Monsoon season is more complicated this year because people are fighting water-borne diseases and COVID-19. See our complete coronavirus coverage here.

In Bangladesh, pandemic restrictions were a blessing in disguise.

(Photo courtesy of Compassion International)

“Before the floods started, Compassion was already providing food packages due to COVID-19 pandemic [lockdowns],” Compassion International’s Prince Saha says.

As a result, “the families are safe. They are surviving, and there has been no severe effect of the floods on them since they have food at their home.”

Flooding compounds COVID misery

Compassion International works alongside local partners in Bangladesh to care for kids in poverty. When COVID-19 cases began appearing this spring, believers worked quickly to protect vulnerable families while still meeting their daily needs. More about Compassion’s COVID-19 response here.

“During this COVID-19 situation, people have been jobless, and they need support,” Saha notes.

Seasonal monsoon flooding adds another layer of misery and challenge. Only two of 174 Compassion projects have been affected so far, but that could quickly change as flooding spreads.

“We are monitoring the flood, and if it gets worse, then we may need additional support,” Saha says.

“There can be food crises, outbreaks of water-borne diseases; and, children are [especially] at risk when there is water all around.”

Click here to send help through Compassion International’s Disaster Response Fund. Most importantly, pray. “Please pray to the Lord for His hand of safety and guidance upon all flood victims. Especially for the children, since they are the most vulnerable,” Saha requests.

“Pray for the first responders and volunteers who are working [to help] the flood victims.”

Header image depicts Moyna, a 19-year-old Bangladeshi student who wants to become a doctor. Photo courtesy of Compassion International.

Provide emergency relief here.

One-third of all Ethiopians live in severe poverty, existing on less than two dollars a day. Natural or manmade disasters often hit these communities the hardest. Compassion International cares for impoverished kids, bringing them hope in Jesus’ name.

The ministry’s latest efforts in Ethiopia include a nationwide radio broadcast, Girum Getachew says. “We are collaborating with the government and with [the Council of Evangelical Christians in Ethiopia] and making every day a broadcast,” he explains.

Pandemic restrictions stopped religious gatherings of every kind, so national media outlets began broadcasting services. The evangelical council calls people to repentance, prayer, and fasting in its daily one-hour program. Getachew says a portion of the program, supported by Compassion, offers kid-friendly services, prayer, and worship.

“God has allowed us to [reach these] children and the families, and also the whole Ethiopian Christian community, to transfer our message of peace [and] encourage the children. Children are the most vulnerable parts of society at this [time].”

Ethiopia’s disasters have no end in sight

Food insecurity and drought have caused major problems in Ethiopia for years. Then, a new batch of desert locusts began wreaking havoc in February, Compassion’s Tewodros Gevremeskel says, making their way to East Africa from the Arabian Peninsula. The latest government report reveals “locusts have damaged about 200,000 hectares of cropland and also caused a serious loss of over 356,000 tons,” he states.

Desert locusts usually fly with the wind and can travel more than 150 km in a day.
(Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

According to USAID, some 8.5 million Ethiopians need emergency food assistance. Another half-million to one-million people will need food aid in the coming month due to COVID-19 and locusts.

These double disasters pose a significant threat to millions of Ethiopians.

Believers cannot gather in churches or hold beneficiary programs due to lockdown restrictions. Gevremeskel says they’re finding other ways to care for vulnerable children and families. “Project staff make a phone call to the beneficiaries and encourage them with the Word of God,” he explains, “and they provide food supply.”

Food and sanitation items have been distributed to all families enrolled in Compassion’s program to “help reduce economic challenges parents may face as they stay in their homes,” Getachew describes in an email.

Find your place in the story

Compassion and its church partners stood by Elisabeth and Alemtarik when they had no one else to care for them.
(Photo courtesy of Compassion International)

Along with natural disasters, poverty was a significant problem in Ethiopia when Compassion began working there in 1993.  According to World Bank data, 61-percent of Ethiopians existed on less than two dollars a day in 1999; that number dropped to 30-percent in 2015.

Praise God for this positive development! Pray for Compassion and its church partners as they offer help and hope in Jesus’ name.

Sponsor a child in Ethiopia through Compassion International.

Header image depicts Dr. Addisalem Gebresilassie, a 27-year-old doctor who received help through Compassion sponsorship. Today she’s part of the frontline fight against COVID-19. Read about it here.

The worst desert locust infestation in decades began spreading throughout the Horn of Africa last fall, affecting eight countries. Today, new swarms are starting to form in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia, raising the crisis level even higher.  The coronavirus adds another monumental challenge.

Compassion International is doing all it can to help affected families in Ethiopia, but only the Lord can remove some obstacles. “All of us cannot [stop] the spread of the (coronavirus) disease,” Compassion’s Tewodros Meskel observes.

“So, I would like all Christians to pray for Ethiopia so that God may intervene in the situation.”

Plague one: locusts

Meskel says farmers lost most of their crops to locusts in weeks past. Today, the threat posed by new hatchlings has everyone on edge.

“The local people were trying to prevent the locusts using traditional [methods] like smoking and using different kinds of noise to prevent them from landing on their area. But, the locusts [destroyed] the crops of the farmers in the rural area,” Meskel says.

Desert locusts usually fly with the wind and can travel more than 150 km in a day.
(Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

Compassion provided immediate help in Jesus’ name. More about that here.  Ruin wrought by the locusts left families “for the coming six months without food support, but Compassion, [thanks] to its sponsors, we have made an intervention that will sustain them for three months,” public relations specialist Girum Getachew explains.

Through its Disaster Relief Fund, Compassion staff identified families in greatest need and supplied them with essentials like rice, cooking oil, and pasta.  By partnering with more than 500 churches in Ethiopia, Compassion helps over 120,000 vulnerable children in Jesus’ name. More about Compassion’s work in Ethiopia here.

Now, COVID-19 presents a new challenge for believers to overcome. See our global coronavirus coverage here.

Plague two: disease

Global coronavirus cases now exceed 750,000 according to the World Health Organization, with most cases occurring in the United States. Infection rates are comparatively low so far in Ethiopia, and officials want to keep it that way. But prevention comes at a cost.

(Image courtesy of phys.org/news/2017-08-d-movie-virus-action.html/Flickr.CC)

“Many economic activities are on hold; many people are ordered to stay at home. So, this will directly impact delivery [of aid supplies to church partners and needy families], even collecting the support,” Getachew says.

“People are panicking; people who [earn a daily wage] are going to be affected because the economic activities are going to be halted.”

Pray for Compassion’s staff and church partners as they seek new ways to communicate and coordinate response efforts in this troublesome time. Ask the Lord to help them overcome obstacles so they can minister in His name to people who desperately need His hope. Find more prayer needs here.

Header image depicts a swarm of locusts. Photo credit: Wild Center via Flickr.

Over 200,000 people lost their lives and 3.5 million lost their homes, OCHA reports. The total earthquake-related loss was estimated at $7.8 billion – more than 120% of Haiti’s 2009 gross domestic product. Billions of dollars of aid money poured into the tiny Caribbean nation, but questions surround the fate of those investments.

“Unfortunately, Haiti has made so little recovery progress.  More than 10 years after, we still see people… living under tents,” says Ricot St. Paulin, who oversees program support for Compassion International’s Haiti office.

(Photo courtesy of Compassion International)

“Things are even getting worse and worse… A lot of this is due to anger and frustration that the Haitian government’s response… [has] not helped at all.”

By comparison, Compassion Haiti is making steady gains.  Help release children and families from poverty in Jesus’ name.

Problems vs. progress

As previously noted, significant challenges haunt Haiti’s steps, keeping it mired in crippling poverty and despair. Drought, protests, and a widespread lack of daily essentials plagued Haiti in 2019 alone.

“Over the past few months, the political instability has [crippled] Haiti’s economic and social development, causing the level of inflation to reach about 20%,” St. Paulin says. “Not much has been done [in terms of earthquake recovery] but we stay hopeful that things will be changed.”

(Photo courtesy of Compassion International)

Three days after the 2010 quake, Wes Stafford – Compassion’s International’s president at the time – described the disaster’s impact on Haitian believers, Compassion’s church partners, and local staff.  For the next decade, Compassion staff faithfully walked with Haitian believers across every hill and through valley.

Learn more about Compassion’s progress here.

“Today, we are working alongside 350 church partners to bring hope and a future to more than 125,000 children and youth… we are moving forward,” St. Paulin says.

“We rose from the rubble; the ministry [is] getting stronger.”

From child sponsorship to micro-loans, Compassion applied 22 strategies to help the poorest Haitians recover their livelihoods. “One of the goals was to provide meals… by enabling [families] to have sustainable resources to feed their children on a regular basis,” St. Paulin says.

“I personally know parents that would not have found a way out without our interventions.”

People used Compassion’s micro-loans to start small businesses, St. Paulin explains. Today, “not only [are] they still running their businesses,” he says, “but they can supply all the needs of their families and provide jobs to others. This is an encouraging thing.”

How to help Haitians

By supporting Compassion’s work, you can help Haitians change their country’s future.

(Photo courtesy of Compassion International)

“Compassion has been in Haiti for 50 years and, with faithful and devoted people like our sponsors and donors, we have formed an army of men and women of God who are aware of the need for a better future for the next generation,” St. Paulin says.

“We are still calling for people to come alongside us so that we can continue to serve more children and to release them from poverty in Jesus’ name.”

Most importantly, pray. We’ve listed prompts alongside this article to get you started. “Six million Haitians live below the poverty line on less than $2 per day, and more than 2.5 million fall below the extreme poverty line,” St. Paulin says.

“There is still need in Haiti. We’ve done much, but we have still a long way to go.”

Header image courtesy of Compassion International.

It’s the latest international link to an ongoing battle against child trafficking and sexual exploitation in the Philippines. On August 7, police rescued six victims and three at-risk children during an anti-trafficking sting.

Compassion International photojournalist Edwin Estioko says the online sexual exploitation of minors — also known as cybersex trafficking — is a new kind of evil for the archipelago. “The Philippines has the worst and most cases of online sexual exploitation of children,” he states.

“[There are] three reasons for that: we are a largely English speaking country, we have a lot of easy online payment schemes, and then we also have so many internet cafes – even in the remote provinces.”

In partnership with local churches and other global ministries, Compassion is waging war on cybersex trafficking.

Why does cybersex trafficking thrive in the Philippines?

Every month, the Philippines Department of Justice receives more than 3,000 reports of children being sexually exploited and sold online. As noted here and here, the Filipino children that Compassion International supports are the same ones targeted for exploitation.

Estioko confirms the accounts, recalling a statement made by one of his church partners.

“The only real reason why families engage [in this] is because of poverty. They don’t have money to feed their children; their children are starving.”

(Stock photo obtained via Unsplash)

Over 21-percent of Filipinos live below the poverty line, the Asian Development Bank reports. Furthermore, an estimated nine percent of young people between six- and 24-years old are not in school. Approximately half of the children not in school belong to impoverished families.

Cybersex trafficking can bring in $189 USD per child, per day; that’s approximately $9,908 Philippine pesos. It’s an attractive income source for desperate parents who need to put food on the table.

Compassion International offers an alternative: poverty relief in Jesus’ name. They’ve been working in the Philippines for 47 years, serving more than 94,000 children and 371 local churches. Learn more about Compassion Philippines here.

How does Compassion help?

At each of its child development centers, Compassion and local church partners offer at-risk kids eternal hope and everyday help.

“We are helping them [by] releasing them from poverty, giving them hope, educating the children so that they will be employed later on; we are giving them discipleship,” Estioko says.

Last summer, Compassion teamed up with International Justice Mission and World Vision to combat cybersex trafficking in the Philippines. This year, Compassion is launching a nationwide awareness campaign to educate parents and community members.

Frontline church partners provide a safe place for children and help protect them from exploitation and abuse.
(Photo, caption courtesy of Compassion International)

IJM trained Compassion staff members to identify warning signs of abuse. If a child is at risk, Compassion intervenes quickly to ensure that each child knows he or she is known, loved, and protected. At the same time, Compassion staff also reach out to IJM for further action.

By sponsoring a child through Compassion, you can help introduce little ones to Christ, meet their daily needs, and protect them from online predators. Most importantly, remember to pray. We’ve listed a few prompts in the sidebar.

“Please do continue to pray for our country, for Filipino children, [and] the non-beneficiaries of Compassion,” Estioko requests.

“Pray for safety from online predators.”

Header image courtesy of Edwin Estioko / Compassion International.

After being trapped in a cave for more than two weeks, the daylight must’ve been blinding to Adun – a then-14-year old enrolled in Compassion International’s sponsorship program. Things look even brighter today.

“Considering the situation that he was put in, he’s doing incredibly well. He has traveled to the United States; he’s appeared on television shows… he even ran for student council president at his school,” Compassion’s Tim Glenn states.

“Most importantly, his faith has grown since he endured this ordeal, and he’s learned a lot about patience and about hope. He’s using this as an opportunity to teach others about patience and hope.”

Learn how you can sponsor a child through Compassion International.

Adun’s living nightmare: stuck inside a Thai cave

After soccer practice on June 23, 2018, the Wild Boars team and their assistant coach headed out to explore nearby caves for an hour or so before going their separate ways for dinner. More about that fateful day here. Unfortunately, plans went awry. Adun, his teammates, and their coach soon became stuck deep within Tham Luang – the fourth-biggest Thai cave system.

A mother of one of the trapped boys prays for their safe return.
(Photo, caption courtesy of Compassion International)

“We found out through our Compassion staff in Thailand who are connected with the local church… they let us know here in the United States almost immediately… so we could get the word out to our sponsors and to our staff [and] start praying,” Glenn recalls.

As described on Compassion’s blog, Adun avoids revisiting the memories surrounding his “living nightmare” when possible. However, news outlets around the world covered each detail.

Parents reported the missing boys straight away on June 23. Thai officials launched full-scale search and rescue efforts in the underground labyrinth known as Tham Luang, and international support came five days later. On July 2, a pair of British divers found the team huddled on a ledge, and plans began for their extraction.

See a detailed timeline of events on Compassion’s blog.

Today, Adun doesn’t focus on what he’s endured. Instead, he’s excited about what lies ahead.

Life after near-death

As recorded on Compassion’s blog, Adun recently received a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity:

Adun received a full scholarship to a college preparatory boarding school in New York. Adun was chosen because of his good character and work ethic. With the support of the Thai government, he has completed the applications required for studying abroad, and is continuing to learn English to be able to transfer to the school in New York as soon as he can.

15-year old Adun has a bright future.
(Photo courtesy of Compassion International)

A story like this proves kids are more resilient than some might expect. However, “these kinds of ordeals still have a way of cropping up later – emotionally, mentally, psychologically,” Glenn observes. “So, I would ask that you continue to pray for his (Adun’s) healing.”

Pray also for Adun’s parents as they prepare to send their oldest child to school on the other side of the world. Additionally, pray for the family of Thai Navy Seal diver Saman Gunan; Gunan died after delivering oxygen to the trapped soccer team. Ask the Lord to comfort Gunan’s family members, and pray they will learn about the Savior who died for them.

Finally, “continue to pray for Compassion’s program in Thailand as we learn to serve children like Adun and… those church partners on the ground as they minister to children throughout their country,” Glenn requests.

Compassion’s Thailand child development centers serve more than 36,400 children. You can support that work here.

Header and story images courtesy of Compassion International.

Juan Carlos Palacios, Senior Manager of Program Support, says 48 families helped by Compassion International are among those in need.

“Some parts of the small houses and small villages fell down, and also several families lost the lands where they grow things to eat and to sell,” he reports.

Seasonal flooding is causing problems for Peruvians throughout the country. Local churches are providing hope and help in partnership with Compassion.

Peruvian problems

Mariela Lizbeth Flores Trillo stands on the stairs of her home in Peru, where she lives with her grandmother. She is 14 years old and is registered with Compassion’s Child Sponsorship Program, which gives her three nutritious meals per week and teaches her skills that she can use later in life.
(Photo, caption courtesy Compassion International)

While some weather sources blame El Niño for the flooding’s magnitude, the heavy rainfall is seasonal – occurring each year around this time.

“Sadly, because of the lack of [economic] resources, [affected] families don’t have the possibility to prevent these problems during the rainy season, or to rebuild their houses really fast.”

Impoverished families suffer the most. One in five Peruvians live on just over $100 USD a month. Local churches work with Compassion to help those in need, and the same “process” applies when disaster strikes.

First, local church leaders meet with families in the flood zone. “They do a quick evaluation of all the needs that [families] have and, with the resources that the church has, start helping them,” Palacios explains.

Then, church leaders contact Compassion Peru staff, and the two organizations work together to meet immediate needs. The partnership continues even when flood victims shift from relief to long-term recovery.

“Together with the church, Compassion tries to work in a holistic way in order to help the family.”

When “the family needs to rebuild their house, for example, or children lose things they need to go to school, we work to supply all those things,” Palacios continues. “The church works closely with these families, giving them the Word of God that is their strength in their moment of need.”

Next steps

Now that you know, what will you do? Peruvians in most of the affected regions have at least one more month of “rainy season” to endure, according to ClimatesToTravel.com. Palacios describes a few ways you can come alongside their ministry in Peru.

PRAY

Ask the Lord who controls the weather to help His followers endure difficult circumstances. Pray for affected families to receive relief. Pray church and Compassion workers will be strengthened and encouraged.

“They do a hard work sharing the Gospel, going to the communities to share, and also in these emergency times – they’re helping supply basic needs,” Palacios says.

Write a note of encouragement to Peruvian believers here on our Facebook page. We’ll send responses on to our friends at Compassion, who can share them with local church leaders.

“We believe that it would be very good for them and encouraging for them to know that some other churches around the world are praying for them.”

GIVE

As mentioned earlier, the families helped by Compassion are among Peru’s poorest citizens. They barely have enough money each month to send their children to school, let alone purchase new tools and building supplies.

Compassion’s Child Development Centers (CDCs) are using Compassion Disaster Relief Funds to provide food, water, mattresses, and beds, as needed. They may need to use additional funds to help with temporary shelters, home construction, and repairs.

Support Compassion’s disaster relief efforts in Peru.

Header and story images courtesy of Compassion International.

Compassion is celebrating quake recovery efforts in Haiti.
(Image courtesy Compassion)

Haiti (CMP/MNN) — Sunday marks the 4-year anniversary of Haiti’s devastating earthquake. Compassion International will set a positive tone for the day by looking to the future.

They’re finishing ten building projects for church partners affected by the disaster. The buildings will serve as schools for local children and Compassion-assisted child development centers for children enrolled in Compassion’s holistic child development program.

“On a day that brings the solemn remembrance of an earthquake that took thousands of lives, countless homes, and the hope of a nation, we are so thankful to celebrate these solid new facilities,” said Mark Hanlon, Compassion International senior vice president of global marketing and engagement.

“While it hasn’t been easy, there has been incredible progress in Haiti as a result of the dedication and commitment of our field staff and church partners to the children we serve. I can’t think of a better way to honor the past than to open new schools and child development centers for the children: the future of Haiti.”

(Image courtesy Compassion)

Approximately 90% of children in Haiti attend private or church-run schools due to an unstable public school system. This allows Compassion church partners in Haiti to serve children who attend a school run by the local church as well as children enrolled in Compassion’s holistic child development program.

An estimated 22,500 children will benefit from these building projects. Compassion’s holistic care meets each child’s physical needs and introduces the Gospel.

Pray that the projects bring hope to Haiti’s people.

(Image courtesy Compassion)

In addition to the 10 completed church building projects, Compassion has 9 church projects under construction with another 11 slated for construction within the next year. While relief and recovery efforts are far from complete, Compassion is joining its church partners on Sunday to celebrate the progress made.

You can learn more about Compassion’s work in Haiti here.

Compassion International reaches developing countries with the truth of the Gospel (Photo by Compassion International)

Int’l (MNN) – As the economic growth in America remains slow, Christians are asking hard questions about their money.

A study done by the Barna Group last year reports that in April of 2012, 41% of Americans had reduced their donations to non-profit organizations. This decrease of charitable giving has spread elsewhere. 11% of Americans have stopped giving to churches, and 34% have reduced their donations to churches and religious centers.

For one organization, however, their growth opposes the trend. According to Tim Glenn with Compassion International, they have seen a continual 9% growth in donations for the past four to five years.

Glenn says that in the past, donors gave from the goodness of their hearts, or from tax breaks. In more recent years, they have asked what percentage of their donation goes directly to needy people. People still want to give despite economic conditions. “Nowadays, though, in these tough economic times, we see donors are asking really savvy questions about impact,” he explains. As the economy tightens, donors become more concerned with the effectiveness per dollar donated. “Potential donors are asking tougher questions before they give,” he says.

It is encouraging to see that people giving are concerned about root issue: what impact these ministries are making on people, and how well they are administering the gospel.

Glenn attributes the increased donations for Compassion to their ability to prove to donors that their money makes a difference: “We

actually have independent research that shows impact of our program.”

For Compassion International, they are able to show how their programs improve lives and give a positive outlook for people in developing countries. A study done on six different countries where Compassion is involved shows that students going through the program are likely to stay in school longer, achieve salaried or white collared jobs, and become community and church leaders.

God has blessed Compassion. Everything taught in their program goes hand-in-hand with the Gospel. Life skills are taught in such a way that students learn to be Godly workers. Social skills are taught in the context of discipleship. “From the day a child steps into a Compassion program, which is at a local church, they’re learning the Gospel,” Glenn relates.

Praise God for the blessings that God has bestowed upon Compassion International. Pray that other ministries will be able to convey the impact they have on the world to their donors. Pray that despite the economy, people will still give and that the Gospel would continue to reach the ears of the lost. Click here for information on Compassion’s ministry and how to give.

A study done by the Barna Group last year reports that in
April of 2012, 41% of Americans had reduced their donations to non-profit
organizations. This decrease of charitable giving has spread elsewhere. 11% of
Americans have stopped giving to churches, and 34% have reduced their donations
to churches and religious centers.

For one organization, however, their growth opposes the
trend. According to Tim Glenn with Compassion International, they have seen a
continual 9% growth in donations for the past four to five years.

Glenn says that in the past, donors gave from the goodness
of their hearts, or from tax breaks. In more recent years, they have asked what
percentage of their donation goes directly to needy people. People still want
to give despite economic conditions. "Nowadays, though, in these tough economic
times, we see donors are asking really savvy questions about impact," he
explains. As the economy tightens, donors become more concerned with the
effectiveness per dollar donated. "Potential donors are asking tougher questions
before they give," he says.

It is encouraging to see that donors are concerned
about root issue: what impact these ministries are making on people, and how
well they are administering the Gospel.

Glenn attributes the increased donations for Compassion to
their ability to prove to donors that their money makes a difference: "We
actually have independent research that shows the impact of our program."

Compassion International is able to show how
their programs improve lives and give a positive outlook for people in
developing countries. A study done in six different countries where Compassion
is involved shows that students going through the program are likely to stay in
school longer, achieve salaried or white collared jobs, and become community
and church leaders.

God has blessed Compassion. Everything taught in their
program goes hand-in-hand with the Gospel. Life skills are taught in such a way
that students learn to be Godly workers. Social skills are taught in the
context of discipleship. "From the day a child steps into a Compassion program,
which is at a local church, they're learning the Gospel," Glenn relates.

Praise God for the blessings that God has bestowed upon
Compassion International. Pray that other ministries will be able to convey the
impact they have on the world to their donors. Pray that despite the economy,
people will still give and that the Gospel would continue to reach the ears of
the lost. Click here for information on Compassion's ministry and how to give.