Living Sent, Ethiopia: Choosing Hope

Sunday, June 22nd

 There is a story playing throughout all creation. It is one of joy and pain, of heartbreak and hope. But on days like today, the hope greatly outweighs the heartbreak as we get glimpses of the Kingdom come and I remember why I so enjoy this Compassion thing. Because although witnessing Compassion families walking away from the material aspect of poverty excites, is that the part that really fires me up and causes my eyes to fill with tears? No.

 That happens in seeing the fact that though these beautiful people may still live in poverty, they worship their Lord with such abandon. It is in praising with the center staff over the salvation on 200+ students since the start of their program. And not only 200+ plus students, but also 200+ caregivers letting Christ be Lord in their life.

 Seeing hope in action as you hear from the mouth of a child that 'God loves us big'- it is in those moments that I realize Compassion works.

 I realize it further as we dance around a bonfire to songs that I understand not one word of, but it doesn't matter because pure joy found in worship is universal. Seeing children holding on to dreams of being teachers and engineers, watching Compassion at work, that is what fires me up. But there is something far bigger than Compassion at work here.

 Because God is at work.

 God is at work through Compassion, showing these children and their families the only lasting source of Hope. God is at work, and you know it to be true as you listen to these precious Ethiopian babies profess Jesus as Lord.

 Compassion shows these children the joy and the hope of the Lord. You get to watch the joy in their radiant faces as they worship their Father. You see it as their heads are bowed and they chorus amen in sincere faith.

 The thing is though, they didn't always have this hope. There was a time when many of them were lost in the heartbreak and hope was nowhere to be found. But the people of Compassion and the Meserete Kristos church fought for hope, because they have chosen hope themselves. So God began working in them and through them, and now hope is coming alive.

 We are so privileged to participate in their hope this week. We join together, praising God for the pure, deep, genuine faith that many of these children have come to know. And as we join in their praise, we join in their Kingdom work, showing those still searching the hope that is in our Lord.

 Do you want to help a child choose hope today? We have seen first-hand the complete difference God makes in the life of a child through Compassion. This week, we chose hope and we fought for hope. You can do the same. Choose to be the hope shining bright in a child's life. Head over to www.compassion.com to find one of these precious children, and join us in fighting for their hope.