Country Director's Letter: Nicaragua

Today's letter is from Nicaragua, where we correspond with Erick. The original letter and photo can be found here.

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Dear Friend,

My name is William José Gutiérrez Rojas. Since 2003, I have been the country director of Compassion Nicaragua. It has been almost 15 years since the ministry was launched in this country. Despite challenges, we have reached more than 51,000 children so far through about 175 church partners, releasing them from poverty in Jesus´ name.

Thank you so much for your support and for walking through life with your sponsored child!

Nicaragua is the second-poorest country in the Americas, after Haiti. Around 50 percent of children and adolescents are living in poverty, 19 percent in extreme poverty. The most under-resourced children are those living in rural areas whose income is less than US$2 a day. That is why many Nicaraguan children are out of school, compelled to work to earn some money, trying to relieve their basic needs a bit. Children in our country struggle with common threats such as malnutrition, poor drinking water, domestic violence, lack of access to education, poor self-esteem, and hopelessness.

But thanks to sponsors, children in our child development centers have the opportunity to grow in a holistic way – spiritually, physically, cognitively, and socio-emotionally. They are exposed to the gospel through spiritual retreats and other activities that teach them about God´s love. They receive regular medical checkups, meals, and preventive health care. They have access to education, school supplies and tutoring, and different kinds of vocational training. They learn to interact with other people in a healthy and compassionate manner.

Besides all these, children´s lives are changed in a positive way by their sponsors’ friendship. Children delight in sponsors’ letters because of their encouraging words to succeed in life, making children aware they are worthy and loved. This is especially true for our many children who come from dysfunctional homes with frosty relationships, where there is little interest in their well-being. Please write to your child as often as you can.

Compassion’s programs make an impact on the parents as well as the children. Parents are taught how to raise, treat and educate their children from pregnancy onward. Parents are shown how to take greater parental responsibility, and they learn about topics such as child protection, nutrition, etc.

I would like to ask for your prayers, please. There is still a long path to walk through, and our effort is to reach more and more children in need and enable them to become responsible and fulfilled Christian adults.

Thank you for your effort to break the chain of poverty for your sponsored child. Thank you for arising and crying out in the night for the lives of children who faint from hunger at every street corner (Lamentations 2:19). Your love and support are greatly valued and appreciated, not only by your child, but also by our Lord and Savior.

In Him and for Him,
William Gutiérrez Rojas

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If you would like to sponsor a child from Nicaragua, please consider sponsoring

Good Links...

Sometimes when I read blog posts, or hear updates about countries where our Compassion kids live, I feel like I need to share the news! So in a minute I'll be sharing some great posts that have encouraged me.

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But first, I'd like to ask you to be praying for Kenya and Ethiopia.

We received an email from Compassion that shared the following:

Recently, heavy rain in Kenya has caused rivers to swell and flood the surrounding areas. As you know, Kenya is currently experiencing a drought. While rain is desperately needed, this large amount of rain over a short period of time has led to flooding since the water was unable to soak into the dry ground, thus overflowing drainage channels and rivers.

As a result of the flooding, many families have been forced to leave their homes to find safety. Over 130 Compassion children have had their homes damaged or destroyed as a result of the flooding. Some are staying with relatives and others are taking refuge in converted shipping containers.

Compassion staff in Kenya is working diligently to provide immediate aid to the children and families who have been affected. If the flooding has impacted your sponsored children, you will receive follow-up communication from us shortly.

This is a difficult time for many of the children and families we serve in Kenya. Would you please join us in prayer for all who have been impacted? Pray for:

The families who have been displaced. Pray that God will place His hand of protection over them, and that they would be safe from flooding.

Those who have had their homes damaged or destroyed. Pray that they would see God’s miraculous provision in their lives as they rebuild.

The Compassion staff and our church partners in Kenya. Pray that God would give them strength and endurance as they care for the families who have been impacted.

Thank you for caring for the precious children of Kenya, especially in times like these. May God bless you beyond measure for your faithfulness to His children.

Please also be praying for Ethiopia.

In case you hadn't heard, there was a landslide in a dump where many people lived... The Landslide in Ethiopia That Will Never Be Forgotten.

I recommend checking Compassion Australia's Crisis Reports page for updated info.

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Now to the fun stories! Here are some great posts for envisioning you in your letter writing...

How to Encourage A+ Excellence in Your Letters includes a great list of letter writing prompts:

1. How long does it take you to get to school?

2. What is your school like?

3. What grade are you in this year?

4. What makes you excited to learn?

5. What skills are you learning?

6. Do you think school is easy or hard? Why?

7. Do you enjoy working in groups or do you like to work alone?

8. What subject do you like the most? Why?

9. What are your dreams for the future?

10. If you could be anything in the world, what would you be?

And 5 Biblical Truths Every Child in Poverty Needs to Hear can also give some great ideas for your letter writing, and also had this very encouraging video:


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And finally, I wanted to share some fun stories about Compassion children and staff!

Tsehaywota Taddesse: How Shepherding Prepared Me for Leadership shares the amazing story of the Compassion Ethiopia Country Director; about how he grew up and how he is leading kids today!

And in How does sponsorship help kids emotionally, you can read about the impact of Compassion project tutors in the lives of our kids as it shares the specific story of Junior in Nicaragua.

What Is Not Visible: A Genocide Survivor's Redemptive Journey shares an amazing testimony from Rwanda...


There are two beautiful stories of older women in Kenya caring for children! The baby in the bushes shares the story of an older Maasai woman who rescues a baby and raises him herself!

And A Story Changed shares the story of a grandmother and her grandchild.


And finally, Compassion Canada shares 14 photos that celebrate the beautiful and diverse cultures of the world...these are absolutely beautiful and you need to go check out all the photos!

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All photos taken from Compassion International or Compassion Canada.

What $60 Buys...

Last year we were able to send a number of larger family gifts thanks to the Blogger Rewards Program. Since we knew that gifts of $60 or over receive thank you letters and photos, we made sure to send gifts of at least $60. Recently the gift photos have been coming in! It's such a blessing that Compassion sends these with the thank-you's!

I wanted to share them in one place so you can get an idea of what $60 will get in various countries.

Mary in Bolivia: groceries of oil, milk, eggs, some other food, detergent, and dolls for the girls!

Jhomary in Bolivia: t-shirt, oil, noodles and rice!

Dinesh in India: t-shirts, jeans, sheets and a steel box!

Jose in Mexico: food pantry gifts.

Julissa in Nicaragua: shoes, pants, shirt, towel and underwear.

Ndikubwimana in Rwanda said, "Thank you for your gift. I used it to buy a goat and I expect to have more goats because it will reproduce and provides me with other goats."

Cissy in Uganda said she bought the dress she's wearing in the photo, 2 dresses for mum, a bag of rice, a shirt and trouser, sports shoes, open shoes, a bag for her brother and she had a little pocket money left!

Estela in Brazil: her gift photo was lost in a computer crash, but she said, "I am writing to thank you for the present that you sent to me. With the money my mom bought things in the market: rice, beans and pasta, meat, milk, coockies and fruits. I am very happy." And the project took an extra photo for us to see Estela's pretty face, although we weren't able to see the gifts.

Gizelle in Brazil: She said she bought books for school, "The book is thick and there are seven subjects - Math, Science, History, English, Geography, English, Arts and others. The other one is for handwriting practice."

Jadson in Brazil: Nike sandals and school supplies

Pastor's Letter: Nicaragua (NI-198)

Whenever we're assigned a new correspondent, we're sent a pastor's letter! I like sharing them here both as a record and for others to read. Enjoy!

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This letter is from Erick's project! And the photos are from Compassion's Nicaragua Rural Region page.

Dear Eric and Hannah,

My name is Oscar Samuel P. I am the pastor of the DP Baptist Church. Here we develop the children, including Erick at the [NI-198] CDC. Receive our gratitude for the sponsorship and support you are giving Erick.

Our church and center are located in a rural zone of the city where the people recycle bottles, paper, iron, and cans for a living. The center and church are in a highly vulnerable zone. There is no drinking water or sewage system. One of the biggest problems is the drugs, alcohol, and other addictions that the children might learn from their environment.

One of the challenges our church has is to show the children that with Christ in their lives, they be released from poverty. Our vision is that they become young people at the service of God and also professionals, useful for their families and community. To make this happen, the center has to care for and support them in their academic, physical and spiritual development.

The parents of the children have such low incomes that they can't celebrate their birthdays. They can't afford piñatas or going to fun places, or even such basics as medical checkups. But the children of the center have all these resources, thanks to their sponsors. During the last medical checkup we did, about 17 children were malnourished, and we bought them special milk to help them recover their weight. The parents were grateful, because they couldn't afford it on their own. One teenager didn't have a bed to sleep on. We approved the purchase of one. When he saw the support of the center in the form of the new bed, he started crying and thanked the center.

Our children and teenagers receive God's Word constantly through the activities the center and church promote. This has been effective because we had about 8 teenagers who were baptized last year. Our church is doing a variety of activities apart from the center. We currently offer a literacy program for some parents of the children who cannot read. Some missionaries help with medical attention and food packages for families. Our ministry of young people at church works in different activities of choreography, dance, songs, and dramas. About 25 families of the center children attend our church, and another 50% congregate at others. I think we are doing the work entrusted by the Lord in His Great Commission of going and making disciples. Our church believes what God has put in our hands is a precious tool, a resource to preach His Word through the center.

I want to emphasize the importance of the interaction of the children with their sponsors through the letters, because they establish a dialogue with each other. The experience of the children at the center, their vision, and plans where both of them describe their lives, families, spirituality, and their prayers. We need to keep this communication alive so the children feel there are people who think about them.

Thank you for helping our ministry and Erick.

Blessings,
Pastor Oscar P.

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If you would like to sponsor a child from Nicaragua, please consider Diego, who just turned 10 on December 12. He's been waiting over 290 days for a sponsor.

Diego lives with his mother. At home, duties include running errands and cleaning. His mother is employed.

Soccer, baseball and running are Diego's favorite activities. In primary school his performance is above average and he also regularly attends church activities and Bible class. To sponsor Diego, click here.

Project Director's Letter: Nicaragua

In the spring, Compassion sent us a bunch of project director letters! I'll be sharing them over the weeks! Enjoy!

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This letter is the project that Julissa attends! And the photos are from Compassion's Nicaragua Album.

Dear Eric and Hannah,

My name is Rosa A. L. S., and I am the Project Director at [NI-175] attended by your sponsored child. We are located in Managua, Nicaragua. Thank you for sponsoring Julissa.

I am very grateful for the love that God has put in the hearts of our sponsors. Thank you for all your prayers which are part of the answers of God in blessing the children. I say thanks for your concern about children. I want to tell you about one of girls who was sad because other children received letters from their sponsors, but she didn't. She complained about everything, and was discouraged until her teacher folder to pray to God. The teacher said to her that God is powerful and knows our needs. God answered her prayers because a few days later, she received a letter from her sponsors' granddaughter. The letter said that she felt a great desire to write to her because her grandfather had no time to do it. After that, the communication is overflowing between them, and the girl is so happy!

Sponsorship gifts are a great blessing. One of our girls used a gift that her sponsor sent her to build a store for her own business. This has helped her family a lot because neighbors purchase what they need from her store. Her family is so thankful because of this great blessing.

I would like to share with you the story of another girl who had osteoporosis. That was very difficult for her because doctors said that she was going to lose mobility in her legs, and would not walk. We prayed a lot for her, and now the girl is walking and healthy. She received the miracle of healing for the honor and glory of God! She is so thankful to God and is committed to serve Him because of the miracle and opportunity that God gave to her day by day to do it.

I also want to share with you about a teen who took our barber shop vocational training workshop, and now he has a source of income that allows him to solve his needs. He also learned music, and plays the bass.

What sin spires me is to see who the children are blessed, to see who they play, how they eat, and how they praise God. It inspires me to be here to help them and to have them close to me. When they see me, they run to me and hug and kiss me. They come to my office to talk. This is a great blessing! They make me want to go on when I don't have strength. To experience that love is beautiful. To have the opportunity to serve them is a great privilege, even more so because 9 years ago, I got cancer which was unattended for a long time. Finally, I had chemotherapy and radiation, but this treatment had no affect on me. The cancer continued and the doctor told me that only a miracle of God could heal me. I didn't continue with the treatment, but according to my last checkup, I am completely clean. Right now I'm healthy, thank God! Honor and glory to Him!

Please pray for our children who have not accepted the Lord yet. Pray for us to who work with them, that God will renew our strength to move forward in this precious ministry.

I want to say thanks for all your blessings to the children at our center and church. May God Almighty continue blessing you and your family. Thank you, again, for sponsoring Julissa.

Blessings,

Rosa A. L. S.

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If you would like to sponsor a child from Nicaragua, there are a few children available from NI-175, Julissa's project! Adorable Abril even shares a birthday with Julissa! She just turned 4 on July 21.

In her home, Abril helps by cleaning. She lives with her mother. Her mother maintains the home. There are 3 children in the family.

For fun, Abril enjoys ping pong, singing and playing house. She attends church activities regularly and is in kindergarten where her performance is average. To sponsor Abril, click here.

Marlon in Nicaragua

We corresponded with Marlon from October 2013 to October 2014.

We received 6 letters while corresponding with Marlon. His birthday is March 25. Marlon lives with his father and grandmother and 6 siblings! Marlon has 4 brothers and 2 sisters. His dad works as a fisherman.

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Project Info and Activities:

Marlon attends NI-149 near Managua
* Home to approximately 38,000 residents
* Most commonly spoken language is Spanish
* Most common work is work is street vending
* Average earning is $111 a month
* Regional Diet: maize, beans, plantains, rice & fish
* Common Health Problems: malnutrition, diarrhea, flu, coughs, parasites, respiratory diseases
* Typical Houses: dirt floors, cement walls, corrugated iron roofs

Center activities: Christian education, Bibles, medical checkups, health education, special celebrations, field trips, handicraft training and academic tutoring.

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Miscellaneous Info from Letters:

* Favorites: group games, bicycling, play house, baseball, swimming, running, other ball games, rabbits, soccer, story of Samson, Psalm 4:8, Samson song, cats, tigers, green, sunflower, pollo tapado, math, Baralona soccer team, physical education

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Letter Highlights...

"I tell you that I received your letter and read the story of Amy Carmichael. I think it is a very interesting story. I like also reading Bible stories and I like David and Goliath's one more."

"Thank you for praying for me always. I feel very important for you."

"Here in Nicaragua we celebrated our Homeland festivities on September 14th, it was very funny cause we had marching bands of all the schools here in our city, it was very funny and colorful."

"On August 29th all the youth of the project went visiting the Salt processor and we learned the process of salt and all participated in packing salt in small bags."

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Artwork

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Marlon lost his sponsor, but his sponsorship was quickly picked up by Jill (who blogs at the Compassion Family blog) and her family! Jill has traveled to Nicaragua before and hopes to return again someday. Jill shares about their sponsorship of Marlon here.

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To read the other posts in this series, click here.

Julissa in Nicaragua

We were Julissa's sponsors from November 2011 until July 2016.

We received 24 letters while sponsoring with Julissa, and two project director's letters (2014 and 2016) and two pastors letters (2013 and 2015). Her birthday is July 21. Julissa lives with her grandmother, Graciela, and two aunts, Carla and Auxiliadora, along with her sister, Rebeca, her brother, Yassev, and her cousins!

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Project Info and Activities:

Julissa attends NI-175 in Ciudad Sandino, Managua

* Home to approximately 165,000 residents
* Most commonly spoken language is Spanish
* Most common work is work is factory work, although the majority is unemployed
* Average earning is $71 a month
* Regional Diet: maize, beans, bananas, chicken, fish, bread, rice, potatoes & goat
* Common Health Problems: respiratory diseases, diarrhea, parasites, allergies, malaria
* Typical Houses: cement, corrugated iron roofs

Center activities: Christian education, medical checkups, health education, nutritious food, sports, special celebrations, vocational classes, tutoring, and meetings, child development training and evangelistic activities for the parents and guardians.

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Miscellaneous Info from Letters:

* Favorites: drum kit, guitar, dolls, group games, bicycling, baseball, play house, rolling a hoop, walking, jacks, marbles, hide-and-seek, volleyball, running, reading, art/drawing, ping pong, jump rope, singing, listening to music, other ball games, story telling, baking course at the project, nacatamal, purple, bird, English, David, Psalm 91, rabbits, roses & jasmine, monkeys, physical education, swimming, motmot

* Dreams: to be a lawyer, to attend the university, to become a professional, to visit el Mirador de Katarina, take a tourism course

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Letter Highlights...

"I love the Bible text about the creation; God created us with so much love and dedication."

"Yes, I have accepted Jesus in my heart."

"My favorite things about my exercise are to learn swimming."

"I like to know that I can share with you that I was in Granada as part of a trip from school."

"I like the superheroes, but the one that I like the most is the superhero Jesus."

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Artwork

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Gifts

We were able to send Julissa gifts in 2014 and then we received a thank-you message! We also were able to send a family gift in 2015 and she was able to buy shoes, pants, shirt, towel, and underwear. She also sent this great photo with the thank you!

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Graduation

Julissa completed 10th grade in high school in December 2015. She then began attending culinary school and studying hotel management. She graduated from Compassion's program in July 2016. We were told she is continuing at the culinary school and plans to be a chef! We are so proud of her success!

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Final Letter

Dear Sponsors, Erick and Hannah. I hope you are in good health with your family. I am studying Tourism and Hotel Management. I like this career. I appreciate your prayers and your love for me. Thanks for the gift you sent me, with that I bought a shirt, pants, shoes, underwear and painting. I received your beautiful letters. Your children are tall. The photos of birds and animals is cute. I tis very good that you sponsor another child in the same way as me. My family and I are in good health. Thanks for the Fruits of the Spirit. For me, loyalty is to be faithful to someone regardless of the consequences. Thanks for your prayers. I'm afraid of storms sometimes. I don't know where is China. Thanks for the games. I don't like to dance. The costumes are very pretty. It's great you gather your family at Christmas. It is also good that you take food to people in need. I have never taken food to others. How was the birth of the baby? I ask you to pray for my family and my studies. I will pray for you and your family. God bless you always. I send you love. Sincerely, Julissa

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To read the other posts in this series, click here.

Maria in Nicaragua

I sponsored Maria from 2008 to 2011! And I have the blessing of currently being in touch with Maria. (I highly encourage you to stay in touch with graduates, if possible. The graduates I am still in touch with have greatly enriched my life and I am so thankful for their continued friendship.)

We received 15 letters while sponsoring Maria! Her birthday is April 15. Maria lived with her mother and grandmother and some siblings, although she's the youngest so many of her siblings had moved out already.

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Project Info and Activities:

Maria attend NI-105 in Cuidad Sandino, Managua.
* Home to approximately 120,000 residents
* Most commonly spoken language is Spanish
* Most common work is work in factories, although the majority is unemployed
* Average earning is $84 a month
* Regional Diet: maize, beans, chicken & fish
* Common Health Problems: parasites, stomach illnesses, respiratory disorders, eye diseases
* Typical Houses: cement, corrugated iron roofs

Center activities: computer classes, baking classes, Vacation Bible School, visit to Masaya Volcano, first aid training, Bible teaching, health education, nutritious meals, tutoring, literacy training, scholastic materials and uniforms.

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Miscellaneous Info from Letters:

* Favorites: dolls, soccer/football, bicycling, walking, running, reading, singing, fried chicken, listening to music, drawing, history, artists Jesus Adrian Romero & Alex Campos, song Sonido del Silencio

* Served as a teacher's aid in 2011

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Letter Highlights...

"Let me tell you that I already baptized on Sunday, March the 29th. It was a fun activity because another brother and sister baptized with me. They were my brother Franklin and my sister Fanny. That day we shared many types of food at church but what I liked the most was my baptism."

"I love the music by Alex Campos; my favorite song is Sonido del Silencio. From my church and Bible, I have learned about love, to have a good testimony for my brothers, and how to be a good leader."

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Artwork:

Maria included a drawing or a cute doodle in almost every letter! Here are a few of my favorites:

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Final Letter:

"God keep blessing you, dear Hannah Berry! My wish is that you are in good health by the side of your whole family. I want to give thanks to you in advance for the gift you sent me on my birthday since I could buy clothes with that money; may God bless you for that detail. I want to tell you how much I've learned at the project, all what my Teacher has taught me, it has helped me a lot in my spiritual and school life. I want to tell you that the anniversary of Compassion was super nice; we marched at the Central Plaza where there were also songs, dances, and the most important thing was the meditation of this word; the whole activity was carried out by the children of Compassion. Also, I want to tell you that we celebrated the Mother's Day a short time ago. It was also really nice. The teacher helped us make manual works, of course made by us! To give them to the mothers and there was a delicious lunch for all the mothers and children in the end of the activity. And the last celebration we had was the Children's Day; it was very fun; there were raffles, contests, gifts, prizes. I'm very thankful to the Lord Jesus in the first place and to you for all the blessings I receive. Today I'm receiving a pair of shoes that I was given here at the project. I want to ask you: What praise do you like to listen to? I ask you to pray for my sister who is pregnant so that everything will go well. I close this letter by sending you kisses and hugs. Maria"

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In December 2014, Maria graduated with her degree for teaching 5th grade! We are so proud of her!

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To read the other posts in this series, click here.

Pastor's Letter: Nicaragua

We received a pastor's letter from Julissa's pastor in Nicaragua! Julissa attends NI-175. All the photos are from Compassion's Nicaragua Urban Region page.

Dear Eric and Hannah,

My name is Marco Antonio A. S. I am pastor of the Igleisa de Dios (Church of God) that is located in Cuidad Sandino, Managua, Nicaragua. Your sponsored child attends our Hosanna Child Development Center. It is a great pleasure for me to address you in a special way to express my gratitude in sponsoring Julissa.

The community where we are located consists of extremely poor families. This poverty affects parents because they do not have employment. It is a community that needs much assistance in housing, healthcare, support for children in their studies, and family counseling. Many parents and young people are immersed in vices and young people are in gangs.

We as a church are committed to preach the Good News of salvation, because the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the only hope for the people. Our challenge is to ensure that parents have a change of spiritual life. As a church, we are doing different spiritual activities so that God can work a miracle transforming the lives of these people through His Holy Spirit. My desire is that through the work we do with children they are a bridge of blessing to reach their parents and other families.

The impact of the church is closely linked to the contributions and support of the Compassion Center on the community. That's why our vision as a church is to project ourselves into areas of extreme poverty. With God's help and the sponsors, I'm sure that we will achieve the vision that we have set, which is to release children from poverty in the name of Jesus.

So far we are going on a good path and the children enjoy the benefits of the program. They receive medical checkups, school reinforcement, school supplies, recreational activities to help strengthen their emotional development, and spiritual activities, such as retreats, camps, evangelism, etc., that allow us to strengthen them with a Christian influence.

The children are so happy when they receive a letter from their sponsors. Many of them live in dysfunctional families. Some do not have the protection or the love of a father or mother. Whatever the situation of children, they express their joy when they receive a letter from their sponsor, because they feel that someone who is far away shows love. The opposite happens when the children do not receive letters from their sponsors. They feel very sad. I take this opportunity to encourage you to take a little time to write a letter. I promise it will bring great joy.

We thank God for your gesture of love for Julissa, our church, and the community in which we are committed to serve, as long as God grants us life. Your good work will never be forgotten. It is a treasure made in heaven. Please pray for this ministry to be extended for the glory and honor of Jesus Christ. May God bless the life of you and your family!

Sincerely,

Marco Antonio A. S.

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If you would like to sponsor child from Nicaragua, I am currently advocating for 5 kids!

You can learn more about these 5 kids by checking out my post here or emailing me at berry31(at)gmail.com

Fun Information on Nicaragua & Honduras

Some of the bloggers I follow will be heading to Honduras this summer! They are specifically advocating for a new project, HO-416, and if you sponsor one of these children, they will take photos with your new child!

Kim, who blogs at Three Little Larks, is advocating for 6 children (with more to follow): God's Kingdom Here.

And Deborah, who blogs at Trusty's Mailbag, is advocating for 10 children: Bringing God's Kingdom Here.

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Compassion recently shared this video promoting Compassion Sunday, but I just loved how it gave both a glimpse into sponsored kids in Nicaragua and what it is like for a child to receive news that she is sponsored!


Jill, who recently traveled to Nicaragua, has blogged about her trip on Compassion Family. You can also read all her Nicaraguan posts here.

And Kerri, who blogs at Giving Gratefully, traveled to Nicaragua in the fall of 2014 and shared about her trip! You can read her posts here.

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If you would like to sponsor a child from Honduras, please consider sponsoring one of the kids who Kim or Deborah are advocating for. And if you would like to sponsor in Nicaragua, please considering sponsoring 15-year-old Maryuri, who is crippled in one foot and has asthma.

Maryuri lives with her mother. She is responsible for carrying water, washing clothes and running errands. Her mother maintains the home. There are 3 children in the family.

As part of Compassion's ministry, Maryuri participates in church activities. She is also in high school where her performance is above average. Volleyball, telling stories and playing house are her favorite activities.

Maryuri has asthma, is crippled in one foot and is receiving regular medical treatment. Please pray for her and be assured that your sponsorship helps her to live a fulfilled life. To sponsor Maryuri, click here.

Guest Post: Kerri's Travels with Compassion

I'm continuing with sharing interviews with people who have traveled with Compassion to visit their kids! This week we're going to hear from Kerri, who blogs at Giving Gratefully. Kerri shared about her trip to Nicaragua! (The photos are from Kerri.) Enjoy!

In October 2014, I took my first Compassion sponsor tour to Nicaragua, along with my 15-year-old son, Aidan. The trip was six days long, which included two travel days, and I would absolutely love to go again! In fact, I am currently registered for a Compassion trip to Guatemala in July.

The Schedule
I received our itinerary about three weeks before the trip, and my son and I quickly devoured the details. This is how the days were laid out:

The first day mostly involved travel. We left our house in the very early morning to fly to Miami, where we met up with the rest of the sponsors and our trip leaders in the afternoon. From there, we all boarded the airplane and flew to Managua.

Our trip leaders guided us through customs and luggage pick-up, then we headed out to the two small buses waiting to take us to our hotel. We met our in-country tour leader at this point. Arriving at the hotel at about 7 p.m., we were given a few minutes to take our luggage to our rooms, then we met up again with our group in a hotel conference room for dinner.

On day two, we traveled to nearby town of León, where we visited our first project. After a wonderful welcome from the pastor, we toured the project’s Child Survival Program (CSP), which caters to pregnant mothers, and mothers of children aged 0-3 years old. This project also had a Child Development Sponsorship Program, so after lunch at the project, we were able to spend some time with those children as well. Then our group split up and visited the homes of some of the mothers in the CSP. This was a great chance to make a more personal connection with the mothers, and to understand a bit more of what their lives look like. At the end of the day, we traveled back to Managua, and had dinner with the group at the hotel.

The following day, we visited another project. This one was located in a neighborhood of Managua called Ciudad Sandino. We were welcomed to this project with lots of singing and dancing, then we toured the different programs available to the children at this project. These included classes to learn baking, jewelry-making, hair cutting, music and computer. We split up again for home visits before leaving the project. On this day, we went to a restaurant for lunch before returning to our hotel to meet some Compassion graduates. We listened to these bright young people share how Compassion had shaped their lives, and were able to ask questions. Later, our group headed to a restaurant for dinner.

The fourth day was a Sunday, and our group traveled to a Compassion project to worship with their church. It was a great service, highlighted by enthusiastic singing, and lots of skits and songs performed by the children. On this day, we left the project for lunch, then did some sightseeing, which included a visit to a marketplace for shopping and a visit to a beautiful lagoon.

The next day was the day we had all been anticipating – child visit day. The children met us in buses at our hotel, and we traveled with them to a nearby amusement park, where we spent about six hours with them. At the end of the day, we rode with them to the Compassion office, where we said our goodbyes, and they continued on home, while we returned to our hotel for dinner.

And the last day, we left the hotel very early, traveled to the airport, flew back to Miami and went through customs, entering the United States as a group. There we proceeded on to our own flights to return home.

Group Dinners
Each night, our group came together for dinner, but this time wasn’t only for eating. It was a very important time for discussing the happenings of the day together, sharing special moments, laughing and sometimes crying together, and just sharing this unique experience. Even for someone like me who tends to enjoy some alone time at the end of the day, I found this to be very helpful in processing the day’s events.

And I can’t say enough nice things about the other sponsors on this trip. Many became very good friends, as we all bonded over our Nicaragua experience.

The Language Barrier
Spanish is the language of Nicaragua, so our group had four translators with us every day, in addition to our in-country tour leader, who could also translate for us if needed. One of our Compassion tour leaders also spoke fluent Spanish. On child visit day, every sponsor was assigned a translator to aide in communication. Because I was visiting three children, we were lucky enough to have two translators with us all day!

I learned Spanish throughout high school and college, but am by no means fluent. However, I am happy to report that I was often able to understand much of what was being said before it was translated. Speaking it was much harder, though.

Knowing some basic phrases was especially useful in connecting with the children at the projects, and also in connecting with my own children in the rare circumstances when a translator was not with us. For example, on child visit day, there were times that I was alone with one of my children on the go carts or the boat ride, so it was nice to be able to say short phrases to them like, “let’s go faster” or “let’s catch them!” Even without those phrases, laughter and love can go a long way!

Child Visit Day Tips
I visited three children, all boys, ages 11, 8 and 3. I was thankful to have my son with me so we could split up sometimes, and while one age group did one activity, another age group would be doing another activity, with one of us in each group. It was definitely a juggle, and the time seemed to go by so quickly. Also, because of the ages of my children, we were on the go the entire day, only having quiet visit time during snack time or lunch. I noticed other sponsors with older teens did more sitting and visiting than running around.

So my biggest tips would be to be prepared for how your group’s dynamics will be based on age and gender. Know that certain age groups will be more active while others will involve more visiting. If you’re in a group like mine, be prepared to get your questions in while waiting in line for activities or walking from one place to the next.

Also, write your questions down!!! I wish I had kept a note card or something in my pocket to help me to remember things I wanted to ask. I found myself very overwhelmed just by finally being in the presence of my children and their mothers, and I tend to be more of an observer, enjoying just being with someone, so while caught up in the excitement, many of my questions left my brain!

Finally, because my boys were on the younger side, even when we did have some quiet visiting time, I found it useful to have something to do with them. We looked at photo albums that I had made for them, we played with the balero that my son bought earlier during the trip, and we kicked a soccer ball together for quite a while. These things kept us connected, made some great memories, and were a lot of fun.

Visit Your Child
This trip had a huge impact on me. It gave me a much better understanding of my children’s culture and country, of their day-to-day struggles, and of how Compassion is helping in Nicaragua. It brought me into contact with an entire group of sponsors who are just as on fire for Compassion and for Nicaragua as I am. It had me stepping out of my comfort zone and relying on God, and of course, He came through, blessing me with so many amazing memories. And it allowed me to hug my boys, and spend a day with them, which was truly priceless. There is nothing like seeing your child in person, observing his mannerisms and personality first hand, and just being together. Sharing all of this with my own son was unforgettable.

I highly encourage all sponsors to consider visiting their children if possible. Four years ago, when I first became a sponsor, I never would have imagined myself traveling to Central America. But with God, all things are possible. Visit your child. It will change you.

For more about my visit to Nicaragua, please visit my blog at www.givinggratefully.com, and click the link “Nicaragua” on the right-hand side, under “Categories.”

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If you missed the previous posts, I encourage you to read about Jill's visit to Nicaragua, Jessi's visit to Tanzania, Terri's visit to Haiti and Katie's visit to El Salvador!