From the heart of a child...

This, from my heart, as the heart of a child, longing, waiting to be sponsored: www.compassion.com

I am a child that could have lost my way,
But you came along and have saved the day!
I was hungry, lonely and my future looked dim
My family and I cried out to the Lord and trusted in Him.

I had friends who had sponsors and it changed their lives
I wanted that hope and joy in my life.
My mother would bring me to the church each week
In the rain, cold or hot, on our knees we would seek.


A sponsor from Compassion would mean hope for my nation.
With sponsorship, I believed I could change my generation!

"Father, please!" I would pray. "Open their eyes to see."
"I am cold, hungry and hurting and they can save me."

Every week for one year, we would make the walk to pray.
On our knees crying out and believing in the day.

When I received the letter that a family chose me,
We rejoiced and celebrated!  It was a time of jubilee!

I had hope!  I had a promise!  I knew my future would be good.
God had answered my prayers, just as I knew that He would!

My sponsor family is special.  I love them with all of my heart.
They have given my family a brand new start.

They sacrifice to send money for me.
I now do my best to work hard so they can see
It is worth every penny-none of it is wasted.
Because on my heart a promise a had been pasted,

"Child, you are precious, you matter to me.

I heard your cry and I heard your plea.

Do not worry about your future, I have touched some one's heart

They will be Me to you, you have a new start.

When things are hard and you feel scared

Read the letters that your sponsors have shared.

They will love you like you are their own

And though they are far away, you are never alone."

Pictures and letters may be all that I have for now,
But I will dream daily of receiving my crown.
I now know Christ personally, because you gave.
And we will worship together in heaven one day!

At this moment, 2, 574 children have been sponsored this month!  We still have 534 children waiting!  This poem could be their story and you could be who they are praying for.  Will you please consider sponsoring a child? www.compassion.com It has truly changed our family!  If already sponsor, will you please send this to them?  Let's be Jesus to the world and work together to rescue them from poverty in His name!  I believe we can do it. www.compassion.com

Dear Lord Jesus,

Dear Lord Jesus,

I just love that for the next few minutes my world will stop.  I will not answer phone calls, text messages or emails.  I will not be interrupted by children.  I will not change laundry, stir dinner or pick up toys.  I love that the things that keep me too busy all too often are being put on the back burner.  For this moment, I want to focus on You and the gift you have given my family in Natalie.

When we received the news that there was a little girl in Ecuador that needed a sponsor, we were thrilled!  We knew that she needed us, but You knew that we needed her.  Your timing was perfect in sending us her picture!  As I prepared to lead a Compassion trip to Ecuador, you provided a way for our entire family to have a part!  Who knew that three little boys could have so much fun shopping for a little girl at Target!  Thank you for softening their young hearts to her.  They would have bought out the store if we could have afforded to!  It was precious to see them so carefully choose pictures to put in an album for Natalie.  You gave us an opportunity to once again talk about how much You have blessed us. 

Preparing, praying, shopping and packing for my trip did not in anyway prepare me for what You had planned.  I claimed Jeremiah 33:3, "Call upon me and I will show you great and mighty things declares the Lord." I believed You will all of my heart. 

Lord, we both know, that it had been a long time since I had so deeply desired for you to do a work in me.  I am so thankful for the mess that You made of me in Ecuador. 

I arrived at the church that Natalie attends and was greeted by several hundred children. I scanned the crowd for "our Natalie's" face.  Only You could ordain a moment like the one we had!  I will never forget the sound of my name being called by an unfamiliar voice.  I looked up to see a woman smiling from ear to ear and her words will forever ring my ears, "Brandi, my Natalie es su Natalie!"

The immediate bond that Marybelle and I shared is like none other.  Her Natalie, was also my Natalie, our Natalie, YOUR Natalie!  I understood love on a whole new level.  You opened my eyes to see just how needy I am, while allowing me to love and help the needy. 

Oh Lord, even now, I cannot contain my tears as I think of the hugs, stories, pictures and laughs that you gave us to share.  The four days that I spent with that family are by far, some of the best of my life. 

Lord, always remind me of how You answered prayers in both of our lives.  For Natalie and Marybelle, you gave them a sponsor.  You gave them hope by giving them to us!  Our family has been transformed by learning to pray for them and learning to make sacrifices (even though they are small) in order to send our monthly commitment.  You have helped us to take our eyes off of ourselves and to see and care for those who have less than us. 

I love that our children consider Natalie their sister.  We cannot get enough pictures of her.  We cannot get enough letters from her.  She is deeply connected to our hearts.  She belongs to us and we belong to her.  Father, how beautiful that You made us for each other!  We are a perfect match!  When you knitted each of us together in our mothers wombs, You had us pictured together!  You made us to care for and pray for each other.  You made Marybelle to be my precious friend and Natalie to be my other daughter. 

Thank you for placing a burning desire in my heart to know more about Compassion International.  Thank you for making a way for me to visit Ecuador and hold our precious Natalie in my arms.  Thank you Jesus, for making a way for her to attend school, go to church and have food and clothing.

You shared every moment with us.  You ordained every conversation.  You made a way for dreams to come true.  I ask you now, as I cry my eyes out, please Father make a way again.  Make a way for Natalie and her mother to be encouraged today.  Make a way for good meals to be on their table.  Make a way for her to get a good education.  Make a way for them to feel safe.  You CAN make a way, when their seems to be no way!  I trust in You each day to make a way for our Compassion family.

One more thing, is on my heart Lord.  Our sponsorship for Natalie and the Child Survivor Programs through Compassion are not enough.  Will you please prepare another family to be connected to us?  Will you please provide families in America, to provide for those in need around the world? Will you touch another heart today and give them the courage to step out in faith and sponsor a child?  You always make a way for us.  We never feel like we are going without, and yet our little donation impacts an entire family each month.  Thank you for your provision and thank you that I can trust you will provide for them. 

Open our eyes to see the world as You see it. Open our hearts to love others the way You love them.  Open our minds to grasp how amazing your plan is.  I need You  Father.  Natalie needs You.  I will forever praise You for allowing us to see that we needed each other. You planned our connection before we were born!  You are too good to me!

It is in the Sweet Name of Jesus that I pray, Amen.

If you are interested in sponsoring a child, the Lord already has one chosen for you!  You may do so at www.compassion.com.

The Vision of Hope

"It is a land the Lord your God cares for; the eyes of the Lord your God are continually on it from the beginning of the year to its end." Deuteronomy 11:12



My eyes are drawn to the people and things that I love and care for.  Nothing makes me smile like a great picture of my family!  I love to look at pictures of my children all dressed up.  I love to look at pictures of them being silly and accomplishing great things.  I enjoy looking at sunsets, mountains and still lakes.  It makes me happy for my eyes to settle on a plate full of delicious food and it is especially delightful for my eyes to see a butterfinger blizzard from Dairy Queen!

What we see with our eyes has an effect on our heart. 

This passage of scripture tells us that "the eyes of the Lord are continually on the land".  The Lord Jesus cannot look at the land we live in, the land He cares for, and not be moved. The inhabitants of this land are his dearly loved ones.  The ones made in His image. 

What He sees with His eyes, effects His heart.

This month is very special to me.  It has the potential to change the way thousands of eyes see this land and their future.  This week kicks off "Blogger Month" with Compassion International.  I am a part of a team that has a goal to get over 3000 children sponsored during September 2012.  Over the course of the next few weeks, I will be prayerfully pouring my heart out to you.  It my desire to open your eyes to a tremendous need and an incredible way you can impact the world and generations to come!

Today, all I am asking, is that you look with your eyes into these www.compassion.com.  You will see eyes that are longing for hope.  Eyes that are hungry.  Eyes that have dreams.  Eyes that need Jesus.  Eyes that dance.  Eyes that cry.

The three minute video will inspire you to consider looking at yourself...it might even bring a tear to your eye.

Will what you see with your eyes effect your heart?

 

 

Of course, my dream is to get hundreds of children sponsored.  There is a greater calling though.  It is one that asks you to look at others like Jesus does.  Is is a calling that Christ has given us to care for those in our land the way He does.

 

If you cannot commit to $38 a month to sponsor a child, will you please commit to pray?  When I had the honor of meeting Natalie, the little girl that our family sponsors, I will NEVER forget the words her mother spoke to me. 

 

 "Brandi, we have prayed for you before we knew you.  We have prayed that God would send us a sponsor.  Brandi, you are our answered prayer."

 

 

You may be the answered prayer for a child, or you may be the avenue that God uses to inspire someone else.  Please visit www.compassion.com and see for yourself.  It is a small sacrifice that can give a vision of hope to a hurting and dying land.

 

Compassion International is releasing children from poverty in the Name of Jesus...will you please consider joining us?