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Goggles of Gratefulness

Inspired by the following true story

In 2017, my son, Ethan, and I had the opportunity to travel to Uganda to meet Emmanuel. Emmanuel is the child Ethan sponsors with Compassion International.

Midway through the day we got to meet, play and hang out with Emmanuel, Later in our visit, I could feel Ethan pulling on my shirt trying to get my attention.

He said, "Dad, I want to give him my shoes."
I asked, "You mean some shoes, or the ones you are wearing right now."
He said, "No, my shoes. The ones I am wearing."
I said, "Son, I think that is a an awesome idea. Let's wait til the end of the day and we'll do it."

The end of the day came and Ethan told Emmanuel that he wanted to give him his shoes. Emmanuel's face lit up and they both immediately started untying their shoes as Emmanuel put on Ethan's shoes.

It was an emotional departure as we were all in tears saying our good-bye's and not knowing when we would see each other again.

We made the return trip to the hotel that included walks through mud, dirt, stickers, grass and rocks. Ethan did it without complaining. He never said a word, until the last stop.

"Well dad, I guess I kind of know what it's like to not have shoes." he said. During the week, we saw many children walking barefoot.

Once we got back to the hotel, Ethan laid down onto the bed and began sobbing. I went over and gave him a hug and tried to console him.

"Ethan, what's bothering you? What's wrong?" I said.

After he gathered himself, he said, "Dad, why didn't we do more? Why didn't we bring him more shoes, more clothes, ... we could have done so much more."

We cried together. Then we talked about remembering this trip, remembering what God was doing in his heart right now, and how God wants to use that when he returns back home in Colorado.

About three months after we returned from Uganda, we received an updated photo in the mail from Emmanuel and we were moved to tears again. There was Emmanuel, wearing the shoes Ethan had left for him.

WE HELP CHILDREN FLOURISH!

Through a relationship with a local church and a caring sponsor, a child is able to discover his or her true value.

For $43/month, a sponsored child receives:

LOVE

that unlocks the potential within their heart

EDUCATION

to defeat illiteracy and provide critical skills

SUPPLEMENTS

to protect against malnutrition

HEALTH CARE

to fight back against disease and sickness

CHRIST-CENTERED GUIDANCE

through a local church to overcome fear and hopelessness

RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES

to protect from crime, violence, and danger

In a world where nearly 400 million children live on less than $2.15 a day, child sponsorship is a strategic way to provide children with compassion, resources, and hope.

WHAT COMPASSION SPONSORS ARE SAYING

Julie

in Columbus, Ohio

GOD SAID TO BE DISCIPLES

We are to take care of those who can't take care of themselves. GOD called my husband & I nine year's ago to take care of a child in Kenya. To show how GOD did work in our life because we decided to follow his calling, he went before us. My husband had lost a child before it was a year old, 30 years ago, I lost my mother, in 2000. We asked GOD to show us a way thru this child to help heal our hearts. newton mirthi was it. He had the same birthday as our lost family members, we knew it was GOD.

Richard & Linda

in Pennington, NJ

Started with two, and now at 4!

We started our sponsorship after a friend "hooked us" by selecting children with the same birthday as ours. As a special "present" to our 90 year old mother we sponsored another child with her birthday and just recently we sponsored a fourth child for a church friend who had just graduated. We are certain that there will be more down the road - we could not think of a greater gift than to "give someone a child".

Connie

in Austin, Tx

From Tragedy to Hope

May 4 was a date that I dreaded. In 2006, I was in a horrible car wreck and for the first 2 years after that, I dreaded that date. In my prayer time one day I asked God to take this tragedy and show His Glory! I checked with Compassion and found that I could pick a child by their birthdate. I specifially found a child with a birthday of May 4th. Today instead of spending that day crying, I have a birthday party for my sponsor child. My life and her life have both been changed.

Start Sponsoring a Child Today!

Your tax-deductible contribution of just $43 a month connects a child living in poverty with a loving, church-driven Child Sponsorship Program.

Your support provides:

Medical checkups, which often save lives
Nutritious food
Health and hygiene training
Educational assistance
Access to special services like surgeries and disaster relief
Mentoring to help children discover their incredible value as God’s children
Most important of all, your sponsored child will hear about Jesus Christ and be encouraged to develop a lifelong relationship with God. Just imagine how exciting it will be when one day you get to heaven and your sponsored child is there with you because you chose to sponsor him or her.

When you sponsor a child, you'll receive your child's photo, personal story and a child sponsorship packet by mail in approximately 10 days.

When children find out they've been sponsored, the joy they feel is indescribable. Just knowing that someone across the globe cares means more than you can imagine. Sponsoring a child in need will profoundly change the future for your child, and will change your own life as well.

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"When my sponsor told me that she picked me because we have the same name and birthdate, I felt special. I love to share a birthday with her." said Brenda.