Passions of the Soul

A different kind of tsunami

Please read about "The Silent Tsunami" Compassion's blog.  How much more would people in developing countries have, if the US government encouraged our farmers to produce all the crops they could, for food, rather than either paying farmers to limit their crops (I don't know if that's still done) or earmarking large quantities of some crops for use in creating bio-fuels.  So much of the world is starving, and we're using food crops to burn in our vehicles?

Have you followed that first link, above?  Did you read the post?  Did you notice this sentence:  Our children are feeling guilty for eating one meal a day.  Will you dare to let you heart be broken?

How many ways can you spend $32 in a month's time?  Could you give up a few little things, eat out one time fewer, to help one child in Bangladesh or Haiti?

Compassion International is not a new organization, having begun 55 years ago after the Korean War.  This organization is run with absolute integrity and works to develop a child in all areas of his or her life.  Your money is always used for its stated purpose.  CI is highly rated by several charity watchdog groups.  I've been to several student centers in one of the countries where we serve, and I can tell you that Compassion is helping to break the cycle of poverty for many, many children.

And yet, the current food crisis is taking a toll on even the children we serve.  If you cannot or don't wish to sponsor a child, but would like to do something to help, go to CI's website and look toward the bottom of your screen.  There you will see an invitation to donate to the Global food crisis fund.  Any amount will be welcome, any amount is needed, and it will be used as stated.  Thank you, and God bless you.

What's in a name?

According to this website, a total of 35 people in the U.S.A. share my first and last name combination.  Middle initials are not taken into account.  However, not to quibble over the URL of the website, there remains only one of me.  So there! thbbbppt!

Okay, I quibbled.  Sue me.

Global Day of Prayer

Until about four months ago, I had never heard of the Global Day of Prayer.  Yes, we have the National Day of Prayer, which occurred 10 days ago (May 1), but the GDOP began more recently.

I'm still a little fuzzy on the details, but I know it began in Africa in 2000, spread to all 56 nations in Africa, and in 2004, an invitation went out to the rest of the world to partner together in prayer.  You can read the full history, as I intend to do, today.  The whole idea is based on one of my favorite verses of scripture, in 2 Chronicles 7:14:

If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and seek my ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

We need to do this in this country, for this country and for ourselves.  I need to do this, for the country and for myself.  And for the world.

Did you know that Christians in Africa pray for America?  They see our materialism, our consumerism, our arrogant self-reliance, the way our society is systematically shutting God out; they see our stressed-out lives, that we don't know peace within our borders or ourselves, and they pray for us.  Thank God.  Somebody needs to pray for us!  We need to pray for us!

You can learn more about the GDOP here, and here, and read the prayer which is being prayed for the world today, May 10, 2008, in any of 39 languages.  And elsewhere on the GDOP site, you can read about the 90 Days of Blessing which will start tomorrow.

Many Christians in Tucson have been building toward this day, probably since the GDOP last year, and began 10 days of prayer on May 1 (the NDP).  The Tucson event will be held tonight, in one of the city parks; I understand that about 3,000 people participated last year.  I cannot be there tonight, because our Compassion Sunday begins, tonight, at my church, and I need to be there.  But two of the advocates on our southern Arizona team will host a Compassion table at the event, which is really exciting for us, too!

So if you're a praying person, there is much to pray for, today.  Our world, our country, and we ourselves are broken, and we need to turn to the Great Healer, our God, our Lord.

Expelled

I've now seen Ben Stein's film, Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed, and I cannot recommend it strongly enough.  It is a documentary and does not showcase the famous Ben Stein sardonic humor.  It is serious, both in tone and in import.  See it.

A challenge for you!

On Compassion's blog is a post about listening.  Read it, and then consider this challenge:

For one week (not less than one day!), listen to yourself, your spouse/significant other/family, listen to people around you wherever you are, wherever you go.  Listen for conversations, questions, statements, comments--anything that you would not hear among people who live in real poverty.

I read the post on Compassion's blog and immediately thought about some of the conversations at our house having to do with vacations.  Vacations give us a break from work and, depending on how we plan them, a chance to catch up on some rest, time to just sit and reflect, time to go deeper into God's Word, to watch in leisure as boats and sea planes go in and out of a bay...as we plan to do in June.  Vacations give us a chance to have some fun, whatever that means to an individual:  rock-climbing, surfing, deep-sea diving, kayaking, fishing, skiing...fill in the blanks for yourself.

But the poor never get a break from their poverty.  Even the children who are registered in a Compassion-assisted student center continue to live in their poverty. Yes, they receive a good meal, every day that they are at the center, as well as education assistance; health care, and nutrition assistance, as needed; a safe place to play and develop social skills; a life skill, which will enable them to provide for themselves and their families; many opportunities to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ and to learn the Word of God; and so much more.  Most of those who are sponsored will exchange letters, periodically, with their sponsors and receive small (to us) birthday and Christmas gifts.  But they go home to a very small structure, often very shaky, which typically houses far more people than can reasonably be accommodated.

The opposite of poverty is not wealth; the opposite of poverty is enough.  Anything more than that is more than we need, and we have a responsibility to share.  So take the challenge, thank God for all that you have and remember that, as we say at my church, "We are blessed to be a blessing."

Sugar

I have just made a momentous commitment to myself:  I'm going off all empty-calorie, sugary snacks.  I seem to go from one to another; for a while, I'll pig out every day on one favorite, until I take myself by the scruff* of the neck and make myself stop.  Before long, I'm onto a different favorite.

I Googled the question, "how does sugar affect arthritis" and looked over several pages of links, hoping for something fairly scholarly, as opposed to Cousin Ginny's "research" and personal experience...whoever Cousin Ginny might be.  In six or seven pages of links, I didn't find anything that looked directly applicable and reasonably reliable, but I did peruse one document that purported to tell all the ways sugar--especially the stuff that isn't a natural part of foods, like fructose--is harmful to our bodies.  Some of it I already knew; who hasn't heard that sugar will rot your teeth?  Some I hadn't heard, and I don't know if any of it was based in junk science, but it was convincing enough that I just threw out almost half a canister of my latest and greatest snack.

You might notice that I haven't identified any of my favorite sugar "fixes."  I would really hate for someone with a similar problem to read this post, with snacks named, and say, "Oooh, that sounds good!" and then go to the store and start pigging out on them.  I don't need that guilt.  Got enough of my own!

Who knows?  Maybe I'll lose weight more easily, too.

*Does anyone know what this is??

Compassion Sunday

Compassion International's biggest annual campaign is known as Compassion Sunday.  Last year, well over 21,000 children in poverty were sponsored through this campaign; the goal this year is 22,000.

The official date for Compassion Sunday, this year, is this Sunday, April 13 '08.  Many, many churches will be hosting CS's, this weekend, although many CS's will be held--and, indeed, have been held already--on other dates throughout the year.  But this weekend is big, in terms of getting close to our goal.  Today, many Compassion employees, volunteers and sponsors are observing a day of fasting and praying specifically for the thousands of children whose packets have been sent out to churches, and for all of the people attending those churches who will have the opportunity to "[release a child] from poverty in Jesus' name." 

If you are reading this, would like to sponsor a child and your church does not (yet) host Compassion Sunday, each year--perhaps never has--you can choose a child right here, anytime.  The cost is $32/month and frequent letter-writing; no, letters aren't exactly required, but if you want to sponsor a child without investing in building a relationship, Compassion may not be your best choice.  On the other hand, if you want to sponsor a child through an organization that is Christ-centered, child-focused, church-based and committed to integrity, but you legitimately will not have the time to build the relationship, you can choose to provide the financial end and either find a friend or family member to be the correspondent-sponsor, or ask Compassion to find such a person for you.  This is not uncommon, especially for large corporations that sponsor perhaps thousands of children, or for doctors and other people who legitimately do not have the time and may, in fact, sponsor many children (like a doctor I heard of who sponsored 100 kids; trust me--she's not going to be able to write letters to them!)

If you are a sponsor or become one and would like to hold a Compassion Sunday in your church, click on the link in the first paragraph of this post and read how to go about it.  You may also pose questions to me, here, or by e-mail.

Sponsoring a child, sharing life with him or her through letters, possibly visiting by traveling with Compassion, loving, encouraging, praying for, nurturing that child may change you in ways you never thought possible.  I know it's one of the best things I've ever done...the other "best thing I've ever done" is to advocate for children through Compassion.

Announcing...

First, my guest post is up at Compassion's own blog.  Reading it is not required, and there will be no quiz.  However, I have it on the authority of my friend Candy, at Compassion, that she laughed, and she cried, while reading it.  (One of my former graduate-school professors would have given me an A on it, simply because a reader was moved.)

Second, and very important, is a bulletin just in from Compassion:  April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month.  Compassion's board policy states:

Concern for children is the cornerstone upon which Compassion International has been built.  We are opposed to all forms of child abuse and exploitation and will do everything within our power to ensure that no harm comes to any child registered in our program due to his or her involvement in the ministry of Compassion International.

The bulletin goes on to define some ways in which workers in the field "safeguard children in Church Partner activities from all forms of abuse and exploitation...:

• Providing a positive and save environment for children that enables them to fulfill their potential;
• Engaging the active commitment of caring adults who surround them, to care for children with dignity, respect and integrity at all times;
• Preventing and/or reducing the risks of the incidence of abuse through enforcing policies, strategies and procedures on child protection;
• Educating children on the limits of acceptable behavior as it relates to physical, sexual and verbal abuse.

"As child advocates, our mandate is to ensure that all children in our care as well as those we come into contact with every day enjoy safe, loving and well protected lives thus releasing them to achieve their ultimate potential."

And anyone who thinks this is just a nice-sounding board-room policy needs to read Too Small to Ignore:  Why the Least of These Matters Most, by Dr. Wess Stafford, President and CEO of Compassion International.

Children of the world

I haven't written a post quite like this in quite a while.  Today, I received the Prayer Partner Newsletter from Compassion, and several of the requests for April really struck me.  The Newsletter is set up with one prayer request or praise for each day of the month.  All are important, but some get between my ribs, so to speak.  I want to share some with you.  We're praying for:

six-year-old Dariana, in Guatemala.  Her mother was hit by a car and killed, after dropping Dariana off at the child development center;

hundreds of families in Ecuador who have been affected by severe flooding.  Besides the losses of many homes, hundreds of Compassion-assisted children have contracted dengue fever or rotavirus;

a child in Nicaragua who was recently diagnosed with HIV.  [In Africa, Compassion would be able to step in and provide treatment for him, and other help for the family to prevent the spread of the virus.]  Please pray that the office staff will be able to find appropriate help for this boy;

50,000-plus sponsored children in Tanzania, many of whom have lost their parents or guardians to AIDS.

Bequer, 7, in Peru, who suffered leg injuries in an auto accident in which his brother was killed.

April 13 is the official Compassion Sunday (Compassion Sundays can be held anytime during the year, however).  Pray that thousands of children all over the world will find sponsors who will love, encourage and nurture them as they are released from poverty in Jesus' name!

Pray for the family of two children in Bolivia, whose mother needs surgery for arthritis.  They face eviction, because she has no money.

Pastor Jose, in El Salvador, whose church runs a Compassion-assisted child-development center.  This pastor faces financial struggles and gang threats.

Many children in Kenya have been scarred by sights of looting, killings and angry people carrying machetes through streets and neighborhoods.

Ten-year-old Anthony, in Ecuador, suffered third-degree burns on his legs and may not walk again, unless God heals him.

A 12-year-old boy in Guatemala has been diagnosed with leukemia.

April 25 is World Malaria Day.  While we praise God for those who have supported Compassion's Malaria Intervention Fund, we also pray for help in combatting this deadly disease.  And please consider contributing to this fund:  $10 pays for an insecticide-treated bed net and other assistance.

Pray also for children in child development centers in Rwanda's western province; an earthquake there left more than 1000 families homeless.

And, of course, if you are interested in sponsoring a child in any of 24 countries, please go here!  All it takes is $32 per month, a caring heart and a willingness to pray for and correspond with a child in poverty, encouraging, nurturing and loving that child as she or he is released from poverty in Jesus' name.  I have seen the work of Compassion in the field, and I know it works!

The Gospel According to John (NT)

On Easter, our pastors wrapped up a great sermon series on the "I AM" statements of Jesus.  I often think back to something I heard my dear, dear friend and former college adviser Reuben Welch say, long ago:  that "we don't take as seriously as we ought the words of Jesus," and I think he was right.  This series, though, focused on some of the biggest statements Jesus made, because--as was repeated each weekend in the recent series--every time Jesus began a statement with the words, "I AM," He was invoking the name God used for Himself (Exodus 3:14, and elsewhere).  So Jesus was saying, "I, God, AM..." and completed the sentence with various statements about Himself.  Of course, he risked being stoned to death for blasphemy, but God had another plan.

But I really started this post to write about something else.  I have a scribbled note on a piece of scrap paper that has stayed in my Bible for three, maybe four years, from a time when I was reading through the Gospel according to John.

In 13:23, John refers to "the disciple whom Jesus loved...."  He is generally thought to be referring to himself, here and elsewhere (see 19:26; 20:2; 21:7,20).  My NIV* study note on this verse explains that, of course, the reference does not "mean that Jesus did not love the others, but that there was a special bond with this man"; i.e., presumably John.

I think that is a true statement.  In 19:26, Jesus brings John and Mary, the mother of Jesus, together, and v. 27 tells us that, that same day, the disciple took Mary into his home.

But I have never forgotten one of my reactions, back in the '70s, when I watched the film Godspell.  After the "Jesus" character had gathered the various individuals into his band of disciples, I watched his reaction with one person after another.  At first, I would think, "Oh, that's his favorite," but then he'd turn around and interact with another one, and I would say, "No, wait...that's his favorite!"  Finally, I realized that he saw each one as a very special individual, and loved him (or her, in the movie).

So, back to John:  I wrote down two questions, which I have answered for myself, and I'll leave my one or two readers to do the same:

1.  Could it not be that John was so aware of Christ's love for him that that awareness was just always there, forever a part (or the foundation) of John's sense of who he was?

2.  Doesn't God have a way of making each of His children feel special, as if "He's always liked me best!"?  Not because any of us deserves His all-encompassing love, grace and mercy, but just because that's the way He is?

When I taught freshman composition classes, I admonished students not to end an essay with an unanswered question.  I'm sure none of them is reading this, however, and I'm leaving not one, but two questions.  So there!

*New International Version

An invitation

Compassion International has a blog, maybe a month old, now.  I've been keep my eye on it, since I first learned of it, and frequently leave a comment.

Because I leave comments, and because I blog about Compassion (among other topics), I've been invited to submit a guest post!  So I've been working on that, instead of posting, here.

There was no real restriction on what I might write about, except that it should somehow, subtly or directly, answer the question, "Why Compassion?"  The invitation included an "of course" that I should "plug" my own blog, in the process of whatever I might write about.  Well, shoot--I have no trouble giving reasons to the question, "Why Compassion"!  And I did address it, somewhat directly, but my primary question (and the title) is "Why me, God?" I couldn't find a way to plug this blog, though, largely because, while I want loads of readers and would love some more that would leave comments, I wasn't comfortable with going out of my way to say, "Hey, there's this great blog, over here!"  And that wouldn't have fit into the context, anyway.

When my submission is posted, I'll post the link here.

HE'S ALIVE!!

I am republishing this post from last year.  The good news continues to be that the tomb is empty!  He is risen, as he said!

                                                                 *  *  *

The pain, the grief, the loneliness, the loss of hope embodied in Good Friday is past!  He's alive!  The tomb is empty!  He's alive!

. . .

Those aren't just the whispered "headlines" of 2000 years ago.  I believe in the resurrection.  But I don't believe merely in the resurrection of history.  And I don't believe in either the historical resurrection of Jesus or the many ways in which resurrection takes place every day, merely because the Bible tells me Jesus was raised from the dead; not merely because it's what I was taught from the crib, up; not merely because today is the day we call Easter and people celebrate it in all kinds of ways:  some religious, some spiritual (and sometimes, those two overlap), some very commercial.  I don't even believe in His resurrection merely because scripture says He appeared to some 500 people between his resurrection and His ascension, although I believe that's true.

I believe in resurrection, I believe Jesus is alive (alive!!) because I see His transforming power in other people's lives, even as I experience it in my own life.  But consider one of the smaller books of the New Testament:  the Epistle of James.  This is James, the half-brother of Jesus.  This James was a skeptic, during Jesus' ministry.  He ridiculed and criticized Jesus.  And after Jesus' death and resurrection, James became, in fact, the leader of the fledgling church.  That requires transformation--not merely behavior modification, but transformation.  "Be transformed by the renewing of your mind...."  And consider Peter, that rough, somewhat uncouth fisherman who became one of the most powerful preachers, after the Holy Spirit had come and changed him.  That's transformation.

Five and a half years ago, I walked into my church for the first time.  I had been undergoing transformation for a year or more, thanks to the tape ministry of my sister's church.  Some behaviors, some habits I had thoroughly failed to change, on my own, began to fall away, as I learned to release them to the One who could transform me.

Soon after I began attending, I sensed God saying to me, "I'm doing a new thing in you."  First, of course, I had to try getting involved as I had been involved in church for much of my life, although I realized soon enough that that wasn't God's idea.  Then I waited for months on end to learn what He did have in mind.  Once I caught on, my whole outlook changed.  I learned, for the first time in over 50 years, what it was like to wait, to trust, to be guided by God into His plan for me, rather than to decide what I wanted to do and hope He would bless it.  Much better, His way.

Mostly, though, I believe--I know--that Jesus Christ is alive because He has made Himself so real to me, many times and in many ways.  If He isn't absolutely real to you, He can change that.  Just ask Him.

The tomb is empty; so what?  What difference does that make to you?  He's alive!  What does that mean in your life today?  What will it mean tomorrow?  This week?  What will it mean in mine?

Remembering His death

The tradition in which I was raised generally took us from Palm Sunday straight to Easter, with no particular notice of Maundy Thursday and/or Good Friday.  Then I spent several years in a different tradition and had my awareness raised.

Still, for a couple of days this week, I've wondered why, in fact, we accommodate these in-between days.  We remember the death of Jesus each time we take communion, which, for some of us, is every week.  This year, I think my church did a Seder, last night; I didn't go, tho'.

Yesterday, a sweet-looking woman came to our door.  When I answered, she held out a single-sheet invitation and reinforced it orally.  It was an invitation to "the Memorial."  I played dumb:

"Whose memorial?" I asked.

"Well, it's for Him."

Clearly, I knew who it was for; the art work depicted the bowed head of Jesus, wearing the crown of thorns.  But something inside felt weird--sad, maybe, as though calling the service a "memorial" kept Him in the grave.

"Thank you," I replied, "but I celebrate His resurrection."

"Well, yes, of course . . . but His death is so very important!"

I ended the conversation with this:  "Without the resurrection, He'd just be one more dead body.  I hope you come to know Him personally."  I was smiling and being, I hoped, reasonably friendly.

By the way, I relate this conversation only as background.  I am not bragging; I'm not at all sure my response to her was a good one.  I'm pretty sure it wasn't the best, but I don't know what that would have been.  All I can tell you is that, in the past, I would simply have said, while closing the door, "No, we're not interested."  I'm quite sure that is not the best response!

I don't know exactly what came over me.  A lot of churches, Protestant and Catholic, have Good Friday services; why shouldn't the Jehovah Witnesses?  That's when I started wondering why we have them.  And yet, something happened to me a number of years ago, while working in a church office. I took a bulletin into the church to leave it on the organ.  It was Good Friday, and the altar had been prepared for that:  no "table cloth," and black chiffon, or something similar, covered the candlesticks.  I was struck, head to toe, with a sense of deep sadness.  I thought about the disciples and Jesus' mother and closest friends, and how utterly bereft they would have felt, that day.  I knelt to pray, and was struck again with that same sense of being bereft.  How could I talk to Him, in that in-between time, between His death and His resurrection?  And I knew the resurrection was coming!  Imagine how lost they felt, back then!

I think that experience was important, for me.  At the same time, I haven't wanted to repeat it, every year.  Yes, the torture and death of the One who knew no sin, on our behalf, is vitally important to our salvation; but when God raised Jesus from the grave, He defeated the power of sin and death in our lives, now, and forever.  We need only to accept His gift and believe in Him.  He provided the way for our reconciliation to God, and that is worth celebrating!

But then today, I went to Compassion's website to visit the online store.  A message contained in a box stated that Compassion offices were closed today to honor the sacrifice Jesus made for us.  And my heart said, "That's why!"

Facing troubles with faith, not fear

This is not a post about something I have mastered.  Not even close.   But the concept intrigues me, and I want to explore it.

What is your first inclination, when someone threatens your name, your reputation, your relationships?  Spreads false rumors about you?  Blames you for something that is not your fault?  Takes undue advantage of you? I know what mine is:  Defend!  Fight back! Get even!  Prove my case!

In Exodus 13:17 - 14:31 we have the story of Moses' leading the Israelites across the so-called Red Sea.  Pharoah, who had had a bellyful of plagues and ordered Moses to take the Israelites out of Egypt (which, of course, Moses had been asking to do), changed his mind and gave chase.  The Israelites were camped by the sea, when they saw Pharoah and his army coming toward them.  Terrified, they began blaming Moses for taking them out of the relative safety of slavery and leading them to their "certain" death in the desert.

Moses did not cry, "Every able-bodied man, woman and child to his post!  Take up arms!  Fight to the death!"  No.  Because he had been following God's instructions, every step of the way, he knew what to say:

Don't be afraid.  Stand firm.  Watch God work your deliverance.  Be quiet.  Don't be afraid!  Are you nuts?!  Do you know what's happening??

Be quiet!  Not my style!  "The best defense is a strong offense!"  "Do unto him before he does unto you!"

Don't fear.  Stand firm.  Don't compromise, run away, or fight.  Give God space to work, and watch.  Keep silent.

For me, that's nothing short of radical.  I will note that this passage does not say anything about being quiet and praying.  About praying when you're afraid.  But I can't imagine myself trying to follow this pattern without praying, constantly:  Father, be my strength to stand firm, to be quiet and just watch you work--or to wait, when I can't see what you're doing.  Give me the courage not to fight.  Let me see your power as you do what I could not do in a million years or with an army of thousands.  And give me a quiet spirit, one that doesn't scream, or argue, or make demands, or threaten.

Come to think of it, I need to start praying that now.  I never know when I'll need it!

As Kenya calms...

I'm about three weeks late with this reference, but--having looked over the list of prayer requests at this link--I believe every one of them is still needed.  Please continue to pray for Kenya, for all of God's work going on, over there, including Compassion's.  Pray also for all Kenyans who participated in the violence, that their hearts will be changed through Jesus Christ and they will participate in peaceful resolution, instead.

Praise!!--I have received a letter from Rebecca!  She and her family are okay, and she is continuing her studies at the university.  Thank you, Father!

Better news on Allie!

You can read about her latest venture out for a little fun.  My word, she's cute!  But she, Charity, Bryon and Susan still need our prayers--always. 

Mondok blog

I have posted a number of times about little Allie, grandparents Bryon and Susan, and mom Charity.  I'm linking to Bryon's blog; he's crying out for prayer support for all of them.  Please lift them up, and thanks.

Advocates in southern Arizona

I've talked before about Compassion's Advocates Network, about conferences and other related topics.  Most likely, I have made reference, somewhere along the line, to my serving as the Area Coordinator (AC; i.e., team leader) for southern Arizona advocates (i.e., v-o-l-u-n-t-e-e-r-s).  When I was named AC, almost a year ago, we were a team of six people.  Mark Gehri, our Regional Relationships Manager, and I had some conversation before he announced me as the AC about whether our team should be reabsorbed into the team in the Phoenix area.  We decided to keep our team separate and pray that God would draw people of His choosing into our ministry.  It's a good thing we did.

At the time of the Advocates conference at the beginning of August, 2007, the Network was about 1,000 to 1100 strong, where it had hovered for a few years.  Every year, a couple hundred people would respond to a mailing from Compassion to sponsors, but along the way, about the same number would drop out, for one reason or another. We were told that the campaign for 2007/2008 would be "Join Me," and we were all asked to pray diligently that God would call more people into the ministry of child advocacy through Compassion.

The mailer went out in August or early September, and the applications and requests for same began to come in...tsunami fashion!  I think we all stopped praying for more people by the end of September:  Those who work at the Global Ministry Center (GMC) in Colorado Springs were praying for strength and for help; the rest of us began praying for them!

As of early last week, we had 1,868 people in the Network.  Don't ever tell me God doesn't answer prayer!  That is positively unprecedented growth.  Yes, the tide has slowed way down, but they're still coming in.  Last night, I had an e-mail from someone who had read my blog, had seen that I am an advocate.  He e-mailed me to express his interest in joining and asked some questions.  I like that.  If you sponsor a child through Compassion and feel a pull on your heart to be more involved, please feel free to do as that person did and e-mail me.  Or go to the Network link, above, and read about it.  You can complete and submit the application online, if you wish.

By the way, our southern Arizona team currently stands at 15, with the possibility that three more more will join us in the next few weeks.  That will mean our team has tripled since the end of September.

I keep wondering why, all of a sudden, God has added so many to our ranks.  Is it simply because we asked, so He said, "Oh, well...okay, if you're sure"?  I don't think so.  I believe with all my heart that He intends to use each of us to spread the word about sponsorship, child advocacy (in or out of the Network), about God's mandate to all of His people to care for the widows and children, the poor, the oppressed...the least of these.  More than 2,000 verses in the Bible have to do with children and the poor.  I have come to believe that we dare not ignore them! 

Prayer needs

Blogger friend Beverly left a comment on the previous post about a young wife and mother who is in the hospital--has been there for some time, now.  She has Cystic Fibrosis, and is now on the list for a lung transplant.  Her husband and baby girl need her well, strong and with them, so please pray for them.  You can read more about them here.

Beverly's own granddaughter also has CF.  You can read a lot about precious little Ella, and see pictures of her incredible little self, here.  Ella is doing so well, but with CF, prayer is always appropriate.

Prayer needs and praises, updated

Reading some information about my friends' grandbaby, I realized I hadn't updated the requests and praises, lately.  So...

Ken is about half-way through his radiation treatments and is doing very well on them, with few of the anticipated side effects.  That's a praise!  He still has the remaining treatments to go, of course, and prayers for his continued endurance, lessening side effects, and gaining strength are needed.

Ken and Jeannine's newest grandbaby, Abigail, is making great strides, better than expected, for one born so darned early.  We praise God for bringing her along as well as He has and is, and pray that He'll keep her from getting any more infections, while in the hospital.  Also, issues of optimal weight gain (without use of a feeding tube) and breathing are factors in when she can come home.  If weight were the only factor, it appears that she would go home very soon, as she is at just under 5 lbs., now.

So many things are possible with a preemie as young as Abby, but God knows how to grow babies to be strong.  I keep hearing that children who were preemies have strong personalities; with a body to go with it, Abby could be one formidable little girl for her mommy and daddy to deal with! :o)

Different family:  Miriam, who was supposed to have had back surgery last Friday morning, was surprised to learn on arrival at the hospital that it had been rescheduled.  At this point, she is to report at some unearthly hour like 5 a.m. this Friday morning!  Please keep her in prayer, too.

Little Allie continues with various therapeutic modalities.  She no longer looks like a little baby, either!  She, Bryon and Susan, and Charity all need continued prayer.

One of the Compassion Advocates on our team is Hans, who is getting ready to graduate from college.  Hans has been fighting a recurring gastrointestinal problem for several months, and it has defied every doctor he has seen.  Please pray that God will heal Hans and given him the strength and presence of mind that he needs to finish his coursework and graduate.

And then there is Kenya.  Compassion's children are scattered all over, so many of them displaced by the violence that has robbed them of homes and belongings.  Compassion Kenya continues as best they can to care for all of the children who can be located, but conditions are even more heartbreaking than usual...which is saying a lot.  If you want to help, you might consider making a donation to Compassion's Disaster Relief Fund; in a comment section, you can specify that you want your funds to be used to help in Kenya, although there are other areas in need of assistance, as well.  And, of course, if you want to change the world for a child in poverty, in Jesus' name, you can do that here.  While you're praying for Kenya, please remember Rebecca, who is in the Leadership Development Program, there, and whom we sponsor.

MORE UPDATE:    I previous wrote about Tom and Karen, and her journey through diagnosis, surgery and treatment for endometrial cancer.  She finished her chemo' treatments sometime in January, I think, or early February.  Tom and Karen like to come to Arizona, now and then to do some hiking on snow-free ground, and this is their weekend to be in Tucson.  They came to church, this morning, so we got to visit a little bit afterward.  Karen looks great, and as far as they know, she is free of cancer.  They will appreciate prayers, however, as she will have a three-month checkup in April.  Praise God for having brought her through treatment as well as He did!