We had the great privilege of attending the Compassion Mobile Experience.
This is a 20 minute window into the life of a child living in poverty.
It's so easy to sign up - just go to the Compassion site and search for an event in your area. Tickets are free, and it's just 20 minutes of your time.
Compassion has organized this mobile experience so you can follow the life of a child. We followed the experience of Ruben, a young man in Bolivia. We could read about the area of the world we were about to enter.
From the minute we walked in the door, I could tell this was going to be an experience we will always remember. It was a blessing to share it with friends from our church.
We stood in a room that was much like where Ruben grew up as a child. We saw actual video of the city where he lived. We heard the heart wrenching story of Ruben's life. At the beginning of the experience Ruben was just a boy of 6 years old, suffering every horror imaginable to a child.
This was HARD for my little 8 year old to grasp. He kept rubbing my back and checking with me to see if I was ok. I could tell the story was affecting him in a profound way. The story of living conditions, physical abuse, and extreme poverty were unfathomable.
Ruben's life would seem to be without hope.
But, then we heard the amazing things that Ruben's Compassion sponsors did for him. Encouraging letters, Bible verses, and their faith in him sustained him through DARK DAYS.
We stepped into a simulated Compassion educational center and saw the hope, love, and promise of Jesus that Compassion provides to so many children around the world.
To say we were moved was an understatement.
I can't tell you the end of Ruben's story (that would spoil the experience), but I can tell you we serve a great and gracious God. I can also tell you that Compassion International is doing God's work on earth.
As we exited the tour, Anna went straight for the wall where photos were displayed of children who needed a sponsor.
Her dad and I watched as she chose a 10 year old girl from Colombia who had been waiting 7 months for sponsorship.
From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.
~ Luke 12:48
We also had the great joy of speaking with a young couple who were Compassion graduates. They are living here in the Atlanta area. The young woman told us the most important thing is to tell our child we LOVE HER. Tearfully she told us that her sponsors were the only people in her life that ever acknowledged her birthday. She told us how much the letters meant to her, and she felt love each time she received one.
She finished her story, and I just felt moved to hug her. I felt as if I was seeing Jesus so clearly in her eyes. Meeting her was a blessing and something I will not soon forget.
The literature we received from Compassion said "Two Lives Will Be Changed" through our sponsorship. I have no doubt about that.
I'm looking forward to the opportunity to share the love of Jesus with our child. I am looking forward to watching MY CHILDREN share the love of Jesus, too.
Do you sponsor a Compassion child?
Are you aware that Compassion provides Homeschool Lesson Plans that go along with sponsoring a child? What a blessing!
Have you been to the Compassion Mobile Experience?
I'm looking forward to many blessings through this sponsorship!