One in a Million

I work at Compassion International. Today we celebrated a major milestone, our 1,000,000th concurrently sponsored child. My team and I put together this video for the occassion.

One in a Million


The millionth sponsored child, Fellow, is from Togo, the newest country that Compassion works in. His sponsor is Jang Mi-Ran, an Olympic gold medalist in womens weightlifting, is from South Korea, the country where Compassion's ministry started in 1952.

It took 57 years for Compassion to reach the 1,000,000th sponsored child mark. We're estimating we'll hit 2,000,000 within the next 5 or 6. The sad part is that's a very small number when you're talking about children living in extreme poverty around the world. Will you help us reach one more?

Thank You!

I want to thank everyone who stepped up and became a hero yesterday during Compassion's Global Food Crisis Day. The totals are still coming in but as of this post more than 15,000 people donated over $1.6 million and nearly 1200 children were sponsored.

THANK YOU, HEROES!

Please

About a year ago there was a lot of talk in the media about something that became known as the "Global Food Crisis." Reports were coming in from around the world detailing how the rising cost of food in developing countries was making those living in impoverished conditions struggle even harder to feed their families. It was becoming a serious issue and thousands upon thousands of people were in danger of starving to death.

Then the worst thing possible happened. The media got distracted by the US Presidential elections. The mortgage crisis hit and the economies of the First World Countries tanked. Suddenly people were more concerned about their devalued retirement accounts or their mortgages and the people starving to death around the world were pushed to the back page. Unfortunately, they have remained there as the media focused our attention on the inauguration of the USA's first black president and the billions of dollars in bailout money being dolled out for failing banks and automakers. In the meantime, things haven't gotten any better for the starving. In fact, it's gotten worse in a lot of countries. As prices rise and we worry about inflation here in the US, the developing countries are experiencing hyper-inflation and the cost of food has risen dramatically. Some of the original factors that turned this trend into a world calamity recently include unstable oil prices, increased meat consumption in countries like India and China, droughts in major crop-producing countries, and increased production of biofuels. When someone is only making a dollar or two a day and the price of a bag of rice increases by 50, 60 or 100% that's a huge deal. The UN World Food Programme calls the current global food crisis “a phenomenon, a silent tsunami,” that is affecting millions of families in every nation on every continent. This global food crisis is more rapid, urgent and devastating than any other in the history of our planet.

March 11, 2009 is a significant day. It's the day that Compassion International has dubbed "Global Food Crisis Day." The goal is simple. Raise money to provide food to families around the world who are starving. Compassion is partnering with radio stations, media, churches and bloggers to spread the word about the Global Food Crisis and raise funds that will make a real difference to those impacted by it. Here's the best part. You can help. You can make a donation that can literally save someone from starvation. Go to compassion.com/please and make a donation. Tell your family, friends and co-workers about it. Your donation will provide food vouchers to children and families needing immediate relief, buy seeds and agricultural tools so that families can grow their own food as well as earn extra income, and provide supplemental nutrition services at Compassion-assisted centers around the world. Be a hero - give, spread the word, save a life. Do it now.

Please.

Back in Action

So sorry for being absent for so long. As I mentioned in my last post the days in Kenya were longer than I expected and the internet was rather spotty. I've been back in Colorado for over a week but got whipped by one of my worst cases of jet lag in a long time.

So, here I am...back in action.

My trip to Kenya was amazing! I was very honored to attend the grand opening celebration of a girls boarding school in the Rift Valley. It was my third opportunity to visit, but the first time when school was actually in session.

Of the 130 girls attending the school, 30 are sponsored by Compassion's Child Sponsorship Program. One of the teachers is a graduate of Compassion's Leadership Development Program.

I met a young lady named Margaret. Margaret is a prime reason the school was built. At age 14, her family was ready to marry her off to a man much older than she is so they wouldn't have to be "burdened" with her any longer.

A young man who works at the local church was able to convince Margaret's family to let him and his wife "adopt" her and put her in the Najile Girls School. Margaret is now attending school and learning how to make the community she lives in a better place instead of becoming someone's 3rd or 4th wife. The school has been open for less than one year and it's already fulfilling the purpose that was once just a dream that a few people dared to imagine.

I won't bore you with details of the opening ceremony. Suffice it to say that it went on for nearly four hours. There were speeches and some dancing. More speeches. Gifts were exchanged. A little more dancing followed by more speeches.

It really wasn't as bad as I'm making it sound but it did last a long time. We got to see lots of the Maasai people wearing their traditional dress...absolutely beautiful! The boys from the Najile Boys School performed a traditional Maasai dance. They've won national awards for their dancing so it was good! I'm hoping to be able to post some video of the dance soon. There were dignitaries and government officials. Everything was very formal and recognized the significance of the change in culture that is allowing this school to exist. It really was special and I was honored to be able to be a part of it!

Things to look forward to in upcoming posts...I got literally hundreds of incredible pictures on the safari we went on at the end of the trip! I'll get a few of those posted later this week. Until then, have a great week...and why not consider making a difference in the life of a child less fortunate than we are this Thanksgiving. It really does work.

Back to Africa Part 2

I'm headed Back to Africa during the first part of November. This is very exciting for me as I have been "out of Africa" for 18 months, the longest period of time away since I came on staff at Compassion in 2003. I'll be in Kenya between Nov. 7 and 15.

Africa, especially Kenya, holds a special place in my heart. Kenya was the first country I visited in Africa in the fall of 2003. I went there to film a video for Compassion and one of our partner ministries, the Continentals. It was a very special time, kind of the same feeling you get when you've just returned home after a long trip. The people are beautiful and genuinely warm and friendly. The landscape is beautiful. The African sky is every bit as magnificent as it has been described and then some. Kenya has become one of my favorite destinations in the world, and having set foot in 27 different countries that's a fairly big statement. I literally don't remember how many times I've been there since my first visit, but it was frequent enough that our country staff began to joke that I soon would need to start paying taxes. My sister thinks that if I was given the opportunity and the timing and conditions were right I would permanently move to Kenya...that might be stretching it a bit but you never know!

This upcoming trip will be even more special. We're celebrating the opening of a boarding school for girls in the Najille area in the Rift Valley. This area is home to the nomadic Massai tribe. Traditionally, the Massai have been polygamous and their traditions have viewed women as inferior to men. Women weren't viewed as having anything valuable to contribute to the communities in which they lived. As a result, there was very little emphasis on education for girls. The Massai have been known to marry off daughters as young as 12 years old. This enabled the parents to rid themselves of the "burden" of raising their daughters and have one less child to have to feed and care for.

Several years ago, one of our Project Coordinator's at Compassion's Kenya office felt compelled to speak up on behalf of the Massai girls. She began working to educate the Massai people on the value 's women bring to their culture. She went so far as to begin to rescue girls who were being sent off to be married. This courageous young woman put herself in very dangerous positions by confronting what was a deeply engrained cultural belief. By working with the Christian churches in the Rift Valley and using the power of prayer she was able to help the Massai understand that the traditions they had been observing were wrong. She came up with a plan to build a boarding school for girls to not only help educate the girls so they can become effective contributors to their villages, but also to offer protection from the temptation to marry them off at too young an age. Compassion's US development team was able to raise funds through the generous contributions of our major donors and several foundations that believe in the vision of Compassion's mission. I have had the opportunity to visit the school twice during various phases of construction. This trip will allow me to see it finished and to visit with the girls who are receiving the benefits the school is offering to them. I'll be filming interviews with the students, their parents and community leaders to put together a final status report and word of appreciation to the people who helped make everything possible. I think you can understand the significance of this trip.

That's why I'm especially excited about my trip Back to Africa. I hope this look into the unfamiliar of a group of people in a far away country will inspire you to pray for those less fortunate than us. If you're able, I would encourage you to sponsor a child living in a country that is trying to pull itself out of the grip of despair. You'll be amazed and blessed by the difference you can make...and the difference it will make in your own life, as well.

twenty-seven

27.

According to Wikipedia, "27 is the natural number following 26 and preceding 28. Twenty-seven is the smallest positive integer requiring four syllables to name in English, though it can be unambiguously defined in just two: "three cubed.""

Twenty-seven is a number that I have some attachment to. I have for the past couple of years. I'm trying not to get too comfortable with 27...I'd like to see it change to 28 in the very near future. Even better would be twenty-nine and then 30.

So what's the significance of 27 to me? It happens to be the number of countries I've had the privilege to be able to visit.

Before you get too excited there's something you need to understand. I didn't visit all these countries on vacation. I wasn't relaxing on sun soaked beaches, sipping tropical drinks with a miniature umbrella poking me in the eye. The vast majority of the places I've visited are not vacation destinations for most people. They are countries like Rwanda where the entire society is working hard to recover from the murder of nearly 1,000,000 people during three horrifying months in 1994. A country where the majority of the population lives in horrible poverty, working harder than we in the United States will ever work for the equivalent of $2 or $3 a day...if they're fortunate. A country where I met a little boy who has become a big part of my life. Karangirwa Roger Mila, born in May of 1994...right in the middle of the genocide. He is the oldest child in a family of 5. His father is a subsistence farmer. His mother does odd sewing jobs when she can to make a little extra money to help support Roger and his two siblings. 

Roger is a good boy. He helps his mother around the house when he isn't in the field with his father. His parents have big dreams for him. They want to see him grow up and be able to live a better life than what they have...not scratching and digging for food or wearing tattered clothes and living in a shanty that barely keeps the rain out during monsoon season.

Want to know the best part? Roger has a chance to make his parents dreams come true. You see, Roger lives in a village that has a church that believes in him and is helping pay for his school fees and uniform. The church is home to a Compassion project. They make sure he gets nutritious meals and provides medicine if he gets sick. They help tutor him and give him the opportunity to learn a trade that will help lift him out of the poverty that engulfs his life. Best of all, they introduced Roger to Jesus and now Roger knows he isn't ever alone. There's always someone watching over him and his family.

I am so privileged not just to have met Roger but to be a part of his life. I am Roger's sponsor. Since 2002 I have been sending $32 a month to Compassion so that the church in Roger's village can provide all those things I described. I've seen this young boy grow up. I've watched his expression change in the pictures I receive from one of despair to a smiling, joyful young man who has hope for his future. I have visited him at his project, and sat with him and his family in their home. I have held him in my arms and cried with him when I had to leave. I pray for him, send him letters and birthday gifts. I love this little boy as if he was part of my family...and in reality, he is part of my family. I know God has great things in store for this young man.

So that's one story from many miles of travel. I have others to tell. Someday I'll introduce you to Julio in Colombia. But not today. 

27. Shooting for 28...and beyond.