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Sponsorship Saves Bezita from Becoming a Child Bride

If it weren't for you, 14-year-old Bezita says she would be married by now. In her remote village in Malawi, basic resources are scarce and parents often marry their girls off young in hopes of finding someone to support them. 

by Cassia Burke, COTN-USA Staff Writer; and Chikondi Kadongola, COTN–Malawi Village Partnership Program Coordinator

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Sponsorship Saves Baby Christophe's Life

Cevenie had eight children when she found out she was pregnant with twins. If you think ten children would be a challenge, imagine supporting that many children in Haiti. Cevenie and her husband Andrenor barely had enough money to fully provide for their family.

by Cassia Burke, COTN–USA Staff Writer; and Marc Antoine Michel, COTN-Haiti Village Partnership Program Coordinator

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A Life Full of Love: Marleny's Story

Marleny has never known her father or her mother, and yet she says her life is full of love. How is this little orphan so full of life, love, and hope? The answer has to do with you—the Children of the Nations (COTN) family. 

by Cassia Burke, COTN–USA Staff Writer; and Reymon Ane Lebron, COTN–Dominican Republic Communications Coordinator

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Three Surprises Meeting My Sponsored Child

I work for Children of the Nations, so I thought I knew what to expect when I went to meet my sponsored child. I've answered tons of questions about child sponsorship, written countless appeals for letters and love, and put together several stories about sponsors meeting their kids. But when the day came for me to actually meet my sponsored child, there were a lot of things that surprised me. Here's what I wasn't expecting:

by Cassia Burke, COTN–USA Staff Writer

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Praising God Through the Best and the Worst: Darkin's Story

Every day after practice, the I Love Baseball (ILB) players heap their plates high with rice, beans, and meat. And almost every day, after he's served himself, Darkin walks over to ILB program director Ruddy Suero and asks if he can take his plate home, to share with his family. Ruddy always says yes, and Darkin tucks the food away to bring home to his mother and five siblings. Then the seven of them share his meal. 

by Cassia Burke, COTN–USA Staff Writer; and Reymon Ane Lebron, COTN–Dominican Republic Communications Coordinator

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The Long Walk to School: Pilirani's Story

The walk to school was long and dangerous, and Pilirani was only in first grade. Government primary schools are free in Malawi, but they are limited, and this was the closest one. "It was very hard to walk," Pilirani recalls. "We had to pass by a bridge to get to school, which was very difficult when it was raining. The river would flood, and I remember one day we were stuck because we could not get across." 

by Cassia Burke, COTN-USA Staff Writer; and Chikondi Kadongola, COTN–Malawi Village Partnership Program Coordinator

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God Can Pick Us Up: Sharon’s Story

Like so many times before, Sharon fought her way through a crowd of people trying to get water for their families. During Uganda’s civil war, water was scarce in the internally displaced persons camp, and six-year-old Sharon wasn’t strong enough to push through the crowd. 

by Heather Ostalkiewicz, COTN–USA Staff Writer; and Hadrine Akullu, COTN¬–Uganda Communications Coordinator

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Lifted Up from the Dust: Davie's Story

In Malawi, in the dusty fields of Chirombo village, few things are certain. The sun may scorch the freshly planted earth, the rain may flood the seeds out of their furrows, or the two may combine at just the right levels to produce a bountiful harvest. 

by Brian Olson, COTN-USA Editor

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Hope Restored: Brenda's Story

Sitting on the dirt floor of Brenda's tiny home in Uganda, it's hard to believe her life has been completely transformed. Her tiny home has a thatched roof, mud walls, and is about the size you would think normal for a bedroom—not a home for four children and an adult. Yet there in her tiny home in rural Uganda, Brenda looks at you in her little pink school uniform with eyes full of joy and hope. Everything is different for her, because of her sponsors.

by Cassia Burke, COTN–USA Staff Writer

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Knowing Christ Deeply: Hawa's Story

Hawa sits with her Bible open and waits for each of her younger sisters to join her in the living area of their house at the Children of the Nations (COTN) Banta Children’s Village in Sierra Leone. After asking one of the others to lead some praise songs and a prayer, she starts to read from Genesis. Hawa has decided to take the girls through this book each evening and they are on the story of Noah.

by Mark Drennan, COTN–International Sierra Leone Liaison

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