Managua, Nicaragua

May 12, 2015

Well, I am finally in Nicaragua and tomorrow, I will be heading to one of the centers to meet one of my Compassion Sponsor children of almost 7 years, Maria Carmen Urbina Hernandez!

Maria was my first sponsored child.  The local radio station was doing a promotion for Compassion International, and looking to find sponsors.  I had been wanting to do this for a long time, and finally decided it was time to at least look.  When I got to work, I looked up the website, www.compassion.com and looked at the children in Central America.  The first child I was going to look at, was sponsored, before I could pull her up.  The second, the third, and I am not sure how many this happened to but, finally I saw Maria Carmen who had been waiting for a sponsor for over six months.  She had this look that just broke my heart, I clicked on her to learn more information, and she was there.  It was time to start working, so I prayed to God to tell him if she was the right child for me, and if this was something I should do.  I asked God if she was the right child for me, if she was still available at lunch (4 hours later), I would sponsor her.

At noon, I opened up the website, and she was still available, so I decided to take a leap and sponsor her.  I looked at what little things I could give up to sponsor her.  It was simply just give up purchasing one blouse a month, no big deal.  It actually was a lot easier than I thought.  Well, that was the beginning of my sponsorships, and my life changing.   At that time, I decided as my sons move out, that I would sponsor a child in their place (hey $38 a month is a lot less than a teenage boy.)

About a year after sponsor Maria Carmon, I became a Child Advocate for Compassion International, and work to help others learn about the child sponsorship and the importance of it.

This trip is my third in just over a year, and working with the children at the centers and getting to know my sponsor children is a blessing beyond anything I can describe.  I know that God has planted this passion in my heart, and if I could, I would make more than one trip a year.

Please follow my journey in Nicaragua over the next 8 days, and I hope you will be encouraged to help the least of these.

Compassion Sunday’s slogan this year is “A child needs you!” and there are so many children that live in poverty, and God calls us to help these children!

 “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” LUKE 18:16

God’s Blessing to you!

Lisa