Monday, March 5th, 2018
It finally came!
We’ve waited over a week for this picture to arrive, and it came with even more than we expected – but more on that later.
As you know, last Sunday Paul and I attended the TobyMac concert. We had an awesome time, as expected, and just like any other Christian concert we’ve been to, an organization is there advocating for kids who live mostly in third world countries. Kids that are looking for sponsors. Kids that truly know what it is to be hungry, to not have a future.
One child dies of starvation every three seconds.
One one thousand.
Two one thousand.
Three one thousand.
Hard to fathom, isn’t it?
Did you know that if you were condense the entire globe down to a room of 100 people and lined them up based on opportunity, the person at the front of the line would be the only person in the entire room who had a choice of education. Yes, only one. Let’s put it this way – if you’re reading this, YOU are the person at the front of the line.
How about some more perspective? Let’s talk about the people behind you in line.
The last 50 people in line are malnourished, and don’t know where their next meal is coming from.
Those are the people we are losing every three seconds.
One one thousand.
Two one thousand.
Three one thousand.
And friends, as Matthew 25:40 says: “Then the King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, what you have done for one of the least of these, you have done for me.’”
It’s hard to deny that, hard to reason with that.
This was the message last Sunday. I looked at the kids on the front of the packets they were handing out, and I couldn’t help but think about how fortunate I am. I’ve never known what it is to be truly hungry, I have a college education, I have access to an infinite amount of doctors and health, I live in a house. I have six animals that are pets – not just livestock for food.
Paul and I did not sponsor a child that night. But when we woke up Monday morning, we did our research. How long as this organization been around? How much does this organization pay its CEO, how much of my donation actually goes to the child I’m sponsoring? Is the picture in my packet even a real child? Where does my money go? Can we write them letters? We called and talked with their care team, and they even said we can go visit our sponsored child.
So after we had all of our questions answered, we searched for kids in the Dominican Republic, and up popped Leidy.
Yes, friends, I know there is a lot to be done closer to home. I know kids nearby are hungry, lacking education, looking for help. But Paul and I felt called to help a child across the world who doesn’t have soup kitchens or a government with programs that aim to help. Many people are called to serve closer to home, but we felt the call from across the world.
So we pledged to sponsor Leidy online, and we were told a welcome packet would be mailed to us. So when we saw the mail carrier drive down the road today, we bundled up and walked the 1/2 mile to the mailbox regardless of the snow.
And there it was!!
We got our picture and our additional information. But inside was a letter (a letter!): “Hello friend, my name is Leidy…” A letter! She wrote on to say her favorite color, favorite sport, favorite subject in school, and more. She wants to be a doctor, you guys!
I read this first grade handwriting (in Spanish no less!), and couldn’t stop touching the paper. Tears filled my eyes. Her pencil indented the paper, and it was real.
We can’t wait to write back!
Courtney Weinreis // A Borrowed Likeness 