"The King will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me. Matthew 25:40
Our family has over the years supported kids through the Compassion International program. We have seen first hand what a great program this is for all children who are sponsored.The children in this program are the most vulnerable, but through the help of Compassion they are given a meal and an education and the hope of Christ in their life.
Today I read the latest Compassion magazine which highlighted the dangers of being a disabled child in a third world country. In this article I learned that having a disability in a third world country is often seen by family members as a curse on them. Sadly, there are families that will abandoned their child along the road like someone might toss out refuse.
I learned some other facts: 80% of people with disabilities live in developing countries; 85-95% percent of people worldwide who need wheelchairs don't have them. Special needs may cause children to suffer discrimination, abuse and EXPLOITATION. These children are more at risk of violence. I learned this fact when I traveled to Guatemala 3 years ago with a group of guys doing construction work at the Oasis girls home. At this one home I learned of a young girl who looked like our daughter, had a disability like our daughter who had been sent to the Oasis home when her family could not provide for her special needs. I was told by the director that the family had plans on putting her on the street corner where she would beg for a living.
I learned some other facts: 80% of people with disabilities live in developing countries; 85-95% percent of people worldwide who need wheelchairs don't have them. Special needs may cause children to suffer discrimination, abuse and EXPLOITATION. These children are more at risk of violence. I learned this fact when I traveled to Guatemala 3 years ago with a group of guys doing construction work at the Oasis girls home. At this one home I learned of a young girl who looked like our daughter, had a disability like our daughter who had been sent to the Oasis home when her family could not provide for her special needs. I was told by the director that the family had plans on putting her on the street corner where she would beg for a living.
I learned some other facts about the role of nutrition. Poverty links to disability through low birth weight, malnutrition, lack of safe water, and unsafe work and living conditions. Malnutrition raises the risks of respiratory, neurological and cognitive problems. Nearly 700 million school age children worldwide lack IODINE leading to the greatest preventable cause of mental disabilities.
Poverty in these third world countries are different than poverty in America, Young people in third worl countries lack the basic needs for survival while young people in America complain if they can't get the latest Ipod or Ipad.
After reading these statistics I am convinced that supporting a child through the Compassion international program is the right thing to do. For the cost of eating out just once a month we can provide for the basic needs of one child and for the cost of eating out twice we can provide for two children. for many years our family supported two children in the Compassion program. I learned one more thing as it pertains to our deceased daughter.
. Our daughter was able to enjoy several years of high quality of life because of her adoption by our family. There was no doubt that had she not been adopted by our family she probably would have died by the age of 5 or even less because of her very significant respiratory problems which only got treated after coming home to America.
She gave us unsurpassed joy being part of our family and while we wished she was still with us we know that one day when the gates of heaven open to us that we will once again see her again.
. Our daughter was able to enjoy several years of high quality of life because of her adoption by our family. There was no doubt that had she not been adopted by our family she probably would have died by the age of 5 or even less because of her very significant respiratory problems which only got treated after coming home to America.
She gave us unsurpassed joy being part of our family and while we wished she was still with us we know that one day when the gates of heaven open to us that we will once again see her again.
I encourage you to look at the video above and ask yourself what part you can have to help kids with special needs through the Compassion International program. Like it did for our family I know your family will be forever changed for the better as you get to know your sponsored child with your letters and your donations. The child you support may one day come to know Christ as their Savior and Lord of their life and will be placed on a path that wouldn't be possible without this great organization.
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