We’ve all seen the TV ads . We usually turn
the channel right away. Not because we’re heartless but maybe because we can’t
stand to see the suffering… or we don’t know what effect we could possibly have
on it.
Maybe its because they seem to be begging for money – and we don’t
really like that. We’ve heard the stories of so-called charities who are
actually just lining their own pockets – and this is probably just another one of those.
Of course there’s also the realities of
making ends meet – this is understandable. And then there are the selfish
reasons – but I’ll leave that between you and your Maker. Because this is no
guilt trip folks – it’s a reality check.. its an opportunity.. it’s a reward.
Feeding, educating and loving children in
the third world is all of those things and, of course, more. Sponsoring a child
through a reputable organization is a wonderful thing – for you and for the
child and their family.
We talk about investing our money - think about the intangible priceless returns of investing in another human being!
My wife and I have chosen an organization called Compassion
International
( specifically Compassion Canada
We have been with Compassion for about 8 years now and have never once been disappointed with the way our money , our sponsor child or we, ourselves, have been handled.
We recently gave our sponsor child a birthday gift of $50 (Canadian) last July - she just wrote back and thanked us for the $441,001.00 Rupiah.... this puts things in perspective for me. I really do have the extra money, I think most of us do if we really committed to it....
Whether we are teenagers, young adults, married with children or seniors.
I think one of the main reasons people hesitate to donate money to overseas efforts is that they are just not confident that their money will reach those in need and actually make a difference.
Because of Compassion's reputation of integrity and their holistic appraoch to helping children through a local church and indigenous people of that specific country - it really works.
For the financials and ratings you can see below why it is wise stewardship of your money , the child's care and , ultimately, God's glory and Kingdom.
For a real life testimony of people who have been through the program as children and are now successful healthy adults - please see the video below - it is truly amazing.
CNN's money man, Clark Howard , advised that if you are thinking of giving to a charity to check out their rating with two specific watchdog organizations - The Better Business Bureau Charity and Charity Navigator. You can find both reviews at the links below.
BBB Wise Giving Alliance Both Compassion International and Compassion Canada meet all 20 standards of the BBB Wise Giving Alliance and are accredited charities with the BBB.
Charity Navigator notes that this organization receives $0 in government support. and rates it 4 out of 4 stars.
After reading the above reviews, it is undeniable that Compassion has one of the best reputations - secular or Christian . Now take a few minutes to watch this video. it has the unique quality of looking back at children who have grown through Compassion and the local church and are now adults...
For a further look into Compassion - visit their website at http://www.compassion.ca/index.asp
and specifically the "Why Compassion?" page here
Here is a taste of what you'll find:
Releasing children from poverty in Jesus' name
As the world’s leading Christian child development ministry, Compassion is committed to eliminating the root causes of poverty for children around the globe. Our passion and purpose reside in our unwavering commitment to our Lord Jesus Christ and the ability of His Church to execute His command to serve the poor.
In response to the Great Commission, Compassion exists as an advocate for children to release them from their spiritual, economic, social, and physical poverty and enable them to become responsible and fulfilled Christian adults.
Compassion is Distinctly Christian
Compassion’s ministry is distinctly Christian. Our child development programs are unique in that they are:
" Each person is created in God’s image and bears God’s Likeness. Jesus treated everyone with respect and willingly gave His life for the redemption of all people. Therefore, all people are worthy of our respect and love."
Here's the list of the children who have been waiting the longest: http://www.compassion.ca/child_list.asp?linkid=74
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