New Series — Random Pics and Bits
This is my new series and I’m very pleased to kick it off today. This is where I’ll post very interesting, random photos I’ve taken through the years. Along with the photos will be random bits of information, and perhaps I’ll give a “pop quiz” at the end of 12 weeks or so! You should learn a lot about my family, the world and life itself by the end of each series. Enjoy! [And you'll want to take notes I'm sure]. I also want to include a discussion topic each time I post a photo, so watch for the opportunity to speak up!
This is in the Dominican Republic, a country that I have visited three times now.
I’ve gone to visit children we sponsor in the Compassion Projects.
This little boy was on a bike IN the house. I wonder if his mother said, “Don’t go outside to ride your bike until I get home!” It doesn’t look like he has much room to move about in this house, but it’s the best he can do. As I recall, there were several large steps up to his house.
I don’t sponsor a child in the Dominican Republic currently, but would like to sponsor an LDP Student there some day. I have many dear friends in this country now — translators, Pastors, Country Office workers for Compassion, LDP Students, others’ sponsored kids — and certainly hope to go back to see them again.
Since I want you to have a chance to share “a bit” here too, let me ask you a question: What country would you most like to visit or re-visit, and why?
Marci and Abbie — thanks so much for the encouragement. And may ALL of you have the opportunity to meet these precious children!
Juli~ I so love your blog, I always leave inspired.
I would have to say, Ethiopia, to visit my newest Compassion Child, Rebuma.
I haven’t commented much lately because I’m lucky if I am getting caught up on emails and just reading the blogs! But I do have to tell you that I’ve been loving reading all your new posts lately. Such inspiring, great stories. Sounds like you are finally getting to sit down and write down all that you’ve been wanting to get out!!!!
I would like to visit Thailand, Ethiopia, Indonesia, India, Haiti, and Columbia (in that order). My LDP is in Indonesia and he is 1/2 way through his studies…it would be way cool to visit him at his graduation.
We actually only sponsor 7, but correspond with another 5…so it’s 12 kids total and 3 are in India.
I’m thankful that I have gotten some opportunity to travel already in my 34 years….France twice in high school, Spain in college, Austria and Czech Republic in grad school…then Mexico on a short mission trip in high school.
I know God will provide a way for me to meet at least one sponsored child some day….until then I will keep loving them from here!
P.S….Jane Gillis is totally my inspiration for sponsoring so many children. I want to be just like her!!! : )
Oh, without question the first country I would go to would be Ethiopia. I want to take my 13yo son there to see, touch, feel and smell the world there. I believe it would have a dramatic effect on him to go as a young man. We would visit with our Ethiopian Compassion children Mesay and Azalech. http://andrea-childrenofcompassion.blogspot.com/2008/11/introducing-our-children.html
I will cry overwhelming tears of joy to hold Azalech in my arms.
After that, I will wait until my other children here are old enough to travel and we would go to Burkina Faso to see our sweet girl Haoua. She looks like such a bubbly, happy girl. I imagine her skipping arm in arm with my girls.
These opportunities can not come fast enough.
~~Andrea
Jill — You will be amazed to see how God provides for you. I can recall years ago going to turn in pop cans just to have enough quarters to have lunch with our boys at school. I never dreamed I’d be able to travel, but God has worked it all out. It’s REALLY awesome that you’re sponsoring 10 kids! Wow! Changed lives and futures, for sure!
I would love to meet all my sponsored children!! But that is 10 different countries, so if I had to pick one to visit first it would be Dominic in Kenya. I have sponsored him for 10 years and he just turned 18, so I don’t have too much longer to go through a Compassion trip to meet him.
Of course, one of my fears is that my heart will be broken even more if I witness the poverty and devastation first hand. My mom sponsors a child in India and I have several there, so we have discussed traveling there together someday.
As a family, our dream is to visit Australia. My husband and I have always dreamed of a trip there and we named our oldest daughter Sydney. She, too, is fascinated by Australia! We would also love a family trip to Ireland….in honor of our youngest daughter, Kayleigh.
I also have a dear friend in France. We did an exchange in high school and I haven’t seen her now for 12 years. My mom and brother went over earlier this year and met her children and spent time with her. So I would love to return to France to see her!
And I have another dear friend from college in Japan….I would love to visit her.