Showers of blessing from Kenya!

Now, I rarely share the content of my sponsored kids' letters, but I could not resist sharing the letter I received last week from Ruth, my precious, happy child in Kenya! She has brought so much joy into my life and the love of our Lord Jesus shines through her infectious smile. She writes by herself in almost perfect English (although she's only 9 years old). 

Here is her letter - get ready for a few chuckles!!

"How are you? I hope you are fine. I love you so much. I am as happy as a king living in a palace. I learn at Blessed Kids School. I am in standard seven and we did exams and I was number one with three hundred seventy-nine marks. My heart had ripples of joy. When I received your photos, activity book and stickers, the joy I had knew no bound. In Christmas I received the clothes. When I received the gifts, my heart was about to come out of my skinny body.

I like playing hide and seek. We have planted maize, beans, green grams and peas. On Saturday we play football and we eat rice and beans. I go to school everyday. Before Christmas I was very happy because I knew I would be celebrating with friends and family.

I want to thank God because he has given me life without me paying him. I love you because you are a good friend."

She then proceeded to draw and color me a tree, a table, a girl, a house, a church, a cup, a chair and a ball -

Melting my already melted heart!

It has taken me a few days to process the most recent blessing that God has poured out on my life! This past weekend I was put in charge of running a Compassion event solo and last Friday I received the advance materials including the stack of child packs.

Now the background for my story. About 8 months ago, I accepted a friend request on Facebook from Prince, a young pastor/project worker at Compassion's BD227 project, a wonderful young man and so passionate about helping the children in his community. We have developed a strong friendship through his many updates on the work going on in Compassion Bangladesh and in his church.

Now back to the child packs - as they were in alphabetical order, Bangladesh was on the top of the stack, and this adorable little 2 year old boy's face jumped out at me. I also noticed that he was born on the same day my grand-niece Ivy was born (just last week on May 14th)!! Then the clincher(!!), he attends project BD227, the same project that Prince works at!! The stars were definitely lining up, so I instantly decided to sponsor little Shimul in advance of Sunday's Compassion event, and I immediately sent Prince a private message on Facebook asking if he could give Shimul's parents the good news in advance, and I sent him a photo of myself to show them. Then, within 24 hours, not only had Prince told Shimul's parents, but he had printed out my photo and had taken a photo of Shimul and his parents holding my photo just after he gave them the news that their son had a sponsor from Canada (me!!).  I was overjoyed to say the least!! And Prince told me that there were no words to describe their joy at receiving the news! 

Six days have now past since I first laid eyes on my precious Shimul, and he has melted my already melting heart. I love this little boy to pieces already and am so blessed that God has chosen me to be a part of his young life, to encourage him and to speak God's word into his life as he grows up into a wonderful young man of God.

I encourage all my friends and family to consider sponsoring their own "Shimul", and impacting a young life for eternity, releasing a child from poverty IN JESUS' NAME!!

For more information, please click on http://www.compassion.ca/advocate/judymyers

Where is God leading me next? ........ to INDIA!!!

Since returning from my Compassion Canada trip to Bolivia, one might think that my "passion for Compassion" may have waned once the excitement and emotion of the trip wore off. Exactly the opposite has happened! God has been revealing more and more to me about the direction He wants me to go, and is opening many doors to increase my volunteer advocacy with Compassion Canada. Every event I work at continues to reinforce the determination and passion I have inside my heart to release more kids from poverty in Jesus' name, and doors are even opening up for me to speak with pastors in churches that have not previously been exposed to Compassion ministry. The Holy Spirit has been moving in people's hearts to want to sponsor not only one child, but multiple children!

Amongst other countries, God has recently been placing the country of India on my heart, so much so that an opportunity has arisen for me to join a Compassion U.S. team travelling to India in March 2014. It's amazing that the dates of the trip don't conflict with any of my other travel and/or other commitments, but that's how God works. He just wants us to be willing and able to go through His door of opportunity in faith when He opens it in His perfect timing. I will also have the honor and privilege to meet the four older teenagers from India that I recently started sponsoring through their last 2-3 years in the Compassion program. As they are all scheduled to graduate from the program in 2015 and 2016, it will be so wonderful to meet them face-to-face and encourage them further in their walk with the Lord. If I thought God blew my heart wide open in Bolivia, I truly believe that Bolivia was just a warm-up to breaking my heart even more for what breaks His in India!! I just know that my experience in India will surely surpass any previous missions trip I have gone on; God just has a way of doing that!!! He has definitely been stretching me more and more this year and I am excited as to what the future holds.

Stay tuned for more exciting updates........!!!!!

http://www.compassion.ca/advocate/judymyers

God has challenged me to dig deeper!

Ever since coming back from Bolivia, God has been blowing my heart wide open, and has been challenging me to do even more for His Kingdom, to reach the lost and needy in His name. I asked myself what does this mean and how can I find the time to take on more, what with my job and my current volunteer activities. Then a thought came to mind (placed by the Holy Spirit, no doubt??), and everything became clear to me. I felt a peace in my heart as I knew what I had to do. A phrase that I have heard many times crossed my mind (I can't recall who authored it), and I have adopted it as my motto in life - "I live simply, so that others can simply live.

I have to share with you the challenge that God has placed on my heart to dig even deeper, and to dedicate 50% of my gross salary this year to child sponsorship in honour of Compassion Canada's 50th Anniversary, and for their tireless efforts to release children from poverty in Jesus' name. This will increase my sponsored Compassion children to 50+ in number, also in honour of the 50th Anniversary. Just this week, I took on the sponsorship of 6 children aged 18+ in Asia and Africa, to encourage them in the last 2-3 years of their program. I ask for your prayers as I undertake this personal challenge. God has been so good to me, blessing me with a wonderful Compassion family who stand with me in prayer for these precious children.
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