Although it has been a long and difficult journey, the Compassion staff, the pastors and the volunteers are working tirelessly to ensure every child in their community's needs are met. From Colombia to Educador to Uganda, here are three short stories from our Compassion churches we hope will encourage you!
Eight-year-old Luis.
Colombia
Meet Luis, he is 8 years old, and lives with his parents and little sister María Jose.
Luis’s mother lives with polio and uses crutches to walk, which makes finding a job difficult. Luis’s father had an accident while working as a motorcycle taxi, which severely affected one of his feet. He had surgery and had to stop working for months. These setbacks meant Luis’s parents could not provide for him and Maria Jose, so Compassion offered support with monthly food baskets, and spiritual and emotional support.
Luis’s mother deteriorated, she, too, had surgery, which left her in a wheelchair.
The staff realised that Luis and his family needed extra help.
Luis’s father is now working, but his foot did not heal well. Doctors tell him that he will need another surgery.
Recognising the family’s great need, the centre asked Compassion for support through the Highly Vulnerable Children’s fund to provide extra food for them for six months. The centre also helps them with their rent, so the family has a secure place to call home. The centre also provided Luis a tablet and internet connection to attend his school classes online. His little sister María Jose also uses the device to study.
“The last time I visited them, the mother told me the centre had been a blessing for her family. ‘You have helped us so much,’ she said. Her heart is grateful. She says that through us, she has seen God.”
Eight-year-old Christian with his father Carlos.
Ecuador
Just before the Covid-19 pandemic caused lockdowns in Ecuador, 8-year-old Cristian traveled with his father Carlos, to visit extended family. Before they could return home, both Cristian and Carlos were infected with Covid-19 and had to be taken to a hospital.
Once at the hospital, Cristian was transferred to another health centre alone while Carlos was unconscious. Neither his father or mother knew where he was.
"When I woke up, I asked about my son,” says Carlos. “Nobody gave me an answer; nobody knew who my son was.”
Cristian's mother, Betsy, desperately asked the church for help to find her son and bring him back home.
The church found Cristian, paid for food and medicine for the pair and helped process documents so the family could be reunited.
"I'm happy that Jesus allowed me to see my mum again," says Cristian.
Even though the whole family is back together, Cristian is still struggling with the digestive issues caused by the virus. Not wanting to see the boy continue to struggle, the church has paid for Cristian to see a private doctor and alleviate the discomfort in his stomach.
Enoch handing out food parcels.
Uganda
Since Covid-19 led to a total lockdown, many families have lost their livelihoods. Many are starving in their homes. Enoch and the staff at a Compassion centre in Uganda provided 25kgs of maize flour and 15kgs of beans to registered children. However, they knew that for some families, the food would run out fast.
The centre wasn’t just concerned about the sponsored children, they were also concerned about church members unable to feed their families. Some of these church members were widows, people living with disabilities, single parents, and other disadvantaged families.
The staff decided to write a proposal for additional food to a foundation that partners with their denomination. To their pleasant surprise, the foundation agreed to support the church with $9,506.
With the money, the church was able to supplement Compassion’s support for 64 registered beneficiaries and fully supported 310 community members. Each family received 10kgs of maize flour and 5kgs of beans. Widows received 25kgs of maize flour, soap and locally manufactured petroleum jelly (Vaseline). Families with small children also received additional 5kgs of millet flour for porridge.
If you are interested in learning more about child sponsorship
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