Compassion

As some of you already know, I am an Advocate for Compassion International.  For those of you who don't know, Compassion is a Christian child sponsorship organization that provides healthcare, supplemental food, education, etc. to children in the poorest countries in the World.  My favorite promotional video is this one: http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=180351094789

Last night, Compassion put on a special event here in Atlanta that I was very fortunate to be a part of.  They began with the stories of two different teenage girls: the first one raised $40,000 for a program in Kenya and the second was raising awareness and funds for malaria in Africa.  Very inspiring stories.

However, the main speaker for the night was Ricmond Wandera, who is one of the four individuals featured in the video link above.  There are no words to describe the magnitude of his story.

His father was murdered in Uganda when he was 8.  Richmond, his mother, and his six siblings were forced to moved to the slums because they couldn't pay the rent.  During that time, many of his friends died of malaria, diarrhea, and other preventable deaths.   Fortunately for him, he was enrolled in a Compassion project in Uganda where he was sponsored by a 15 year old girl.

After being sponsored, he was singled out for his leadership qualities and became a part of the Leadership Development Program (LDP) where he was able to get a Bachelor's degree in Accounting while being mentored.  He graduated first in his class.  He became the youth leader at the Church that he use to be a sponsored child at.  He is currently one of four LDP graduates who was selected for a special scholarship for a Master's degree at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago.  He currently promotes Compassion and plans to return back to Uganda to be a leader.

He shared that sponsorship changes 3 groups
1.  The sponsored child
2.  The sponsor
3.  The Body of Christ -- he shared how his mother and all 6 of his siblings became a Christian as a result of the act of this one 15 year old girl

I get to do concerts and events from time to time.  Last year I heard the musician Shaun Groves speak on Compassion.  He talked about how his family had decided to move to a smaller house and move from two cars to one car and lived simpler.  It was incredibly convicting to me.  I knew that I should give up my monthly cable bill.  I loved watching Mike and Mike in the morning on ESPN, but that was money being spent that could be going for something way better.  When I thought about it rationally, I knew what the right thing to do was, but I still wanted to hang on to a comfort.  So it took me a couple of months, but I ended up doing it.  It's easy to pretend like it's some great sacrifice, but hearing stories like Richmond's only emphasizes how little I know about sacrifice.

As an advocate, I have an amazing opportunity to present to different groups on what is Compassion is about.  If you know of any group at all that would be open to having a presenter, I would love to come and talk about Compassion.  If you're in another city from me, I can find someone who will be able to come.  And even if only 1 child becomes sponsored as a result, that is at least 1 more life that is saved.

Playing in the snow...

I get excited by snow -- maybe not as excited as I use to when I would drop anything for the nearest snowball fight (I did grow up in Florida after all).  While work and other sorts of grown up obligations make it more difficult, I still make a point to enjoy the few snowfalls I get in some manner.

Today, I decided to go down to Piedmont Park to enjoy the snow.  The wind chill was brutal, but I bundled up and went for a stroll; there is something so beautiful about a new snowfall.  After I had wandered around for a bit, I came across a hill that several people were sledding down.  I stayed and watched for a while.  I thought about how much fun it would be to enjoy something like this with someone else.  It is so much more fun to let out that inner child when you have someone else to enjoy it with.  Given that I was by myself (and that I also didn't have a sled), I just watched.

There were two groups that caught my attention.  The first was two young girls, who I assumed to be sisters, who were sliding down together sitting up on the same sled.  They were laughing and having so much fun.  The second group was a father and his young daughter sliding down together.  He was face first on the bottom of his sled while she rode on his back.  These two groups made me think about being a father.  I want to be the father who doesn't get upset about icy roads, but seizes the opportunity to go out and have a fun afternoon with his daughter.  Those are the memories that you don't forget.  The two girls just seemed to capture childhood so well.  Sometimes life is just about having fun and laughing and nothing more.

Well, I didn't come to the park to just muse about life and fatherhood and whatever else; I came to enjoy the snow!!  I continued walking and started throwing snowballs at inanimate objects.  I marched onto the fields at the park that were already speckled with snowmen.  I got on my knees and started making a snowman.  It then occurred to me that he needed arms.  And then I thought it would be pretty fun to put my beanie, scarf, and sunglasses on him.  I hate to brag, but it was a pretty sweet looking snowman!

I don't ever want to forget to make these moments a part of my life.  In fact, these moments are usually the only things I remember later on.  I barely remember any of my classes, but I do remember flapping my arms and squawking loudly like a hawk in Red Square.

"In the short term it would make me happy to go play outside. In the long term, it would make me happier to do well at school and become successful. but in the very long term, i know which will make better memories." -- Calvin and Hobbes.

Breaking down the barriers

It seems to me that God has really been working in my heart.  There are far more examples than I can cover in this blog.  A few weeks ago, I was riding on MARTA to the airport.  It is not uncommon to have a homeless person stand up in a car and make a speech for money before moving on to the next car.  On this day, I pulled out my Bible to do some reading.  A homeless man sitting across the way from me saw this and got very excited.    He started motioning and pointing towards my Bible with a sense of joy in his spirit.  He came over to me and handed me a piece of cardboard saying that he was deaf and homeless and needed some money to shower and get a place to stay.  He even mimed like he was showering.  Being put on the spot, I took a few moments and decided to pull out my wallet where I found a $1 bill and $5 bill.  I'm ashamed to say that my mind flashed to an email exchange I had with another person where I mentioned giving a homeless person a $5 bill.  Because of this, I gave him the $5 bill.  Again he got very excited and pointed up in the air towards God and then he came over and gave me a hug.

Later, after I had gotten off the train at the airport, a woman came up to me.  Her and her friend had been sitting down the car a bit facing me.  I was very bewildered as she tried to give me a $20 bill.  She said something to the effect that I had been very gracious to the man and that she had been moved by it.  She kept on insisting that I take the $20.  As I tried to object, she told me to give it to someone who needs it and she left.

Last night, I had the incredible privilege to join a group from my Church to bring and eat dinner with the men of Trinity House Big Bethel.  This is a shelter and rehabilitation program for men on the streets -- many who have come from a background of alcoholism and drug addiction.  I have rarely seen such joy and warmth and service that I saw in these men.  Special things are happening here!  At the dinner, we all went around and shared our stories.  After each of us said our name, the whole group would say "Hey [insert name]!"  And then the evening concluded with the Power Clap, which was full of awkward dancing.and great laughter.

As much as I hate to say it, stereotypes plague my mind.  As I looked for a parking spot before dinner, I suspiciously eyed the men loitering on the street.  God is trying to teach me that people like these are no worse than any other person that I encounter.  They are loved by him and can teach me much.  We let fear and stereotypes consume us and we put up barriers up to try and protect ourselves.  What am I protecting myself from?  If God is on my side, whom shall I fear?  Slowly, he is chipping away at my heart of stone and teaching me the value of love and relationship to all I encounter.

The last couple of weeks, I've carried around that $20 bill in my pocket as a somber reminder of that day on the train.  To look at it is to see my judgments of people and the barriers that are still in my heart  I'm not sure what I am going to do with it, but perhaps it will be used to break down some more barriers.