Today, I’ll be continuing my introductions of my sponsor children who are new to me this year.

Meet Aldo.

Aldo is six years old and lives near Medan on the island of a Sumatra in Indonesia. Aldo is my third sponsor child from Indonesia.

When Rio graduated from Compassion’s program, I began sponsoring a little boy named Marchellino. This spring, he and his family moved away from the area where Compassion serves. Compassion contacted me and offered to transfer my sponsorship to a new little boy. Of course, I agreed without question. Aldo and Marchellino live (or lived) in the same city.

I’ve only been sponsoring Aldo since June, so we haven’t had much time to connect. I know he lives with his aunt and mom and that he has a brother. He likes soccer and music, and his favorite color is yellow. So far, I’ve received two letters from him.

I love what he says about wanting to take a walk together. I would love to do that with all of my kids!

Aldo recently had a birthday. Rather than sending a card, I used a fun paper and stickers to make him one. The blank space at the bottom is for translation.

I’m looking forward to getting to know Aldo better.

As I type this, there are 228 children in Indonesia listed on Compassion’s website who are waiting for sponsors. Would you consider ending the wait for one of them. Who knows, were could end up sponsoring buddies.

~Janet

Children in Indonesia

Today, I’m launching a feature I’ve had in my mind since I started this blog: Compassion Tuesdays. I have been a sponsor with Compassion for 20 years and a volunteer Child Advocate for over a decade. In this feature, I hope to introduce you to Compassion through my own sponsor children. Today, we’ll start at the very beginning of my Compassion journey.

I first became aware of Compassion International through a little insert in my Michael W. Smith cassette tape when I was in Jr. High. Michael spoke about the plight of children living in poverty and of a solution: child sponsorship through Compassion International. He introduced me to his beautiful sponsor child, Gavi. Each new album brought a new update. I was hooked! I looked forward to those updates almost as much as the albums themselves. I determined that, when I was old enough, I would sponsor my own child through Compassion.

That time came in my third year of college. A friend had done a Compassion presentation at his church and had two children left. One of those was Rio, an adorable five year-old boy from the island of Java in Indonesia. I fell in love immediately and sponsored him on the spot! Thus began a wonderful relationship.

Watching Rio grow up was a unique experience. Every few months, I received a new letter. I vividly remember the point he started writing his own vs dictating them to his teachers. The careful, neat adult writing gave way to an adorable childish scrawl. I watched him grow mainly through his handwriting as it slowly returned to a careful, neat script.

Of course, there were occasional photo updates as well.

I sponsored Rio for 17 years until he graduated from Compassion’s program at the age of 22. His letters and photos are some of my greatest treasures.

Rio was my first Compassion child, but he wasn’t my last. In all, I’ve sponsored thirteen and currently sponsor six. I’ve been a volunteer Child Advocate with Compassion for a decade or so. It’s a program I truly believe in.

When you sponsor a child with Compassion, you have a relationship with a living, breathing, dreaming, playing, very real child. You are their only sponsor. It’s a relationship that changes you both. I hope you will consider starting a relationship of your own.

~Janet

Children in Indonesia

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Tag Archives: Sponsorship

Compassion Tuesday: Spotlight on Aldo

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Meet Aldo.

~Janet

Compassion Tuesday: How It All Began