Change the Story-The Compassion Experience

        Today was an amazing day for me. I got to help out an organzation that I have loved and helped out with since I was a little child. That organzation is: Compassion International. They have a speical place in my heart and always will. I started sponsoring a child through them about 10 years ago. I can tell you my story about how I got hooked up with them and how my experience has been with them for so many years.
        I was 18 years old when I sponsored my first child from them. My girl was and still is the same girl and my only girl so far. I started to help her out when I went to a youth conference in high school with my youth group. Compassion was there and I felt the need to help a little child out because I have always been a person to help children out that are in proverty. I started out donating money to her and her family and then I had to stop for awhile but my mom kept paying Compassion for her but then I started up again in my later years in college. It is amazing to see her growing up so fast from this 5 year old little girl to this 15 year old lady. Seeing how her handwriting has progressed and just her letters and writings and drawings in general is so neat. I need to write her a lot more then I do.
        My little girl is from the Philppians. Why I picked the Philppians at age 18 I do not know. I had no desire to go there. It was porbably because she was cute and I didn't know or had any country that I truely loved back then because I didn't travel at all in high school and I probably thought I never would get the chance so why pick a close one. Now since I have been to other countries and places I regret not picking one closer but I will stick with her until she is done with school and there's no doubt about it that I will get another child but this time it will be closer like in Guatemala so I can travel and visit that child.
          I got to vounlteer for the first time too with Compassion today. They were at a church in my town sharing a "program" called "Change the Story-The Compassion Experience". It was so neat to do and be a part of. It just made me want to sponsor another child form Guatemala and go help them out in other country mainly with their child development programs like teach in the centers. What was it like you may ask? It was a trailer filled with 3 sponsor children's stories about how their lives were changed because of their sponsors. People got to listen to the stories on an ipod and walking through every room  and every part of their stories. The childrens' lives before Compassion, during Compassion, and after Compassion.
          The 3 stories that I got to listen to today were from Boliva, India, and Urandga. There were 2 girls and one boy. They are touched me in different ways. I remember one of the girls' stories was about her mother and human trafficing because that was the only way they could make a living. After I walked through all of the stories, I got to help set up ipods for other people that came to listen and see the stories too. It was a joyous time for me. I was happy all the time and not worrying about a thing. I also remember one of the other girls' story was about how her father had left the family and how she wanted a real loving father in her life and that is what lead her to God. He was the Loving Father to her, not her Indian gods. It is so strange to think about how children think that way sometimes even here in the states.
             It just made my heart going more and more for different nations but espically Guatemala where I love and to sponsor more children but I can't right now. That place is so dear to my heart no matter where I go in life. I want to do so much more with Compassion like go visit my "little" girl in the Philippians and help them with more events if possible around the area in which I live. I've never seen anyone do anything like this experience before. It is a great and neat idea. Very different but wonderful. God bless the children that get sponsored with weekend and if you are in NWA area please ask questions and go. It will change your life for sure.