Forever Changed
At the Advocate’s Conference, we had the great privilege of listening to Tony Beltran – Moody Scholar for Compassion International — share about the ways Compassion impacted his life as a formerly sponsored child. He shared three tools that God used to influence his life, and I’d like to share them with you. I wish I could share some of the humor he expressed as he shared these points; he has a great sense of humor. Fortunately, a video of Tony speaking at another event can be viewed here.
- God used poverty to teach him a lot. He shared that God redeemed the very worst parts of his life in order to shape his life. For instance, he recalled one day when his Christian family was sitting around the dinner table. His father was praying and thanking God for providing for them; but there was no food to put on the table. Tony was a little angry that his father was praying in this way. But when the prayer ended, a neighbor came to the door with plantains for their dinner, not even realizing that the family had nothing to eat.
- God used Compassion to change his life. Tony’s sponsors changed his life by writing to him and building up his self esteem. He never once received a letter from his sponsor from the ages of 7-14, but at that time, he received a new sponsor/family. All seven members wrote to him at once, and he was elated! Through the years, they continued to tell him they believed in him, that he could do well in school, that he mattered to them and to God. This transformed his life and gave him a reason to study hard, to live a life of integrity, and to seek to reach his highest potential in Christ. This family had made a sacrifice on his behalf: they had decided that Tony was worth more than a new phone line into the house, and that changed everything for him.
- God used Tony to help his family and the children of his community. Tony’s entire family is out of poverty now. He also works with teenagers, sharing the love of Christ and instilling hope, faith and motivation in their lives. God is developing these precious lives for His glory.
Thank you, dear friend Tony, for sharing your life story with us. I know many, many others will be affected by your life, not only as you study for your Master’s Degree here in the states, but also as you return to your country to be a shining light for Jesus.
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