Compassion International Blog - Feed

For sponsors who know the importance of letters but aren’t good with words, all the encouragement to write can bring on the guilt. Feel guilty no more - here is a solution for you! My Account...

https://blog.compassion.com/you-can-copy-these-sample-letters/

This devotion about Elisha and the Shunammite woman by one of our staff at Compassion Ghana will inspire you to muster up faith when faced with tragedy! My Account l Sponsor a Child l Help Ba...

https://blog.compassion.com/the-shunammite-womans-faith/

Many people and organizations view poverty in economic terms. But does this definition align with how Scripture describes the poor? How does the Bible define poverty? My Account l Sponsor a Ch...

https://blog.compassion.com/how-does-the-bible-define-poverty/

Bangladesh is a country full of green hills, coursing rivers, delicious food and vibrant storytelling. Keep reading for more fun facts about the country and people of Bangladesh. You will learn s...

https://blog.compassion.com/fun-facts-about-bangladesh/

We often associate the phrase "ashes to ashes, dust to dust" with death. That’s because the phrase comes from the burial rites in the Book of Common Prayer. This collection of prayer books is u...

https://blog.compassion.com/ashes-to-ashes-dust-to-dust/

Shakul's unique beauty seems to have struck a chord, so we wanted to share his incredible story with you. My Account l Sponsor a Child l Help Babies and Moms l Crisis Updates

https://blog.compassion.com/waardenburg-syndrome-the-story-behind-the-striking-eyes/

Names are important. They have power. They define us. They're more than a bunch of letters grouped together to sound pleasant to the ear. Names are more than a convenience allowing us to talk to ...

https://blog.compassion.com/the-importance-of-names/

Learn more about what it's like to live in the smallest country in Central America! My Account l Sponsor a Child l Help Babies and Moms l Crisis Updates

https://blog.compassion.com/el-salvador-facts-what-is-life-like-in-rural-el-salvador/

The 12-boy soccer team and their coach that were rescued from the flooded cave in Thailand have headed home from the hospital! Learn more about Compassion-sponsored student Adun and hear from his...

https://blog.compassion.com/thailand-cave-rescue-parents-of-trapped-boy-say-thank-you/

Mother’s Day is a great opportunity to provide the women in our lives with tangible expressions of love. But what if there was a way you could do that while also tapping into the real heartbeat...

https://blog.compassion.com/10-unique-mothers-day-gifts-that-give-back/

Marlo looks up at us and he knows. He knows he’s becoming a man. And in so many ways as a sacrificial lamb. My Account l Sponsor a Child l Help Babies and Moms l Crisis Updates

https://blog.compassion.com/when-its-between-life-and-death/

Gamers, streamers and content creators across the world are participating in charity streaming, where they are using their time and talent to raise money for causes they are passionate about in p...

https://blog.compassion.com/charity-streaming-a-new-way-to-help-children-in-poverty/

While the phrase "a man after my own heart" has grown to be a common idiom, it originates in the Bible. Let’s take a look at what it means to be a person after God’s heart, like King David in...

https://blog.compassion.com/a-man-after-my-own-heart/

Easter is a Christian holiday that celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Christians believe that Jesus is both God and human. When we celebrate Easter, we give thanks that Je...

https://blog.compassion.com/about-easter/

When crises such as war and natural disasters happen, it’s easy to feel helpless. We have no control over the situation. But there is something we can do: We can pray. My Account l Sponsor a...

https://blog.compassion.com/prayer-for-children-in-conflict/

My whole world came to a halt the moment I read the news of Russia’s invasion of my homeland. I scrambled for my phone to contact friends and family in Kyiv and southwest Ukraine, praying that ...

https://blog.compassion.com/a-call-to-prayer-for-ukraine/

How and why people pray vary by church, culture and life circumstances. Prayer doesn’t need to be a formal, ritualized practice. It’s simply a conversation with God that we can strike up in a...

https://blog.compassion.com/how-to-pray/

Prayer is an integral part of our programs and work. Here’s what the Bible says about prayer and why we believe prayer is so important. My Account l Sponsor a Child l Help Babies and Moms ...

https://blog.compassion.com/your-prayer-questions-answered/

We are constantly in awe of everything our staff members do to help release children from poverty in Jesus' name. But we also know that some of the most important contributions to our mission com...

https://blog.compassion.com/3-stories-that-show-the-importance-of-pastors/

Florence’s rescue center has saved more than 413 girls from female genital mutilation (FGM) and early marriage. The Kenyan schoolteacher’s lifelong crusade against FGM began with her own narr...

https://blog.compassion.com/fgm-rescue-center-for-girls/

These pictures of kids with animals are cute, of course. But they also show how animals help people in poverty. My Account l Sponsor a Child l Help Babies and Moms l Crisis Updates

https://blog.compassion.com/heart-melting-pictures-of-kids-with-their-animal-buddies/

At Compassion, one of our highest goals is to help children grow to reach their full, God-given potential. Our frontline church partners across the world invest deeply in each individual, helping...

https://blog.compassion.com/young-people-reaching-their-potential/

Scott, Cyndi and their four young boys love good matches of all kinds. They enjoy sports matches, especially those broadcast by Scott’s employer, ESPN. They love matching the birthdays of their...

https://blog.compassion.com/making-the-most-of-what-god-has-given/

Eleven-year-old Neema walks across the playground carrying a bottle of water. Other children are playing wild and noisy games during break, but there is something else she prefers doing. Neema �...

https://blog.compassion.com/surprises-from-the-soil/

There are a lot of ways to fight poverty and share the love of Jesus. At Compassion, we focus on children. They are the heart of everything we do. Here are five reasons why. My Account l Spons...

https://blog.compassion.com/5-reasons-why-children-are-the-heart-of-compassion/

In the bride kidnapping tradition of the Hmong people, girls can be forcibly married to their abductors. But churches in Thailand have been fighting for change. My Account l Sponsor a Child l...

https://blog.compassion.com/bride-kidnapping-ending-the-terror/

As the new year begins, I’m always thinking about the calendar. It’s probably because of the yearly planning we all tend to do. (Got to get after those goals, am I right?) Or maybe it’s bec...

https://blog.compassion.com/12-ideas-for-writing-to-the-child-you-sponsor-2022/

As editor of the Compassion USA blog, I always love looking back over the previous year to see which articles resonated with you the most. It gives me a chance to reflect on the powerful stories ...

https://blog.compassion.com/your-top-5-compassion-stories-of-2021/

Seven-year-old Pesi is part of the Child Sponsorship Program at a church in Kenya. She is also a member of the Maasai people. Every year since she can remember, her family has celebrated Christma...

https://blog.compassion.com/a-very-maasai-christmas/

A graduate of Compassion's program gets the surprise of her life when she meets the people who sponsored her as a child. My Account l Sponsor a Child l Help Babies and Moms l Crisis Updates

https://blog.compassion.com/the-tear-jerking-end-to-norahs-search-for-her-sponsors/

Richart has seven children. When he was diagnosed with hydrocephalus — a serious condition where fluid builds up on the brain — he worried how he could afford treatment, especially as he coul...

https://blog.compassion.com/bolivian-church-helps-father-of-7-get-back-on-the-road/

Vitoria was the first child I sponsored with Compassion. In her photo, she had pigtails and a shy smile. I wrote letters to her where we talked about the grades she made in school and her dreams ...

https://blog.compassion.com/we-asked-alumni-to-write-1-final-letter-to-their-former-sponsors/

If you think mall traffic is crazy where you live, you should check out the crowded markets in Tanzania! And you’ve never seen more beautiful produce than at the fruit stands in Burkina Faso. T...

https://blog.compassion.com/whats-it-like-to-go-shopping-around-the-world/

It's always so touching to hear what children in poverty feel thankful for. They live with less than most people, but their gratitude overflows. It helps put things in perspective and reminds us ...

https://blog.compassion.com/5-children-in-south-america-share-what-theyre-thankful-for/

It was 1995 when 20-year-old Bonnie picked up a child sponsorship packet from a table at church. She looked down at the photo of a girl in Uganda who was waiting for a sponsor. It would be 26 yea...

https://blog.compassion.com/the-moment-when-sponsors-saw-what-god-was-doing-behind-the-scenes/

Twin sisters who were separated as toddlers and raised without knowledge of each other were reunited at their Compassion center after both were registered in the Child Sponsorship Program. My A...

https://blog.compassion.com/she-never-knew-she-had-a-twin-sister-until-now/

Most people know Mike Donehey for his singing and songwriting. But the children Mike sponsors know him for another reason: his letters of encouragement. Mike has been sponsoring children throug...

https://blog.compassion.com/musician-mike-donehey-shares-why-and-how-he-writes-to-the-kids-he-sponsors/

In Uganda, Olive smiles as a neighbor invites her to a family member’s wedding. But secretly, her heart sinks. She doesn’t own clothes nice enough for the occasion. These days, food is more i...

https://blog.compassion.com/what-dont-people-understand-about-life-in-poverty/

Here's how ministry supporters helped Compassion to step in and offer support for 4-year-old Yoskiel and his family in Indonesia when he was diagnosed with eye cancer at age 3 — just a few mont...

https://blog.compassion.com/what-happens-when-an-unsponsored-child-needs-emergency-care/

Salt is a highly sought-after commodity in the Indonesian village where Filia lives. Her father, Bagus, leads and mentors an income generation program for new farmers, initiated and funded by the...

https://blog.compassion.com/how-salt-saved-the-day-in-this-indonesian-village/

According to the World Bank, the world’s poorest families are more likely to have access to a mobile phone than a toilet or electricity. As technology advancements reach the most remote corners...

https://blog.compassion.com/why-do-families-in-poverty-have-phones-or-tvs/

I’m going to be honest with you: I love Christmas, but I’m not good at it. My wrapping skills are mediocre, my baking leaves something to be desired, and regardless of my best intentions, I�...

https://blog.compassion.com/make-meaningful-christmas-memories/

The causes of poverty vary widely. Poverty can be purely geographical: Simply where you are born can dictate so much about your life. But although poverty is often passed down for generations, ...

https://blog.compassion.com/tough-questions-how-did-you-end-up-living-in-poverty/

You’ve probably been seeing more and more news about cryptocurrency lately, with people buying cars using bitcoin and some wealthy philanthropists donating as much as $1 billion in crypto to gl...

https://blog.compassion.com/donate-bitcoin/

Hear how parents of five children in Compassion's program responded to this tough question people ask about poverty. For them, the hurtful myth that they are poor because they are lazy couldn’t...

https://blog.compassion.com/are-people-who-live-in-poverty-lazy/

For millions of girls around the world, menstruation brings shame, confusion and stigma. Discover how girls in Brazil, Honduras, Sri Lanka and Togo are finding education and empowerment with Comp...

https://blog.compassion.com/why-periods-are-no-longer-a-red-light/

Why do parents keep having children if they can’t afford to support them? Why don’t they get a different job, or work harder, if they need more money? We put difficult but common questions ...

https://blog.compassion.com/5-tough-questions-about-poverty-answered/

Norah's mother, a hairdresser, and her father, a soldier in the Rwandan army, worked hard to provide for their daughter. But when war and genocide tore through Rwanda in 1994, it also ripped a ho...

https://blog.compassion.com/from-hunger-to-hope-a-brave-girl-named-norah/

In partnership with local churches, Compassion sponsors allow kids to dream about the future by helping to meet their physical, emotional and spiritual needs. Hear from 10 special kids as they ...

https://blog.compassion.com/what-i-want-to-be-kids-with-big-dreams/

The worldwide problems caused by COVID-19 seem nearly impossible to count, but millions in poverty share one obstacle that may eclipse all others: hunger. My Account l Sponsor a Child l Help ...

https://blog.compassion.com/covid-19-has-created-a-crisis-of-hunger/

If you haven’t written to your sponsored child for a while — or ever — you’re not alone. So don’t feel guilty. Read their letter and be reminded of the difference you’re making in the...

https://blog.compassion.com/how-to-go-from-guilt-to-gratitude-with-your-letter-writing/

If you're a Compassion supporter, you may have already received a letter or email reminding you to send a Christmas gift to Compassion kids this year. Why so early? My Account l Sponsor a Chil...

https://blog.compassion.com/who-goes-christmas-shopping-for-kids-in-compassions-program/

Ryan Johnson, Creative Manager for Global Marketing at Compassion, is an award-winning documentary director and humanitarian photographer who has worked in six continents and 40-plus countries, t...

https://blog.compassion.com/watch-a-compassion-storytellers-4-favorite-videos/

Stacey opens a box and places a stack of papers, photos and cards on the dining room table of her home in a Washington, D.C., suburb. “This,” she says with a laugh, “this is Angie!” It'...

https://blog.compassion.com/friend-carries-on-legacy-of-sponsor-killed-in-sept-11-attacks/

Though a popular name in the Western world, Lisa is an unusual name for an Ethiopian girl. But even before his wife became pregnant, 29-year-old Sintayehu had this name picked out! "When my wif...

https://blog.compassion.com/meet-lisa-named-after-her-fathers-sponsor/

The Bible instructs us to take up the cause of the fatherless, but how do we do that? Here are four practical ways to help orphans. My Account l Sponsor a Child l Help Babies and Moms l Cris...

https://blog.compassion.com/how-to-help-orphans/

Since much of their home collapsed in the Aug. 14 earthquake, Sony and his family have been spending nights in the courtyard of a Compassion partner church. The church has provided tents and slee...

https://blog.compassion.com/displaced-haitians-grateful-for-the-gift-of-life/

As a sponsor for three years and counting, I thought I had a pretty good grasp on Compassion’s mission and how it works to achieve that mission. But when I started working at Compassion as an i...

https://blog.compassion.com/incredible-facts-about-compassion-i-didnt-know/

How do we weep WITH our Haitian neighbors and show them true compassion? My Account l Sponsor a Child l Help Babies and Moms l Crisis Updates

https://blog.compassion.com/haiti-earthquake-to-weep-and-to-hope/

Our time and resources are finite, yet there seems to be infinite need. We want to be kind to people in poverty and we want to do it wisely. Here are a few things to consider as you struggle thro...

https://blog.compassion.com/why-help-people-in-poverty-in-other-countries-when-there-are-people-in-poverty-in-your-own/

When a child enters the Compassion Sponsorship Program, he or she is registered at a local Compassion center. But before any center can open, a partnership is needed between Compassion and a loca...

https://blog.compassion.com/photos-of-churches-around-the-world/

These inspiring people have a strong motivation to help others. Despite growing up in poverty and not always having everything they need, they share what they DO have! My Account l Sponsor a C...

https://blog.compassion.com/inspiring-people-who-live-in-poverty-and-help-others/

When a child enters the Compassion program, they are not the only ones changed forever. One child being part of the Child Sponsorship Program or Survival Program can impact an entire family. Each...

https://blog.compassion.com/god-can-change-things-3-families-transformed/

It takes more than a global pandemic to stop these innovators from taking action. Since the start of lockdowns, children in Latin America have lost an average of 158 school days, according to UNI...

https://blog.compassion.com/christian-innovators-helping-solve-education-crisis/

Going to school and doing homework are normal activities for many kids. Sadly, many children in poverty never get to experience the joys and trials of school and homework — or the rewards. In...

https://blog.compassion.com/where-i-do-my-homework-8-pictures/

This summer, millions of people across the world will crowd around television sets to watch the Olympic Games. They will watch swimming, track, cycling and gymnastics. They will cheer on their re...

https://blog.compassion.com/9-photos-of-the-worlds-most-popular-sport/

El Salvador’s traditions easily set it apart from any other country. Who else has a national holiday in honor of "pupusas"? And what other country celebrates Christmas with huge fireworks displ...

https://blog.compassion.com/el-salvador-traditions-reveal-a-unique-vibrant-culture/

Whether they are from the United States, Brazil, the Philippines or Ghana, every child in the world has at least this one thing in common — they grow up! And as they do, according to their cult...

https://blog.compassion.com/child-milestones/

When I reached out to our staff across the globe to share messages of gratitude for Compassion’s Prayer Calendar, I didn’t expect to be as touched by their stories as I was. The letter belo...

https://blog.compassion.com/giving-thanks-lightened-the-burden-in-my-heart/

Finally, it was the moment I had traveled thousands of miles for. There she was, a cute little girl with curly hair, standing outside a crowded church. Someone said, “This is Genesis, your spon...

https://blog.compassion.com/i-met-my-sponsored-child-in-guatemala/

Jonah and the whale. Daniel and the lion’s den. Esther saving her people. David facing Goliath. These are all beloved Bible stories for children and are guaranteed to come up when you ask a Sun...

https://blog.compassion.com/cancer-battle-abel-never-lost-hope/

These girls are like any girls, anywhere. They love to learn and play and have big dreams. However, like more than one-third of Kenyans, they live below the poverty line, and they face confrontin...

https://blog.compassion.com/what-is-daily-life-like-for-kenyas-girls/

In many impoverished communities, menstruation is a stigmatized issue shrouded in silence, secrecy and shame. Here are just three personal and societal aspects of life that are restricted when me...

https://blog.compassion.com/suffering-silence-menstruation-taboo/

Compassion photojournalists Javier Elis in Guatemala and J. Sangma in Bangladesh sat down to ask children and fathers about their mutual love, dreams and memories. Here are some sweet quotes from...

https://blog.compassion.com/tender-conversations-with-children-and-their-fathers/

For the best letter writing tips, go straight to the experts: sponsors! Recently we put out a call on our Facebook page asking for the best advice about writing to children in Compassion’s prog...

https://blog.compassion.com/sponsors-share-their-best-letter-writing-tips/

This month, I want you to meet Odette, a supervisor in our Compassion Burkina Faso office. Odette shared about her own childhood, growing up in rural Burkina Faso in a large family that struggled...

https://blog.compassion.com/odette-in-burkina-faso-would-you-please-pray/

“I was in church when I realized I had 15 missed calls,” Christian shares. “My phone had been on silent mode. When I stepped out of the service to call and find out why someone had made 15 ...

https://blog.compassion.com/how-a-compassion-blog-story-helped-reunite-this-rwandan-family/

Food! It’s part of our daily life and directly impacts our quality of life. What we eat says a lot about our culture too. So we thought we’d ask some children who attend Compassion child deve...

https://blog.compassion.com/kids-around-the-world-my-favorite-foods/

Indonesia is the fourth-most populous country in the world, with over 275 million people. The Indonesian archipelago consists of over 17,000 islands — but of primary political, social and econo...

https://blog.compassion.com/jakarta-indonesia-photos-from-one-of-the-worlds-most-populous-cities/

Fourteen years ago, Elizabeth had never heard the words "nasal encephalocele." The Kenyan mother sat in a hospital ward, looking down at her baby. She noticed a small lump under his nose but didn...

https://blog.compassion.com/nasal-encephalocele-meshack-living-his-best-life/

Writing a letter is inconvenient. But that’s what makes it so beautiful. Inconveniencing yourself can be a gift to the child you sponsor. And it can also be a gift to you. My Account l Spons...

https://blog.compassion.com/writing-letters-is-inconvenient-and-thats-a-good-thing/

Children are pint-sized comedians. If you’re not convinced already, take a read through this list of funny quotes from kids in Compassion’s program! The product of their creative minds — or...

https://blog.compassion.com/11-quotes-from-children-who-are-part-time-comedians/

In spring 2020, when 1,200 concerts and other live events were canceled, a huge challenge arose for Compassion — with no warning. Compassion’s field offices had already begun registering new ...

https://blog.compassion.com/why-these-sports-stars-are-supporting-compassion-children/

These strong mothers would do anything for their children. Living in poverty with limited access to health care, food and education, many of them have experienced devastating loss and pain. But t...

https://blog.compassion.com/7-strong-mothers-whose-love-is-fiercer-than-poverty/

For an unsuspecting family in Colombia celebrating a wedding rehearsal dinner, a single word was powerful enough to bring every member to tears: "Sorpresa!" Wondering what the surprise could be...

https://blog.compassion.com/a-wedding-surprise-highlights-her-incredible-sponsorship-story/

It has been such a pleasure sharing stories of thanksgiving from our field staff this year as part of the Compassion Prayer Network’s focus on gratitude. This month, I want you to meet Lidia, w...

https://blog.compassion.com/when-god-answered-a-guatemalan-familys-prayers/

The world that 6-year-old Sophia sees around her is one of poverty and limitations. But Compassion's photojournalist in Brazil, Sara Navarro, is among the caring adults who inspire her to dream w...

https://blog.compassion.com/sophia-learned-to-dream-without-limits/

In these photos of gardens around the world, you'll see more than just plants. In these gardens are vegetables — but also opportunities. Fruits are flourishing — and so are small businesses s...

https://blog.compassion.com/17-gorgeous-photos-of-gardens-around-the-world/

"My dad does everything for me! … I love him so much. One day I asked him to buy me ice cream and even without much money, he managed to buy it for me," exclaims Davi about his father, Damião....

https://blog.compassion.com/the-story-of-a-devoted-father-and-his-boys/

Have you ever had one of those awesome, world-colliding moments when people from two different parts of your life meet? Like bringing a significant other home to meet your family for the first ti...

https://blog.compassion.com/how-to-get-to-know-your-sponsored-childs-family/

I’ve always loved the sentiment “It takes a village.” To me, those four words encapsulate the most powerful aspect of human growth and development: community. We all have a village surround...

https://blog.compassion.com/staff-spotlight-partnership-facilitator/

Kids sure do love their birthdays. As I write this, my wife and I are in the midst of planning a birthday party for our two sons. They are turning 9 and 7. Their birthdays are within two weeks of...

https://blog.compassion.com/childrens-birthdays-are-a-big-deal/

Baby Deinner was delivered prematurely via emergency surgery as his mother, Cindy, battled COVID-19. Tragically, Cindy died the day after — leaving Deinner’s grandmother, Bridis, to raise her...

https://blog.compassion.com/a-grandmothers-hopeful-letter-to-her-baby-grandson/

This Good Friday, our friends at Compassion UK put together a beautiful recipe for easy-to-make hot cross buns paired with an Easter devotional. Once you’ve made your buns, settle down to refle...

https://blog.compassion.com/hot-cross-buns-recipe-and-inspirational-easter-devotional/

OK, so I need to make a confession … I’m not as good as I should be at writing letters to my sponsored child. And I make all sorts of reasonable excuses for it, too: “My life is already s...

https://blog.compassion.com/4-ways-letter-writing-benefits-you-and-the-child-you-sponsor/

In northern Uganda, young Betty once faced a frustrating choice: walk nearly 4 miles to fetch water that cows and pigs also drank from, or drink from the nearby well, which was wriggling with wor...

https://blog.compassion.com/before-and-after-safe-water-20-powerful-photos/

In early March 2020, I was on a storytelling trip to El Salvador for Compassion. One minute we were loading the van to head to a child development center, the next we were packing our bags to rus...

https://blog.compassion.com/how-covid-has-changed-us-forever/

The impact of sponsors’ generosity on children multiplies far beyond their childhood years. Compassion centers at local churches offer them safe spaces to discover and lessons on how to steward...

https://blog.compassion.com/talented-young-entrepreneurs-who-dreamed-beyond-poverty/

Luis Palau went to be with the Lord on March 11, 2021. He was 86 years old. For more than 65 years, Palau preached, taught and wrote about the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Originally from A...

https://blog.compassion.com/remembering-our-friend-luis-palau/

Many of the children in our program think about their sponsor as an extension of their family. Maybe you feel the same way about the child you sponsor. You know you want to pray for him or her da...

https://blog.compassion.com/how-do-you-make-your-sponsored-child-part-of-your-daily-life/