Thailand

Thailand is a beautiful country. So lush...so green. In August 2004, I took a two hour bus drive outside of Chiang Mai to visit a Compassion International project in the jungle. The roads were barely drivable, with potholes the size of lawnmowers and ruts that tires sank halfway into. Had the roads been better, the trip may have taken only 45 minutes. We drove by the rice fields where workers--men, women and children--were working in the humid summer heat to make sure they had food for the next season.
Once we arrived, I met this little guy. He lives in a tiny village of a little over 1000 people. Compassion assists nearly 200 kids there. Each week they are cared for, looked after, discipled, get help with their studies, a hot meal, and lessons in hygiene. It's a great program. Look at this little boy's face. That's the face of a happy child...a healthy child. Not what you'd expect to see of a child living in extreme poverty.

I met this mother
raising four children in her wood hut of a home. The house is built on stilts because every year, during the rainy season, a good portion of the village floods...her house included. I sat on the floor of her home, made of scraps of wood, and listened (through an interpreter) as she told us how Compassion's program has made a difference in her children's lives. They know the Lord. They are healthy. They are getting an education. Three things the mother deemed vital, but certainly unattainable without Compassion's help. She was a strong woman...and impressive woman who was doing all she could for her children. A good mother.

Children playing on the playground equipment at the Compassion project.

A girl in the classroom at a Compassion project.

A boy gets a hot meal at a Compassion project. Many of the 800,000 children that Compassion ministers to around the world get their one and only hot meal at a Compassion project. This little guy was the last to finish his plate. He was so methodical about the way he ate...taking his time. He seemed to want to savor every bite. What a cutie.

Kenya

A boy in Kenya displays his "soccer ball" made of scraps of cloth, string and newspapers, tied extremely tightly. I was amazed at not only how well the ball bounced, but how good these kids were on the field playing with it. It was a sight to see.



A family of six (mother, father, four children) lives in this mud hut in the middle of a cornfield in Kisumu, Kenya. It was nearing dinner time and the mother grabbed a bag with six slices of bread in it. She pulled out four pieces...one for each child and one for herself. That was dinner. Oh, how painful to watch this family suffer! But the mother told us that, because of Compassion International's help, her children were learning skills so they could get jobs one day--and break the cycle of poverty. They were also getting hot meals, dental checkups and learning about a God who loves them very much.

One thing that struck me most about these children was how beautiful they all are. Their eyes are bright...their smiles brilliant...their skin so smooth. Conversely, they couldn't help but stare at me...the hairy white man. Kids played with the hairs on my arm...and ran their fingers through my light brown hair. They were so loving, cuddly, and eager to have their pictures taken. I, of course, was happy to oblige.

Bolivia

This is Rosicela. She lives in Bolivia. I took this picture shortly after she met her sponsor through Compassion International. He bought her a stuffed moose. Several months ago, he sent her a birthday gift that allowed her to buy this beautiful dress. She was so proud to be able to wear it the day her sponsor arrived. When the other children in her project saw Rosicela in her new beautiful dress, they gathered around her and held up the skirt in awe.


This little guy was on his way home from school when I snapped this pic. Through Compassion International's ministry, children like Paulo are able to get after-school tutoring and education about hygiene. Compassion also feeds the kids at their projects. For many, it's the only meal they'll get that day. Paulo lives in extreme poverty. But he has opportunities his parents never dreamed of, because of the commitment of a Compassion sponsor.


I was so impressed with this young lady. 11 years old and she was working hard. She was doing her chores around the house when we arrived...cleaning laundry (can you imagine having to wash your family's clothes--two brothers, mom and dad and yourself--like this? As soon as she finished the laundry, she started cleaning house. She was very efficient! She takes care of all these chores each day after returning from school.