Pauline...

...is the name of the 7 year-old Kenyan girl I'm now sponsoring through Compassion. Compassion is a Christian based organization that exists to help children living in poverty in various countries throughout the world. Through the monthly $38 Compassion sponsors pay, these children are given educational opportunities, health care, social skills training, and opportunities to hear about the good news of Jesus...that they would not have had otherwise. I'm a follower of MckMama and she and her husband are currently on a missions trip in Kenya, blogging about their trip with Compassion. Jennifer is posting many powerful pictures that speak for themselves. In just this week alone while she and her husband have been in Kenya, they have led 398 people to become sponsors of children who live daily in conditions we would consider unsafe, unhealthy and just plain awful. I think that number, 398, is amazing. A week ago, 398 children were without sponsors, but thanks to MckMama's firsthand witness and the tug on many hearts, almost 400 children have just been given some amazing opportunities.

It was hard choosing one child to sponsor, as there were so many of them waiting for sponsors. I chose a 7 year-old girl named Pauline who is one of six children. She attends church activities and sings in the choir-two things that I was very much a part of in my childhood. I only know basic information about her now, but in a few weeks, I'll receive a packet in the mail with her picture and some more detailed information about her. I can't wait to "meet" her! I'll be able to tell her who I am too, after receiving that packet. I am so excited to have made this decision; I'm glad to know I'm helping a child in another continent have exposure to education, healthcare and the knowledge of Jesus and his saving grace!

I encourage you to stop by MckMama's blog and see for yourself just what her trip has been like in Kenya. People she's met, things she's seen, and most of all, how it's changed her perspective dramatically. She currently has 4 children and is pregnant with another. Her and her husband sponsor a young girl in Kenya, but during this trip they have made the decision to sponsor four more children- one Compassion child to sponsor for each of their biological children. Wow. Such an inspiration, right?

I'm not rich by any means...in fact, I'm a recent college graduate and have many bills to pay. But $38 dollars a month is something I know I can give up for a good cause, such as Compassion. I want to do it. I believe in the purpose of this organization, and I know my money is being spent directly to help Pauline. God calls us to be servants, and although I'm not directly, face-to-face serving Pauline, I believe she will be helped with my monthly donation.

If you feel led to sponsor a child in a poverty-stricken country, please visit here. You can browse by country, gender, and age of the child.

Thank you, God, for the opportunity to serve one of your children. My prayer is that Pauline will come to know you and in return, serve as many she can with the gifts you have given her.