Faith In Action

In the rugged beauty of the Thailand-Myanmar border region, nestled on the outskirts of a quiet community, stands a modest house in a peaceful spot. This is the home of 16-year-old Yaodemu. She takes great pride in her role as the eldest sibling. And, with her youthful energy and strong sense of responsibility, she has become a symbol of hope and strength for her family, particularly in their journey towards sustainable food and nutrition.

Yaodemu’s family includes her parents, her 14-year-old brother, Nae-ler-ngey-moo—affectionately known as Ler-Ngey-Moo—alongside three younger siblings. 

Working together to survive

When Yaodemu was just eight months old, her parents made a life-changing decision to leave their homeland, migrating to Thailand in the hope of finding security and a brighter future. They arrived empty-handed, filled only with determination and hope.

Living without proper shelter initially, they built a small home from bamboo and dried leaves on land borrowed from a local landowner, who kindly allowed them to tend the land temporarily. Over the years, they moved four times, each time settling on a different patch of land. Yet their unwavering commitment to growing their own food remained constant.

Her father’s circumstances are especially challenging; his right leg is withered, and he is the sole breadwinner. Despite his disability, he works as a daily laborer, earning around $6-$ 7 USD a day, although work is often scarce. Sometimes, he has no choice but to leave home to work as a construction worker in a neighbouring village, living further away for several days, to provide for his family. 

This leaves Yaodemu, as the eldest, to help her mother care for her siblings and manage the household duties. She says it’s a team effort.

“I’m very proud of my siblings—they are all good kids, and they always help around the house without hesitation,” says Yaodemu, with a smile on her face as a proud big sister.

The struggle for food

Like many families in the area, they face the difficulty of feeding everyone on a very limited income. Still, under Yaodemu’s leadership, they have begun to embrace the concept of sustainable nourishment—an approach that prioritizes their health and overall well-being.

“I have many siblings, and food is very important to keep us healthy and strong enough for school,” says Yaodemu.

Throughout many upheavals, her family’s reliance on growing their own vegetables has been continuous. Each new location offers an opportunity to plant and nurture crops, while they also harvest seasonal vegetables from nearby forests to supplement their diet. Eggplants, leafy greens, and other vegetables are staples in their daily meals.

“We never need to buy vegetables,” explains Yaodemu. “We pick some from our garden or find others in the forest.” 

Finding spiritual nourishment

As practising Christians, the family regularly attends church. 

“We were Christians even before we moved to Thailand,” shares Naw-aae-moo, Yaodemu’s mother. “Our village back home was a Christian village. Here, our church community encourages us—it’s a place where we hear the Word of God every week.”

As well as a source of spiritual nourishment, the church is a practical help in times of need, especially since Yaodemu became a registered participant with the Compassion center at the church. 

“When our family faces difficulties, the church always supports and helps us,” says Naw-aae-moo.

Despite their strong faith and hard work, the family continues to face financial hardship. They lack Thai citizenship, which limits their access to employment and other opportunities to earn a livelihood. 

Yet the local church and the Compassion center recognize their dedication and the obstacles they face. Consequently, Yaodemu, LerNgey-Moo, and one younger sibling have all been registered with the sponsorship program to ensure they receive vital support for their development and education.

“I feel very blessed that some of my children are part of the support program,” says Naw-aae-moo. “It helps them in their development, and they receive education both at school and at the center.”

Growing crops—and dreams

In mid-2022, a new initiative was launched—an intervention fund supporting a three-year plan for “Sustainable Food Security” across the border region. Organised by the Compassion center, this program provided farming knowledge, tools such as hoes, insect screens, watering cans, and a variety of vegetable seeds to the most vulnerable families, including Yaodemu’s. 

This support allowed them to expand their vegetable gardens and improve their ability to feed their family.

14-year-old Ler-Ngey-Moo, eager to help, now assists his family with planting and tending their vegetables. “It’s fun and we get fresh food,” he says happily, proudly showing off bright purple eggplants and other fresh produce from their garden.

Today, their garden is abundant with eggplants and other vegetables, ensuring plenty of food for their family. 

“We not only have enough for us,” says Yaodemu, “but sometimes we sell the surplus at the market or share it with neighbors.”

The family has come to recognize that these practices do more than just provide food—they also help generate income and strengthen community bonds. Sharing with neighbors and visitors reflects their cultural values and sense of hospitality.

As the eldest, Yaodemu sees an opportunity to use this initiative, and the skills and lessons she has learned, to fulfil her childhood dream to build her own farm and secure her family’s future.

“My dream is to be a farmer, growing my own crops to support my family,” says Yaodemu, with hope in her voice. 

PRAYER REQUESTS

• Pray for stability and peace in the region around 16-year-old Yaodemu’s village, in the borderlands of Myanmar and Thailand. Pray that Yaodemu’s family may stay on their current land longer and have a secure place to cultivate their farm and build their future; pray for God’s guidance and blessing on their family farming efforts; pray that their vegetable gardens will flourish and provide enough food and income to support their family.
• Pray for 14-year-old Ler-ngey-moo and his three younger siblings, for their ongoing trust in God’s provision and favor, especially regarding their hope for citizenship.
• Please pray for wisdom and divine guidance for Kannika, the TH0813, Mae Salid Luang Compassion center director, and the team as they seek a suitable new location for the student dormitory for 30 children. The landlord has asked them to move out of the current dormitory within the next few months. Pray that God will provide an affordable, safe, and timely solution, opening the right doors and granting favor in their negotiations. Ask that God grants patience, strength, and unity throughout the process. Above all, pray that God’s will be done, and that a new home will be secured where these children can continue to grow, learn, and be kept safe under His care. 
• Please pray for God’s provision and open doors for the TH0813 Mae Salid Luang football club as they seek a suitable field where hundreds of children, both boys and girls, can safely practice, learn, and grow together. Pray for His favor and guidance in securing the land and resources needed to develop the field and build a dormitory for vulnerable children. Pray for protection, health, and safety for all the children participating in the activities, and for wisdom and discernment for the leaders as they plan and work towards this vision. Ask that this initiative will continue to bless the children spiritually, emotionally, and physically, fostering life skills, discipleship, and child protection. Pray for unity, strength, and perseverance for everyone involved, trusting that God will faithfully provide in His perfect timing.

Country-specific

• Pray for adequate and timely rain to support farmers and their crops, ensuring a good harvest and food security for communities.
• Please pray for protection against severe weather events like heavy storms, flooding, and mudslides that can cause damage and hardship, especially for those Compassion Thailand staff and local center staff who are travelling to the field during this monsoon season here in Thailand and the border region. 
• Please pray for peace and stability in Karen State, that ongoing conflict and violence will cease, and that reconciliation and healing will prevail among all communities. Pray for the safety and protection for civilians, especially women, children, and vulnerable populations caught in the conflict zones. 

As soon as he arrived in Seoul, he was approached by a frail young boy. To Rev. Swanson’s great surprise, this little boy snatched his winter coat and ran away with it.

Though he lost sight of the boy, Swanson finally found his coat lying on the ground. When he picked it up, he found the little boy huddled under it — shivering and frightened. He looked around and saw several other children huddled under rags on the ground, trying to keep warm.

It suddenly hit him.

These children had lost their parents in the Korean War. They were orphans with nowhere to go and had no one to care for them. Swanson brought the children soup and blankets that day, but he knew he had to do more.

The next morning, when he returned to check on the children, he was surprised to find soldiers there with trucks. He quickly realized they were loading the trucks with bodies of children who didn’t make it through the night — little ones who had frozen to death.

On Swanson’s flight back home, he sensed God was asking, “What are you going to do?”

As soon as he returned to Chicago, Swanson told a friend about his experience in Korea. The friend handed him a check for a thousand dollars, explaining that God told him to give the money to someone who would care for orphans. Soon, another friend gave him fifty dollars to start an organization in Korea. “This was the conclusive proof to me that God was in it,” Swanson said.

And that is how our ministry, Compassion International, began. Everett Swanson never dreamed that this ministry would become the leading child development ministry in the world — offering hope to millions of children in poverty. But ministry partners, like you, have helped make it possible. 

You have shown a heart like Everett Swanson’s. Thank you for joining Compassion as we release children from poverty together, in the name of Jesus. Your partnership is transforming lives now — and will for years to come.

For any mother, caring for a child with a disability can take an emotional and physical toll, but for Dancille, it’s exceedingly more complex because both her children—and she herself—are living with a disability. 

Dancille is a single mother, who relies on the support of well-wishers in her community in central Rwanda to secure enough food to feed her family. She knows too well the price that children can pay when they are seen as “different”.

“I suffered rejection from my father because of the disability I have. I never thought my children would face the same fate,” Dancille says solemnly.

Dancille and her two children—five-year-old Scovia and her older brother, Jean Bosco—are living with musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs).

Musculoskeletal disorders affect the body’s muscles, bones, joints, and connective tissues. They can cause pain and stiffness and potentially limit mobility and daily activities. But the social and emotional impacts can go far beyond the physical pain and difficulty these disorders cause. Stigma and lack of awareness can limit opportunities for children with disabilities to participate fully in society, leaving them isolated and vulnerable.

“I didn’t get the opportunity to have a normal childhood like my siblings. My 17-year-old son Jean Bosco suffered the same fate. We both didn’t attend school at all,” says Dancille. 

“When I gave birth to Scovia through Caesarean on September 19th, 2025, she weighed four kilograms, and I was joyous because she was healthy. But when Scovia turned one year old and she failed to lift herself to walk, I started to worry.”

Without the means to seek medical support, Dancille could only pray for her daughter and help her adapt as best she could. At 18 months, Scovia started walking using sticks because Dancille didn’t have the income to buy her crutches. 

“Both my children took their first steps with the help of sticks as I couldn’t afford to buy crutches to support them in walking. When Jean Bosco turned 13 years old, the sticks could not support his body. It was so painful and tiring for him to walk that he started to crawl,” says Dancille. 

When Scovia’s father abandoned the family, Dancille asked her mother to help care for Jean Bosco to ease her overwhelming life. 

But then, unexpectedly, another source of support arrived.

“One sunny morning, Aimable, the director at the Compassion center, visited us and told me there was an opportunity to register Scovia into the program and receive a sponsor. I didn’t know how much this support would change my daughter’s life,” says Dancille. 

Scovia was registered into the RW0591 Mucubira center on March 19th, 2024. The support she received made an immediate impact on her life and her family.

“When Scovia was registered, she received crutches and orthopedic shoes, and today, she moves with so much ease. She started school and has made friends with whom she is able to play. I’m excited because my daughter’s future is bright thanks to Compassion,” says Dancille. 

Globally, UNICEF research indicates that among 240 million children with disabilities, half have never attended school; up to one-third do not eat enough of the right food.

According to the Rwanda Ministry of Education (MINEDUC), 38,937 (0.9%) of the 4,159,782 learners in the education system in 2023 had disabilities. In primary education, learners with disabilities made up about 1.1 percent, or 29,994 out of the 2.742 million total learners. In secondary education, 4,849 students had disabilities, 0.6% of the total number of students. 

Yet only 14.6 percent of teachers are trained in special needs and inclusive education. There is an urgent need to train teachers in how to include students with disabilities in classroom activities.

And while there has been improvement to support students more, there are still physical barriers to overcome: only 3,301 schools (68.1%) have adapted infrastructure to make learning accessible to students with disabilities.

The center’s encouragement and practical support to help Scovia attend school brought new life to the young girl—and to her mother. 

“Seeing my daughter going to school on the first day, the despair that had overtaken my life gradually faded. I felt so much joy that I started feeling hopeful about her life,” Dancille says with a big smile.

Aimable, the RW0591 Center Director, says that different interventions need to be scaled up to educate communities and identify, screen, rehabilitate, and follow up children with disabilities. 

“Most parents or guardians in our community are subsistence farmers who don’t have the resources to take care of children with disabilities and special needs. With the stigma involved, the children are not able to receive education. We are grateful for our partnership with Compassion; the livelihood and mindset of our people is improving,” says Aimable. 

He says schools in the area are starting to build facilities that are more accessible to children with disabilities. 

Unfortunately, in Rwanda, most schools lack disability-adapted play facilities, depriving children with disabilities of their right to leisure and play. He says there is a need to support schools with disability-adapted facilities—and the joy on Scovia’s face shows why.

“Scovia’s family has shown us that our center needs to help caregivers form groups as a support system to help in building family resilience. Caregivers can experience a heavy emotional and physical toll while raising a child with a disability,” says Aimable. 

Yet even simple methods of support can make a big difference. He says, “When Scovia received the crutches to help her walk, she gripped the crutches with excitement and determination.” 

Today, Scovia’s spirit shines brighter than the sun. She discovered the ability to walk and has a newfound confidence in playing with her peers. To Scovia, these simple crutches are not just a helpful tool but a bridge to her independence.

PRAYER REQUESTS

• Pray for Scovia for total healing. She is undergoing monthly treatment and many tests; pray for her strength and resilience. 
• Pray that God will provide for Dancille to be able to take care of her family as she is a single mother living with a disability. Pray for her faith to grow and God to show His goodness in her life.

Country-specific

• Pray for Rwanda as we are commemorating the 1994 genocide where over a million people lost their lives in 100 days. 

A Real Estate Investor’s Vision

A real estate investor blessed with 40 rental properties felt God calling him to give back. He assumed he’d have to sell his properties and face hefty capital gains taxes to do it. We showed him how he could give 40% of the proceeds from a duplex sale to Compassion and receive a large tax deduction, all while continuing to provide income for his family. “I had no idea charities could receive real estate like that!” he shared, excited to fund community-wide projects and open opportunities to share the gospel. 

A Retiree’s Tax-Wise Gift

Another supporter, a retiree in South Carolina, worried about the tax burden her children will face when they inherit her IRA. By naming Compassion as a partial beneficiary of her IRA, her sponsored child will receive support to finish the program, and then what remains will be directed to our Where Most Needed fund to support urgent high-impact needs like clean water or medical care. Best of all, the gift to Compassion will erase taxes on the part of the IRA donated, leaving more for her family. “I didn’t know I could save my kids taxes like that!” she said, amazed at how God could use her tax-wise gift to benefit so many. 

A Grandmother’s Lasting Message

One grandmother expressed a desire to continue her giving with Compassion after her lifetime. While she lives on a modest income, her personal planned giving representative shared that she could consider naming Compassion as a beneficiary of her estate. “I didn’t know I could do that!” she exclaimed. Now, she is designating a portion of her estate. Her gift will not only ensure her sponsored child completes the program, but it’s also going to allow seven new Compassion centers to be launched. And she is funding them in honor of each of her grandchildren. Her final gift will be a message to her family that loving those in need is our calling in Christ. 

These stories are examples of how people just like you are leaving powerful legacies. Legacy giving isn’t just for the super-rich. It’s for anyone who wants to leave a lasting impact for Christ through a simple yet meaningful gift through their assets.

Our Legacy and Asset team, which includes estate planning attorneys and financial planners, would love to help you explore ways you can leave a powerful legacy. A simple beneficiary designation, a gift of real estate or a percentage of your estate can release more children from poverty while also helping you achieve your financial goals.

Your faith has already changed lives. Your legacy gift will change even more. Contact our Legacy and Asset team today by calling us at (855) 315-5019 or emailing giftplanning@compassion.com. We look forward to speaking with you.

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