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.