Rubber Meets the Dirt Road

Have you ever taken a step back from the comfortable, air-conditioned/heated, wall-to-wall carpeted, hot-&-cold running water shelters that we call home & into an extremely impoverished shanty in a third world country? I speak both rhetorically as well as from first hand experience. There is no excuse for what I saw today. At this point you say, "How ignorant & oblivious is this fool?" Well, let me explain before you jump to conclusions...
We arose very early this morning to take a quick flight to Flores, Guatemala. I'll move ahead and tell you that we left there, got organized (somewhat...come on, this is Guatemala...time is relative) & drove into the countryside to our project in San Andreas (GU-858). We met the incredible staff of the student center before lunch then broke up into groups & visited families with registered or sponsored children. "Lu" (her full name is neither something I can properly pronounce nor want to spell) & her family enthusiastically welcomed us with open arms. 7 people live in a house smaller than my master bedroom back in the States. The father has a prostate problem (Salvador...please pray for him) & can not work, which is chopping wood for mere dollars a day. The mother (Anna, if I recall) makes tortillas & sells 100 for $1.25. They have almost nothing...except hope. Let me get back to that.
No excuse, right? How could I say that? Because...we Americans, specifically we Christians, sit back & do very little to make a difference...when it would take so little to do so. I bet u thought I was going to put the blame on them, their country or otherwise. Nope. Individuals such as you the reader can make a difference. How? Read on...
Let's go back to why these people have hope. First & foremost those people (& many others in these projects) have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, our eternal Hope in glory. Secondly, there will someday be a family to sponsor Lu. Those resources can not only release her from the chains of poverty, but they help with supporting the ministry coordinators, feed the children at the center as well as give hope to Lu & her family that she will grow up educated & holistically healthy. The plan is & always has been for children like her to prepare her for God's plan in her life through the spiritual & physical healing brought through the work of Compassion International.
There is so much more I would love to write. I will tell you that, if it were not our church partners that identify the need for CI to take action in their community, it would not work as well as it has. God has blessed them with nationals who are also passionate about releasing kids from poverty. Also, there are many people like you who are willing to stand up and make a difference by child sponsorship. Very little can do so very much. Are you willing to act on this? See compassion.com for more.

Please pray for this ministry as they are serving the less fortunate. Pray for Salvador & his family as well as Lu...that she can grow up to make a change as CI will hopefully do for her..
Tomorrow it's more VBS activity & interaction with CI project families. I will also share about my friend...mi amigo Alberto. Buenos noches!
***Visit http://www.JustLoveCoffee.com/TeamCrawford to help us in our adoption quest & enjoy some great coffee in the process.*** Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry