Compassion Parents

I am aware that many other bloggers have already posted on this, but my heart aches tonight for the people of Haiti. I don't think I, a privileged American, can even begin to comprehend the absolute devastation they have experienced. The loss of life, the state of chaos their country is in is just unimaginable to the bubble that I live in. It just really makes you think.

While I complain regularly about the ugly laminate in our kitchen, there are human beings in this world who don't even have food to eat even if they did have a kitchen with ugly laminate floors. And that just breaks my heart. I feel ungrateful and that God is tugging at my heart to change that. B actually prompted this, by saying that he wanted to use his recent birthday money to donate to the Haiti relief fund. While we did do that, we also decided to sponsor a child through Compassion International. Compassion International is "a Christian child advocacy ministry that releases children from spiritual, economic, social and physical poverty and enables them to become responsible, fulfilled Christian adults."

We actually tried to choose a child from Haiti, though there weren't currently any children there available to sponsor. So, instead, we now sponsor a nine-year-old boy from Burkina Faso (a country in northern Africa). His name is Bouda Abel. The brief description we were provided tells us that his is crippled in both legs and that our sponsorship will help provide his medical care.

I tell you this not to dote on our charitable contribution, but rather to encourage and inspire you to do the same. It costs $38 monthly - which is minimal considering most of us pay at least twice that for cable, cell phones, and our internet access. I hope that you, too, feel it in your heart to reach out to the Haiti relief effort or to sponsor a child from Compassion.

Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves. … Defend the rights of the poor and needy." — Proverbs 31:8-9