clip from blogger's trip to Africa w/Compassion Intl.

[Hen]

Has anyone else seen this? Several bloggers were invited to go with Compassion International to see the work they do there and to blog about it, hopefully highlighting the need there to the blog world. Shannon who writes at Rocks in her dryer went . Here is a video clip of her meeting the boy her family sponsors. Warning, have tissues near by.

 

http://www.ragamuffinsoul.com/?p=4280

[battlemaiden]

I'm so glad you linked that. My kids and I were all gathered around the computer screen.

 

My kids thought is was "cool." I should have taken your suggestion for having tissues nearby seriously. I'm still sniffling.

 

It's just so heart touching. My kids need to see that kids with no parents, no secure home (mud dwelling aside), and little else can still show such joy. We would love to visit our sponsored children some day. They are so precious.

 

Thanks again for linking that Jen.

 

Jo

[Amy loves Bud]

Oh, I followed their trip all week. Wasn't it wonderful? We just signed up to sponsor our first child last night as a result of the trip.

[Hen]

at her blog, she wrote about praying the same blessing over him that she does with her own children every night, and that she told him her family prays for him every night- and he said he prays for them every night.

 

I am thinking about sponsoring too, I always thought this type of organization gave out letters of symbolic children you sponsor, I didn't realize they matched up a sponsor and a child, or that they work thru the local churches in the area. I was really impressed by what I saw.

[Amy loves Bud]

Those were the same things I thought about sponsoring children also. I was thrilled to see that you actually have a specific child that you are sponsoring.

 

Is that picture of you in Boston with the Make Way for Ducklings statue? I have a picture of myself with them, too!

[Hen]

Amy,

 

yes, that is me with the Make way for Ducklings statues. DH and I visited Boston for the first time this past fall, I was so excited to see the statues and to take pictures of the swan boats!

[Colleen]

We sponsor five children through Childcare Worldwide (http://www.childcare-intl.org), which is less well-known than Compassion but close to us in more ways than one. They are based right here in Bellingham, Washington so we have personal contact with Max Lange, the founder and president, as well as other members of the board and staff. We have had the opportunity to meet and host a number of the Ugandan children Childcare supports, when they've traveled here as part of a choir. We've spoken firsthand with adults who themselves were sponsored children. And while we've not yet met any of our own children, we have friends who have done so and have hopes of doing the same. (Two of our children are in Uganda, one in Kenya, one in Peru, and one in Sri Lanka.)

 

Childcare's aim is to help children not only survive, but succeed. The goal is to educate them beyond their primary education such that they learn a trade and can become employable and self-sufficient. One very remarkable thing about Childcare is their impressive financial efficiency. They return over 95% of their funds directly to their programs, while less than 5% goes toward administration. Childcare is routinely ranked one of the most financially efficient relief organizations by sources such as Ministry Watch. There are many worthwhile organizations that offer child sponsorship programs, so it's worth taking a look at how much money is returned to the children before making a choice.

 

Thank you for sharing the clip, by the way.:)