The last week in August of 2003, I was blessed to be invited to travel to Lima, Peru with Compassion International. I have known of the work of Compassion for several years, and have recently partnered with them to help children be sponsored at the events where I serve. Compassion is a child development organization that sponsors 500,000 children worldwide. Through this program, a child receives food, education, medical attention, tutoring, and most importantly, exposure to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Last year, 17,000 sponsored children accepted Christ.

I flew with Compassion personnel and several other artists/speakers who were invited to go and experienced the amazing work of this organization. Also joining me was Luke Norsworthy, who will be speaking this year at GRACE Bible Study. Grace is also partnering with Compassion and providing college students the opportunity to impact the life of a child.

A few words on an email could not adequately describe what I was lucky enough to see there – but I must take this opportunity to share my experiences.

Here are some highlights of my 3 days in Peru.

1. Meeting Johan – my sponsored child. (he joins Lilian from El Salvador and Richard from Honduras who are also sponsored) Johan is 5 years old and speaks no english – and of course, I speak no spanish!! What an amazing thing to meet and visit this child (with the help of a translater) whom I will have the ability to provide for. Our meeting was awesome -- I was waiting by a tree when around the corner he came holding the hand of his father . He immediately went to hug me –it was his first instinct – and for the next hour we had the chance to get to know one another. I gave him gifts that I had brought for him -- but the amazing thing was that he was more interested in me than in the toys that I had brought for him. Where most children would have gone crazy over gifts, he was mesmerized by time with a guy he had never met before. What a lesson! How often I look more to things than I do to people – and a five year old reminded me of the perspective that I SHOULD have.

2. One of the sponsored children I met was asked about her sponsor. We were visiting her home – and she opened up a desk drawer and pulled out a huge envelope – and in it were every letter, picture, gift that her sponsored had given her over the years. Another child told how he slept with his sponsor’s picture under his pillow. Another one told of how she had only received one letter from her sponsor over 12 years – but that one letter was one of her most cherished possessions. To know that I can have that kind of impact on the future of a child – and give a child hope. And to be reminded how important writing my child is. (if you are sponsoring a Compassion child – stop reading this right now and write your child!!)

3. To see the full circle of the work of Compassion. We had dinner with some students who had graduated form the Compassion program and now were completing college degrees or institute studies. These are students who had been sponsored when they were 4 or 5 – and had been given opportunities to change their future through Compassion International. They were studying to be nurses, psychologist, musicians, teachers, - many giving back their time to the projects where they had been given a chance. It’s one thing to hear that Compassion makes a difference, but I was privileged to meet students who’s lives are completely different because people like me gave a little bit each month to ensure that these children would have options.

4. Visiting the homes of the families who have children in the various Compassion projects. Most of the families live in one room – up to 6 or more people where they eat, sleep, live, - everything in one room. And yet they appear happy -- it’s as if they know something I don’t – that happiness is not in things we posses but in the hope of Christ and the relationships we have. Compassion is giving them that hope – and those relationships. Another amazing thing is that every family was so proud to have us visit their home. They weren’t embarrassed about their living conditions, but yet so giving and hospitable. I thought I would feel sorry for them; I left feeling sorry for me – that I have placed so much emphasis on things that are so temporal and have little value.

5. That Compassion’s work with these children is done through the local church in each community. That every project they are involved in is based out of a local church in that community – so that as children are sponsored, they are also plugged into a project, exposed to the gospel, and most importantly given exposure to the church in that community where continued encouragement can take place. Christ set up the local church as His body – and Compassion is using it to make a difference in the lives of children, and their families and their communities.

Ultimately, what I learned was that I am lucky to be involved with this organization. They are doing something that is impacting children and completing the heart of our LORD – “if you love the least of these, you have loved me.”

I challenge you if you are not already sponsoring a child, to do so. We all talk about changing the world. Well here is your chance to do it…..one child at a time. And as these children grow up with the knowledge of Jesus Christ – the world really could be a different place!

- Jeff Berry