Christian indie artist Alli Rogers wrote this letter (slightly edited for space) after spending a week in Ecuador with the children of Compassion International.
After spending a week in Ecuador with Compassion International, my heart is full. It's easy to leave such impoverished areas feeling heavy, depressed, and guilty. Instead, I left my time with compassion feeling so hopeful, like I had seen Jesus face to face. I believe I did see Him in the faces of children.
Compassion is a child advocacy organization, working in the lives of children, families, and communities. It was my first time visiting sponsored children. I held them, played with them and kissed their cheeks. I looked in the eyes of their parents and saw where they slept. I got to thank the local people who work with Compassion and with these kids on a daily basis, who spend themselves so that these children can know they are worth more than poverty tells them they are.
It was indescribable. My heart is full.
I could write pages explaining my experiences there. I got to meet Luis, a boy my husband and I sponsor, and a girl sponsored by my parents. That is a whole book in itself. I do want to tell you about Katiuska Beatriz, who caught my eye from the moment we walked into the Compassion Project. The projects are inside of local churches. We spent the day with the children at this project in Guayaquil, communicating through laughter and smiles, and the help of awesome translators. (I really need to learn Spanish.)
We played soccer and hopscotch. Katiuska clung to my arm, asking me question after question, each time slower and clearer, hoping that maybe then I would understand what she was saying! (I still didn't). She and her friends asked me to write my name down on their hands. One after another I wrote Alli on the palm of their hands and a few of them wrote their names on my hand. I was overwhelmed by the symbolism of what had just happened. We were a bunch of kids who couldn't understand each other. So we wrote our names on our hands, as if to say I am a part of you and you are a part of me. I was reminded of the verse in Isaiah: See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands. Isaiah 49:16
That is when I knew that I had just seen Jesus. I could go on and on about Compassion and all they do. It is full of integrity, doing the work of Christ. Remember your Compassion children in your prayers, and their families, teachers, friends, and communities. You are giving them hope; your generosity is showing them the love of Jesus.
If you have any questions about Compassion, I would be happy to try and answer them for you. I love talking about it. Or you can check out their website.
The rich and poor meet together; the LORD is the Maker of them all. Proverbs 22:2
