Is It Possible?

Allow me to introduce you to my new friend, Fanny, and her son, Jordi.

As you can see, Fanny has only one leg.  She began living on her own when she was 12 years old when her mother sent her to Quito to live on a piece of land that was owned by her uncle.  At the age of 16, she got an infection in her leg and because she had no money to treat it, the doctor just cut it off. 

Fanny was raped and became pregant with her 3 year old son, Jordi.  When he was 8 months old, Fanny was riding a city bus holding her baby in her arms and crying.  She was crying because her son was dying.  Another woman on the bus noticed her crying and asked why.  When Fanny told her that her baby was dying, the woman told her about the Child Survivor Program (compassion.com/joyfulmom) that she was a member of.  She told Fanny that they would help her baby. 

Fanny was sad because the church where the CSP was located was too far from her home and she could not afford the fare for the two bus rides it would take to get there. The next day, the mother Fanny had met on the bus came to her house.  She took a picture of Fanny and gave it to her Promoter.  The Promoter is the volunteer that visits mothers each week to teach them how to care for their children and to encourage them spiritually.

The Promoter took that picture and travelled to Fanny's neighborhood.  This is what she found.

She went from door to door looking to match a face to a picture until she found Fanny.  She took baby Jordi to the hospital where he was treated and then she began to minister to Fanny.  Jordi is now a healthy 3 year old.  The CSP has changed Fanny's life.  The CSP, GIVES Fanny life. 

When I first heard about the Child Survivor Program, I wondered, "Is it possible that $20 a month really makes a difference in the lives of mothers and babies?"

I worshipped last Sunday at the church Fanny attends.  Her CSP gives her $1 each week so that she and Jordi can ride the bus to church to learn about God.  When the invitation time came, Fanny was one of the first to walk the aisle.  She had prayed a prayer privately, but on that day, she was ready to make her commitment to Christ public. 

The day before, Fanny had been loved on and touched by my friends and I.  Is it possible that because of our obedience to be the hands and feet of Jesus, Fanny for the first time understood what it meant to follow Him? 

On Monday of this week, I was given the honor of getting to visit Fanny's home.  We shared a meal together and she shared her story with me.  This is what I saw as I walked to Fanny's house.

She walks with one leg up a steep muddy hill, crosses a little broken bridge and enters her three room home.  There is no running water.  There is no toilet.  There is no door.  There are pieces of wood with blankets for a bed.  There are two chairs.  There are a few shelves that hold her belongings.  One of her prized possessions is her CSP notebook.  It is full of scripture, notes and activites that she has gotten do with Jordi.  Has has colored, glued and painted.

It has been possible because of $20 a month.

Fanny works hard to make little balls out of shredded material.  They are very absorbant and she sells them to auto mechanics and maids for cleaning cars and dusting.  She makes at the most, 10 cents for each ball.  That is just enough each month to pay for her electric bill that was $5.29 this month.  There is no other money.  There is no food.

She gets food.  She gets love.  She gets counseling.  She gets encouragement.  She gets health care.  She gets to go to church.  She gets Jesus.

She gets, because my family gives.

I wonder if your family would be willing to give?  Twenty dollars a month gives Fanny life.  What does $20 do for you?

I will never forget the smell of Fanny's neighborhood.  I will never forget the tears we shared as our hearts connected in her home.  I will never forget the smile on her face after being loved on and touched by Jesus.

Did the last $20 you spent save a life?  It could have.  Please don't hesitate to ask me how.  It could be the most important thing you do today.

Is it possible to change a life with hardly doing anything?

"With God, all things are possible." Matthew 19:26