo learn at that age. His last two letters to me have been written by him rather than dictated to a volunteer at the center. But by far the most exciting thing that has happened is that an anonymous donor gave Momo's family $200 simply because I signed up to host a Compassion Sunday. In the week before my Compassion Sunday, I received a letter detailing how his family had used the money, along with a picture of the family surrounded by all the things they were able to buy. That picture is the first one I have seen where Momo is smiling.
What I Like About Compassion International
Compassion International is an organization where sponsors help children around the world break free of the cycle of poverty by giving them the resources they need to attend school and stay healthy. They also have centers associated with churches in the countries they serve so the children have a place to learn about the saving love of Christ. Since they rely heavily on volunteers at sponsorship events, they are able to make sure that at least 80 cents out of every dollar goes directly to help the children they serve. (Last year, they reported a record high of 86 cents of every dollar going directly to the kids.) This helps sponsors like myself to know our money is actually helping our sponsored children, rather than paying the CEO's salary. (If you'd like to learn more about their ministry, you can find the information here.)
My Experience as a Sponsor
I began my sponsorship experience on October 28, 2012, at a For King and Country concert. As Luke (one of the members of the group) shared his family's experience being Compassion sponsors, I felt called to help. When he asked who was interested in becoming a sponsor, my hand immediately shot up, and a volunteer handed me a packet. Luke told us where the table was, and that we could choose another child there if we wanted. The thing is, I didn't want to. The moment I saw Momo's picture, I knew I was meant to be his sponsor.
In the seven years since I have been amazed at how much of a blessing it has been. Each time a letter arrives, I open it as soon as I can, eager to read what it has to say. I have marveled at how he's grown and relished the opportunity to pray for him in whatever way I can. He has taught me about his friends, family, community, culture, and other aspects of his life.
So far, 2019 has been a great year in my sponsorship. Momo turned 10 in January, and I received a letter detailing all the things children in Togo learn at that age. His last two letters to me have been written by him rather than dictated to a volunteer at the center. But by far the most exciting thing that has happened is that an anonymous donor gave Momo's family $200 simply because I signed up to host a Compassion Sunday. In the week before my Compassion Sunday, I received a letter detailing how his family had used the money, along with a picture of the family surrounded by all the things they were able to buy. That picture is the first one I have seen where Momo is smiling.
What I Like About Compassion International
Compassion International is an organization where sponsors help children around the world break free of the cycle of poverty by giving them the resources they need to attend school and stay healthy. They also have centers associated with churches in the countries they serve so the children have a place to learn about the saving love of Christ. Since they rely heavily on volunteers at sponsorship events, they are able to make sure that at least 80 cents out of every dollar goes directly to help the children they serve. (Last year, they reported a record high of 86 cents of every dollar going directly to the kids.) This helps sponsors like myself to know our money is actually helping our sponsored children, rather than paying the CEO's salary. (If you'd like to learn more about their ministry, you can find the information here.)
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