Sep
27
2012Ricardo is lying over her on the one bed in their tiny home holding a lizard. Dalsys jars awake. He collapses in a fit of giggles.
“Ricardo! I told you to let her sleep! Get that lizard out of the house.” 11 year old Mirna scolds from their little gas stove.
Ricardo rolls his eyes and waves the lizard in Dalsys’ face while she continues to shriek helpless.
“Ricardo Juan, obey this instant! Mama says you have to obey me when she’s not here.” Ricardo sulks out the open door making faces at Mirna’s turned back.
Dalsys feel simultaneously relieved and disappointed. Relieved that Mirna stood up for her. Disappointed that Mama was already gone. It was Dalsys’ sixth birthday.
Mirna pulled a steaming plate over to the bed. “Feliz cumpleanos, Dalsys.” She whispered kindly. “Mama, had me make your favorite for breakfast: eggs and potatoes. Senor Alvarez needed help harvesting cocoa; he was paying a $1 for the whole day. Mama said she loved you and she’ll wake you when she gets home.” Dalsys sighed.
“Eat up Dalsys. You’ll need to walk to Ingelsia Evangelica Apostoles y Profetas soon. It is a school day.” Mirna gave Delsys a little squeeze and stood up. “Now where has Ricardo gone off to…” Mirna muttered as she pursued her 9 year old brother and the lizard she could hear him crooning to outside.
Dalsys ate her eggs and potatoes, hardly tasting them and wishing that Mama could be home for her birthday. She dressed hurriedly in her uniform and started walking to school early. She didn’t want to walk with Mirna, Ricardo, and his new pet Mr. Curly Tongue. Not on her birthday.
Arriving at Ingelsia Evangelica Apostoles y Profetas, Dalsys was surprised to see a letter, a couple pieces of candy, and a box at her seat.
“Feliz compleanos, Dalsys.” Senora Marguerite greeted her. “You have a gift from your sponsor, and a letter too.” Dalsys smiled and unwrapped the candy. She had never tasted something so sweet. In the box she found a pretty little doll handmade locally by one of the other students mothers. She had never had a doll before. She squeezed it tight.
Senora Marguerite smiled. “We’ll read the letter together at recess. The other students are beginning to arrive.”
“Senora?”
“Yes, Dalsys?”
“Why do you think my sponsor sent this? Why do you think they chose me?”
“Oh, Dalsys. It’s because of Jesus. Because He died for them too. And His love motivates them to love more, too. Because they know that you can do great things when you love Jesus, too.”
Dalsys looked down at the other piece of candy. Could she really do great things for Jesus? She heard Ricardo out in the school yard showing his friend Andres Mr. Curly Tongue. She smiled at her remaining candy: she really could do great things for Jesus. Even forgiveness.
*Blogging here for Compassion International. The prompt was the write as if you were your sponsored child. Dalsys birthday is coming up: in her honor, won’t you consider telling another child in poverty that they can do great things for Jesus?
Sep
25
2012I’ve struggled over a week to write this post for Compassion about their “My Sponsored Child Pinterest Contest.”
Not because of Pinterest really. I love Pinterest. I love how I can visually sort my bookmarks. I find that incredibly useful in the day to day when my mommy brain forgot how to do something or where I saw something.
Nor because I don’t think contests involving Pinterest as the entry are wrong. I’ve entered two myself (and since taken those boards down… I really don’t enjoy clutter).
No, I think I struggled with blogging about this because I’m not sure I can mix the two. This crazy first-world craze of Pinterest with all it’s craft projects, beauty advice, home DIY, and everything else, mixed with the hopeless third-world of a child who may not have eaten two good meals that day. How can they coexist? Mingle? Inspire one another?
It really didn’t make a bit of sense to me to mix the two. Pinterest and Poverty? Huh?
How could God use the self-absorbed world of Pinterest to change third-world poverty?
Wait just one second, Melissa. Did you just put the God of the universe in a box? Um, well, um… yes I did. (I talk to myself sometimes… you’ll have to forgive me… but it’s the only thing that keeps me sane… or not… you be the judge).
The God who made everything from nothing, can I put him in a box about Pinterest? Nope. No, I can’t.
God can use Pinterest to move hearts to bring children out of poverty.
Would you consider helping? Blow up Pinterest feeds everywhere with children being released from poverty? Sponsor a child yourself?
 |
| A letter from Dalsys taped on my wall. Isn’t the face her brother Ricardo is making hysterical?! |
I’d love to post a lovely picture of me and Dalsys… but with 3 toddlers in the house (2 who adore Dalsys and jump for joy when they see her picture or get her letter), I can’t find my photo of Dalsys. Ha! They ran off with her to pray for her themselves. So a hand drawing from 5 year old Dalsys will have to do!
The following is a copy of Compassion’s post about the Pinterest Contest. Participate if you dare!
Dearly Beloved,
We are gathered here today to learn about a new opportunity to bless your sponsored child.
Electric word, bless, it means to confer divine favor upon, and that’s a mighty good thing.
And I’m here to tell ya. This is how it’ll work.
- Create a Pinterest board titled “My Sponsored Child.”
- On the board you create,
- pin the image in this post and associate the following link with the pin:
compassion.com/my-sponsored-child. - pin any one of the following and tag this second pin with #mysponsoredchild.
- A photo of you and your sponsored child together.
- A photo of you with a letter from your sponsored child.
- A photo of you holding a photo of your sponsored child.
- pin anything else you want that is relevant to your sponsored child or Compassion.
Pin this image to your “My Sponsored Child” board
Once you have created your board, share the URL with us, along with your contact information, using the form at the end of this blog post.
You will receive one contest entry for every repin your “Pin It for My Sponsored Child” pin receives.
You can also enter the contest by sponsoring a child via compassion.com/my-sponsored-child during the contest period. You will receive 30 contest entries for each child you sponsor.
All winners will be chosen randomly.
Ten separate sponsors will win a $25 gift for their sponsored child.
Five separate sponsors will win a $100 gift for their sponsored child’s family.
Five separate sponsors will win a $100 gift for their sponsored child’s family.
The contest runs from Sept. 17 to 23, 2012.
Now, go forth and pin!
Courtesy of Compassion International: http://blog.compassion.com/my-sponsored-child-pinterest-contest/#ixzz27VQGdpay
Sep
24
2012The soreness comes on in the late afternoon. Accompanied by chills, I begin to doubt that it’s related to my workout the day before. Sometimes I have have to be brought low to understand what’s truly great.
Low is where I belong. Weak. Helpless. Tired.
But God.
(oh, I love that phrase more and more each time I hear it!)
He became lower than me. Took my form. Lived my life and served everyone. Dug into the hearts of others. Cared more about them than himself. And most of all: was obedient to death. He died a death I deserved so that I could come to him. Unashamed.
I forget this. I cling to other things looking for value. Cling to my to-do list. Cling to my latest craft. Cling to the opinions of others.
But my value is high in the eyes of Christ Jesus. So high, I am privileged to serve low with him. Those three little children. That husband. My friends. Strangers at the store.
I start this week lower than usual. Drag myself from the chair and head to bed early on a Sunday night. Where I rest in bed and in my identity as the beloved.
4503. How I look for pretty stick shaped colored pencils and decide they’re too pricey. And how Carol had already purchased them for the girls in Ecador before I had even looked at them.
4504. How I watch a moth and spider battle it out on the web in my window
4505. How the girls wake every morning asking “Is it my party?”
4506. That we made them feel so special that they want to feel that way each day
4507. That our neighbor could watch Sedryn for our birthday date with the girls
4508. The girls enthusiasm for chopsticks
4509. A sweet little visit with my mom and sister
4510. The girls announcing their fear of the gibbons
4511. Sedryn’s first tooth at just past 11 months
4512. Hearing him use the car ramp all by himself
4513. Those sweet wild beachy curls
4514. Using a gift to bless other ladies
4515. Nights of lack of sleep followed by just enough to catch up
Sep
20
2012Last week the girls and I went on a simple walk around the neighborhood (Sedryn came too!). We stopped and smelled flowers, raced to the stop sign, and even found one very neglected apple tree. Since it was so neglected, I assumed the house was currently empty and let the girls pick an apple. Such joy!
They were winding down on apple munching when they discovered a pile of pine cones. I’ve never seen so much excitement.
“Can we take them home and show daddy?” And so we did.
A couple days later, the girls are smearing a suet mixture on their pine cones with daddy and and eagerly waiting for the birds to enjoy them too.
