Following His Lead

     This afternoon, I finally had the chance to watch the entire 53 minute video that my son Ben had put together from his 11-month mission trip.  Being able to see and hear real footage from the extraordinary places where Ben lived and worked is pretty moving.  It's particularly impactful to see the many children whose lives Ben touched in such a profound way.  Among the most significant of these is the video of his visit to a child in Rwanda who he's actually been sponsoring for several years now.

     Some time ago, through the organization Compassion International, Ben began sponsoring Nshimiyimana, a young boy in Rwanda.  Every month, Ben has ben sending money from his own bank account to make a difference in this boy's life.  When he was in Rwanda this past January, Ben was able to actually visit the child.  Here's a link to the blogpost he wrote about that visit.  It's worth taking a few minutes to read it.

     Anyway, today I got to thinking about the literally millions of children around the world who are just like Nshimiyimana.  Through nothing more than random bad luck, they're born into such extreme poverty and hardship.  Their names and faces seem so distant and unrelated to my life.  And yet, when I see Ben's video it somehow brings them into focus.  If Ben, as a college student, can commit some of his resources to making a difference for these children, then I sure as heck can.  

     Today, I went onto the Compassion International site and made the commitment to sponsor a 7-year old boy in Uganda named John Kigonya.  Within two weeks, I'll be getting a more complete profile with pictures and tips for letter writing, among other information.  I'm excited to be following Ben's lead in this regard.  While the worldwide problem of poverty and its related challenges can seem overwhelming, and sometimes even insurmountable, I can at least make a difference in one person's life.