The Impact of Child Sponsorship

I traveled to Honduras this summer to visit my sponsored children through Manna 4 Lempira and to work with the other children in the sponsorship program.  I wasn't planning to sponsor any additional children during the trip, but also knew that was something I never really planned.  The first full day of the trip found us at a small church, doing profile updates and registering new children into the program.  As children were coming through the line, the bright smile of one girl caught my eye.  Something about her joy captivated me.  I soon learned that the reason for this joy was that she was being registered into the program for the first time that day.

While I think it's great to sponsor a child just because you have the desire to do so, I already sponsor so many that at this point, I was only adding more if I had a specific leading from God.  When this girl smiled at me, though, I didn't even think about it.  I walked up to her (with my translator) and asked if I could be her sponsor.  My friend caught a picture of this precious moment.

Her excited YES and jumping up and down was followed by many questions- What is your name?  How many children do you sponsor?  When are you coming back?  I already started writing a letter for my future sponsor, but it's not finished!  How do I get it to you?  Pure joy.

I learned that her name was Wendi.

I had brought gifts for my other children who I'd planned on visiting, but didn't have anything for Wendi.  My teammates and I all went through our stashes and were able to pull together a few gifts for her: A beautiful necklace with gems floating inside (so fitting for a girl who lights up an entire room when she enters), a shirt that says "Girls Can Do Anything" in Spanish, and a sweet floral sun dress.  

Wendi squealed with excitement when I gave her these gifts- the gifts that fit her personality so well, despite being chosen out of desperation.  I hadn't known she existed before that day, but God did.  Later that night, she showed up at the church service wearing her new dress.  And that's when God put all the pieces together.  At the very top of her dress was one single purple flower.  

singing in the children's choir

Those of you who know me, or have been reading this blog for any length of time, know that purple flowers are my personal reminder of God's promises.  When I saw the flower on Wendi's dress, I realized that God had seen her all along.  Maybe her sponsorship was an impulsive decision on my end, but God knew.  This became even more evident when I visited her home.  Wendi's mother shared with me that Wendi is determined to continue in school and is currently completing 7th grade despite the challenges her single mother faces to provide school supplies.  I was honored to share with her about the love of her Heavenly Father who brought us together to make sure she had what she needed.  I also let her know about the backpack project, and that all of her school supplies would be provided this upcoming school year.

Our next few days together were so beautiful.   I took her and one of my other girls, Angie, for a fun day at a local pool.  I have never seen someone more excited or thankful to wear a swim suit or eat chicken for lunch.  

I've always known the backpack project was a huge deal and gave children the tools they need to reach their God-given potentials in education for the first time.  Wendi's story made me realize that for some children, it does so much more.  For Wendi and many like her, receiving a backpack means receiving a physical reminder that God is a good Father who provides for His children.  It means realizing they are children of opportunity.  If you are interested in sponsoring a child like Wendi, or packing a backpack for a child who doesn't have a sponsor, please contact me or the Manna 4 Lempira page on Facebook.

Holding On to Hope

Sometimes, life is so vast and beautiful, it doesn't fit into a blog post.

Sometimes, you stop blogging for a year and a half- not because you have nothing to say, but because you have way too much to say and no idea which direction to go with it.

It feels strange to be sharing a story that starts with grief while I'm currently in a season of joy.  But as we approach two years since this story started, I realize that God has done so much, and it is time.

My older sister, Amy, passed away in 2016.  With our 16 year age difference, Amy was a sister, a best friend, and a second mom all rolled into one.  She shared my love for children and was a foster and adoptive parent along with her husband.  She also shared my love for letter writing and made handmade cards for everyone she knew.  She was hilarious and the life of every family gathering.

Although my sister was born with a congenital heart defect and had been in full-on heart failure for over a year, these things had happened before and she always bounced back.  Somehow, I never expected this time to be any different.  I'd prayed and believed for Amy's healing; and I trust God even though it didn't happen how I had prayed for...even in the moments when I don't understand.  As my pastor says: I don't know why this happened, but I know that healing is still the nature of God.  Shortly after Amy passed away, I was in bed one night praying, but feeling extremely distracted.  I felt like prayer wasn't changing anything.  My spirit knew this wasn't true, but all I could see in front of me were the prayers seemingly left unanswered.  In the midst of my pain and uncertainty that night, God took my mind off of myself and reminded me of a little boy who I'd seen while in Honduras with our child sponsorship program over a year earlier- and who I hadn't seen or thought of since.  I remembered that he had a heart condition like my sister's, and I was compelled to pray for him.  His name was Marcos.

At the end of my prayer, I half-heartedly added that if this boy ever needed a new sponsor, I would sponsor him in honor of Amy.   I wasn't even sure why I said it, because I knew he already had a good sponsor who was very dedicated to the ministry.  I now know that God was the one to place that mustard-seed-sized prayer in my heart that night; because the very next morning, I woke up to the news that Marcos' sponsor was not able to continue supporting him!  I was stunned, but knew that God was speaking- prayer still accomplishes much, even when you can't see it.  He put Marcos on my heart to pray for just a day before He already knew that prayer would be answered...just a day before He knew Marcos would need someone.  I believe this was for me as much as it was for Marcos; and in a way, even Amy's story didn't stop there.

Last summer, I returned to Honduras to visit my ever-growing group of sponsored children and minister in their communities.  At long last, I met Marcos and his family for the first time since becoming his sponsor!

Me with Marcos (in blue), his aunt, grandmother, father, brother, and cousin.  

Throughout the week, Marcos proudly wore the plastic cross necklace I had given to him and ate up my attention as he asked me over and over again to watch him flip into the swimming pool during our child fun day.  My heart explodes with love for this child.  I've wanted to sponsor a boy for as long as I can remember.  Choosing to sponsor girls is so easy.  I know how to connect with girls- dolls, jewelry, princess bible stories...  For years, I prayed I would find a little boy who I could love that much.  With Marcos, it was easy.  

In addition to sponsoring Marcos, I sponsored a sweet girl named Angie on New Year's Day 2017, as a way of declaring God's goodness over the new year after a crazy 2016.  I met Angie this past summer, and she was pure joy!

I had also wanted to sponsor a little girl with my sister's name, and hadn't been able to find one.  Right around the one year anniversary of her passing, I got a letter in the mail from a child who I had never agreed to sponsor, from a different sponsorship organization that I no longer even work with.  It turned out that they had mistakenly placed me on a list for a new sponsored child, and they asked if I would like to keep her.  Yes, you guessed it, her name was Amy (well, Aime, but....details.)  And later that same week, a little girl named Amy in our program who I had met several times and loved lost her sponsor, so she became mine as well.  

(This photo was added to the post later when I visited Amy in June 2018.)