Day 3 was more of the same. Impressed. Wow. Conviction.

We left the city today and drove about an hour and a half into more rural parts. We past Mayan ruins and fields of volcanic rock leftover from some eruption from like 1500 years ago. We arrived at another Compassion Project to another rock star welcome. The focus of our visit to this project was not the Child Sponsorship Program (CDSP), but the Child Survival Program (CSP). This program is for women with children ranging from in the womb to about 3 years of age. Once a child reaches 3, they are eligible for the sponsorship program.

This project had about 35 mothers and children who are receiving assistance with prenatal health, medical checkups, groceries, sewing training, stimulation opportunities for the kids to help with their development, and more.

After a great welcome, worship, power point presentation about the CSP, and tour of their facility, we were taken to visit one of the mother’s and her son at their home. The situation was the much the same as yesterday, but even more dire. The young mother, 22, who was married, looked wonderful, and dressed well. We saw her at the project before we visited her home. The home she lived in did not belong to her or her family. It was borrowed. It was a tin shack. Maybe 12×12 in size. She lived there with her husband and son. Her mother-in-law and father-in-law lived next door in a similar situation. They had something of an outhouse they shared. They really had next to nothing. Her husband worked loading trucks somewhere, for very little and inconsistent income. They depended on rainwater for most of their water, or had to walk nearby to a neighbor who must have had access to some running water.

This sweet young girl welcomed us to her home. It was so hard to sit and listen to her story, and see her life situation, especially compared to all we have in the United States. Why are we blessed with so much, and she with so little? Am I being a good steward of the resources God has given me? Am I grateful? Am I generous? Can I do more? I certainly have done nothing to deserve all the God has blessed me with.

But thank God for Compassion International. This young girl is receiving so much value from her involvement with the program. Her son is helped in so many ways. Right now, the CSP is not a one-to-one sponsorship program like the CDSP. They are piloting a one-to-one sponsorship for the CSP program now, and it is quite likely to be offered as such very soon.

If you’re not sponsoring a child already with the CDSP program, please do so. $38 a month. You will change a life.