Alligator Girl and Compassion Sundays

By Chuck (Sharing Compassion)

The past two weeks have seen me working several events for Compassion and child sponsorship. I always enjoy working events where youth are involved. As I have stated on many occasions they get the need and really do want to make a difference.

It is really not a matter of why rather it is more of a case of how. The amazing thing is that while adults will hold their wallet tight and ask many questions, with youth there are no questions but only discussions or how they can pool their funds or what they can do to make this work. I love it.

Which brings me to the weekend of April 16-18th at Mountain Christian Church. They were hosting an event for Middle School kids titled "Reverb." They had a speaker named Mark O. who as part of his session presented Compassion and child sponsorship. I was there to work the table for Compassion. Basically he challenged the children to make a difference in any way they could.

Now remembering that this is an event for middle schools kids you really cannot expect a lot of response as far as child sponsorship. But you know what? We had seven children sponsored which is incredible. Most of them had a parent or were part of a bible study that decided to sponsor as a group but I want to tell you about Alligator Girl.

I heard her called that early in the Saturday morning session by Mark O. as she had a stuffed alligator she was carrying around. Just your typical middle school kid. She came out to the table after the session and looked at every single packet. She kept coming back to one single packet and looking at that child. She was very much on the young age of middle school and I figure a 6th grader. She did ask me a few questions about what that child did during the day and were they happy? Throughout the day she would come back to the table and check on that packet.

After the evening session everyone was leaving and it was time to clean up. She was there by the table and holding the packet. I knew I needed to get everything broken down and I finally asked if she was thinking about sponsoring. She said she was waiting on her dad and needed to ask him. She just hoped I would still be there and the packet there, too, when he came. I honestly figured what his answer was going to be. He was coming to pick her up and wanted to get her home....this was the last thing he would want to be involved with. I knew her heart would be broken but I was not about to start cleaning up that table.

Silently I prayed that God would show up. I knew that as much as she loved that alligator she had hugged all day she also cared about sponsoring that child. Well her father came and I stood to the side while she explained what she wanted. She actually did a great job telling her father what it was about it her terms and you know what??? Without a second thought he filled out the form and she had her sponsored child. I know we talk about how sponsorship changes two lives but I really think at this moment three lives are going to be changed out of faith and out of love. This is a story I will always remember.

Compassion Sunday is the big Compassion event of the year where we try to get churches involved and to partner with us in sponsorship. The official date was April 18th this year but I facilitated an event this weekend at a small church in Eastpoint. They are an Evangelical Lutheran church with about 90 members. They have a small contemporary service on Saturday nights which has about 25 people in attendance. On Sunday they have the full service with attendance of about 50-60 people.

This is a church where many of the members are older and as a church they actually sponsor two children through their offerings. Two years ago they had their Compassion Sunday with another advocate and had 2 sponsorships. Last year I went and presented and gave my testimony and we had 7 sponsorships. You do reach a point of saturation and just pray that hearts will be opened. I was invited again this year and again gave a presentation. Hearts were opened and we had four new sponsorships.

To some this may seem sad or fruitless but it has always been my belief that even if if one is sponsored it was more than worth it. As Paul said in the New Testament sometimes we are "just seed planters"- God will bring the fruit. Some churches won't even let us present or have a Compassion Sunday so when a small church is willing to open their hearts in any way I am thrilled with any result. God Bless this church!

I just wanted to share these two stories this week of a young girl and an older church both willing to make a difference.  In both cases they are stepping out in faith and making the effort to release a child from poverty in Jesus' name. I do have about nine packets left that I will have for the next two weeks. If you are interested in making a difference let me know and I will get a packet to you.

Chuck is a Christian husband and father who has served in part-time ministry for 17 years, and is a deacon at his church. He has been a Compassion International Advocate/Area Coordinator for several years, finding families to sponsor Compassion children throughout the world. His passion is letting others know how important it is to release children from poverty. Be sure to check out his blog, Sharing Compassion.