Ministry Partners Like You

Defining moment:
We decided to partner with Compassion’s legacy program after talking to Compassion staff at a presidents gathering. The closest biblical principle, kingdom principle, that we could identify is the parable of the talents. The Lord has given us some talents to steward and expects us to increase them. But in the end those talents need to be given back to the Owner.

Values and Motivation:
The values and beliefs that guide our decision to give are based on Matthew 22:37- 40. We believe that Jesus’s words to love our neighbor as ourselves along with the parable of the good Samaritan defining neighbor is anyone in need is a cornerstone command. Children in poverty are clearly in need and are the least of these mentioned in Matthew 25. By giving through a legacy plan we can keep Jesus’s commandment. 

Family Connection:
How has your family influence your approach to giving?
God has blessed our family beyond measure, but even if this was not the case, the following statement is still true. Generous people can receive and understand the words and the principles of Scripture much better and more completely than non-generous people. Our children have learned this and practice generosity. This makes legacy giving a true family decision. 

Personal Reflection:
Looking back, giving this way has taught us that getting involved in a ministry like Compassion is meaningful. When you provide for the least of these you are providing for Jesus Himself. That changes who you are and brings quite a bit of understanding about the kingdom Jesus came to establish. 

Message to Others:
What we would say to someone who’s thinking about leaving a legacy gift is “just do it”. Generosity changes who you are and how you see yourself allowing you to receive the words the Lord has for you. The same holds true for each member the family. And we can’t forget that it is a commandment, a really big commandment. And when things get tough and in the chaos of life and nothing makes sense, it’s important to have anchors like remembering where we made a difference. An anchor that we can point to in our hearts is when we provided for a child in need who not only survived and has a life but a child who now also knows Jesus and has abundant life.

Working at a mission hospital in the highlands of Papua New Guinea I was confronted several times a week with the harshest reality of severe childhood poverty. Children die unnecessary deaths from measles, pneumonia, regional enteritis, etc… all the immediate downstream effects of malnutrition. It is estimated that of the 400 million kids in severe poverty 6 million will die annually. But to witness this day after day is soul crushing for the healthcare team. Our solution was to work with the Papua New Guinea government for vaccination programs, women, infants and children programs, nutrition programs, education programs, child trafficking prevention programs and more. After 40 years of observing these programs it’s my opinion that most governments are much better at causing poverty than doing anything meaningful to fix it.

About 30 years ago my wife sponsored a young boy through Compassion International. Through our relationship manager over time I learned about Compassion centers, their activities and especially about the cooks. We learned about child survival programs, leadership development programs, medical services, family outreach and so much more. Also through the relationship manager we learned about the efficacy of the Compassion  ministry where up to 97% of Compassion graduates are released from poverty and 99% personally know Jesus Christ. Compassion kids are loved and protected yet just as important for me these children didn’t die. So slowly over time we learned that Compassion International was an effective phenomenal ministry that truly solves the problem of poverty for the children they can reach. But this was head knowledge for me.

My epiphany was when we went to the field and I encountered a church volunteer as we toured a new Compassion center. This man in his late 30s with four children was a successful businessman in the area who attended the local church. He described having to rise early and work many hours at his business. He would work at his fastest pace so that he had time to get to the Compassion center so he could volunteer with his family at the center. With tears in his eyes he told me he always knew that something had to be done for the children in poverty but he didn’t have any resources and didn’t know what to do. Compassion trained him, supported him and provided resources for the center so that he and the other volunteers along with the paid staff could provide for the Compassion kids. His volunteer work at the center radically changing the lives of the children was meaningful and very fulfilling to him (John 17:4). He worked to make a living but then gave of his time to children in poverty to make a life.

When all this turned from head knowledge to heart knowledge was when he turned to me and said thank you for donating/sponsoring so he could be a part of this ministry. That’s when it all changed for me. Here was a man who was so inspiring because of his selfless giving of time he really did have, grateful to me, who really hadn’t sacrificed anything.

Compassion International is true to Christ’s Kingdom principles and everyone in the ministry is amazing. Since the last shall be first, children in poverty are the kings and queens of the kingdom of God. The selflessness and sacrifice of the paid staff and volunteers from the local church shows me this whole thing is bigger than Compassion International. By ministering to the least of these the Church has the ability to serve Jesus himself (Matthew 25:39). The Church is doing its part in the field. I need to step up, and the Church in the well resourced countries needs to step up, and come alongside these local churches through Compassion International. My family and I want to stand in solidarity with these volunteers and their families in the field on the bedrock Kingdom principle which is whatever we do, we do it together (John 17:22).

I was able to go with Compassion to Malawi and we visited a Compassion center in a small village. After we were able to see all the amazing ministries provided to each sponsored child including a school uniform, education, medical, the protection and care from all the adult volunteers we were able to feed some of the very young children. The whole visit was quite moving. After this we were able to do a home visit with one of the children and her family. Two Compassion employees helped us carry a box of food to the “home” of the Compassion child. The home was approximately a 5′ x 10′ mud wall dwelling with a thatched roof. As we walked through the village there were many children and we were probably the first white people they had seen. Yet there was very little curiosity.

We had seen many of these children out hoeing in the field as we arrived at the village in the morning. Many of the children were very young just past toddler stage. We had an excellent visit and the family was very grateful for the box of food. As we were talking a small boy probably no older than six came walking out of the field with his hoe. He was about 20 yards away when he stopped and stared at us. He was very tired yet his stare communicated volumes to us. This boy is in the same village as the Compassion child whose home we were visiting. His stare told us that he understood that there was something happening yet his body language communicated that whatever was happening was not for him. He had no curiosity, no excitement and he had no hope. He knew whatever was happening he didn’t belong, he was less than human. As we smiled and encouraged him to join us, he put his hoe back on his shoulder, slowly turned and shuffled away. This was a crushing moment that will ever change how I see the ministry of Compassion.

That little boy with no hope is what I have heard called a “not yet” child. Compassion’s ministry is there but there’s just not enough child sponsors. The Compassion employees agreed that this is one of the hardest truths they have to deal with. The only solution is for current Compassion child sponsors and donors to redouble our efforts in giving time, resources and raising awareness. With just a little more intention and resolve on my part, this “not yet” child can become a Compassion kid.

“We were a young married couple who simply answered God’s call to sponsor a child.

Over the course of several years, we felt the Lord ask us to sponsor another child… and another… and so on. We loved building a relationship with our Compassion kids through letters, photos and prayer. Even when we struggled to have our own biological children, we were thankful for the opportunity to love our sponsored kids.

After much prayer and a five-year battle with infertility, the Lord graciously and miraculously blessed us with a daughter, and eighteen months later, with a son. When our own biological children were still in diapers, we decided it was time to get our estate plan in order. We wanted to make sure our children would be properly cared for in the event of our death.

 As we discussed our wishes for our own children a thought occurred to us: What would happen to our sponsored children if we died? How could Compassion continue to meet the needs of our sponsored kids if no one was here to pass along the necessary funds?

Thankfully, Compassion and our estate attorney were able to help us create a plan that would provide for our biological children and our precious sponsored children too. Why did we include our sponsored children in our estate plan? For us, the answer is simply, ‘Because they’re our kids.’”

“We sponsored two children in El Salvador that weekend. The following August we journeyed to El Salvador with our church on a mission trip.  We met our sponsored children and their families. We also had the opportunity to tour the El Salvador Compassion office, where we met amazing staff and developmental center volunteers that served our children.

Over the years, including several mission trips to El Salvador where our sponsorship increased to two additional children, we decided to include Compassion International as part of our estate plan. We decided Compassion would be a great choice given their primary purpose and their commitment to financial integrity.  Compassion’s record of over 80% revenue going to program expenses and their history of high ratings by four charity watch organizations gives us full assurance our giving will be protected and used in a God-centered way for His kingdom.”

“I remember I was SO HAPPY to become Johana’s sponsor. I immediately started to write Johana letters and sent pictures of my family. I remember receiving Johana’s first letter. She wrote such a great letter, telling me about her family and how she was learning about Jesus Christ when she went to church…And that is the beginning of a wonderful relationship between myself and Johana.”

In January of 2018, Tim was able to go with 18 other members of his congregation to El Salvador and meet Johana, her family, and the church leaders, where Johana was learning about Jesus. During that week, Tim met a mother whose little girl, Ashley, had just finished chemotherapy for Leukemia. She was only 5 years old, and as Tim had dealt with cancer himself, he felt a connection to this little girl. It was such a strong connection that he agreed to sponsor her as well as continue to sponsor Johana.

“My heart had been TOUCHED FOREVER,” Tim says, “That day was one of the best days of my life.”

“After returning to Solana Beach, I knew I had to get more engaged with Compassion InternationaI to help children that live in poverty. I first revised my Living Trust and Will to help out this Organization.”

With the trip making such an impact on him, Tim eventually went back to El Salvador on a Vision Trip, this time inviting his niece, Chrissy, to join him. This time they visited another Compassion Partner church in the city of San Martin and met Axel Steven Alvarado Acosta, a very shy 5 year-old boy, along with his mother and one year-old sister. Knowing what an impact these children had on him and the impact he had for them and their family, Tim decided to sponsor Axel, too! And it doesn’t stop there for Tim…

“Recently, I became aware of a 6 year-old boy from Colombia, Jhassert Haly Canoles Correa, who lost his sponsor. I felt God calling me to help out, so today I am Jhassert’s sponsor and just received my first letter from him. I look forward to visiting him in Colombia one day soon.”

“For me, my involvement with Compassion International has been SO REWARDING. I am so thankful for what Compassion is doing in helping over 2 million children around the world as they get to know the story of Jesus Christ. I am so grateful to be a part of such a GREAT ORGANIZATION.”