How Do You Choose a Child to Sponsor? Kadie's Testimony

02/07/13

I had recently been reading a book and doing a Bible study that really got me thinking outside the box. I kept feeling a tug at my heartstrings for children in other countries who truly have nothing compared to the luxuries we enjoy. I have a former co-worker who I knew sponsored a child, so I asked her which organization she went through. When I looked up Children of the Nations, I was so happy to see that it was a local group and it just felt right! Immediately I started looking at all the children. What a heartbreak! How do you pick one child out of all those precious faces? If you are like me, you don't. You change the screen and cry and pray!

The next morning, I informed my ten-year-old daughter about my plan to sponsor a child in another country. She was immediately excited and wanted to help. What a great opportunity. I turned on the computer and pulled up the website. I instructed her to look at all of the children. When she found one she wanted to sponsor, I asked that she pray over that child.

Kadie's girls: Allison, age 10, and Chimwemwe, age 4.

A few minutes later my daughter retrieved me from another room to let me know she had chosen a child. I looked on the computer and saw the beautiful face of a four-year-old girl in Malawi staring back at me. It was the same face I had to turn away from, crying, the day before. My daughter exclaimed that this girl was to be her little sister and I needed to hurry up so she could start writing letters.

Chimwemwe in Malawi.

We immediately took on the sponsorship of that little girl! I cannot put into words the happiness and peace I felt in my heart that day, and for days afterward. Every time I look at her sweet face (we have her picture plastered everywhere), I feel so blessed to be able to help her. I have this great desire to fly to Malawi to take her mother in my arms and let her know her little girl is going to be okay. We are going to make sure she is well taken care of and has a bright future ahead of her.

It is such a small gesture on our end, but I know there is a blessed child on the other end and her life will be forever changed.

You can change a child's life like Kadie and her daughter are doing. Sponsor a child today!

How did YOU chose which child to sponsor? Share your story in a comment below:

by Kadie Peters, COTN Sponsor