this made my day...

Written on 8/19/2008 09:30:00 AM by Miles

This is Iba, and he is 8 yrs. old. Him and I share the same birthday. I wrote him a few months back now, and was starting to get worried that he did not receive it. I drew him a picture of a football as a cartoon character, as he wrote me first saying that he loved sports.

Iba lives in Burkina Faso, which is a landlocked country in Northwest Africa. It was originally occupied by the French, and Iba's letters are translated from French to English to me....pretty cool. I have never met this young man, but I think he is just the coolest little guy. His entire family is Muslim. In fact, 50% the est. 15+million people of Burkina Faso are Muslim, with 10% being Christian. He told me in his last letter that he does not go to church yet, but at the center he goes to, they "sing, pray, listen to Bible stories and eat well." I thought it was funny when I read that his favorite song to sing is "David Killed Goliath With A Stone." I pray that God protects him and his family. He actually has both parents, along with three sisters and one brother. He sent me a couple of photos: one of himself and the other of his whole family. Seeing that little smile on his face made my day!

Compassion International works exclusively with local communities around the globe - specifically churches in villages and communities in 24 countries, rescuing close to 1 million children from poverty. Our #32 a month helps my specific child, Iba, in Burkina Faso to participate in programs that educate him, feed him and shares the story of the love and hope found in the gospels. And, for another $8 a month, Compassion's AIDS program helps educate Iba, as well as his family about AIDS and provides preventative information, and medical care, should him or his family need it. So, $40 a month does all of this. My wife, who gets a $3.50 coffee every morning. That adds up to $105/month...that gives a little perspective to us, don't ya think? I know that getting glimpses into this little boy's life has certainly derailed my selfish thoughts and priorities today.

I encourage you...if you've been thinking of sponsoring a child, but are feeling a bit overwhelmed with it or just not getting around to it...take the risk. Consider it. God has called us to something bigger than ourselves. Bigger than April's Starbucks, our iphones or my guitars. The Kingdom of God is safe place to learn and to eat to Iba - not music and golf for me. God is calling us all to be a part of seeing His kingdom coming to earth, just as it exists in heaven.

That prayer - that calling begins with the oppressed and the poor.

You can click the Compassion widget on the right hand side of this blog to sponsor a child today. I encourage you to consider.