Last month, my staff director Eileen Kirkland and I went on a five-day ministry trip to the Dominican Republic, visiting a series of areas where Compassion International works. I regularly speak and share about Compassion, but had not previously had a chance to see their on-the-ground work in person. Plus, I have two sponsored children with Compassion (and Eileen actually sponsors a boy she met on the trip!) so I was eager to get a sense for the kids’ day-to-day experience as part of the program.
I was blown away.
After this trip, I’m even more passionate about encouraging people to sponsor a Compassion child than I was before. If that’s something you’ve been considering, I’d urge you not to wait. Find a child waiting for a sponsor. (Here’s a picture of some adorable kids from a Compassion preschool class we visited, dressed in their best (which sometimes they borrowed) clothes to greet us. There were 35 kids in that class, four of whom don’t yet have a sponsor. The little kids standing with me and Eileen—who CLEARLY aren’t sure what these white ladies are doing!—are three of the four.)
I also learned a lot on this trip about perspective—especially how crucial it is to wrestle with our hearts and our attitudes.
So here are four lessons from my trip overseas, but that apply to every aspect of our lives here at home. (With a few fun pictures along the way.)