Another Day of Fasting

Tonight I am going to bed on an empty stomach.

And I will be praying specifically tonight for Shampa.

She wasn't part of my "cause" today, but she's part of my heart.

She's one of my sponsored children through Compassion International. She lives in Bangladesh, an area of the world that is being hit hard by our current global food crisis. In Bangladesh, there are reports that the children feel guilty for eating one meal a day when their families don't even have that.

That is not a burden I want Shampa to carry.

Compassion International is having a day of fasting today to pray for the those most severely affected by the Global Food Crisis in the areas they work.

I'd love for you to join in. If not for the whole day, will you at least consider fasting a meal?

Learn more about it here.

$32 a Month or Five Loaves and 2 Fish

I have always thought of the story of Jesus feeding the five thousand being a story about how God can provide. I have thought this to be the main point...God can provide abundantly all that we need, if we trust Him.

I attended a benefit concert this past weekend where I got a slightly new look at it. A very encouraging one I might add. God provided all that was needed out of the offering of two fish and five loaves of bread.

When I look at the world in need, it seems overwhelming. The Global Food Crisis, the natural disasters, the suffering environment. It is so easy to get discouraged and think that I can't help, that sponsoring just a few children is really not doing much, that the check I tossed in the basket Saturday night will barely buy a meal for the suffering in Myanmar.

The truth is that God can provide abundantly all that we need, if we trust Him.

But you know what? Jesus made that miracle but first someone had to offer up their own lunch. And from that sacrifice, little in comparison to the need that faced them (in fact, offering such a little bit of food must have seemed ridiculous), but huge to the one who gave it--all were fed.

So if perhaps, you are feeling discouraged today about sponsoring your child, that is doesn't feel like enough, remember that the whole family is blessed through sponsorship, and in turn, the whole community. :) Your gift faithfully given in love will in turn bless more than is possible through your own means, but by giving it to Jesus, He can make it go around.

Food Crisis in Bangladesh

Many of you have heard about the food crisis in Haiti, but it is also hitting Bangladesh in a severe way. I have a sponsored child in Bangladesh and was really saddened to read the post this morning on the Compassion blog.

To read a little bit more, go to this blog post. It will absolutely break your heart as you read the stories about these children.

Today I am asking you as your bloggy friend, to please pray for the families in Bangladesh when you thank God for your own food. If you are interested in giving some money, you can of course visit the Compassion website and designate funds to the food crisis in Bangladesh. (if they don't have a specific category for it, write a note. I did this after the last cyclone and it showed up on my contributions statement as Bangladesh cyclone relief)

Loving the Unloveable

I commented on a post over at the Compassion blog about how cute the one millionth registered child was and how I just wanted to hug him.

One of the bloggers commented back that we need to remember the children we don't want to hug. Of course I felt a little bit ashamed for such a frivolous comment at first, but I knew he was right.

It's easy to love the loveable.

We have all sorts of ways of ranking people in the world--cool people, good people, authentic people, pretty people, good blogging people...ha.

In theory, it is easy to talk about loving our neighbor and knowing that Jesus wants this from us.

In practice, it is tremendously difficult to remember that love is not like. It can be hard to do things for people who get on our nerves every last waking second. It can be less than pleasant to treat others with the same respect, dignity, and courtesy that we wish to be treated with.

I think we have all felt like an outcast at times. Isn't it amazing that we have the power by help others not feel this way?

So I was reminded again today that Jesus loves the least among us, and so should we. It's our great honor to do so.

And so that's my final Compassion post and it really has little to do with the organization Compassion--other than that they are obviously practicing these very ideas by caring for children around the world and enabling us to join in the work with our dollars and our hearts.

Sponsor a child and join in the good fight.

(ETA: Krista let me know which area of Compassion I should send the 25 dollars to!)

And finally..Argell

When I was in high school, I had to do one of those country projects. Yes, in high school. See, it involved more than coloring the flag and learning the greetings, we actually had to teach pretty much the entire history to the rest of the class.

I got Nicaragua.

I spent two years in high school learning the history of Central and South America and it is desperately depressing, but it is also very interesting. And as is the case whenever you take the time to learn about something, I've had a special tenderness and burden in my heart for Nicaragua ever since.

At my present job, one of my favorite students was Nicaraguan and would tell me many stories about the kind of fear his family lived in at times and the incredible will of the human spirit for survival and also inspiring stories of how he came to the United States all by himself at age 15 and how you must always try to make yourself better.

So, when I decided it was time to sponsor a fourth child, I looked for children that had been waiting six months or longer from a country that I wanted to be a part of in some small way, for good. I have to admit that Argell stuck out to me immediately and not for the usual reasons. With Viky, it was his heartbreaking story that stole my heart, but with Argell it was his huge smile. Yes. A huge smile.

I've only been sponsoring Argell since September, so I don't feel that I know him that well yet. I've received one letter from him where he drew me a picture all in red. He is five years old, and he is above average in school. He's a healthy boy and he likes soccer (what a shock!) and cars. His mother is unemployed.

Please pray for Argell with me today and for the country of Nicaragua, a beautiful country with a troubled past. And if you are still on the fence about sponsoring a child, think about a country you have a connection with and sponsor a child from there. Be a part of something good and lasting for that place.

Viky

The same day I decided to sponsor Ice, I went browsing through photos on Compassion's website.

By the way, if you ever plan on doing this, you better be ready to give up your monthly Starbucks fix. :)

I looked through the photos of the children who have been waiting 6 months or longer for a sponsor. So many darling children with such hopeful faces...and one caught my eye.

A boy in India. Most of the boys in India had ties, but not this one. His clothes looked well worn and not so clean. His expression was a little lost, and his story shattered my heart.

I knew I had to sponsor him. I went looking for one child and ended up with two.

Viky lives with his grandmother. Both of his parents are alive, but his father is absent from the picture and his mother is in a mental institution. (the details of this are a little sketchy)

He loves to play games and out of all my sponsored children, his letters are the sweetest. He is 8 years old. I don't really know what Viky's daily life is like, but he's a pretty talented artist. He can draw a lovely house, just like an American child would, and many other things as well.

For his last birthday, he bought clothes and chocolate with the money I sent him. I was so excited to see that he spent it on something like chocolate, because I firmly believe in my heart that everyone deserves a little fun gift now and then.

I hope you will consider sponsoring a child if you don't already. I know the blog probably seems like one long commercial this month, but I want to make something clear.

In the beginning, you feel like the hero for sponsoring a child. But in the end, it is a profoundly humbling experience and the blessing outweighs the small strain the 32 dollars a month puts on you. The letters you will receive from your child remind you of what is important...life. Their lives.

Each of these children are real. They are real people. And because Jesus loves us, we get to love each other. How cool is that?

Compassion is taking a trip to East India later this year and I really want to go--to meet Viky. Of all my kids, I just really want to hug him. But it costs $4000!! Do you know what kind of chunk that is out of my annual salary? I want to meet my kids even more after reading the Ugandan blogs and so here's what I'm thinking....somehow I just need to multiply my daily traffic by about a million and maybe I could blog for them on such a trip.

Will blog to meet Compassion child. :)

(next Friday I'll introduce you to my fourth and final (for now!) Compassion child. Then the following Friday, I'll wrap up Compassion blog month with some yet-to-be-determined really cool post. I forgot when I started this series that this February has five Fridays! and three paydays!)

(Shaun has invited us to submit our Compassion stories...I chose this one because it's most recent--read more here)

Uganda Day 1

The Uganda trip is in swing now, but they're having some internet issues. Pray they will get that resolved quickly so we can join in on what they're experiencing.

You may not be reading everyone's blog, but for today I urge you to read this one. What's so cool about this, as I've said a thousand times before, is the different perspectives we'll hear.

It's hard to read these posts and not want to take action. You will feel your heart move and the prayers for these children come flooding out of your lips. You just can't help it.

The Compassion Blogging Trip Begins

The bloggers have all begun their traveling and I'm so excited to be reading blogs this week...how about you?

In any case, while I was familiar with quite a few of these bloggers before the trip I've been catching up on some of the others.

I was particularly touched and convicted by this article at Heartlight. Especially this part:

But what is the greater tragedy? To die young, fighting to be courageous, sustained by faith, but lost to family and friends who deeply love you? Or, to die a different kind of death — denied the basic necessities of life and denied the opportunity to know Jesus, experience His grace, and never know the love of His people?

The line..."never know the love of His people" hit me in a new and fresh way upon reading this, the great responsibility we have to be the love of Jesus and ensure that as many as possible in our lives know His love through our love.

Wow. That's why I'm looking forward to this week...to be challenged, moved, and changed through the different and unique perspectives of these bloggers.

Her Name is Ice

Ok, so it's not actually Ice, but that's her nickname or something. She's five years old.

I started sponsoring Ice after sponsoring Shampa for a year or so. I decided I had it within my means to help another child in poverty and I wanted to sponsor a child in a country I think of as Asian. (Bangladesh is technically in Asia, but not what I think of as Asia, if you know what I mean)

So I hopped onto the Compassion website and saw her darling little face and that was that.

That was a year ago.

Thiderat lives in Thailand. Thailand is a Buddhist country. In fact, Thiderat's parents don't know Jesus, they go to temple and take her with them when they can. But currently she's living with her grandmother so that they can work and she can go to her Compassion project.

Her mother and father sell meat off of a cart. Compassion lists them as being sometimes employed. In her area of Thailand, the average monthly income is 121 dollars. That, friends, is less than my car payment. She has a younger sister whose nickname is Um.

Since Thiderat is just five years old, her mother or someone from Compassion typically writes the letters and she contributes a drawing and important questions like "What's your favorite fruit?"

I pray for her everyday, that her needs will be met and that her family will know the love of Jesus. I pray that they can live without fear.

Shortly after I began sponsoring her, my church was blessed to have some Thai missionaries visit (yes, they were actually Thai!). They were able to share with me a great deal about the poverty in Thailand, including photos, and the work they are doing there to share the love of Jesus.

Next week is the week the bloggers will be in Uganda. There will be great focus on the country of Uganda and the work Compassion does there. But if you feel a tugging in your heart for the children of Thailand, you can visit the Compassion website and search for a child to sponsor from that country. It couldn't be easier.

Have any of you been to Thailand?

I'd like you to meet Shampa........

I've written about her a lot, but keep in mind I'm a single woman! This little girl that I sponsor through Compassion International holds a significant chunk of my heart.

I want to tell you just a little bit about her today. She's going to be SEVEN this month. I can hardly believe it. She's the oldest in her family, she has one younger sister and another baby sibling whose gender I don't yet know! :) She loves to draw flowers and used her birthday money last year to buy a hen. And some new clothes. So clever! Apparently, she also loves to run. :) She's smarter about that than me, I guess!

Her Compassion project was affected by the recent cyclone in Bangladesh but her family is safe, praise the Lord.

Shampa lives in Bangladesh, which is over 80% Muslim. It is estimated that only 30 % of the Women in Bangladesh are literate. The average family income is just 17 dollars a month.

Thankfully, Shampa is not destined to live the same life of others in poverty. Compassion International feeds her, educates her, and shares the love of Jesus with her. And they let me partner with them, by sending a little money each month and writing letters to tell her just how fantastic I think she is. I wish I had a picture to show you, but I don't have a scanner.

Sponsoring Shampa has forced me to realize how much I take my daily comforts for granted and be more willing to give them up so that others can live.

You can also sponsor a child through Compassion. Just have a look at the website and choose the one who tugs at your heart the most. Already sponsor a child? Tell me in comments all about your precious one!

February is blog month at Compassion International and so it's going to be Compassion month here. Each Friday I'll introduce you to one of the children I sponsor. Every time you leave a comment on a Compassion post, you'll be entered into a drawing. This time the drawing isn't something for you though.....
I'll be donating 25 dollars to Compassion International and you'll get to choose which area it should be designated for from this list. I know it's not a lot, but it is a way we can make a difference together! Now, my challenge to you is to do the same thing for your readers on your blog. It doesn't have to be 25 dollars...it can be whatever you can spare (more or less). If you decide to join in, let me know! Please note...this isn't meant to be used to brag about giving, but rather to join together in the blogging community in the spirit of giving and to realize that even if we already sponsor a child there are still so many areas that need our help. And finally, it's a chance to brag on our kids!

Compassion invites you to follow along on their trip to Uganda on these blogs. They also invite you to blog about them this month. Join in the fun!

Coming Attractions

It's going to be exciting times around the blog for the next few weeks!

For the next two days I'm going to be sharing about a book that I LOVED. I'll have a review tomorrow and an interview with the author on Thursday. And I'll offer you a chance to win the book.

Then starting Friday, it will be Compassion month. Compassion has asked bloggers to share about their experiences during the month of February. You can even win a free scrapbook. I'll be sharing once a week about the children that I sponsor. I hope you'll join in and read these posts. I'll also be highlighting the best of the blog posts from the Uganda trip. And, I'll be giving you a chance (albeit ever so small) to make a difference in the lives of children. And who knows what else I will come up with!

I also have more author interviews, book reviews, rambling thoughts, etc. in store! Anyway, please stick around and join in the fun!

Bloggy Influence

With the news out about Compassion taking bloggers on a trip to Uganda (which actually wasn't that big of news if you read between the lines at Shlog over the past year), I was thinking about how influential blogging actually is.

I mean, the assumption is that these people will influence a bunch of other people that they have never met to sponsor children. I think the goal is something like 500 children? Or is that 500 children per blogger? Anyway...

I was trying to think if I have ever bought something or done something because I read about it on a blog. And the answer is yes. Definitely. But I have a hard time remembering anything specific because I get ideas for things from a lot of differents sources. Obviously, it works for a lot of people. All those blog giveaways? Freebies to the blogger for publicity purposes. (except on smaller blogs, where sometimes it's just kindhearted people...or bloggers trying to get more traffic to their site)

Anyway. How about all of you? Have you ever been influenced by a blog to buy, subscribe to, or donate to something?

The Darfur Puppy

I've been reading a lot more about what's going on in this world since starting to work on Inspired to Action.

It's been really good for me. But more about that later.

I came across this editorial as I was doing my reading and research. In a nutshell, it talks about how people are more likely to give to a single and specific person then to a general cause.

It made loads of sense to me.

It's probaby the reason why Compassion International has been successful with child sponsorship programs. Each sponsor is linked to a child they are able to develop a relationship with.

It's all about relationships. If you tell me that over 3,000 people have been killed by a cyclone in Bangladesh, the truth is I'll feel a moment of sorrow but it's not really going to alter the course of my day. But the moment you tell me Shampa has been affected, a little girl I support through Compassion whose letters have challenged and changed me, I become immediately concerned. See, I have pictures of Shampa. I have letters from her. I pray for her. She is a part of my life. I care a million times more.

But it doesn't even have to be that involved. While we watch celebrities make bad decisions and get plastered all over magazines nationwide, we often feel we have the right to comment on their decisions and lifestyle choices. After all, they are a part of our lives, because we know who they are. We own their cd. We saw their movie.

We operate in relationships. God reveals Himself to us through relationships, because He is a relational God. Father. Master. King. Closer than a brother. Lover. Friend.

God put us in relationships here on earth. He set us into families to grow. He gave us each other as brothers and sisters. Oh, the family of God. And He commanded us to be the family for those whose earthly family has failed. Orphans. Widows.

In addiction circles they say it is in relationship that you were broken, and so it must be in relationship that you will heal.

That, I think, is the reason why if you show me a picture of a starving little girl in Africa and tell me her name and ask me to give some money to feed her, my heart will be stirred to give. I now have, however slender and slight, a relationship with that girl. But if you merely ask me to give to end starvation in Africa, I will feel less inclined. It's just another big problem of the many big problems in the world.

So it makes sense. If you want to change the world, and inspire others to do the same, you have to start one relationship built at a time.

Compassion Trip Blogs

I pointed you to Shaun's blog for updates about his trip to Ethiopia last week and I hope you've been keeping up. I just wanted to also mention Brian has been blogging about it as well.

And, if you want to read about Compassion's work in a different part of the world, SPUR58 has in Peru and you can read about that trip here and here.

More Prayers Needed for Bangladesh

This poor country is just being torn apart. Please keep them in your prayers as well as the many Compassion projects there.

I2A and Shaun in Ethiopia

This week on Inspired to Action, we focused on ways you can make a difference this Christmas. I hope you'll go over and check it out, there's a bunch of really cool ideas there.

Also, if you read Shlog faithfully like myself, you know Shaun is currently in Ethiopia on a trip with Compassion. The internet access there is very expensive so Shaun wasn't going to blog the rest of the trip. However, Kat is raising funds to cover the cost of the trip for him.
I would like to say this. Shaun is an amazingly gifted writer. On top of that, from what I can tell, he has a very sincere desire to love God and serve Him. He has a heart for kids and he has a heart for the poor. All of those things together are reasons why I think it's really important for him to be able to blog live from Ethiopia. Also, if you are a Compassion sponsor, it's an awesome chance to hear about the things Compassion does, since obviously we can't all go on these trips. Shaun has a way of making that world very real to us as we sit in front of our computers sipping our coffee and procrastinating on the work day. (ok, so maybe I'm speaking for myself....)

Ok, I'm going to cut this short because if I don't, my mom won't read it. ha. :)

Looking to Sponsor a Child?

I agreed to be part of Compassion's Sharing Compassion event, and it hasn't gone so well for me, or for a beautiful little girl living in Colombia named Rosa.

If you have thought of sponsoring a child in the past and haven't done it, or are considering sponsoring another child, please consider Rosa.

Compassion works to free children from poverty in Jesus name. The commitment is 32 dollars a month, prayer, love, and letters.

If you are interested, please email me or leave a comment with contact info...I would really love to help Rosa find a sponsor. Being a sponsor is a blessing that's impossible to explain, but the moment you sponsor that child they own a part of your heart and you are connected to another part of the world. I think it's a beautiful example of the way the body of Christ is supposed to be.

I don't have the info in front of me, but email or leave a comment and let's get Rosa a sponsor! Thanks for listening.

mypalamy @ gmail . com

Update on Bangladesh Flood/Compassion

Just a quick note to say that over 1,000 Compassion sponsored children have been affected by the floods in Bangladesh--their homes were either lost or damaged. Please keep praying for these families during this trying time. Though the waters have begun to recede, there is fear that may be more flooding.

Bangladesh

As I have stated on here several times before, I sponsor a child in the country of Bangladesh. Her name is Shampa and she turned six this past April.

One of the reasons I chose a child from Bangladesh is because it's a country I rarely think about. I wanted God to give me a new love and concern for the people of this oft forgotten country.

He has.

Recently, you may have heard of the floods in Bangladesh. 38 of 64 districts in Bangladesh have been affected. People are being displaced from their homes and losing their jobs. Many are being affected by waterborne diseases and the medical facilities are overwhelmed.

Please, if you have the time or the heart, pray for the people of Bangladesh. Pray for the at least 7 Compassion centers that have been directly affected by this flooding.

40 Day Fast: Day 29--Brody

Please read Brody's post about his Compassion kids. It's a well written post and a good read.

I got a new picture of Shampa yesterday. She's growing up so fast! sniff, sniff. She wasn't smiling in the photo, but that's ok. She always has this rather fierce expression on her face. I was reading about Bangladesh and how it's been forgotten by the world. But the Bangladeshi people defiantly still know a great deal about foreign affairs. That sort of spirit is what I see in Shampa's face. I will not be forgotten. I love that kid.