Passions of the Soul

Let Me Be Clear

Every time I'm on Facebook, in 5 minutes of scrolling slowly down the page, I can see two or three different pro-life posts. Some of them, I share. Sometimes, what I have seen or read before Sharing upsets me so much that I rant, just a little. So let me be clear.

I am a "recovering" pro-choicer. For many years, I considered myself pro-choice--never pro-abortion, but pro-choice. My position changed somewhat slowly, over a period of a few years. I was never in a position of being faced with having to make that choice, and I'm so glad, because I might have made the wrong one. I would like to think not, but I was inclined to accept the lie that "it's just a piece of tissue." Of course, even if that were true (which it is not), well before 12 weeks, that little guy or gal is definitely not "just a piece of tissue."

But before I go on, let me be clearer still: I neither think of nor treat this topic as the political football it wrongly became, long ago. For me it is apolitical--simply and clearly a moral/spiritual matter. It is a choice!

Even before I began moving toward a pro-life position, I heard the stories, often amid sobs, of women who had had legal abortions many years earlier, and they were still suffering the emotional fall-out. I listened to them in a variety of settings, saw and felt their deep grief, guilt and shame--not the shame put on them by a backward society, but because they grieved the choice they had made.

But--dear God, have mercy!--if an early-term abortion causes such grief for so many years, what must it do to a woman to think about the actual procedure of a late-term abortion? Partially delivering a viable baby, and then puncturing the base of the brain and withdrawing the contents? Don't tell me this is not worthy of Hitler's worst "experiments"! Don't tell me this is not cold-blooded murder! 

If you're into statistics, check out http://tinyurl.com/7fxac4 (Movement for a Better America). Some of the statistics: Total U.S. abortions 1967 - 2011 = 54,900,000
    U.S. abortions per live births = 265/100
    African-American babies aborted 1973 - 2011 = 17,653
    Suicide rate among women following a live birth = 5.9/100,000
    Suicide rate among women following abortion = 34.7/100,000
    Increased risk of breast cancer in women following abortion of first pregnancy = 100%
    Increased risk of breast cancer in women with two abortions = 300%
    Increased risk of breast cancer in "women" under 18 (our teenaged daughters) = 150%

And from Wikipedia: We have lost a combined total of 632,920 Americans in WWI, WWII, Korea, VietNam, Afghanistan ('01 through 2011) and Iraq, and we honor and remember them with gratitude and thanksgiving, today. Yet we allow the chosen, intentional killings of about 1.2 million babies every year! Where are those who parade, shout, carry signs and engage in violence in their protests against the wars? Why do they not protest the intentional deaths of the wee ones who cannot defend themselves?

Let me be very clear: I am on a rant. I am on a tear. I will find a more active role in the fight to end this outrage against women, against our teenaged daughters, and against our unborn children--truly, the "least of these." I cannot tread softly, anymore, so as not to offend anyone. Yes, I am a Christian, a Christ-follower, an (gasp!) evangelical. This is another application of my call to advocate for children, to "speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves" (Proverbs 31:8). I will not shut up. I will not go away. Is that clear?

"Drop Jesus to Appeal to More People!"

That was, in essence, the recommendation of marketing consultants to the executive leadership team of Compassion International, some years back. But the executive leadership team, being made up of believers who really believe, did just the opposite.

At that time, the "tagline," or whatever it might have been called at the time, said simply, "Releasing children from poverty." No "Jesus" there, just in the Mission Statement, the 4C's of Compassion, and in the day-to-day work of releasing children from poverty. So what did these executive-types do with the recommendation?

They changed all of their marketing materials, letterhead, business cards--everything that the old line appeared on was changed, all the way to the sign in front of the building. The line now reads, "Releasing children from poverty in Jesus' name"! Read why and how, and the affect on the children and their families, when they are loved, developed and cared for in Jesus' name. Shaun Groves has laid it all out beautifully.

Oh--the Epilogue: Compassion International has done nothing but grow, in sponsorships (phenomenal growth!) and financial support, in the years since that infamous recommendation was made . . . even through our Great Recession, from which we are still recovering.

Tanzania! (Updated)

See the two widgets in the right sidebar? They're new, just added, because some Compassion bloggers are on a trip to see Tanzania--more specifically, to see Compassion-assisted children and some of the student centers, the Compassion Tanzania country office, and probably a few sights. They might even do some work for a project, while they're there. Each blogger will be writing about the experience and sharing photos, every day. Some posts will bring smiles, some tears, possibly other emotions, as well. To follow their experiences, click on the top widget.

I wish I were with them. I sponsor two girls in TZ, Tausi (15 yrs.) and Warda (7). I'm not hopeful that the bloggers will get as far south as they would need, to have a hope of seeing either of my girls or their projects, but if I were there, I would move heaven, earth, and the gates of Hades to go see them!

We sponsor children in 9 different countries, in every region except South America. Tanzania is the only country from which I ever receive photos (other than bi-annual photo updates) of my girls, showing or wearing gifts for which we have sent money. So while we love all of the children we sponsor, Tanzania is especially close to my heart. (But, then, so is the Dominican Republic, where I have two girls and have visited; and Rwanda, where I sponsor a girl; and Kenya, and . . . sigh.)

Sponsoring has eternity woven through and written all over it. Sponsoring a child through Compassion International is one of the best investments you can make; it's a way to send money ahead, as Randy Alcorn says (Managing God's Money)--storing up treasures for yourself in heaven. Your sponsored child will also have many opportunities to receive Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord and will be discipled, while also being developed in every identifiable area of life. And (back to earth, now), usually around 12 or 13 years of age, she or he will begin to learn at least one life skill, helping to provide some income for her or his family. 

I know about our economy in the U.S. Trust me--it's a heckuva lot better than the economies these kids live in. Please consider sponsoring a child in Tanzania. Just click on the smaller of the two widgets and choose your child.

Please. So many children struggle to survive, often having not even one meal a day. You can change the story for one child, today. Please.

Grace Gift in My Life: Reuben

I have edited this blog post on 5/24/2012 to add the photo of Reuben; I don't know the exact date it was taken, but it is very recent.
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Today is Father's Day, and social networking sites are filled with good wishes and statements of love and gratitude to dads, some of whom have gone on ahead. I love to read those, especially when they give any example of what made Dad stand out for them. But they also make me aware of a hole in my life, and that has come into sharp relief, yesterday and today. 

Several months after my parents divorced, my dad left the state we lived in, never to return. I wish I could tell you that his going was a terrible loss--and in some ways, it was, only because I was nine years old and daddies are not supposed to go away, forever. But, in some instances, it's better that they do where there has been abuse, chaos caused by addictions, mental illness, or whatever; and yes, sometimes healing takes place and some degree of reconciliation may be possible. Reconciliation was not possible, for us, and Dad's going away forever was best. But this post is not about him.

Sometimes, at least, God brings other people into the life of a child with only one parent, or with parents who have such severe problems that they can not effectively parent their children. Last year, I wrote a post for Father's Day--my first, ever--to honor Tom Clendenen. Tom was the first such man to come into my life, for a season, and I loved him very much. And having reconnected several years ago and even enjoyed a visit, early this year, I assure you that I still do. He and Eva are still really neat people who loved a little girl who felt adrift.

Other men, youth pastors and a few others, filled the need for male role models in my life. I don't mean that they taught me how to be a good man; that would be silly. But they exemplified good, Christian men who could and did invest themselves in the lives of kids and teenagers, including my life. I am ever and forever grateful to them. Don Hughes, now gone ahead, and Norm Shoemaker tried to help mold me into a reasonably healthy, contributing, Christian young woman. That was a tall order, but they were committed, and I still tear up when I remember how important they were to me and how God used them in my life.

Before I reached college, Norm brought into our youth group a godly man and student of the scriptures to speak to us for a week of special gatherings. Reuben Welch had been a pastor and had come to the church-related college in our town as an assistant professor in the Religion department. A kinder, more humble, more genuine follower of Christ Jesus I have never met. I have met a few whom I would describe in the same words, but none has surpassed him. I do not mean to imply that any of them is perfect, never feels frustrated with the demands made on him, never says anything he might not have said, with a little more thought; after all, they aren't in heaven, yet.

When I entered the church college, Reuben became my advisor, as I had listed a major in Religion. But he became so much more to me than he ever bargained for. I sought him out often for nonacademic counseling; as he was not always available when I insisted I needed to talk to him now, I learned that I could survive while waiting until Friday. I also learned that, no matter what I told him about myself, he responded in love and compassion. He was my first recognized example of the unconditional nature of God's love; that does not mean no one I'd ever known loved me unconditionally, but I hadn't recognized it.

Where in the World Is Vicki?

Don't get excited; I'm right at home and not out traveling. I just haven't felt like blogging, in the last three weeks. Here I sat while we put up with Southwest Gas Company's outage--imagine that: I just made a typo, putting a strategic r in outage--for almost four full days without heat or hot water, and couldn't think of anything to blog about.

You can blame social networking, too, for my sparser posting, this past year or so. It's easier to go on FB and say something--which, on occasion, is even worth saying--than to come in here and compose a post. To no one's surprise, I've never had many readers; I haven't even looked at my stat's in a while, but the daily average has been slipping for a while. And well-deserved, I might add.

Yet, I don't want to give up my blog, because sometimes, something really strikes me, even inspires me, and this is where I want to post it. Of course, then, I link to it on FB, in the hope that someone will actually read it and comment on it. I've participated in some discussions on the few blogs I used to read, but I've never succeeded in getting more than one or maybe two (including my own response!) on my posts...and those are rare. Maybe you have to have a much larger readership to get people who comment on the post. I have friends who will read my posts and comment in an e-mail to me. I appreciate the feedback, but I could just send out what I post as e-mails for all the comments I generate on the blog.

I know, too, that my readership goes up when I post more. Funny, how that works.

One prominent Christian businessman whose blog comes to my e-mail Inbox recently wrote a post about why he's stopped reading some of the blogs he used to read. So many of his reasons were applicable to my blog that I felt pretty defensive, I can tell you. But some of his criticisms also were not valid, though they were true of my blog. I never did blog for all the reasons he blogs.

I started my blog for two reasons: First, I wanted a venue for writing whatever was on my mind, where maybe, now and then, someone would read it. Second, I was (and am) involved with Compassion International, sponsoring children and advocating for them as a volunteer, trying to find opportunities to share the Compassion ministry and find sponsors for more children; I wanted to write about that, and I have. I think Compassion is the largest word in my Catogories "cloud."

But I write about other things, too, sometimes serious things, but not always. And as I'm writing this, I suddenly realize that I have missed writing. Often, I don't really know what I want to say, until I'm writing (like now), and I miss that creative outlet. (The ghosts of many of my former students are moaning, big time, about now.)

The book-review blogging (now known, oddly, as "BookSneeze") came later.

So, as bloggers go, I guess I'm fairly pathetic, and I'll try to do better. But I will never have the 20,000 readers a day that are required for me to qualify for a Compassion Bloggers' tour. You know what? That's okay. I probably wouldn't handle fame very well.

And if you want to know more about child sponsorship through Compassion, leave a comment or question. I have several packets on hand (with expiration dates), each one for a real child who is waiting. Three of them have been waiting more than a year--one, almost two years. Isn't that sad? I have those three photos in an album on my FB Profile page (here; not sure if you have to be on FB to see them); I will add the other photos in the next few days. I so want to find people who will end the wait for these kids, and I appreciate those of my FB friends who Share those photos on their own pages.

You can also click on the widget (left side) on this page to sponsor the child shown, or choose the child of your heart here. The cost is $38 per month, only $1.25 per day, and your love, encouragement and prayers for the child will bolster his or her hopes of having a future without poverty. How's that for a legacy?

What's So Hard About It?

"It" being finding a sponsor for a child in poverty (see Compassion International).

The hard part for a volunteer child advocate (like, say, me) is having a packet for a child, sharing the photo and basic information with as many people as possible, and waiting...and then waiting some more.

But packets expire after a few weeks, so the children don't stay out of circulation indefinitely and can have other opportunities to be sponsored. So what's the big deal?

The big deal is that, while some children are picked up very quickly, others wait for seemingly interminable periods of time. Back in your school days, were you ever the last, or near last, to be chosen for a team? Did you ever have the feeling that you were overlooked on purpose? Well, if you were the last, or near last, you probably were. But if every child had to be picked, even then, you knew that you would be on a team; waiting and maybe being the last person to be chosen were nonetheless painful.

Back in January, 2007, on a trip to the Dominican Republic, I was one of a few (sponsor) tour members who visited the home of two children who were registered in a student center that had been opened about 18 months earlier. Both children had been registered at the beginning; the younger sister had been sponsored very quickly but the 8-year-old boy was still waiting. Can you imagine how he felt?

A year or two ago, one of my fellow advocates learned that space was available for her to travel to Kenya. The catch was that she had only a week to get ready to go. But the first thing she and her husband did was to sponsor a little boy, there, from among the Massai people. During the tour, the group visited this little boy's project, and one of the family members there to greet them was the child's grandfather. He held a photo of Kim and asked different people if they knew her. When they finally connected, this man's eyes filled with tears, as he thanked her, and she learned that they had been waiting for three--that's 3--years for his grandson to be sponsored!

I currently have packets for three children who have been waiting too long. Each of them needs an immediate sponsor. Two of them are frighteningly thin. I want you to meet them:

Fana, 6, lives in Ethiopia with his parents and one sibling. He is in kindergarten, where his performance is average. He is in an AIDS-affected area.

Fana has been waiting 11 months--actually, a little more than that, now.

 

Sandra 10 years old, tho' she certainly does not look that old, in this photo. She lives in Ghana, an AIDS-affected area, with her parents and two siblings. Her performance in  primary school is average.

Sandra has also been waiting about 11-1/2 months for a sponsor.

Nine-year-old Shakil is in Bangladesh, where he lives with his parents and three siblings. He enjoys soccer and is in primary school, where his performance is average.

Shakil has been waiting almost 23 months for a sponsor.

 Child sponsorship through Compassion costs $38 per month. Compassion is Christ-centered, child-focused and church-based: all of the benefits of sponsorship flow through a local church that has partnered with Compassion to serve the children and families of the community. The church selects the staff to teach and work with the children; decision as to which children can be registered are made locally by people who know the families. The sole criterion is need. The focus is on developing the child in every area of her or his life: physical, spiritual, social/emotional, and economic.

You can learn more about this program ministry on Compassion's website. A child is waiting to be loved, to receive letters of encouragement, to know that she or he is worthwhile, even important, to God and to you.

The Joy of Giving

Giving a gift you know someone can use, one you know is needed or wanted by a loved one who would not be able to purchase the same, herself--then, giving is fun and a joy.

But what do you give to the proverbial person "who has everything"? More of the same? How about giving a gift that will benefit someone in real poverty?

Compassion International has produced a gift catalog, this winter, and it can be used all year 'round. There's even a calendar at the back where you can write in gift-giving occasions that will come up.

This morning I filled out (a little late) the printed order form for several gifts we will give to two family members. I had so much trouble deciding what to include, because every item is needed and of real value; also because we're still not made of money, we mostly we stayed with the lower-cost items, because we could spread the money around.

A couple of tips are in order: First, sponsors cannot designate these items for their own sponsored kids. Sponsors can, of course, call Compassion (800-336-7676) and express their interest in providing any of them for their kids, and ask about costs, which may be different from prices given in the catalog. They can then send the money, if they wish, and state in a letter their preference that the money be spent for the whatzit. But keep in mind that the child or family may have a much greater need for something else--like, say, a bed, or a school uniform, shoes, or food.

Second, I discovered today that if you order online, you can order and pay for only one item at a time, although you can order more than one of that item. They do not have an order page set up with all of the items listed so that you can order one of this, three of that, and two of something else, and then pay for all of it together. I would like to see them come up with such a page, but it isn't there, yet.

Okay. If you clicked on the link to the catalog, above, then you know that prices start as low as $10 for a treated bed net. These nets are saving lives. In many homes, all of the children--indeed, sometimes a whole family--will sleep under one net; children are more vulnerable to disease than adults, but adults get malaria, too, which can keep them from working and cause them to lose what little money they might earn.

Available for $20 and under are a soccer ball ($13), a chicken ($16), and baking supplies ($20). The chicken means food for the family, eggs to sell, and manure for a vegetable garden. The baking supplies allow for kids to learn vocational skills like making pastries and baked goods, helping them to become employed or even start their own business, once they leave school. Of course, the soccer ball is for fun; it also gives the kids a better chance to hone their soccer skills than with the homemade balls they usually have to use, and they learn teamwork in the process.

I won't list all of the items remaining--and I've not made a dent--because I provided a link above. But other animals are included, more life-saving gifts, and other gifts that will teach children, moms and fathers various vocational skills. If you have a bunch of money lying around, you can provide computers, farming equipment, clean water, and more, up to and including a $5,000 gift for the fund which covers the costs of surgery or other special medical care.

No, I did not go ahead and list everything. See for yourself! And please, keep this incredible resource in mind throughout the year. Whether you sponsor a child, or not, you can bless one or more, or a pregnant mom or an unemployed dad through one of these gifts, and do it in Jesus' name. As we often say at our church, "We are blessed to be a blessing."

Now, have a wonderful Christmas, remembering that it's all about Jesus.

Rebecca of Kenya - Redux

We began sponsoring Rebecca in her first year of Compassion's Leadership Development Program, about three and a half years ago. She has acquited herself well and completed her academic program for her university degree in English studies, several months ago. She now hopes to find a job in teaching. Another goal and desire is to be a strong role model to the girls of her country, to inspire them to achieve their dreams.

One of the prerequisites for eligibility for the LDP is a mature Christian testimony and life. During her university education, Rebecca has lived this life in service to others and in ministries on and off campus.

I believe Rebecca has also completed her work in Compassion's component of the LDP, which includes intensive training in biblical leadership principles. She has had a mentor through Compassion throughout the program and her academic work.

Rebecca is about to find herself without the support of Compassion and any of the sponsors she has had. Compassion works with the LDP students to help them prepare for the transition to life without that great net underneath them; but by now, they have learned well that the arms of their Father in heaven are always underneath.

Our financial support of Rebecca ends with this month's payment. Both Bruce and I are proud of her for what she has accomplished through God's help, much of that provided through the programs of Compassion International. Her life will be so very different than it would have been, had she never been registered in a Compassion project (CDSP).

I have signed the form provided by Compassion indicating my willingness to remain in touch with Rebecca and providing my e-mail address. The choice to contact me after the first of the year will be hers. I hope she knows that, besides my e-mail address, she should be able to find me on Facebook, should she desire to do so. :-)

Often, when I look at photos of LDP students or graduates, or meet them and hear their stories, I wonder about the first sponsors they ever had and if that person or those people know what their sponsorship has meant to the child, now grown up. When we look at pictures of children in the packets or on the website, we have no way to know what will become of them. But it is the gift of the possibilities, the gift of hope, that we give to them, and we entrust them to the Lord.

You can help to make such a difference to a child. You can give hope, a commodity in very short supply, among the very poor: hope for a future without poverty, and the greatest hope of all - the hope found in Jesus Christ. You can touch not only the future, but all of eternity by sponsoring a child.

O Give Thanks to the Lord!

"Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord;
    let us shout aloud to the Rock of our Salvation.
Let us come before him with thanksgiving
    and extol him with music and song."
                                    Psalm 95:1

I make a point of nurturing an attitude of gratitude throughout the year, even as money has tightened so much and life is not as easy as it was, a few years ago. We have seen so many friends lose jobs, homes, cars and most of their other possessions. We still have our home, our cars, our business--which sort of limps along, but it isn't down for the count--and we truly are grateful.

But when I think about gratitude, I remember a particular letter from Uwizera, in Rwanda. I had sent some special gifts with friends who went over there, almost two years ago. Her letter recounted the various items and then said, "Our whole family is so grateful that we all stopped whatever we were doing to pray for you for half an hour."

We have so much more than do any of the children Compassion serves, more than any of the children we are blessed to sponsor. But the very poor of the world tend to be more deeply grateful for what little they have, and I want to be that grateful.

I wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving Day, wherever you are, and encourage you to do whatever will help to center your heart and your thoughts less on the food and football and more on all the blessings God has poured out on you. And if you want to show your gratitude to God in a practical way, why not sponsor a child? Or make a donation to help the ongoing efforts in Haiti, or donate $10 or more for treated mosquito nets, or give a Christmas gift to a loved one that will help someone far away? Look:
    $10 buys a mosquito net, helping to save lives;
    $13 buys a soccer ball;
    $16 buys a chicken that will provide food for a family, as well as a source of income.
    And so much more! See all the other great gifts in the catalog!

Now...go check on your turkey, or whatever it is you're fixing, and experience the joy of knowing you can do so much for people, for so little!

Miguel

This is a re-post of a story I presented, here, on January 27, 2007. I had been on a sponsor tour in the Dominican Republic and heard, for the second time, the story of Miguel. This second time, I wanted to include the story in my blog, so I contacted the sponsors named, below, Charlie and Shirley Ray. I knew them from both of the sponsors tours I had participated in, in DR. This is the story as Shirley wrote it, for me.
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I, along with all of the other tour members, had the opportunity to meet Miguel in the Dominican Republic.  I first heard his story two years ago, and it was a real thrill to meet him, hear him, and hear the milestone he has now passed.  His story helps to make so clear the true role of a child sponsor through Compassion International: one who understands child sponsorship to mean far more than a monthly financial commitment; one who will write to the child often, with encouragement, love, and sharing about the sponsor's own life; one who will faithfully pray for the child.

Charlie and Shirley Ray began sponsoring Miguel when he was eight years old.  As legend has it, he was a handful for the project staff; in fact, he had been so disruptive in the order of things that, after several months, the Rays were notified that Miguel had been "departed" from the program.  (Departing is the term used when a child leaves the Child Development through Sponsorship Program [CDSP] for any reason other than graduation.)  Shirley was offered the opportunity to sponsor a different child, and she agreed.

The first time she saw Miguel in person came during a sponsors tour.  Shirley was there to meet Melvin, the child she had sponsored after Miguel's departure.  She noticed a young boy standing next to her, and knew he was not Melvin. Her question, "Who is this child?" sent the staff into a flurry of excitement:  "Oh, no!  A mistake has been made!"  They ushered Miguel out, and Shirley got into a car with Olmedo, who would take her to Melvin's home.  Miguel stood by the road, tears running down his face, as the car drove away.

After visiting Melvin's home, Shirley asked again who the other child had been and was told he was Miguel.  She insisted on being taken to his home, where she and Olmedo found poverty more pronounced than at Melvin's.  Miguel's father had left the home, leaving Miguel and several other children in the care of his grandmother, who was elderly.  This grandmother was the only person in the family who ever encouraged Miguel.

Shirley told Olmedo that she wanted Miguel to be reinstated, and when she insisted, Olmedo talked to Miguel.  Miguel assured Olmedo and Shirley that he would behave appropriately and work hard, so in the end, Shirley prevailed.  She then sponsored both boys, and both did well in all their work.

Miguel proved to be a very smart boy.  Like so many in his culture at the time, Miguel viewed a career in baseball as the best way to get out of poverty.  Shirley was concerned about this and, over time, helped him to see that he could not rely on that.