Yes, I’m posting twice today.
Here’s the thing… The Pioneer Woman is having her 4th anniversary of blogging celebration this week. She is giving away Nikon cameras and Kitchen Aid mixers and iPads.
Yes, I’m entering for all of them.
But the truth of the matter is, I already won her greatest gift. She chose me to correspond with one of the older children that she has paid to sponsor through Compassion. I get to hear from Tsegaye and how he is doing in school and at home… I get to read his words as he now understands that God loves him and provides for him. He is grateful in his circumstances. I have learned so much from him.
When I look at the amazing work World Vision is doing, it makes me want to do more. It makes me want to post twice in one day so you can read these words from Matthew. Words that are hard to read, to apply to our own lives, to imagine a parent ever having to think.
But they do. They live in the world he describes, and we can help them replace these questions with life giving ones. Matthew had the suggestion that if you can’t afford to sponsor a child yourself, maybe you could sponsor with a group of friends. Maybe you can help a child and their family with extended members of your own family.
We’re asking you to read this. And think about it. And pray about it. Because their reality is something we can’t even imagine.
This is a picture of the slum in Santo Domingo.
The slum. Look at it. Smell it. Feel it. Can you taste it?
What would YOU do if you’d been born here? In the slum? In the Santo Domingo slum? What would you do?
Would you stay? Would you runaway? Would you have a choice to stay or runaway?
Would YOU know your father? Your mother? Would you trust your father or mother? Would you? COULD you?
Would you try to run away? Over and over again? Would you TRY to run away?
Would you knock your girlfriend up and then leave? Leave HER to raise your baby alone. Would you do that?
You wouldn’t do that, would you?
Would you sell drugs? Would you USE drugs? Would you use your children to sell drugs in hopes that it would buy YOU more drugs?
Would you find community in the company of gang members? Yep, I used the word “community.” Would gang members be your friends? Would violence define your relationships?
Would you use FEAR to get people to talk to you? To like you? To do things for you?
Would you sell your body?
Would YOU sell your body?
Would you sell YOUR body?
Would you sell YOUR child’s body? Would you? Would you have a choice?
What if your babies needed food?
Would you sell your child’s body?
What if your husband left you with six kids?
Would you sell your child’s body?
What if you had HIV and no way to get medication? Would…
YOU?
Sell your child’s body?
Not for thrill. Not for extra cash. But to survive. Would YOU SELL YOUR CHILD’S BODY?
Would you lose everything in a flood? Would you return to the slum after the flood? What if you didn’t know any different? Would YOU return?
Again and again and again? Would you?
YOU?!
Would you save somebody if you could? Would YOU? Save somebody? Would you?
Poverty asks a lot of questions. Few answers.
How would YOU answer?
World Vision needs your help. Together we can stop poverty from asking the questions.Would you click this link to help?