When I was 17, my two radio stations of choice were 107.1, and 88.3. 107.1 was the local country station, and 88.3 was the local Christian station. If you were to get in my 2002 Buick LeSabre back then, chances were 88.3 was probably playing.
It was on 88.3 that I first heard a commercial for the organization Compassion International. It stuck out to me because “compassion” was a term my mom often used to describe me. When I got home that night I logged onto the website, and got my first real look at Child Sponsorship. I immediately talked to my mom, and after praying about it, we decided to sponsor a little boy named Kale’ab who lived in Ethiopia.
From his letters, and drawings I developed such a passion for sponsorship and helping children effected by poverty that when Christmas came around, I asked for my family to sponsor their own children. This introduced me to World Vision.
I won’t say anything negative about either Compassion or World Vision, because I believe they both do astounding work for poverty-stricken families and communities in the name of Jesus. However, after sponsoring my first child from World Vision, (Daniela from the Philippines) I was drawn in hook, line, and sinker.
World Vision is a humanitarian organization that works with impoverished communities to establish what their needs are, and provide for those needs while also educating community members to become self-sufficient. Though they stay as long as they are needed, workers typically are with a community for 10-15 years, and have the ultimate goal of leaving them to flourish, and be successful on their own.
Our current sponsored child, J sponsored from Chad and gave her picture folder to me for Christmas in 2017. (Best. Present. EVER!) Her name is Rose, and she is so special to us, more so than usual, because she shares the same birthday as our stillborn daughter, June, and Rose is her middle name. (You can read about June’s story here.) Sponsoring Rose got me back to being involved with World Vision, and this time I felt God calling me, telling me I needed to do more.
So after spending some time scrolling through the ways to Get Involved page, I came across the Child Ambassador program, immediately filled out the application, and got accepted! Now I’m working alongside other Ambassador’s to raise awareness and get children sponsored!
World Vision impacts people’s lives. I’m impacting people’s lives. And we’re doing it in Jesus’ name.
For more information about child sponsorship and ways to get involved check out WV’s page here: http://www.worldvision.org/sponsor-a-child?campaign=304138160
MrsLizzieWoods 