Help Change A Life Today

Last November I attended the Women of Faith Conference in Pittsburgh with some friends from church. Not only did we enjoy a spectacular weekend of inspiration, praise, and worship, I also took the opportunity to become a sponsor for a child from World Vision. My little boy's name is Kiran. He is nine years old and lives with his family in India. The first time I saw his big, deep brown eyes on his sponsorship folder, my heart simply melted. I couldn't even see any of the other children's faces, Kiran captured my full attention and I excitedly filled out the sponsorship form...a little trepidation at the back of my mind wondering what my husband might say or think once I told him what I'd done, but knowing honestly, deep down he'd be as happy as me to be making a positive difference in this sweet little boy's life on the other side of the world. I scooped up his folder and held it tight to my chest--Kiran, I had a little boy named Kiran, a secret smile spread through my heart and across my face...

Just look at those eyes!!

Over the past few months, I've written and received a couple letters and cards from Kiran and a letter from his father, Balaram, which was pretty cool! He sounds so proud of his family and told me all about how well Kiran is doing at school and also how World Vision is working to help the families in their area have a better life. I love these letters and am really looking forward to getting to know Kiran and his family so much better over the years as he grows up, sharing stories and pictures, and most of all, love.

I was so excited about becoming a child sponsor, I wanted to do more to help other children around the world find sponsors so that they might have a better life and better opportunities that we too often take for granted. So I decided to become a Child Ambassador for World Vision and received my first sponsorship package literally the day before I went into the hospital for surgery...Sadly, I've had these five children's folders sitting in that same envelope, waiting as I recovered, hoping for the chance to still find sponsors for them when I was finally feeling better. And I finally am...

Meet my kids:

This is Shibru. He is twelve years old and lives with his family in Ethiopia. He has four brothers and one sister. His father is a farmer and his mother is a housewife. Despite their efforts, they still have difficulty trying to meet their family's needs. Shibru enjoys science and playing soccer and helps at home with doing family chores. Shibru is a Hope Child, which means he lives in a community severely affected by the HIV and AIDS crisis. In some communities, AIDS affects the entire social structure as a generation of hardworking adults is being wiped out. Frightened children and exhausted grandparents rarely have money for food, school, or medical care. Through sponsorship, you can help with these and other basic needs for Shibru and his family.

Meet Mpho. She is seven years old and an only child living with her mom and dad in Lesotho. Her father is a construction worker and her mother takes care of the household. They are struggling to provide for their family. Mpho is in primary school and enjoys learning foreign languages. She likes to play house and helps at home by carrying water for her family. Mpho is also a Hope Child, living in an area devastated by AIDS.

This sweet boy is Stefano. He is almost five and lives in Malawi with his parents and one sister. Stefano is not in school at this time but he likes to play ball games and helps to carry water for his family. Stefano is another Hope Child.

Meet beautiful Fatima. She is nine years old and lives in Mozambique with her parents, two brothers and one sister. Her parents struggle to provide for their family. Fatima is in primary school and enjoys studying the national language. She helps at home with washing the dishes and she likes playing traditional games. Fatima is also a Hope Child.

And last but not least, this adorable little guy is Nirmal. He is almost six years old and lives in India. Nirmal lives with his parents and one brother. His father is a farmer and they live in a poor community in India. A typical home there is constructed of wood with a thatch roof and a dirt floor. Plains, hills, and forests mark the land. Nirmal is in primary school and he enjoys drawing. He likes to play ball games and helps at home by being good.

Your sponsorship commitment to these children will help provide them and their communities with clean water, nutritious food, educational opportunities, improved health care and hygiene, and regular medical check ups. In addition, your support provides training for children and parents to help raise the quality of life in their community. Through sponsorship, you'll transform lives by providing real help and lasting hope!

A few quick facts:
Did you know every seven seconds a child dies from hunger?
Every fifteen seconds a child becomes an orphan due to AIDS?
Every twenty-three seconds a child dies from preventable diseases due to unclean drinking water?

If you feel in your heart that you'd like to sponsor one of these five children or would like more information about how sponsorship works, please drop me a quick line here. Or you can click over to World Vision below to see other children in need of sponsors, along with myriad other ways to help give support to families in need:

I thank you for taking the time to read about these children, please offer up a prayer that they would soon find sponsors so that they might begin enjoying a brighter future today...

Also view my World Vision Gift Catalog for more ways to help.