This year when we were trying to decide what we wanted to do for our service activity, we wanted to do something that would last a little bit longer than just a one day service project. We were looking around at possibilities and came across a website called “Compassion”. It is a non-profit charity that works with less fortunate children to help support them.
This is from their website:
We work with the neediest and most vulnerable children that we can reach — the poorest of the poor.
Our Child Sponsorship Program offers:
- medical checkups and health care.
- health and hygiene training.
- ongoing Christian training through a local church.
- educational assistance, including textbooks, school uniforms, post-secondary courses, tutoring, test and lab supplies and even literacy and financial training for caregivers.
- key life skills training, mentoring and vocational programs.
- nutritious food and supplements to protect against malnutrition.
- recreational activities and support to development self-confidence and social skills.
- protection from crime, violence and danger.
- access to special services like surgeries and disaster relief.
With this program, we have a monthly payment we send that goes to helping the child. We also have the option to send letters to them every once in a while. We can send them gifts for special occasions and we get to know them better. I always really enjoyed tutoring students in Kenya and wished that I could get to know them a little bit more personally so we are grateful for this opportunity to do this.
The child that we chose to sponsor is Alexis. He lives in Ecuador and he is 7 years old. This is his biography that tell us a little bit more about him and shows us a picture of him. He looks so sweet and we can’t wait to get to know him better. There were hundreds of kids that we could choose from. The youngest that we saw was just a few months old and the oldest that we saw was 21 years old. We wanted someone that was old enough to interact with but that was still developmentally younger. There were a lot of children that could use help in Ecuador and I thought this was a really great opportunity to serve someone there specifically. I always wanted to spend more time serving the people of Ecuador and this is a small way that we can.
We are asked to sponsor the child for at least 6 months but then have the option to continue the sponsorship as long as we would like. We hope to let this become a part of our lives. “Compassion” also encourages you, if you continue your sponsorship for a long time, to take a trip to visit them. Obviously that isn’t something that we can commit to now, but if we can build a relationship with Alexis, it would be great to visit him sometime.
As always, we are grateful for the opportunity that we have to think specifically about what we can do to serve others especially at Christmas time. Even though our big service present usually happens around Christmas, this helps us constantly think about service and what we can do throughout the year. This projects also helped us realize how grateful we are for the blessings that we have been given. We know all of our blessings come from Heavenly Father but we owe a lot of them to you. We are so grateful for you and all that you have done for us and the example of Christlike love and service that you have shown to us.
WE LOVE YOU!
UPDATED - Nov 2022
