Friday 20 February 2015

Why Letters Matter - a poignant meeting with a current sponsored child (Dominican Republic Bloggers trip!)

When I read this post (link at bottom) I was so moved and inspired and energised to keep using my the gifts God has blessed me with to continue spreading his love and hope and encouragement - through what means? Letters! Such a simple thing, seemingly insignificant thing with such amazing, life changing effects!! Even for those who don't have the gift of writing - your sponsored children would cherish even a short letter from you! Or you can ask Compassion (or their partner offices! :)) to assign a correspondent to your child - a volunteer who will write to them and build a encouraging relationship with them through letters - that way your child will reap all the benefits from your generous financial support and a passionate letter writing volunteer's emotional and relational support. 

This story reminded me of the parable of the mustard seed in Matthew 13:31-32:  "31 He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. 32 It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.”

Likewise even though letters seem small compared to everything else they often yield the most significant outcome - many many lives have been changed through the faithful, love-filled letters sent to a sponsor - and sponsors lives have been changed too! 

As you read the post about Braudy and his experiences as a sponsored child may it inspire you to be the light in a child's life and spread the best news that there has ever been (or ever will be! :)) the news of God's love for them and what he has done for them through Jesus! God cares about each of these children more than we could ever imagine and he invites us to take the plunge and invest in their lives - both physically (with food, school supplies, medical care) and show them just how special and how loved they are - with the wonderful news of the gospel, encouraging letters from their sponsor, and inspirational leadership at their child development centre!
With God, Compassion, and Us there is a way out of poverty for these children - what an exciting privilege to be included in God's plan for them! 
If you would like to sponsor a child (from the Dominican Republic or anywhere!) then it would be awesome if you could sponsor through this link because then it will help the child you sponsor **and** it will help our sponsored children by earning them a family gift through the bloggers reward program! You can also keep track of how many children are sponsored due to the bloggers trip (exciting!!) **and** you will get a beautiful heart necklace which says - "You are so very loved" - great to wear or to gift to someone!



Compassion Bloggers Dominican Republic 2015



Compassion Dominican Republic Bloggers Trip! :)



Join Compassion Bloggers beginning February 16 for our thirteenth blog trip! We will visit Compassion children and centers that have overcome unimaginable odds. We’ll share the journey through story, video and photos.

It's that time again! :) Time for another week of amazing blog posts by a group of fantastic bloggers who will be blogging 'from the trenches' - it is definitely intense stuff - intense but inspiring, amazing, compelling, exciting! Each day all six bloggers will be writing about something they experienced that day and let us come into their trip (almost in real time!) and experience the lives of some of the people who are part of the Compassion programs in the Dominican Republic! <3
Technically they've already been going for a few days but there is still time to read their next few posts as they come hot of the press and there's plenty of time to catch up on the last few post! Also this week would be a great time to sponsor a child from the Dominican Republic (or anywhere!) If you sponsor any child this week you will also receive a beautiful heart necklace (great to wear or to gift!) which says "You are so very loved"! :) If you sponsor through this link - not only will you be changing a child's life but you'll also be helping my hubby and I to earn family gifts for our sponsored children! :D 
http://www.compassion.com/sponsor_a_child/default.htm?referer=134716
Continue reading below to learn some quick facts - both fun and sobering about the Dominican Republic! :)
compassion necklace lisa leonard-02DR 12