Tag: poverty

A Letter to God

My Mbeyu 🙂

Dear God,

You are awesome. I can hardly believe that you made all this. You are one heck of a creative God. The level of complexity and intricate design of our universe is mind-blowing. I can see how you hold everything together in your sovereign hand and without that, it would all fall to pieces. Thanks for that, for that grace you show to everyone, not just those who believe in you.

Great is your faithfulness to me, your mercies are new every morning. It’s easy to feel that way on a beautiful, cool morning like this one. I wonder though, how some people feel each morning when they wake up and face incredible hardship. I know there are people across the globe that wake up with empty bellies and fresh rat bites and know this day will be a struggle. I know there are people in my own neighborhood that wake up each morning with a sense of dread and despair, enduring all kinds of physical and emotional pain. Can they see your mercy?

Thank you, God, for caring about those people so much that it breaks your heart to feel their pain. Thank you for telling us, over and over again, how much you care about them, and that we have to do something for them. Thanks for not giving us an out when it comes to the poor. You know how to grow us by bringing us to the side of the least.

Thank you so much for the amazing people of Compassion International. For Wes Stafford and Shaun Groves and Keely Scott and everyone else I don’t know who does the work faithfully.

I’m so glad to have gotten the chance to sponsor little Mbeyu in Kenya, who is growing and growing into a young lady now. Her letters are such a blessing to me. I love learning about her child development program and what life is like in her region from her pastor. I am amazed that her Muslim parents are willing to send her to these Jesus loving people for food and school. I pray that you will use her to reach them.

Thank you also for Manace in Haiti, who at thirteen looks like a dark twig with a big old smile. I know you brought us to him very specifically, and I can’t wait to get to know him better.

God I lift up all the millions of kids living in extreme poverty around the world and I pray you will comfort them. Show them your mercy. Be with the people of Compassion, give the strength to endure and a servant’s heart that gives you glory. I pray for the kids that still need sponsors and the people who will find the $38 a month to change their lives. Touch hearts to be willing to give up their Starbucks habit or mow a neighbor’s lawn to transform the life of a struggling child. Bring them quickly.

Love always,
Sarah

Twenty-six Lives Changed

Saturday night was the big night. I told everyone I know via Facebook and twitter and in person. Our church had announced it and reminded people over and over for weeks. Shaun Groves flew all the way from Nashville to Houston to sing at our church.

Not that many people showed up. I honestly expected this because our church has a history of this. It’s frustrating. I’m completely grateful they supported the event financially and through marketing but when the rubber met the road they didn’t support it with their presence. I’m so glad for those that did come. 
The few people that DID come sponsored twenty-six kids through Compassion International. Some people sponsored kids for the first time. Many people added to the handful of sponsored kid photos already hanging on their fridge. We added a little boy, Macase, thirteen years old, from Haiti. Yes, of course, Haiti. It just made sense. 
It’s easy for me to get down on my super wealthy community for not doing more. But this weekend the lives of twenty-six kids were changed completely. These kids will have a new relationship with someone far away from them who really cares about them. They will be fed and educated. They will hear the gospel and feel loved by Christians. 
Because the Spirit moved at The Fellowship. Because Shaun and Micah were willing to leave their families for the weekend and come to Katy for a little Tex-Mex and singing. 
For that, I can’t thank Jesus enough.Â