compassion blog - part 3

My favorite mission trip of all-time was when I had the opportunity to travel to the Dominican Republic with a ministry called Compassion International. What I’d heard about for years finally became a reality in my life. No longer were the children just pictured on packets. Now they were real children in need of sponsors and mentors. For years I had heard about Compassion from different people and in different concerts. I knew there were dozens of child-sponsorship programs, but for some reason Compassion stood out to me in a unique way. I began studying about Compassion and praying about whether or not the Lord would have me be a part of this ministry in some capacity.


Three years ago, I decided to sponsor my first child Clare who lives in Kenya. That was one of the best decisions of my life. At first she was just a child on a page, but little did I know that she would change my life forever. Much like Grehme, who I mentioned in my first blog, Clare’s life was changed by Love and my life was changed by her.


Three years later, I now sponsor 3 children who all live in Kenya. I literally cannot wait for the day when I get to go to Kenya and meet them all and scoop them up in my arms and spin them around. Also, I’m a Compassion International artist, which means I get to travel across the country with my music ministry and share about Compassion. Before I partnered with Compassion in ministry, I made sure that I prayed a lot about it and researched heavily. I didn’t just want to join up with any ministry. And with all the child-sponsorship programs out there, I knew I had to find the perfect fit for my ministry.

I began looking into the ministry of Compassion, whose mission is to rescue children from poverty in Jesus’ name. What’s unique about Compassion is that they go into a specific region and immediately partner with a local church. In fact, the local church is what drives the Compassion Project. This enables the children to have a spiritual foundation first and foremost. Discipleship can also thrive in this environment. Each child that is sponsored receives necessary food and clothing each day and also receives a Bible-based Christian education each day. I have seen the children and I have visited the schools. I have served food to the children for lunchtime at their Compassion projects and I assure you, this is one of the most real and legitimate ministries out there. When I went to the D.R. with Compassion, everything changed. It all became so real to me and I wanted to tell everyone about what Compassion was doing to change the world, one child at a time.

compassion blog - part 2

There she was in all her anger, lashing out at everyone around her. I noticed her instantly. She was the uncontrollable 12 yr old girl who was running throughout the classroom hitting boys in the face, wreaking havoc all over the place. I knew at that moment that she was the little Dominican girl I wanted to especially reach out to. I was instantly filled with an overwhelming sense of love for her.

The young girl’s name is Grehme and her life was changed by Love.

Grehme was full of hate when I met her and full of love when I had to leave her. The day I first saw her, she was acting out of anger and bitterness. After I saw her hit her 5th victim, I walked up to her. Wanting desperately to be the hands and feet of Jesus, I gave her a hug. I held her tight but gently. She fought my hug with all her might. As I hugged her, I repeated over and over again in Spanish that I loved her and that she was beautiful. With each sentence of truth that I spoke over her, she fought me less and less. Eventually she stopped swinging and fighting. Eventually she even settled into my hug and allowed me to hold her. Then, I felt one little hand on my lower back. Shortly thereafter, the other hand. She was hugging me back. I couldn’t believe it. The little girl, this great fighter, was hugging me back.

And thus began a changed life thanks to Love.

The rest of my time with Grehme was unforgettable. She was no longer fighting and no longer yelling or hitting anyone. She became a delightful student, ready for involvement. She wouldn’t leave my side. If I was in the vicinity, she was right next to me. She was receiving my love and loving me back. I saw a complete transformation in her life and I knew it was because she had let Love in. For a moment she let her walls down.

My favorite part of my time with Grehme was our last day together. The entire day was filled with the looming sadness of leaving one another. It was also filled with her new obsession with a doll she had brought to school that day. I’d never seen the doll before, but she was acting like it was a real baby. If anyone tried to take it from her, she would cling to her baby doll and tuck it in tight for safety. At the end of the day when the moment came for us to say our goodbyes, I finally asked about the doll. She told me that her doll’s name was Lindsey and it was her best friend. I had to fight back tears. This little girl changed my life, though I thought I would be the one having an impact on the children in the Dominican Republic.

The Giving Spirit of Christmas

in light of the recent focus of this blog on the ministry of compassion international - let's think about what Christmas is really all about. watch this video cuz it's awesome, but also because it really challenges us to re-think what we give and who we give to.

Compassion International Blog Time!!!

so there i was sitting on one of many plane rides and i started thinking about how it was time to blog about one of my greatest passions: compassion international - a ministry dedicated to rescuing children from poverty in Jesus name! where to even begin? i have no idea. there is so much i could write and so much i could say. but first, i wanted to start with a video of a guy who has stolen my heart. below is a video taken from a recent Compassion Trip with bloggers to the Dominican Republic.



and here is a letter i received yesterday from my Compassion representative, Brian Seay:

I spent the last week in the Dominican Republic leading a group of Bloggers on a trip to experience the ministry of Compassion. Each time I lead a trip I ask the Lord to guard my heart against the complacency of seeing the ministry firsthand several times a year. Not surprisingly, He has answered that prayer every time.

Last week I was reminded why we do what we do – and that’s to bring the hope of Jesus to those who have lost hope. Selfishly I want all the stories of Compassion to be success stories but I was reminded that success has to have a starting point, not just an ending crescendo. I visited a home where I met a little girl who would not smile and her mother who told us we could pray for her family but she did not believe God would ever answer those prayers. I stood there with the sponsor of this girl and the reason we believe so strongly in one-on-one sponsorship was magnified in front of us. Through huge tears this sponsor took the little girl, prayed over her, and told her she believed that God loves her and has a special plan for her life.

You can read my full take on this home visit at my blog - http://brianseay.wordpress.com/2008/11/04/the-girl-without-a-smile/ -

I followed that home visit with another one where the story of hope was further along and the parents could see real change happening in their lives and the lives of their 2 children who are sponsored. We were almost done with the visit when the 9 year old boy disappeared to another room and returned with his guitar. Immediately a concert broke out in this house – and this kid could play! We put the video of this “house concert” up on You Tube - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=So5qECSm4to
(this is the video from the beginning of the blog)

When you look at the faces on the packets you have with you remember that behind every photo is a story and it’s a story of hope and potential. Thanks for partnering with us in bringing hope to these children!

CHECK OUT WWW.COMPASSION.COM and pray about changing the life of a child TODAY!!!

more blogs on Compassion to come...

here's the thing about love - granny's story

my granny is one of my best friends in the whole world. when I was little, I used to go stay with her and herbie and she would let me eat icecream and mac & cheese for every meal. we would laugh and play and watch movies and old tv shows. we had the best time over gallons of pralines and cream ice-cream. she spoiled me to the Nth degree and I was most fond of her. truth is, she is the most loving person I think I’ve ever met. she loves without condition and without an agenda. her love isn’t based on what a person looks like or acts like. she simply loves. it’s who she is. and she loved me deeply for many years and continues to love me even to this day.

granny suffers from Alzheimer’s disease. she has for several years now. though she gets confused as to where she is and who people are, she still loves. she is a relentless lover and though she might not know who I am anymore, she still looks at me with those eyes. those bright blue eyes. she always saw me with her heart, and no disease will change that. she is the epitome of beauty and grace. in her life, I see the truth of the scripture that tells us that God’s power is perfected in our weakness. she is weak, yes, but she is also one of the strongest women I know. she exudes the relentless love and tenderness of Christ.

recently, she was on the phone with my dad and an unforgettable conversation took place. granny doesn’t remember names and frankly, she has forgotten a great deal about life and reality. but sometimes she’ll have moments of clarity which show the vitality of her spirit. though her mind and body are weakening daily, she is being renewed inwardly and her spirit refreshed. the other day, my dad was talking to granny about various and sundry things, mostly unrelated to one another, and then it happened. the moment of clarity. granny all the sudden began speaking with such conviction and grace. she said, “I love God so much. I love Him so much. you know, I used to love a man who didn’t know God. But I know God and I love Him so much. And I know He loves me. and He is good. God has always been so good to me throughout my entire life. And I know that God loves me and that He is good.”

when my dad told me about this, I couldn’t hold back the tears. it was proof that a person’s spirit can be fully aware whose spirit is home to Jesus. with everything she doesn’t know anymore, she still knows the most important things in life: that God loves her and that He is good.

to me, this is what it all comes down to. if we don’t truly believe that God loves us, how can we love ourselves? and if we don’t love ourselves, how can we love others? for we know the Lord says to love one another as we love ourselves. and if we don’t ultimately believe God is good, how will we survive? our only means of survival is His goodness and sovereignty; knowing that He is always working everything together for our ultimate good and His ultimate glory. and my granny, old and gray and suffering from a debilitating disease knows the secret of contentment in this life: that God is good and that He loves us.

wow. deep breath. I still can’t get over this. what a revelation and what a beautiful thing to know, that my granny still knows the Truth and the Love of Christ no matter what.

ride em' cowboy

i just had to post this recent video of gabby wearing her newest accessory.

the tale of two devotionals

so there i was thinking of randomness and my thoughts turned into these two devotionals:

NEVER THE SAME AGAIN

One of the hardest things for me in my Christian life is when I feel and act like I used to before I became a Christ-follower. Sure, I have Jesus living inside me, but sometimes I still act like a complete moron. I worry about things I cant control, I fear things that shouldn’t have a hold over me, and I let my flesh run wild. I was hoping that once I asked Jesus to come into my life and be my Savior and Lord that I would automatically start acting like Him. But for those of you reading this who have been a Christian for longer than 2 seconds – you know it’s not quite that easy. One night in college I had reached the end of my proverbial rope. I was completely wrought with anxiety and fear. It was as if I couldn’t make myself surrender to the Lord. That was mostly because I couldn’t even find Him or hear Him in my small, dark dorm room. Instead of wallowing in self-pity as is my usual custom, I decided to write down my endless thoughts. I grabbed a sheet of paper and started writing furiously. My pen couldn’t keep up. All the sudden my head started lifting. My heart started beating a little smoother. I was able to finally catch my breath. In that moment, as I was writing and trying to get it all out, I felt Christ embrace me. I sat there dumbfounded, simply letting Him hold and love me. I didn’t want to leave. I picked up my guitar and started singing the words I had written down. I realized I had been changed after spending those few moments with my Prince of Peace. I felt totally different. Though I still had my flesh and my tendency to worry, I knew I had been transformed in that moment. I would never be the same again. I realized He hadn’t just performed a one-time change when I gave my life to Him, but He continues to change me daily as I meet with Him. Each day is new and each day I have the opportunity to allow Christ to make the old new.

WHERE IS THE LOVE?

I’ve noticed a trend recently: people are having love issues. About a month ago I was on a long flight and found myself thinking about love. Not the kind that makes me want a boyfriend, but the kind that makes me want Jesus. Suddenly I was flooded with thoughts of God, others, myself, and the mysterious idea of love. What is love? Where is it? Who is it? Why do people love? Why don’t they? Jesus quickly began answering my questions. We’ve heard it said that God is Love. He can’t help but love us. He can’t not love. His love doesn’t change based on what we do or don’t do. His love is not dependent on our performance. He just loves. That’s His nature and it’s more natural to Him than breathing is to us. Then I started thinking about why some Christians have love issues. That thought led me to this one: Why do certain people have problems with Christians, but rarely do they say anything negative about Jesus? I guess it’s because sometimes Christians fail to love. I’ll be the first to admit that there are times when I simply do not love others. We need to get back to that good ole’ saying of “They’ll know we are Christians by our love.” But before we can love others, we must first love ourselves. After all, it was Jesus who gave us the idea of loving others as we love ourselves. Then and only then can we love another human being. The problem is, there are many people who don’t love themselves and for whatever reason, they never have. The conclusion to my thinking was this: our ability to love others rests in our ability to love ourselves. Our ability to love ourselves rests in our ability to receive God’s unconditional love. It seems that it really is all about receiving the love of God. We, as Christ-followers must start loving others without condition and without an agenda. Let’s love for the sake of being like God who is, in His very nature, Love. For the love of God, receive it! Without love, we have nothing and we are nothing.