The Girl Without a Smile

Today several of our bloggers met their sponsored children.  This is easily one of my favorite days of any trip.  There are always hugs, tears, presents, and lots and lots of love being passed around.  Every time I have met one of our sponsor children I really pray that I will bond quickly with the child and deep down I just want them to be fun.  I always want to play a little soccer, blow bubbles, hear them cackle when I tickle them, and see the same little child that is within my own children.  And usually that’s exactly how it goes – and it’s just flat out fun.

Big Mama met her sponsored child, Anna, today and there were no smiles or laughs coming from this 6 year old girl. We first noticed it when Melanie was giving her a backpack full of goodies- no expression, none at all.

I led the group to visit Anna’s home to meet her mother and grandmother. It became evident very quickly why there was no smile – it’s because there was no hope. Poverty will do that to a Mom. Not knowing if you can feed your family will do that to a Dad.

We asked the mother how we could pray for her family and the Mom stoically answered that she would tell us but we need to know that she doesn’t believe that God will answer any of her prayers or dreams for her children. The silence from our team was overwhelming and the cruel reality of poverty was now firmly in our face.  Wess Stafford, Compassion’s President, has often said that poverty is more than the lack of money – it’s the lack of hope.

This story does not have a great ending where we fixed all their problems before we walked out the door. We prayed and we believe that the church will continue to minister to the spiritual and physical needs of this family.

I stood with Melanie outside Anna’s home and watched as the pain of her sweet girl’s situation manifested itself in those big tears you cry when it really hurts. But the reality is that Compassion does a sponsorship program for this very reason. I know it is $32 a month to sponsor a child but you need to know that Melanie’s ministry to this family extends light years beyond the money she sends each month. Melanie is now one of the only people in Anna’s life that will consistently tell her she is loved and it’s ok to dream big dreams because God will hear her prayers. Melanie, and her family, now have the massive responsibility to write Anna and make sure she remembers someone is praying for her EVERY DAY. This sponsorship is not some marketing angle – it’s a real one to one relationship that can make a monumental difference in the life of a child AND a sponsor.

If you don’t currently sponsor a child (or don’t sponsor enough), go to Compassion’s site and do it now.

If you sponsor a child already, sit down and write your child today.

Here are some pictures from the day: (thanks to Keely)

Melanie (Big Mama) praying over Anna’s family.

The second home visit we did Misael (the boy standing next to me) showed us the letters from his sponsors in Massachusettes.

Yes, I have been lifting weights so that I would be able to lift small Dominicans with a single arm!!

I think this is what they call ‘tough love’.

This is Nick (challies jr.) hanging out with his new friends.

Misael did a house concert for us and I am just guessing but his Mama is a little proud.  Check out the concert over at Big Mama’s blog.

Oh yeah, I jumped off a small cliff into the Carribean after we returned to the hotel. I will post some pictures of that later in the week.

~ by brianseay on November 4, 2008.