Today is a great day...

to sponsor a Compassion child! Vist www.compassion.com or www.love89.org if you are here in the Knoxville area, or anywhere else. If you live in the Knoxville area and listen to Love 89 well you know that today and tomorrow they are having a Compassion drive for a village in Africa. Seriously, you should sponsor a child. It is $38 a month. I know it sounds like a lot of money but really it isn't. Just think about it. How many times do you eat out a month, stop at Starbucks, go to the movies, buy candy, soda, etc. If you just cut back a little you could save up that $38 in no time. If you can't do it alone join up with a friend and sponsor a little boy or girl together! What a huge impact you will make on this childs life! I am telling you, God has called us to take care of the orphans, the widows and the poor. So many people do not take this seriously. Don't believe ME, you shouldn't? Just read from Matthew 25.

31"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. 32All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
34"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'
37"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'
40"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'
41"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'
44"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'
45"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'
46"Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."

There you have it. Just one example.

Anyway...Darrin and I sponsor a little boy from Guatamela named Denis. Denis just turned 5 years old. I am so excited when I see a letter in my mailbox from Denis and his family. His mother writes for him because he is only 5 but he can draw the best pictures ever! The time before last he drew me this adorable picture of a tree, a bird and some grass and flowers. It is still hanging on my fridge. Denis lives in a village that his mother tells me is very beautiful but very poor. Denis likes to play with his friends and play soccer. His favorite Bible story is the one about David and Goliath. Denis and his story could be similar. Denis faces a big giant as he grows. Poverty. But, like David, Denis can and will overcome this giant. Not alone but with the help of God. See, one of the things that I love about Compassion is that they tell the kids about Jesus. With the money that Darrin and I send each month Denis is able to attend school, have medical care, get his vaccinations. He is cared for. He gets to go to the Compassion center each day and be around people who will have a Godly difference in his life. Not only his, but his families. With Compassion you can send money for Compassion to purchase a family gift. This family gift could be beds, it could be a goat. It is something for the family tat they can use.

In my last letter from Denis he asked for me to send him more photos of me, my family and my home. It is just an amazing thing to be able to make a difference in a childs life. For as little as $38 a month.