While in the Philippines, I had a unique opportunity to visit a girl that I have sponsored through Compassion for the past 9 years. She and her family live in Davao City, which is on an island south of Luzon (where Gus' family lives). Our whole family was supposed to make the trip, but with Emie having a bout of fever and diarrhea, Gus and she stayed home.
This is Kate Dana and her parents outside of the church where the project is housed. Kate's family attends the church and they are all active with church service and choir. Her parents run a small cafeteria that caters to the local high school students during lunch, so they are very busy! I was very glad that they were able to take a quick break to meet me.
These are the teachers and the director of the Compassion project. They were so incredibly welcoming to us. They made us a wonderful lunch and kept Nathan fully entertained the whole time we were there so I could visit with Kate. They provide so many wonderful services to the families in their program. From education and prenatal care for pregnant moms to job training and counseling for teenagers, they have a very holistic ministry. It was such an honor to meet and pray with them.
This is Kate Dana and her caseworker Helen.
Kate is very shy and was very nervous to talk with me, but she is a wonderful writer and has excellent English skills. She has written me in English since she was about 8 years old. All of the teachers and her parents were apologizing that she is not more talkative, but after reading her letters for so long, I know this little girl's heart and it is beautiful. She has such a heart for service and the gospel and I pray that she will grow into a leader for her community. When I returned to the states, she sent me the most beautiful letter I have ever received. It brought both Gus and I instantly to tears.
If you don't sponsor a child through Compassion, consider it. It has been very rewarding for our whole family. Nathan now refers to Kate Dana as his older sister and asks how she is doing on a regular basis. And if you do sponsor a child, consider a visit. I have always been glad to sponsor Kate Dana and have found her letters to be very rewarding, but actually seeing the project, meeting the teachers and understanding all that they do for their community, makes me so much more sure of how important it is to give to this ministry.
