Compassion Bloggers are in Uganda!

Although I wish it were me, I am excited about what these bloggers are going to be sharing from across the ocean. This is the 5 year anniversary of Compassions first trip partnering with the blogging community. This is exciting to me since from these visits thousands of kids have gotten sponsored and are now able to have regular meals, schooling, AND find out about the love of Christ through Compassion……just by reading a blog post.

Meet the Bloggers Bound For Uganda January 27-31 Joy Wilson (aka Joy The Baker) has tattoos and a sweet tooth. What's not to like? She's an author, podcaster and blogger who writes more personably than so many of her food-blogging peers. Get to know Joy here. Jeff Goins is a writer who teaches and inspires others to be writers. He's the author ofWrecked and The In-Between and a sought after communicator. And he owns a bow tie. Read more about Jeff here. Myquillyn Smith (aka The Nester) is a home blogger... but not really. She subversively and warmly uses conversation about decor to talk about family, beauty, priorities, creativity and faith. She hates to fly but is boarding a plane with us for the second time. She wrote beautifully in 2012 fromTanzania. More about Myquillyn here. Emily P Freeman is the author ofA Million Little Ways andGrace For The Good Girl. Emily wrote so compellingly for Compassion from thePhilippines in 2011 and this time around she'll be sharing a room and malaria meds with her sister, Myquillyn. Learn more about Emilyhere.

It is easy to get caught up in the project side of blogging and forget one of the real reasons I started to blog. To include Jesus in a way that would inspire others to want to get to know HIM and to help others.  

So this is one of the easiest ways to help someone. Sponsor a child. 

 It is only $38 a month. 

That is like giving up your Starbucks Double Mocha Latte Caramel Machiatto each day (Don't go asking for one of these, I just made it up). Can you give that up??? Now I know that may be a "Heck No" or other verbiage that would mean the same thing. I get it. I like my fun things too. 

But for us it is really just coffee……

for a little sweet girl on the other side of the world….

it means life.

so please consider sponsoring a child

Click on this link:

http://www.compassion.com/sponsor_a_child/default.htm?referer=133530

 and it will lead you straight to all the beautiful faces waiting for sponsorship.

The goal for this trip is to get 400 sweeties sponsored so let's do this!

You can follow along by visiting here:

http://compassionbloggers.com/trips/uganda-2014/

and you can follow them on Twitter:

#compassionbloggers

Thank you in advance for stepping out in faith and love.

Always being renewed,

I have a Voice....

What does this picture say to you when you first see it? 

The first thing I noticed were this child's eyes. They are direct and intense. 

This little person is communicating a message using his/her eyes because you can't see their mouth. They are hiding it as if they are ashamed by their state of dress. 

We get all up in arms if our kids don't match their clothing, if they decide to wear stripes and polka dots at the same time. WE have a choice in what our kids wear. Actually if truth be told, we probably have 50 choices of what they will wear....all manner of combinations can be had at our house for sure.

I'm pretty sure he/she only has one....every day.

What he can't say is this....

"I can have a voice if you will sponsor me."

What does sponsorship mean? I am so excited to tell you because you can literally change a child's VOICE and HEART FOREVER through child sponsorship.

It only cost $38/month to sponsor a child. This is what it covers:

Start Sponsoring a Child Today!

Your tax-deductible contribution of just $38 a month connects your child with a loving, church-based Child Sponsorship Program.  

Your support provides:

• Food and clean water
• Medical care
• Educational opportunities
• Important life-skills training
• Most important of all, your sponsored child will hear about Jesus Christ and be encouraged to develop a lifelong relationship with God.

When you sponsor a child, you'll receive your child's photo, personal story and a child sponsorship packet by mail in approximately 15 days.

When children find out they've been sponsored, the joy they feel is indescribable. Just knowing that someone across the globe cares means more than you can imagine. Sponsoring a child will profoundly change the future for your child, and will change your own life as well.

We sponsor two children through Compassion International. Our kiddos names are Mauricio and Madahungwa. They are our kids from Nicaragua and Rwanda. Their parents earn about $9/month. Yes you read that right. $9/month. We love getting letters from our kids and seeing the drawings they take the time to make and send us. We write back to them using email so it couldn't be easier. We can upload photos and send fun background paper. My girls love picking out the paper. It has truly become a family effort. We all read the letter together and we learn about the other country. Our kids have connections to other cultures and it allows them to develop compassion for others. 

The greatest part about our letters and pictures is seeing our sponsored kids blossom. Their first picture was much like the little guy/girl above. No smile....intense eyes from daily shame and poverty.

Each picture showed them opening up a little more. Their stance is less guarded...more relaxed.  Jesus always met need first, then the people were able to hear his message and love set them free. 

I cried the first time I received a photo where Mauricio smiled. 

It wasn't big.....but it was there. 

Now we see eyes with a little spark.

White teeth poke through the lips.

 Hands are not idle or covering their face but busy doing school work and enriching their community through education.

Compassion's goal for Blog Month is to have 3160 children sponsored! If each one of my readers sponsored a child that would be approximately 360 kids given food, clothes, important medical attention and the ability to hear and experience Christ's love first hand!

Please visit the Compassion website and sponsor a child...or two. The absolute hardest thing will not be missing your coffee money....it will be choosing from all the beautiful faces of the children waiting.

 And even better?

 Your life will be changed as well.

Always being renewed,

Please see the link party page to see where I link arms with those blissfully beautiful bloggers that host every week. So gracious they are along with these other sweet ladies!

Read more at http://diyshowoff.com/2013/04/01/that-diy-party-10/#xgMAcRCgRocl5vmh.99