Spent the day at a Compassion project yesterday. The highlight for me was the in-home visit. We walked through the dust up a hillside to a one room, dirt-floor home, where 7 year old Jonathon and his family live. (Jonathon is enrolled in the Compassion Project.)
One of Compassion’s Leadership Development Program students, Albita, was with us and told her story. She has been in Compassion since she was five years old. She is now in her second year of university studying electrical engineering. She is completely sold out to Jesus and transforming her local community for God’s Kingdom.
Jason Lantz was in the home with me. His daughter is five years old-the same age Albita began the Compassion program. Jason looked at her and said, “I hope my daughter grows up to be like you.” I fell apart. I want my daughter, Tabitha, to grow up with a deep commitment to Jesus like Albita as well.
So here we are in the midst of poverty watching God transform lives. In this world there is both material poverty and spiritual poverty. In Ecuador we are working with material poverty but seeing people rich in spirit. In America we are rich in material things but so often living in spiritual poverty.
I can’t put into the words the experience of sorisopnng a child and watching them grow up and age-out of the program. Today I found a little girl with the same birthday as my own little girl. I’m so excited to teach this aspect of giving to my daughter. My prayer is that when she’s 18, we can travel to meet her twin. I’m a single mom and things get tough sometimes. But things like this really put it into perspective. Thank you for reminding me that we are still abundantly blessed with more than we need.