I got the sweetest letter last week. One that melted my heart. It was from my sweet Cesar, the child I sponsor through Compassion International. Just reading his letter brought back a flood of memories, and I was drawn to pictures saved on my computer of that once in a lifetime trip I…
Morning came early for me on Sunday. Like REAL early.
At 3:45 am, I crawled out of bed to get ready to go home. My body ached, my eyes stung, and my head felt foggy.
I was a whole-bunch-of-something, but I don’t know what. Excited to go home and see my family, yet sad to leave the beautiful children of Nicaragua.
My precious roomie, Edie, and I moved around slowly as we tried to apply a little bit of life to our faces and enjoy one last messy bun moment together.
Wanting to crawl back into bed and yet wanting to fly like superman home, we finally packed everything up and headed down to the hotel lobby.
My other Compassion buddies were there waiting for us, and we joined them in their quiet, half-asleep chatter.
Karina, our Compassion from Nicaragua told us it was time to get on the van to head to the airport. We moved toward the van like a slow moving herd of cattle and plopped our exhausted bodies into the seats.
Still in a sleepy daze, we began the long road home.
Right before we approached the airport, Karina turned around and said she had something to say.
She told us how much this trip of Compassion bloggers meant to the children of Nicaragua…how much she has enjoyed working with us…how the children will never be the same because of the work that Compassion does.
Then she began thanking us for coming to Nicaragua and for loving on the children. She thanked us for sharing the children’s stories with all of our readers all over the world.
It was really hard for me to accept her thank you’s. It is always hard to receive them when you know will all your heart that you received way more than you gave.
But I smiled at her and soaked it all in. And then she said something that will echo in my head for years to come…
“Please never forget us, because we will never forget you.”
Forget them?!!
Are you kidding me?
How in the world could I ever forget them?
I left part of my heart in Nicaragua, and I will never be the same.
I will never forget the honor of meeting my sponsored child, Cesar. This child is a rock star in my eyes. I told him that I cannot wait to watch him grow up, and I am so excited to see all that God is going to do in his life.
Being around the beautiful children of Nicaragua for the past week has made me reflect on my own childhood. My childhood stands in stark contrast to the childhoods of the children who live in poverty in Nicaragua.
Here are some examples…
Every night as a child, I would lay my head on my soft pillow as my mom pulled up my warm blankets and tucked them tightly underneath my chin.
Children in poverty have beds that are made of wooden slats, cardboard boxes, or even worse, a dirty cold floor.
As a child, I hate three delicious meals a day, with snacks in between.
Some children of poverty are fortunate to get one meal a day.
My parents had good jobs that produce enough money for us to have a nice house, two cars, new clothes, and lots of toys.
Their parents pick through trash all day in hopes to bring home a dollar. If they are lucky, one parent may have a job as a street vendor or security guard. However, the money they make isn’t enough to cover even the very basic of needs for their children.
Growing up, I was scared of spiders, getting my ears pierced, and the boogie man.
Children of poverty are scared of starving, getting trapped in sex trafficking, and the violence right outside their door.
Our childhoods, when compared, are like night and day.
Except for one thing…
Have you ever seen a flower growing out of a crack in the ground and wondered how in the world it was growing there?
How in the world did that tender shoot break through the hard ground and stretch out petals that displayed such splendor?
Despite all odds, that sweet little flower stands tall and reaches its full potential.
Today, I saw something even more amazing than that determined little flower.
I saw true beauty beginning to bloom.
I saw it in the faces of these amazing young ladies. They are sponsored children from the Compassion project we visited today, and they are learning how to do manicures through Compassion’s vocational training.
Much like the flower breaking through the hard ground, these young ladies are breaking through the cycle of poverty. It’s not gonna be easy for them to bloom. But Compassion is giving them the tools they need to do it.
As I sat down at the table for them to paint my nails, I felt so much love for them. I wondered if they new how truly beautiful they were? I wondered if they knew how precious they were in HIS sight?
“We believe that Jesus’ word changes people and it is powerful,” said the pastor of the church that works hand-in-hand with Compassion’s center NI-186.
I shook my head in agreement with him and almost let out a loud “AMEN!” For I know that God’s word IS powerful, and it has changed me.
He continued saying in is beautiful native language and with a smile on his face, “This community looks totally different from two years ago. Things are changing.”
“Families are being restored.”
“Children are dreaming of becoming someone.”
Pointing his finger to his temple he said, “Their minds are beginning to change. They are beginning to understand that God loves them and has a plan for their lives.”
Man! I couldn’t help but smile from ear to ear as I listened to him.
He said that the work of God through Compassion is not only changing the lives of children, but changing entire families!
Don’t you yearn to be a part of that kind of change? To work hard at something and see it make a difference? How exciting it is when we see the fruits of our labor!
I saw the fruits of Compassion’s labor today.
I saw it in this young man.
Meet my sponsored child, Cesar.
