Project Letter: GU-996

We recently received a letter from Bauner's project in Guatemala! All the photos are from Compassion's website.

My name is Javier C., pastor of Iglesia Bautista "Palestina," which partners with Compassion to (the project where your sponsored child attends. We are located in the region of Alta Verapaz, Guatemala. Cordial greetings! I wish you blessings in all that you do.

As a pastor, I thank you for your monthly support to Bauner. He receives it with smiles and even tears in his eyes. All our beneficiaries have their own Holy Bibles, uniforms, school supplies, and delicious food received in their classrooms. We thank God for what you send Bauner.

We live in a region of hot weather. Our population speaks Queqchi and their educational level is sixth grade; just some students reach ninth grade. The main sources of income are corn, achoite (annatto) and chili farming. We count on water, electricity, transportation, and general dwelling. There are asphalted roads where heavy transportation travels. However, we are mainly affected by thefts, family problems, and violence.

My vision for this church is to be a united church, with love to the neighbor, firm in their Christian faith, reaching all families everywhere through Gospel preaching. My vision for this center is to show the way of truth in Jesus, teaching registered boys and girls how to generate income for their families and good health practices.

Compassion's program has impacted our beneficiaries, since they are now responsible, know Jesus, love God, and are respectful wherever they go, different from those children who are not part of the program, who are irreverent, don't know Jesus, and misbehave everywhere. Last year 30 children came to Christ at the center.

Regarding the health area, 27 beneficiaries are recovering from a contagious disease and we are helping them through medical treatment and follow ups, thanks to your help. Another girl had a surgery due to a hernia, and thanks to God all of them are now stronger and healthier. Their parents are also very grateful to God and to sponsors.

We have 273 registered children, and 89 of them are attending regular services at church. 88 beneficiaries have sponsors, and 28 families belong to the Baptist church and are now active members.

Letters between children and sponsors are very useful, since they can be in direct communication with one another. Children are able to thank their sponsors for their monthly contribution, with their own words, and learn about their health, job, etc. Boys and girls become really excited when they receive a letter and are encourage to participate in activities in the center. However, those who don't receive any correspondence feel sad and ask why their sponsors don't write to them. Please make a time to write often to Bauner; just a few lines means so much to them.

I ask your prayers for the provision of the necessary funds to solve the problem of the church's land. Pray for the 27 beneficiaries who were affected by the virus to be strengthened and completely healed. Also pray for jobs to those parents who don't have a job. Thank you very much for your contribution to our children. Thank you also for reading this letter. May God bless your paths and your family.




If you're interested in sponsoring a child from Bauner's project, please consider sweet little Sonia! She has two siblings at home and helps her family take care of their animals! Read more about her here.

Project Letter: BO-361

Here's a letter from Carla's project in Bolivia!  All the photos came from Compassion's website. 

Fraternal greetings in the love of our Lord Jesus Christ, hoping that the grace and peace of the Highest One overwhelms you.

My name is Roberto R. I am the Pastor in the (church) in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. We work with the Child Development Center where you sponsor Carla.

We are deeply thankful for the work and social help you give to Carla. Sponsorship is a great blessing for us and this is a great tool to teach the Gospel to the families that are receiving this benefit. We know that this is the great commission for the church; to preach the good news. The letters that the sponsored children receive are an encouragement where their worries are transformed into strength.

The church is located in a neighborhood that is growing in population because a lot of people from the center of Santa Cruz are starting to move here. Many people are moving to the suburbs of the city so we, as a church, have the need to preach the gospel to families that don't know the way to salvation. A really good way to reach them is to get to the families with food and education based on Biblical principles and Christian values. During these times we have been struggling with social insecurity, alcoholism, and drug addictions. Sadly our neighborhood is involved in these same social misbehaviors, but we firmly stand with the conviction that only God can change men from their sins.

The church is accomplishing the work in the measure of our possibilities, knowing that the center is a social tool of the church for this community. We have enthusiasm but we struggle with problems like family disintegration, very low family commitment, social dangers, etc.

We see big differences in sponsored children. They are healthy and have Christian values. The student center is an oasis inside their world where their reality is another one. Some of them do not have food, they don't have affection compensation, nor any advice, despite that all, they try to overcome their reality making a difference. We have former sponsored children that already graduated from different professions and they are also spiritual leaders in their churches.

This last year we have been putting an emphasis on missions, we are forming missionary teams, and we are also doing recess with the children from the suburbs and going to schools. The reception of letters and gifts are priceless for our sponsored children, we can see the great joy in their faces when they know that somebody remembers them. This has even more value because they don't physically know their sponsor, they feel that someone cares for them unconditionally, and that feeds their self-esteem. One can see the difference with the other children who don't receive anything, they feel sad. We know that sponsors have little time, but we encourage sponsors to please continue writing letters if they can. We know that this is a great encouragement for the boys and girls.

We ask you to please pray for the students and the people responsible of the student center, because it is a really delicate work. I say goodbye with a fraternal hug, wishing many blessings from our Lord Jesus Christ for your support of Carla.

I also found a video filmed at Carla's project! It was shared by Compassion Canada's facebook page, and I recognized the uniform shirts. :) I asked them just to be sure that it was her project, and I was right! 




If you are interested in sponsoring a child from Carla's project, precious Dulce has been waiting over six months for a sponsor! She's 9 years old and her birthday is July 11. You can read more about her here!

Project Letter: DR-385

Here's a letter from Yarianny's project in the Dominican Republic! All the photos came from Compassion's website.

Hello! I hope you are doing well. May the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus reign in your home. My name is Ramon P., and I am a pastor of (the church) in the northern region of Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. Here we minister to Yarianny, your sponsored child, in (the project.)

I want to thank you for your great effort and determination you have shown in seeing to Yarianny's well-being. Thanks to that, we have been able to provide for several needs. Through you, we have been able to reach our children in a more complete way, with all the benefits of a Dominican childhood.

We belong to a community whose growth and development is a little scarce. Due to that, we see ourselves as having the responsibility to contribute to such growth. It is a challenge for us to work for the growth of this community, since we see so much delinquency and corruption in it, and the youths are oftentimes involved in such acts.But in Jesus' name, we will take our children away from the enemy!

Our vision for our church and center is to reach both children and their parents and closest family members, and therefore, create healthy families. Where there are healthy families and communities, as well as a growing and healthy church, God is glorified.

Currently 11 of the center's children's families attend our church. We also have 7 youths who have completed the program, and some of them are part of our youth ministry.

I want to highlight that it is really important for children to receive their letters, since they get really happy when they receive them. They also get very sad when they see other children get letters and they don't. I want to motivate you to write to your child. If you already do, I encourage you to continue in this good action.

Without further ado, hoping the Lord provides for your needs and compensates you for your good actions, I say farewell.




If you're interested in sponsoring a child from Yarianny's project, check out sweet Juan! He's so happy! Juan is 5 years old and has been waiting over 9 months for a sponsor.

Project Letter: UG-256

It's been a while since I've shared a pastor letter! Here's a letter from Jowan's project in Uganda. 

I am Leonard N., pastor of (UG256) in Uganda, located in the western region of Uganda. We minister to Jowan at the project. I thank you so much for your generous support of Jowan!

(The town) is a rather hilly area and cocoa is grown, which leaves little land for food crop production. Most people survive on working in other people's cocoa gardens as laborers to get a wage to buy food. Some of the people in this community have already accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

Our community faces a number of challenges as our area is hard to reach. Usually, one has to pay a fee to a motorcycle rider to travel from place to place. The health facilities in our area are not in good conditions so people have to travel a long distance for medical services.

In ministering to the community, as a church we have faced the challenge of long distance when doing pastoral visits to the people of God. Another challenge is that the church still has an incomplete structure for fellowships and conferences. We are praying to God for its completion. Education is still a challenge to the community since most of the parents are not able to pay tuition for their children to go beyond secondary level of school.

Our vision is to reach out to the community and transform them to live Christ-like lives. We endeavor to serve the community and ensure that people can participate in all activities of the church. At the center, we aim at bringing up healthy, educated, and mature children who will transform the community for the glory of God.

The center has had a great impact on the children who attend. Before, many of them suffered from skin diseases, but now they are doing much better as they have access to good medical treatment at the center. These children are now able to go to school as we pay their tuition and provide them with scholastic materials. Approximately 80 children have made their first profession of Jesus as their Lord and Savior. I'm also glad to see that over 100 registered children's families now attend church regularly.

The workers of the center encourage these children to practice good hygiene both at the center and at home. As a result, we have seen fewer cases of illness. Apart from the implementation of this program, the church arranges prayer meetings, conferences, and trainings to benefit all members in the community. We also educate the people about good health practices and how to prevent diseases.

When children get letters from their sponsors, they feel loved, cared for, and excited. We have seen children's self-esteem improve as a result of receiving letters from sponsors! These letters really strengthen the relationship between children and sponsors, and makes a huge difference in their lives. Children who do not receive letters from their sponsors get concerned whether their sponsors are okay. So, we encourage all sponsors to please write to these children. Every word of love and encouragement motivates the children to do their best in all things!

Please keep our ministry in your prayers and pray also for God's provision to the families of the sponsored children and their entire community. Pray for all the church leaders to always serve the children faithfully.



If you are interested in sponsoring a child in Uganda, please consider little Stephen! He just turned 6 in October and he lives in an area that has a high rate of HIV/AIDS and child exploitation. Read more about Stephen here.

Project Letter: ID-231

Here's a letter from Ecel's center in Indonesia! All the photos come from Compassion's website.

I am pastor Stenly K. I am the lead pastor of the protestant church (ID-231) where we are ministering to Ecel. I want to sincerely thank you for your kind heart to support Ecel and this ministry. Your support and that of all the other sponsors has helped us to run the program and helped over 300 of the neediest children at the center. Without you, we wouldn't be able to do this.

There are many activities that the children do at the center. All of their activities are based on the holistic development curriculum from Compassion. The program is centered on the four holistic areas of development, including the spiritual, physical, intellectual, and socio-emotional areas. Our curriculum is very good, for it allows the children to study in a fun way whether it is indoor activities or outdoor activities. We also care for the children's physical health. We give them nutritious food that is needed for them to grow.

The center's mission is to raise up a generation of young Christians blessing our community. Currently, we are compiling a program to help the children's families to earn some money. It is a kind of income generating program. We raise pigs nearby the area where the center is located. Pork meat is very competitive in business. There is quite a lot of space with waters and unused pens. So this is a good place to be done. The progress is quite good. Through this program, we are positive that we can help the children's families to add more income to support the families so that the children can focus on studying.

From our deepest heart, we are thankful to you and pray that God will bless you. In these difficult days, we really appreciate your contribution and support of Ecel. You have changed his life from a very bad situation into a better one. Before, the children at the center had no health care and could not go to school. They could not play or interact with other children their age. They did not attend church and did not know Jesus. Now all of that has changed. Because of this, it is a joy to see the enthusiasm of the children and the families. May Jesus bless you abundantly!


If you are interested in sponsoring a young man in Indonesia, please consider Nando! Coincidentally, Nando attends the same project as our guy Prayer! :) You can read more about him here.

Project Letter: GU-819

Here's a letter from Evelyn's project in Guatemala! All the photos come from Compassion's website.

My name is Isaias O., pastor of (GU-819) in Guatemala, which ministers to your sponsored child at the development center. Greetings in the name of Lord Jesus Christ! I hope God is abundantly blessing your life! From the bottom of my heart, thank you for all that you do for Evelyn.

The weather in my community is cold, and people speak Quiche and Spanish. The main sources of income are pottery, tailoring, and furniture making. People reach secondary and high school. Thank God, we count on drinking water, electricity, drainages, and public transportation. The roads are of dirt, and some are paved. Our main problems are undernourishment, early pregnancies, and family disintegration.

As a church, we fight against family disagreements, difficulty to leave idolatry, and excess of paternalism. My vision for church is that every member prospers in the spiritual, moral and academic areas to overcome foresaid problems together. My vision for the center is to continue working for children to make them a light for the community and make an impact on their family.

Thanks to Compassion's program, children have shown an important change and are different from those who are not at the center. They are in good health since they have access to medical checkups. Furthermore we have fought against a high percentage of undernourishment. They are also learning Bible stories and are improving their spiritual, emotional, and cognitive areas. The center also offers technical trainings to young people so they can be productive in their communities.

In just a few months we have registered at least 115 professions of faith in Christ. Praise the Lord! I want to share with you a story of impact in our community. It is about a child that was registered in the center. He lived in poor conditions with his mother only. However, he  attended the center with much happiness and served God with much enthusiasm. The child became a young man and the time to complete the program came. Thank God, he was chosen to be part of the Leadership Development Program, and attended university. Currently he is a lawyer, and continues serving God through his career.

We have other ways of social help in our church, collecting food supplies and offerings for families in distant communities. It is important to remark that at least 50 children and their parents attend our church, and the rest attend other churches with their families.

Please know how important it is for a child to have communication with his sponsor. They can learn about those who have changed their lives, and pray for them. When children know that they have received letters, they feel happy and encouraged by the love transmitted through their words. On the contrary, children who don't receive letters feel sadness and curiosity to know about their sponsors. I hope you will always write to Evelyn.

There is much need in Guatemala, especially outside Guatemala City. That's why it is necessary to support many families that are facing economically and spiritually difficult times. Therefore, please pray for the problems that affect our community and center, for the families of the entire community, for every member of the church, for the sponsored children and families, and for the volunteer staff at the center.



If you are interested in sponsoring a girl in Guatemala, please consider little Nohemy. I am in love with her braids!! She is so precious. Nohemy has been waiting over six months for a sponsor. Read more about her here.