Honduras, Day Three (Part II)

Continued from Part I...


The team climbed back up the hill from the home we had just visited.



Several little girls from the neighborhood skipped along at my side. One stopped to point to my ladybug tattoo and tried to rub it off. We all giggled. I made the girls and the two ladies who had joined us turn those giggles into bursts of laughter when I imitated a little 3 year old girl as she skipped along, arms swinging, totally lost in blissful joy. I'm sure it wasn't a pretty sight, but it was such a happy moment, and those around me joined in that happiness.

For the past year, I've been living with intentional joy, joy that is not rooted in circumstances, and I've been told over and over again that it's a radical concept, hard to comprehend, harder still to live out and achieve... I look at this sweet little girl with dark hair in pigtails bouncing as she skipped, and I know that it's not radical, it's the gospel... it stems from childlike faith.


Children grow up with hearts open to faith, to God -- it's the world around them that teaches them poverty of the heart. It's the world that teaches them that they are not complete, that they're not valued or special, that they should hurry up and grow up, shut up and put up, that they shouldn't be happy... these precious children had a difficult start, but the effects are being reversed as they're shown that they are everything God meant for them to be, that they are valued and special, that their youth is precious and should be enjoyed, that their thoughts and words have meaning, that they have rights, and that their joy is a gift not rooted in their circumstances.

When we approached the project, laughter and joyous shouts filled the air. The kids were all wrapped up into a game of... uhm... something!



While they were playing, some of the advocates and leaders set up a beauty parlor outside in the shade, so that we could spend some time getting to know the kids one on one.



Someone brought out the bubbly, even the men couldn't resist...





The mom of these sweet girls wandered over to see what we were up to, and ended up getting her nails done as well, which gave her such a boost.




She was so excited. So was this little gal!


And this one...





This was my little buddy, Marjorie -- such a beautiful, quiet, sweet little girl. She wasn't saying much at first, didn't want to join in very much, but she warmed up pretty fast.



Even a few boys wandered over, curious...




We taught the kids to share by dipping the wand and having the a friend blow the bubbles, the kids were eager to play together. That's another thing I've never seen in these projects, kids fighting over something. They all appreciate what they have, and they're willing to share.




It was Julia's birthday, so we convinced the kids to gather around and sing Happy Birthday in Spanish, it was awesome!! I wish I could have recorded the memory on video.


All too soon, it was time to say goodbye to our new friends.





As we were leaving, I took one last look at the project wall... On the walls were the hand prints representing each of the children who attend this project. When the sponsors visit, the sponsor signs their sponsored child's hand print. It was beautiful to see that several sponsors had visited their children, and to see the hand prints of so many children represented here.



Young children are at the prime of their life, when they have the most potential to be reached, taught, shaped and molded in ways that impact their future and the lives of those around them. Only 23% of adults accept Christ as their savior during adulthood. The most impact is made in children's ministries, because the harvest yields the best results when focused on children while they are young. In the words of Dr. Wess Stafford, president of Compassion International, "Young children are like wet cement, what happens in their early life makes an imprint that then shapes the rest of their lives."

Each of these hand prints on the wall of this project reminds me of the imprint that Compassion, the church, the sponsors, the people praying for them and working with them is making on these children's hearts, in their lives, in their crucial years.



What if.... what if every child on earth had that chance... the chance to receive a positive imprint in their lives while the cement was still wet?




.

Honduras: Unanswered Questions

We were standing around the gate at the Miami airport on Saturday, June 26th, waiting for our next flight. Aaron asked me what my expectations were as far as what I hoped to learn in Honduras. The answer was fairly simple... whatever the Lord would have me learn. The purpose of the trip would be in His hands, completely.


In the end, I found many answers to many questions in Honduras. Some of them were answers to questions I never realized I had, or perhaps answers I never thought I'd find... but there are a few questions left unanswered.


How does a parent with many children choose the one child they will register into the Compassion program? How does a parent decide which child will be blessed? How does a parent tell the other children why they weren't chosen, why they can't attend the project?

Look at your own children... Which child would YOU chose?

How does a sibling feel when they see their brother or sister come home from the project, thriving, healthy, happy, clean and well taken care of?





The answer is simple.


I just don't know.




.

Update On Justin

I am deeply touched by your prayers, concern and interest in Justin, the sweet little boy I met on Monday, June 28th. I wrote about his family in this post...




Many emails have poured in to our team, asking if he is still available for sponsorship, if a sponsor has been found for Justin, and expressing interest in sponsoring him.


It is with great joy that I bring you this update...


The next time you see a photo of Justin, there will be joy in those eyes.
A sponsor has been found.




In this inner city project, there are still over a dozen registered children in need of sponsors, children living in extreme poverty much like Justin and his family. His entire neighborhood is at risk. I have walked through the alleys of this makeshift slum, I can't begin to put into words what the living conditions are like. Sponsors are needed.

Bathtime

While in Honduras, I learned something that I wasn't aware of. If a project finds sponsors for all the registered children, more room is made to register more children from the neighborhood. Children like Melvin, who looked longingly from outside the soccer game.

Children who need that light of hope in their eyes.





Children on the outside, looking in, waiting for their turn.




Thank you once again for your amazing support and prayers during this trip. It has been deeply felt.

Glimpses of Honduras

Pueblo Nuevos village, June 27th, 2010

It Takes a Child To Raise A Village

Years ago, the little village of El Guante, Cedros, was very troubled. Tucked away in the mountains 45 minutes outside the capital of Tegucigalpa, it had been invaded by gangs who preyed on the children of the village. Poverty whispered to the children that they were worthless and didn't belong, while gangs lured them by promising that they were worthwhile as gang members and could belong to the gang's "family".

Church attendance was low, morale was even lower. The approximately 1700 residents needed one thing:


Hope.




The local church joined forces with Compassion to serve the children of this community. Compassion exists to support the local church and provide resources for the church to reach out to the children and families of the community.

One by one, children were registered into the Compassion program. One by one, sponsors were found for these children. One by one, these children learned that they are loved, valued, worthy, special, beautiful, and that each and every one of them has hope. They were taught about hygiene and health, given academic assistance, medical and dental checkups, nutritious meals, Biblical teachings, family counseling and workshops, and most of all, LOVE in abundance.

One by one, these children brought this hope home with them. Their families learned that they are loved, valued, worthy, special, beautiful, and that each and every one of these families have hope.

One by one, these families began coming to church, to find out the reason they are loved, valued, worthy, special, beautiful, and why each and every one of these families have hope.

The difference in the community is nothing short of astounding.



These days, the village of El Guante, Cedros has been radically changed. Over 200 children are registered, and as of today, only a small handful are still in need of a sponsor in this project. The children have brought hope home to their families, and the families have carried that hope to church and throughout the community. Gangs used to prey on vulnerable and impressionable children, but the gangs have now been driven out of this community, because children know the truth. They know there is no hope in belonging to a gang. The children are no longer hungry for meaning, they’re no longer desperately searching for ways to belong, because they know within their hearts that it doesn’t take a gang to be loved, valued, worthy, special, beautiful. Their hope is deeply rooted in the knowledge that they belong to the Lord.


Compassion has completely opened my eyes to the belief that it takes a village to raise a child.. time after time this week, I’ve seen that in these cases, it takes a child to raise a village.

Healthier, thriving villages will build a healthier, thriving nation. Changing a child can change the world.


Our sponsored child, Bessy, is from this village. When I learned of the history of Compassion in this village on Friday, I was moved to tears. I couldn't help but look at this precious 8 year old and imagine her being recruited by gangs... Heartbreaking to imagine that this was the reality the parents faced when raising their children in this village... I hadn't realized until Friday that in the five years that my mom and I have sponsored her, we were sparing her from these dangers.






Thank you, Mom, on behalf of Bessy and her family... for the difference you've made in the life of this child, this church, this community, and this nation. For the difference you've made in my life.

Real Perspective

It’s afternoon in New Brunswick. Flipping through the channels, Matthew** (names changed) sees the face of a child in a developing country, and pauses to listen to his story. The little boy is six years old, his name is Pedro, and he lives with his mother and siblings near a landfill. His days aren’t spent in school; they are spent with his family scavenging through piles of garbage that this morning’s truck has brought. Perhaps today, they will find enough bits and pieces to salvage and sell so that they can have enough to eat tonight. Pedro wants his mom to be proud of him, so he does his very best, but he’s tired, he’s hungry, and he knows the day will be long, hot, and dirty.

The narrator appeals to the viewer to sponsor a child like Pedro in order to provide for him the best chance to develop and grow, to provide nourishment and education, to show him that someone cares.

Matthew watches, trying to understand how this could be possible, how there could be children in these situations around the world. A few questions stand out above the rest. “Is this child real? How do I know that my money will go to this child?”

He turns the TV off, and walks away, convinced that he can’t possibly make a difference.

In Honduras, it’s letter writing day at a local church supported by Compassion. Little Juan writes to his sponsor, a woman named Michelle from the United States. A minimum of three times a year, the sponsored children write to their sponsors. Sponsors are encouraged to write as often as they’d like, but Juan has never received any communication from his sponsor. He struggles to find ways to catch his sponsor’s attention. In his notebook is a record of all the letters he has written, as well as all the questions he has asked. The questions that have previously gone unanswered. He longs to know his sponsor, but he’s not sure he ever will. The only questions on his heart as he stares at the blank page are... “Is my sponsor real? How do I know my letters are reaching her? Do I matter?”

Still, he writes. He is grateful for the sponsorship that allows him to come to the project and receive all the benefits he desperately needs.

Maria takes a seat next to him as he writes. She’s been waiting for a sponsor for over a year. She too has many questions. “Are sponsors real? If so, why don’t I have one? Am I not pretty enough? Did I do something wrong? When will it be my turn?”

Before this trip, all we had ever heard was the North American perspective -- “Are these children real? How do I know my money will help them?”

The perspective from the children was completely unexpected... “Are sponsors really real?”

This little boy wanted to see a photo of all the children we sponsor. His eyes grew big when he saw that I really was a sponsor, even if I wasn't HIS sponsor. His name is Jesus Humberto, and someday, he would love to meet his sponsor. In the meantime, he followed me around all day and let me the one standing in his sponsor's place for the day, loving on him and spending time with him. He's precious.



The majority of us on this tour actually sponsor children in Honduras, several from projects we’ve visited this week. We have been in the homes of sponsored and unsponsored children, we have seen them, spent time with them, held them, talked with them, met their families... It doesn’t get any more real than that. We were blessed to be the ones to bring the proof to these children that yes, sponsors are real. We are real, just as these children are real. The money does help, the letters do matter.

On Friday, I met the Sponsorship and Correspondence Representative from our sponsor child Bessy’s project. She took many photos of Bessy and I, not only to capture the memories of that precious day, but to show the children back at the project that yes, sponsors are real.

I plan to bring photos of Bessy and I back home with me, to let people know “Yes, these children exist, they are real.”



To become a real sponsor to a real child today, please consider sponsorship...

For sponsorship from Canada, please click here

For sponsorship from the U.S.A., here is a link from my friend Kristen, a U.S. advocate for Compassion.

Beauty Of Honduras

We walked into the outdoor courtyard of a little pizza place on Wednesday afternoon and sat down for our meal... and out of the corner of my eye, I saw her. Something about her face, her eyes, reminded me of Jesus. Such a humble, kind and gentle spirit about her... the woman I'll never forget.

I kept glancing at her, making eye contact, and smiling, I couldn't get her off of my mind. She was tired, and kept nodding off in her chair, barely 20 feet away from where I was sitting. She kept smiling at me when I looked at her. Her face, her eyes, still reminding me of Jesus.

Pointing to my camera, and pointing to her, without words I asked her if I could have the honor of taking her photo. She broke into a gentle grin and nodded, so I raised my camera and took two. I knew it would be my favorite photos from that day. The Copan Ruins do not compare to the beauty of this woman... The woman who reminded me of Jesus.



I went over to her, showed her the photo, and told her how beautiful she was to me. She took my hand and squeezed it, and told me "God bless you." I offered her a little bit of money for the permission to take her photo, and she gratefully accepted.

Throughout the meal, I kept glancing at her, such beauty.... so many stories she could tell, I'm sure. I wish I had known her language, I would have loved to talk to her for a while.


Later that day, walking through the city on our way to the shopping areas, I saw her again, the beautiful woman. This time, I couldn't resist. I walked to her and extended my arms for a hug. As I had my arms wrapped around her, she put her hand up over my heart, and patted my heart and told me this time "God is blessing you." At least, that's what I understood of what she was trying to say. I told her "God bless", and told her once again how beautiful she was. I gave her a kiss on the forehead, and hugged her once more before walking away.

I will never forget her... the woman who reminded me of Jesus.



The beauty of Honduras is in its people.

Leading The Way

Luis joined the Compassion program as a seven year old living in a very poor area of Honduras. His father was absent from his life, but his hard working mother did her best to be supportive of her children. Although the Compassion program provided him with a variety of opportunities, including teachings on hygiene and health, he first started coming for one reason, and one reason only.

Food.

He was sponsored by a Presbyterian church from the United States, and was blessed to receive many letters and gifts. He had much encouragement throughout the sponsorship. He had many opportunities to learn about different hobbies and trades through the Compassion program, and made a decision to pursue a career in industrial engineering.

That would require university. Over five years of university.

For a young man living in poverty, this would likely feel like an insurmountable challenge.


Compassion understands.

In 1996, Compassion realized that many exceptional students would benefit from furthering their studies and becoming professionals who lead and give back to the church and communities. That's how the Leadership Development Program began. It is a different kind of sponsorship for a small group of students who are graduating from the Child Development Sponsorship Program. The graduating students apply, and only a few are selected after an intense selection process. The best of the best.

A little over two years ago, Luis submitted his LDP application, and along with many other candidates, went through rigorous entrance requirements. He later learned that he had been selected. What that means is that provided he continues to excel and meet all the demands/criteria, for the 5.5 years he attends university for his degree, he will have his expenses sponsored. He will also have access to a mentor, finance/budgeting assistance, correspondence with his LDP sponsor, as well as various responsibilities to fulfill. What a tremendous opportunity for this young man.

So richly deserved.

Luis is a strong, ambitious young man with a sweet disposition, a wonderful sense of humor and a gentle heart. He has such a deep gift of wisdom and peace. He shared his hope of providing a better house for his family, to work hard and serve the community and the church.


Hearing Luis speak made a great impression on my heart.

I had been looking for a little girl for my mom to sponsor on this trip. Something changed the night I heard Luis speaking about his life, his love for the Lord, his hope, determination, ambition and dreams for the future. Day after day this week, we witnessed situations where the men had abandoned their family or were not the spiritual leaders of their homes... and the wives, children and communities suffered for it. God made it clear to me that we were to sponsor a little boy from Honduras with the intention to encourage him to become a young man like Luis... one who lives for the Lord and will be present for his wife and children someday. One who will be the spiritual leader of his household, and serve the Lord, the church, and his community.

A little boy who will join me in praying for my husband's leadership and relationship with Christ.


As part of the LDP program, Luis may be considered a future leader. After listening to this young man and watching him interact with those around him, it's clear that the future has already begun.

Honduras, Day Three

We checked out of the hotel in San Pedro Sula and began the journey to the Copan region this morning. En route to Copan, we stopped in an area called Florida, which is where the project we were going to visit was located.

The region was very rural, with beautiful countryside mountains. We saw some cows grazing along the roadside, and it struck me how different the cows were from cows you see in Canada. These cows were bony, and did not look anything like the robust cows that we have back home. Horses are used in this area to travel and to help carry wood and other items.

When we arrived at the center, the children were not yet present. We met with the center’s leadership team and the pastor, and listened as they explained their role in the project. One of the most memorable speakers for me personally was a 16 year old young lady who served in the project by teaching and leading children, you could tell she had a passion for working with kids and giving her life completely to the Lord. Unfortunately, this is not typical of the teenagers back home. The atmosphere here is very family and community centered. People who have the least seem to be the ones who give the most of themselves.

A contrast I’ve thought of often since being here is how the poorest people are the ones who connect with other people in the warmest of ways. Back home, when you pass people on the street, there is little eye contact or greetings, strangers rarely speak to each other. This is even more true in large urban areas, where the atmosphere is “cold”. Here? It’s not just the weather that’s warm, it’s the people.

We were brought a stack of files belonging to the children at the center. We were invited to look through the files as they explained how they kept records on each child, what the files contained and how the information was used.

It was amazing to see how thorough they are in every aspect. The file contained medical and dental records, school reports, even records of the school supplies given to the child, and each home visit made. Information on their family situation could also be found in these files. The older children’s files had books called “My Plan For The Future”, where children were asked to write goals for their future and keep track of the progress made toward those goals. The books contained very thorough and insightful information. It gave a chance to the project leaders to investigate further if there were issues meeting those goals.

The files also contained a small notebook that the children use to write a draft of their letters to their sponsors. One of the files I looked through was of a young lady at the project with a sponsor in Italy. She writes to him very often, they seem to have a solid relationship. It was very encouraging to see this, since many of the children at the centers don’t receive letters from their sponsors.

We had lunch at the center before splitting into four teams and doing home visits.

A few curious children found their way to the development center and sat by the front door, looking at us and wondering what we were doing there.

A handful of them followed us to the home visits, giggling and skipping along as we walked the dirt paths to the homes.

Once again, a few girls pointed to my ladybug tattoo and giggled, trying to rub it off. I smiled.

They smiled and giggled, pointing to a nearby building in a field, where a horse had wandered halfway into the doorway... quite funny indeed!

The home we visited was built on a hillside behind the project. It was the home of a sponsored boy and his family.

It was hard to understand exactly how many family members there were, and how many of them lived in the home. There were many children, and the woman had some difficulty explaining who her children were.

She was such a lovely mother, so calm and soothing, with a gentle disposition and an easy laughter in her heart. She had a wonderful sense of humor.

Her grandson... so precious!

The daylight shone through the cracks between the boards of the walls, and the wind rustled the corrugated tin roof and made the metal sheets rattle. They explained that when it rains, if it’s windy, the rain comes into the house through the cracks in the walls. Sometimes, the floors get wet when there are downpours, and they have a wooden crate to keep their clothes up off the floor and dry.

They have an outdoor kitchen unlike any I've ever seen. Suddenly, our old counter tops and lack of cupboard space didn't seem very important.

There was no bathroom, no running water.

In the cooler months, they bundle up and rely on blankets for warmth. Although it was very warm outside, the house was surprisingly cool, possibly because of the breeze through the cracks in the walls.

We explained why we were there, and asked them questions about sponsorship, their experience with the project, their family’s needs and situation, as well as their relationship with Christ. The mother answered the questions while quietly nursing her baby. The children entertained us with their antics, and were quite curious about our cameras. They were fascinated by pushing the playback button on the back of our cameras to make their photos appear.

Her son showed us the letters he receives from his sponsor in Australia, he said that he regularly receives communication from his sponsor.

The letters are treasured.

We finished by gathering around and praying with the family, and offering them food and supplies as a token of our gratefulness for having them open their home to us and helping us understand the reality of the poverty they live in.

They were very, very grateful. The mother had tears in her eyes.

The gift we gave seems so small compared to the magnitude of what they're teaching, what they're giving back to us, how they're changing our hearts, our lives...

To be continued...

The Power of the Written Word

Typical day in North America:

It’s 6a.m. You hear the alarm go off, it’s another work day. After hitting the snooze button a few times, you get up and shower, grab yourself a coffee, and while you wait until you’re awake enough for breakfast, you log onto your computer to check emails, Facebook, blogs or even Twitter.

While you’re checking your inbox, you receive a text from a co-worker, last minute details about a meeting later today. You text back.

Back to your inbox. You had a few new emails since the night before, so you quickly respond to them before heading to Facebook. Your mom is on Facebook too, so you chat with her for a few minutes while checking through statuses and responding to comments and notes.

You read a few of your favourite blogs, leaving comments in response to the posts.

Someone comments on your blog, you respond via email.

A tweet or two, and your well connected morning has been off to a great start.

The pattern repeats itself throughout the day. The phone rings, you answer it. It rings while you’re on the phone, the caller leaves a voicemail, you call them back.

Typical Day in Honduras:

Your name is Wilson, you’re 15 years old, and you live with your mother and your sister in a little seaside village where poverty permeates the neighbourhood. You get up and head to school, looking forward to your favourite classes... Math, and Bible Studies. Something special is happening today at the Compassion center after school – it’s letter writing day.

You see, Wilson is part of the Compassion program at his local church, and a minimum of three times a year, he has the privilege of writing to his sponsor.

Wilson stares at the stationery in front of him, and reflects as to what to write.

It hits him all over again.

He has never received a response to any of his letters.

There are so many things he’d love to know about his sponsor, but none of his letters have received a response, therefore all his questions remain unanswered.

Foremost in his mind are the biggest questions:

“Does my sponsor love me?”

“Will my prayer to receive a letter ever be answered?”

“Why doesn’t he/she write?”

“Do I matter?”

You see, one of the most crucial aspects of sponsorship is relationship. The relationship that is built through communication with the sponsor is a lifeline, if you will. It sends a clear message to the child that he/she is loved, is significant, and it encourages them to know that someone halfway across the world, someone they’ve never met loves them and cares about their wellbeing. That’s a powerful opportunity to change a life. It has been documented that children who regularly exchange letters with their sponsors see a marked improvement in their schoolwork.

There is a story of a sponsored child who told his sponsor that he was sorry that he wasn’t good in school, and his sponsor wrote to him to tell him that he had other gifts, that God would show him that he was very special in other ways. The next letter, the child told his sponsor that he realized that he was good at running. He was the fastest in his class! The response from his sponsor was that God had answered the boy’s prayer, He had shown him how special he was... the boy responded that he was not only the fastest in his school, but in his village too. The letters were exchanged back and forth for months and years... and finally, years later, they met.... as the young man flew to the sponsor’s home country to give her the silver medal he had won at the Olympics. I am not sure I have all the right details, but stories like this are everywhere throughout the Compassion program.

All because of the power of a letter.

Someone believed in this boy, and cared enough to write to him to let him know.

Imagine if your emails, blog posts, phone calls, Facebook messages, and texts were met with absolute silence? Day in, day out, months upon months, years upon years?

How would that make you feel?

That’s the reality for too many Compassion children. The message they hear in this powerful silence is : “You don’t matter. You are insignificant.”

I met Wilson on Sunday. He’s a humble, gentle hearted, very intelligent boy with so much love to give...

When I asked him what was the one thing he wanted his sponsor, and ALL the sponsors to know, his response was:

“I’d love to get at least one letter...”

My heart broke.

I made a promise to Wilson that I take very, very seriously. I told him that I would tell his story to the world and have his experience be the catalyst for change, and that I would ask people to pray for his relationship with his sponsor, and for his prayer to be answered. At least one letter.

If you are a sponsor and you have struggled with writing, or you haven’t written yet... grab the closest piece of paper right now, and write. Simply write “I just want you to know that you are loved and that I am praying for you.” It doesn’t have to be elaborate or eloquent, just something to let him know you’re thinking of him. Those words will mean the world to a child like Wilson. Those words could change his life.

If you find writing traditional letters awkward and inconvenient, here’s a suggestion you may not have considered... Compassion’s website gives you the option of sending your sponsored child a message electronically through their network. Think of it in the same sense as writing an email. The Compassion office will translate it and deliver it to the child.

https://www.compassion.ca/letterssend.asp

Last but not least, if you are a sponsor and you struggle to write, have you considered continuing to sponsor the child financially, but assigning a correspondent sponsor for your child through Compassion? Our family writes to two little boys whose sponsor asked for assistance in writing the letters. If this is something you’d be willing to consider, there is a waiting list of sponsors eager to write to children on your behalf. Call Compassion today to discuss this option.

Imagine sitting there, month after month, year after year, when all those children around you are receiving letters from their sponsors, and although you’re sponsored, you receive nothing, time and time again?

Imagine the day when Wilson receives his first letter?