A Letter to Uganda

     Today I wrote another letter to John, the 8 year old child I've been sponsoring in Uganda through Compassion International.  I recently received a letter from him as well.  He drew some pictures for me and told me about how his family was harvesting beans and maize.  It's truly almost impossible to fathom just how different his life must be from anything remotely like my own upbringing.  

     Compassion International is a pretty amazing organization that currently facilitates the sponsorship of more than 1.1 million children around the world!  That's a staggering number.  While it's a faith-based organization, and it's a faith I don't personally share, I can't help but be impressed and moved by all the good the organization is doing.  They make it incredibly easy to sponsor a child, and then to keep in touch.  I can simply write a letter on their website and can even upload pictures, and then they have the letter translated and delivered to my child.

     My son Ben has been sponsoring a couple of children for some time now, and when he was in Rwanda last year, he had the opportunity to visit his child and his family in their small village.  Here's a link to the blog post Ben wrote about that experience.

     We all can see every day the many ways in which technology has made our world smaller.  It's easier than ever to do business around the world, to communicate with people around the world, and to learn about people and events around the world.  It's also easier than ever to be kind to people around the world.

Writing to Kigonya

     Awhile ago I wrote about my decision to sponsor a child in Uganda through Compassion International.  My child's name is Kigonya John, and he's 8 years old.  I recently received a letter from him (they translate our letters for each other), along with a few pictures that he drew.  It's hard to fathom just how different his life is from that of an 8 year old growing up in the US.  Tonight I wrote back to him, answering his questions, telling him more about us, and also sharing a picture of my family.

     In some ways, it seems a strange juxtaposition that I have 2 very different pen pals.  One was a 25 year old US soldier in Afghanistan who is now home and will soon be visiting me.  The other is this 8 year old Ugandan boy living in a tiny, remote village in Africa.  I wonder if I'll someday have the chance to meet Kigonya, much like my son Ben met his sponsored child in Rwanda last year (see his blogpost about that here).

Writing to a Child

     A month or two ago I wrote a post about beginning to sponsor a child through the organization Compassion International.  This is a truly remarkable organization that is currently sponsoring over 1.2 million children in 25 different countries!  Following that post, I received a number of messages from readers who told me they've been sponsoring one or more children for some time.  How cool is that?  The child I'm sponsoring is an 8 year-old boy in Uganda whose name is Kigonya.  Kigonya is one of five children in his family and he lives in a small farming village.  Today, I wrote my first letter to him.

     Compassion makes it incredibly easy to correspond with your child.  Right on their website, they have a tool that can be used to send a letter.  They have several template designs you can choose from, and then you write the letter and submit it.  They provide the translation and see that it gets to the right person.  You can even upload pictures to be included (which I did!).  

     Now that I've gotten this started, I'm eager to continue to write to Kigonya and see him grow up.  Perhaps I'll even get to meet him one day, just as my son Ben got to meet the child he sponsored in Rwanda (here's a link to a blog Ben wrote about that visit).

     I'm continually amazed at the ways in which the world gets smaller and we can connect with (and help out) people who are literally across the world from us.  

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.