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A Place for Every Child to Excel

The church goes quiet as Spengy, a Children of the Nations (COTN) sponsored child and the youth leader of the church, calls for testimonies. "What has happened in your life that you want to tell God thank you for?" He invites the congregation to share. 

by Cassia Burke, COTN–USA Staff Writer

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Sponsorship Teaches Stiven About Love, Peace, and Respect

Life is hard for boys like Stiven in the impoverished village of Pueblo Nuevo, Dominican Republic. In this part of the world, boys learn at an early age to be scrappy, act tough, and do whatever is necessary to survive. Stiven’s future did not look much better than his father’s, who works as a chiripero—someone who does odd jobs no one wants, including work as a freelance security guard protecting properties with only a machete. 

by Heather Ostalkiewicz, COTN–USA Staff Writer

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Why Your Child Is Not Smiling

You know the feeling. You finally get an update from your sponsored child. You feel that there's a photo inside—so you rush to open it. Only to find that your child looks miserable. No smile. Again.

by Cassia Burke, COTN–USA Staff Writer

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Joining My Sponsored Child's Family, Two Socks at a Time

“Aunty, let me launder your socks.”

“Oh Titus, don’t worry, they are fine. See! I did not wet them.”

A serious, earnest look from the boy in front of me, then we quietly go back to rinsing dishes in front of his wood and mud house. I steal a glance at the head bent over our plastic bowl of murky, sudsy water.

by Megan Sheppard, COTN Venture Participant

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God Chose My Sponsored Child for Me

Almost everyone on Chelsea’s Venture Trip to Malawi already sponsored a child there. At the team meetings and on the flights over, they gabbed cheerfully about what it would be like to reunite with their sponsored child or see them for the first time. But not Chelsea. She still didn’t know who she was there to meet. 

by Brian Olson, COTN-USA Editor

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Love Risks

I sat on the plane to Sierra Leone, thought about meeting my sponsored child, and cried.

You see, a child I sponsored once broke my heart. 

by Cassia Burke, COTN–USA Staff Writer

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Recipes from Africa: Groundnut Stew

Ever wonder what your sponsored child eats every day? If your child is from Sierra Leone, chances are this rich, fragrant peanut stew is part of their staple diet. Peanuts—or groundnuts, as they call them—are a major crop for small farmers in Sierra Leone. They are also a great source of protein!

by Cassia Burke, COTN–USA Staff Writer

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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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Thank You for Sponsoring Me: Lydia's Story

Lydia dreaded the first day of school in Uganda. 

by Cassia Burke, COTN–USA Staff Writer; and Hadrine Akullo, COTN–Uganda Communications Coordinator

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A Surprise Visit

I made the journey to the remote village of Mokpangumba to meet my sponsored child, Alfred, about two weeks into my summer in Sierra Leone. As I wrote in a previous post, it was an adventure I’ll never forget. Still, after returning to COTN’s ministry center, I wished I could see Alfred again. But I knew my team wasn’t planning on making the trek back to Mokpangumba before we went home.

by Alicia Martin, COTN Sponsor and Venture Intern

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