My living room is a disaster zone.  I have luggage, water bottles, clothes and craft supplies strewn about.  Or more accurately- thrown around.

Let me explain why.  In middle school I had a phenomenal experience at a Christian music festival.  I learned more about God and his love than I had learned up to that point.  It was at that festival that I learned about Compassion International and the Christ-like love they show to children around the globe every day.

Compassion is a ministry which focuses on children's poverty in every sense of the word.  They attend to the spiritual, physical and social needs nearly 1.2 million children and their families around the world.  Their work in 26 countries continues to expand and bring hope to some of the darkest places of the world.

It will be ten years ago in May that I made the decision to sponsor my first child, AN.  Over the past ten years I have received letters full of hope and joy, carefully hand-drawn  pictures of peacocks, cartoons and houses, and of prayers that my loved ones would be blessed.  Even in the poverty of her daily life she found the hope to praise God in those letters and to ask Him to bless me.  Many of the letters have brought me to tears, although for those of you who know me, that's a pretty common event.  But the joy I have upon opening those letters is unmatched.

AN- 2011

A few years back I decided to sponsor another child, this time a little boy from South America.  I continued my correspondence and sponsorship of both children but my little boy left the Compassion program.  It wasn't until last year that I decided it was time to pick another child.  In the meantime, AN had grown into a young woman, still drawing pictures but now, writing her own letters to me, in English no less.  And with better grammar than most Americans, myself included.  In February 2011, Esther became a part of my life.

In her first photograph to me, she looks like a sweet little girl who could knock down any boy on the playground.  Cute but with a scowl that says "I really can't believe you're taking my picture right now," she captured my heart.

Esther- 2011

It was in the fall of 2011 that I decided I wanted to commit to meeting them and my opportunity quickly approached.  I signed up and paid for my trip by Thanksgiving.  Now, as I look around my living room at the pile of clothes and gifts and supplies, I cannot begin to fathom actually being in India. I leave in less than 48 hours.

I will updated you as I can.  There are so many things I want to share already! My itinerary is beyond anything I could have hoped for! Chennai and Kolkata, India will be home to a group of 40+ sponsors over the next two weeks.  This is truly going to be a life changing trip.

Friends, I could ask so much of you and I know you would support me in any way you could, but now I ask this: please keep these amazingly strong girls in your prayers.  Their families and the Compassion ministry do so much for them but God can do so much more.