Compassion International

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In a few weeks time I will embark on my 14th international adventure. My love for travel means any trip is thrilling, but I particularly cherish my trips related to Compassion International. Two sponsor tours, one donor trip, and an individual family visit have been huge blessings in my life. You know going in that meeting your sponsored child will be special, but there’s so much more. I have seen God work in such specific ways on these trips that I now expect it. There will be surprises for me, and I can’t wait to see what they all are. But more than my surprises, this time around I’m eagerly anticipating getting to witness what God has planned for everyone else.

It’s an absolute joy to get to travel with seven people experiencing Compassion’s work, and their sponsored children, for the first time. While I’m not new to Compassion or travel, this time I’m new at coordinating and leading a group of people who don’t call me “honey” or “mama” – although I will answer to both. I figure adults will be easier to organize than my boys – but just in case they aren’t – God has already sent me my first gift. He’s a safety net of calm wisdom and group-travel experience. I can’t wait to hear the stories of his travels and learn from them on this trip.

For today, I leave my Dominican Republic team and any of you reading this with my top 5 list of handy (and free) apps for international travel. 1.XE Currency converts US dollars to whatever the local currency and holds the last exchange rate accessed for calculations when you are offline. 2.Trip Advisor is my go-to app for real opinions & photos of everything from hotels and restaurants to excursions and activities both before and during my travels. 3. Google Translate blows my mind. Not only does if translate spoken and typed word, but use your camera to view an image or take a photo and it will translate that too! 4.Here is my newest GPS app that will allow me to access not only maps of my area, but my location on them, without wifi (for those of us who don’t pay for international data plans). 5. Sleep and Noise Sounds has been a trip saver more than once. Sleep is important and this app provides white, pink, and brown noise; rain, electric fan, and nature sounds to help block out nearby distractions. Sweet dreams.

 

Hasta luego….

The Right Time

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I’m sad to say that the backpack has not seen much action lately, but OH that is about to change.

Last June our family of 5 headed down to Ecuador to celebrate the graduation of our Compassion International LDP student, Jairo. We also got to visit our sponsored child, Ana, in her hometown and meet her family and Jairo’s family. While we have traveled internationally with our kids multiple times, I had not taken them on a Compassion trip to visit our sponsored children before. It was a beautiful and memorable trip that taught me some good lessons about myself. Those might not be so helpful for anyone else, but there were a few other things I think might.

I learned a lot about focus and timing as well. You may think these are no-brainers (because I do, in hind sight), but if you’ve considered taking your kids on Compassion tours, mission trips, or similar – here’s my two cents. Everyone from our Compassion guide, to the project tutors, to our van driver thoroughly enjoyed the boys – especially Jay. But having my kids with me pulled focus from the people I went to visit and wanted to give my undivided attention. I wanted my kids (including the 3 year old) with me for the Ecuador adventure part, and even for the meeting our sponsored children part. But then I wanted/needed to have time with just my sponsored kids – to just soak them in. I pray that our quantity of Kleins spoke love that my quality of attention could not because I was serving as mom and madrina (sponsor) all at one time.

My hope was that the timing was right for our older two boys, at 9 and 11 years old, to see what our Compassion children’s lives are like in person. You just don’t pray for someone the same way once you’ve hugged them, met their family, and stepped into their home. They are now real to you in a way they weren’t before, and so is poverty. My first trip changed me – but I was 36! Granted emotional maturity varies a bit from person to person, but the timing for the boys was just too soon.

I know that one day it will be the right timing, and I will take them again. But for now, I have a wide open door to go on a trip I’ve been praying about for two years! I’ve tried to go, asked others about their interest, and eventually let go of the planning, sensing that it was just not supposed to happen. This is me being patient, letting go, asking for God’s timing and not mine. I know, I’m not very good at it – but Thank You, Thank You for putting up with me, Lord! This June, after almost a year on the ground, I’ll be airborne again for a trip to visit our church supported Compassion Child Survival Program & our two sponsored boys in the Dominican Republic. Until then….

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Visiting Ana in Latacunga, Ecuador

Extended Family

It’s another boy – and he’s a big one! Alexis will be 20 years old next week and has begun his college education studying architecture. Although he has a biological family of his own, we now consider him a part of our family as well. We are so excited to support his education, pray for him, and get to know him more over the next 4 years. As a graduate of Compassion’s Child Sponsorship Program, and because of his commitment to serving others and furthering his education, Alexis was accepted into Compassion’s Leadership Development Program. LDP will not only provide him with the financial and physical means to attend college such as tuition/books/room & board/etc, but also with Christian Leadership Training, one-on-one mentoring, and a sponsor (us) to share in his journey, encourage him, and invest in his future.

In case you’re wondering why we do this? or how do we know it makes any difference? Or what got us started and inspired us to be sponsors and advocates? Or why don’t you help kids in the US? or how can I love somebody that I don’t know and have no reason to love? … stay tuned, I’ll get to that.