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"Will
You Change the Life of a Child Forever?"
Compassion
International is an evangelical Christian child development
ministry dedicated to addressing the needs of children
around the world. Our Children's Sunday School currently
sponsors 5 children and many members of the PCNP congregation
are individual sponsors of Compassion children.
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Longtime
PCNP member, Nancy Vandermeer, has been sponsoring children
for many years and her family has 27 sponsored children
today!
Below Nancy answers questions about being a Compassion
sponsor from a very personal perspective.
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| What
is the best part about being a sponsor? |
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God
is able to use me to make a difference in a child's life.
I am able to encourage my child and share the
love of Christ through my letters. My monthly financial
support of $32 goes towards breaking the cycle
of poverty by meeting the real-life spiritual, physical,
economic and social needs for my children. We regularly
write letters to one another, share photos plus I
receive ongoing report cards telling me how they are doing
in school along with updated pictures and country maps
and information. I know they will receive supplemental
nutrition and medical support if needed. I can even go
visit my children and meet them in person! Several
sponsor tours take place each year to different countries.
Today over 450,000 kids have sponsors and there is a goal
to have 1,000,000 children sponsored by 2010. |
How
did Compassion start?
Compassion grew from one man's desire to help children
in need. Rev. Everett Swanson, an American evangelist,
was moved by the plight of the Korean orphans in the early
1950s when he traveled overseas to conduct services for
American troops in Japan and Korea. When Swanson confided
in a missionary friend about his concern for these helpless
children his friend asked him, "What do you
intend to do about it?" Swanson responded
by creating a sponsorship program as a way for an ordinary
family to support a child in need. Now Compassion has
expanded to 22 countries and provides life-changing benefits
for needy children with or without families.
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| Swanson
encourages this Korean child in 1960. |
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Why
do you do this?
There
are 3 reasons:
- Jesus
commanded us in Matthew 18:5 "Whoever
welcomes a little child like this in My name welcomes
Me."
- God
has given me so much. The poverty is great in
these countries…poverty of spirit, education,
health conditions, neglect and disease. Compassion
children learn Bible stories, receive a basic education,
technical skill training and healthcare to become
fulfilled adults.
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I need to make a difference for the sake of the
Kingdom. And through Compassion International
each child has a chance to hear and respond to the
gospel of hope and salvation through Jesus Christ.
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Tell
me more about your family's story.
Our first child, Lee Hak Kyoon
was about age 7 when our family became sponsors. We
regularly corresponded with Lee, prayed for him during
supper grace and literally "grew-up" with
a brother in Korea. Our family kept a small green jar
"love jar" in the kitchen with Lee's name
on it. In it we would place our loose change to be used
toward his sponsorship. My brother still has that green
jar today.
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What
happened when you were living on your own and your parents
got older?
When I started to work in my twenties, I began sponsoring
several children on my own simply because it had become
a part of who I was. Over the years, our family sponsorship
grew as my parents added more children. About 14 years
ago, my Dad who was then retired decided he wanted a baseball
team in numbers of children and then a few years later,
a football team.
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My
parents believed all they had belonged to the Lord,
so giving away a major portion of what God had given
them was a natural response. Over the years my folks
learned that the handicapped children and older
kids were not easily sponsored. Thus, many of their
children were in that group. One day my father said
to me he wanted to make sure their Compassion children
would be cared for after the Lord called him and
my mom home. He had read about Compassion's Living
Sponsorship Program and so over those last years
of their lives, they converted all of their children
to Living Sponsorships. Practically speaking, the
$5000 per child endowment worked as a great investment
opportunity while easing the process of remembering
routine contributions. Now our parents love and
concern for children will continue into perpetuity.
Our family has confidence in Compassion because
of its integrity and outstanding financial accountability.
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As
a result, my brother Rich and I are the joyous sponsors
of 27 children combined. Compassion has told us our
family has had an impact on over 200 children in the
past 45 years! God is amazing! It feels great to invest
in something that will out last us!
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Could
you share a few memorable experiences you have had with
your Compassion children.
I would be happy to share! As a young buyer with the Macy's
Corporation I went on a buying trip to the Orient. Compassion
made arrangements so I could meet 2 of our children at
a Christian radio station in Seoul, Korea. Although we
could not understand the language there was not a doubt
of the love we shared!
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| Nancy
with sponsored child and house mother in Seoul,
Korea in 1974. |
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When
my Dad, Van, was living his last weeks on earth, I asked
him to tell me key things he wanted the children and
young people in his life to always remember. What evolved
were "Van's
Words of Wisdom " - Biblical Principals
for life. That Christmas I shared his thoughts with
all of my Compassion children. Just this past year,
a young man whom I have sponsored for many years, Thadayo
Obanda from Kenya, wrote to tell me he was working with
young people in Kenya and was sharing Van's Word's of
Wisdom with them. Imagine that! All the way to Africa!
Thadayo also told me he was graduating from the program
now that he had skills to repair electronics but needed
someone to provide the tools for his new job. I joyfully
sent him a graduation gift to purchase those tools!
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| Thadayo
after graduating from the electronics program. |
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What
would you say to those thinking about sponsoring a child
today?
DO IT TODAY! Help Compassion meet their goal
of 1 million sponsored children! This means 550,000
children need sponsors! Bring hope to a precious child.
In the name of Jesus for a dollar a day you can change
the world for one child…one child at a time. You
can sponsor directly on line: http://www.compassion.com/sponsor/index.asp?referer=46626
. There are also Compassion volunteers like
myself, who always have child packets available for
you to select your very own child. (Click>> to
contact Nancy)
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"You
call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord,' and rightly so, for that
is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have
washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet.
I have set you an example that you should do as I have
done for you."
John 13:13-15 |
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Does
the plight of impoverished children around the world
touch your heart?
"Will
You Change the Life of a Child Forever?"
Read
below to see how the PCNP Sunday School changes lives.
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Thank
you Compassion Ministries for some of the pictures appearing
here.
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©
2006 PCNP
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