On October 7th, our church participated in a National Event called Compassion Sunday. It's been a couple of years since Compassion has been contacting me to get involved in this yearly event. I knew this was the time to step in and become involved. :) This blog post is what I had shared that Sunday with my church, Cornerstone Church, in Saskatoon.The Bible clearly states how much Jesus loves children. Each one is so precious and unique and has a story to tell. Millions of kids have a sad story filled with heartache, fear, hunger and poverty - they don't go to school and they don't know about God.
The good news is that each of us can be used by God to intervene in the lives of these kids. Today, I want to challenge each one of us to consider "changing the story" for a child in need. Here's how we can do this: Please watch this story of two Elizabeth's:
Our own family has sponsored children for a number of years. We love these kids and often pray for them and write them.A few weeks ago Mark Honorat from Haiti Arise had shared at Cornerstone of how he was a sponsor child through a church and then his sponsor went to meet him in person and sponsored him to go through Bible School and University...and today he is the founder and president of Haiti Arise! WOW! A sponsor from Canada had "changed his story."
Over the past couple of years, God has been planting seeds in my life and leaving many hints that He was leading me in new directions. :) This past August, He opened a huge door and gave me the opportunity to go to El Salvador together with Compassion.
On our last day there, I was able to meet the child God chose for me to sponsor and her name is Marcella Elizabeth and they call her Elisa everyday. Well, my real name is Elizabeth and I am called Lisa everyday. I love the story of the two Elizabeth's on the video you just saw earlier in this post. Now 2 more Elizabeth's are added to this story. :) Marcella Elizabeth was a child chosen for me by God alone and we spent a very precious day together in El Salvador. Her mother Hilda got to spend the day with us as well and how precious it was to see the love she has for her daughter. My life was about to become doubly blessed by adding Marcella and her family to my own through this Compassion sponsorship and through prayer.
Seeing firsthand the great work that Compassion does was incredible and their ministry is so Christ-centered...they will always partner with a local church in each community they go into. At least 80-85% of the monthly sponsor fee goes directly to my child. That's important to me! I met many sponsored kids as well as college students who had grown up as sponsor kids and were now in the Leadership Development Program. These students will be future leaders in their country and they have a desire to make a difference and to be the change in the poverty cycle. I also met those who are now working for Compassion because of the impact that sponsorship made on their own life and they now have a desire to be a leader and a servant in their own country to help other children. I was amazed at their work! How could I not want to share about this dynamic sponsorship ministry with others around me!?
My time here in El Salvador will never leave my memory...it is a trip that has changed me forever! Just look at these incredibly precious faces!! They now have hope!!
Compassion has been around for 60 years and has received the highest ratings for financial accountability in charitable organizations and they really do change lives!! If you feel led to sponsor a child and to be the change in a precious life today, to give the greatest gift you can give to one of these sweet children and be a sponsor, please connect with me and check out the many children who need sponsoring on my page on the Compassion websitewww.compassion.ca/advocate/lisabraun
If you'd like to read more of the journey with Compassion in El Salvador, please go the Women's Journey of Faith Compassion blog www.wjofcompassion.blogspot.ca God bless you dear ones!!
Remember........Jesus IS the Difference!!
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