Pinterestingly Compelling Philanthropy

I am so bummed that I got a virus on my computer last week because two things I LOVE came together to change our world... 

Compassion International wrapped up a week long Pinterest party on Sunday. The non-profit's bloggers shared pictures of our sweet sponsored children in an effort to continue to spread the word during this month long campaign to rescue 3,100 children in the poorest countries of the world from a life of poverty. 

I may be late to the party, but I did create a board for my sponsored children and wanted to share some pictures of my girls with their sisters in Christ. They are such a part of our family's day that Teagan recently asked for a map to Pascaline's house. 

Over the years Pascaline's family has had a new roof put on their house, received a cow as a source of food and income and a potato crop as part of our sponsorship. We love knowing that not only she benefits but her family as well.

Being sponsors has allowed us to give our children an appreciation for the blessings we have while prompting them to conserve water, electricity and food out of respect for Pascaline and Elibie. 

We have also enjoyed getting to know more about where the girls live. In addition, we also include Dahrling, Bethlehem and Jimmi in our daily prayers. They are Compassion children sponsored by others who have touched our lives. 

Would you please take a moment to pray over these children who are waiting for sponsors? And if God is prompting you to sponsor, please know it will provide the most tremendous blessings for you and your family!

In Jesus' Name, 

Michelle

Blogging for Compassion: Be the Voice

Would you chose to be a hero today?  Could you let your mouse lead you to a new, great, big role that promises to change at least one life, not to mention yours....forever???

One Christmas morning Brian and I became sponsors of a little girl in Rwanda named Pascaline. Our hearts ached from another round of fertility treatments that ended in miscarriage. We believed God called us into the sponsorship experience so we could take a break. Reset. Focus on someone else's needs for a bit. And in the process? Our sponsorship, in Jesus' name, would bless them. 

But God is so good and always full of surprises. We quickly realized that we were the ones being blessed! Our partnership with Pascaline's parents is so powerful. So moving. It healed our hearts and continues to provide daily joy half way around the world from her little village! We are truly family. Forever connected in a powerful love based in Christ's love for us.  

I quickly signed up to be an Advocate for the organization. Recently, we recently began a new sponsorship of Elibie, a sweet little girl from Burkina Faso. 

Today, using my blog to help change the lives of children around the world has enriched an already tremendous blessing!

Compassion 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. The organization was founded in 1952 and today it helps more than 1 million children in 26 countries.

In my opinion? Compassion International provides the best and most effective means for making real change in the lives of children devastated by poverty!

Challenge: Be the Voice!

Use your blog to speak up on behalf of children in poverty. 

You can sign up to blog for Compassion here. 

Blessings! Hope to see you back here for Tuesday's Destination: Inspiration Linky Party!
Michelle

Introducing...

Happy Wednesday everyone! I am so excited to introduce you to someone special. She's the newest member of our family as our second sponsored child via Compassion International. We are already feeling so blessed!

Elibie

Elibie is a sweet girl who lives in the country of Burkina Faso and she will be seven years old in May. She does not currently attend school but helps her family with child care and running errands for them. For fun Elibie likes to play with dolls, group games and hide-and-seek.

She lives with her father who at times is employed as a mason and her mother who sometimes gets work as a cleaner. Where she lives houses are typically constructed of dirt or cement floors, mud or brick walls and tin roofs.

The regional diet consists of maize, beans, rice, chicken, beef, guinea pig, fish and bananas. Common health problems in this area include malaria and meningitis. Most adults are unemployed but some work as day laborers, farmers, market traders or in domestic services and earn the equivalent of $33 per month.

Burkina Faso is a landlocked country in western Africa. It's slightly larger than Colorado. With a population of 13 million, it is one of the poorest countries in the world having few natural resources, fragile soil and an unequal distribution of income and prevalence of HIV/AIDS.

About 50 percent of the population is Muslim, 40 percent practice indigenous religions and about 10 percent are Christian, both Catholic and Protestant. 

We pray that through our sponsorship, Compassion International will be able to free Elibie from the chains of poverty. I love how this organization tackles poverty from several angles, one child at a time.

Call to Action: Change the Story

Today, you have the opportunity to sponsor a child of your own for $38 a month, the price of a meal out...or a little over a dollar a day per month. Touch the life of a child in Jesus' name. Listen to God's soft, quiet voice leading you. I promise you won't miss this money but it will have such a HUGE impact not only on your sponsored child but on their entire family.

CLICK HERE TO VISIT COMPASSION INTERNATIONAL

Here are some of the children waiting for sponsors....

 Ceasar, (age 6) Nicaragua - waiting 358 days for a sponsor

Mebelyn (age 4) Honduras

Olnise (age 3) Haiti

As a former auditor I appreciate that Compassion International has been around for 60 years now and has received the highest ratings for financial accountability by independent auditing agencies. Charity Navigator has credited them with having the most consecutive four-star ratings in the nation.

Please comment if you are already a sponsor or if you decide to become one so we can pray for you and your sponsored children! Congratulations to Jim and Maureen who sponsored Bethlehem today from Ethiopia! What an amazing journey you've embarked on. And I know that little girl will be spoiled to bits by you!

In Jesus' Name, Michelle