New Gift

Since Thanksgiving is over many of us will be heading out to do our seasonal shopping. For the three or four of  you who had given me Christmas cards or gift cards or anything else lets do this.  Instead of giving me that gift give it to compassion international and tell me about it.  Compassion is in need of people to give to their unsponsored children’s fund. This can be a one time donation if you already sponsor a child. If don’t sponsor anyone this may be a good opportunity to start. All you have to do is tell me about it and the gift is given.

So I met this guy

So today was kinda cool. I met the President of Compassion International.   If there are real heroes in the world he would be considered that.  So I got to each lunch with him today and a bunch others. A couple of things that make this guy cool. He loves kids. A bunch of adults walk into the room and who does he talk to the kids in the room.  Then when we choose where to sit he finds the smallest table and heads straight to it.  Then after dinner we sit in a circle in the living room. We all take our soft plush chairs and this guy grabs the folding chair. Now don’t get me wrong he isn’t Jesus.  What he is, is a guy who tries to be as humble as possible.  I asked him what its like when he visits a compassion project. He told me that he sometimes doesn’t tell them he’s coming so they don’t make a big deal about it.  He describe his company as an up side down triangle with him at the bottom. That’s pretty cool.  Also told him we became facebook friends the other day. His look told me he didnt know what I was talking about.  I will continue to think that we are facebook friends.

edit: Wes is my friend. Confirmed that today.

Dr. Wesley K. Stafford, President and CEO

Irene Magelanga Bariki

I want to introduce you to Irene.  Irene lives in Mtwivila Tanzania.  Her project is a student center.  Most people in this area is unemployed. The ones who do work earn around 12 dollars a month.

Her project’s name is PAG MTWIVILA student center. She is in an HIV/AIDS affected area.

Ok so here’s the deal. Some of you I know would never stumble across Compassion’s website which could be understandable.  So I figured I could bring Irene to you.  I’ve had a chance to visit projects in three countries and its the real deal.  I’ve seen them in Peru, Guatemala and Haiti Watching translators go over sponsor letters to get them out children makes it the real deal.  You don’t just help Irene you change a life.

You provide: Bible teaching, training, health screening, hygiene education, education, uniforms

What we have found is that the whole family is changed not just the child in the program. That means you don’t just affect 1 but you affect many.

To sponsor a child its 32 dollars a month. I could go through the “here is what that equates to” but between me and you does that really matter.

Here is what I’ll do.  If you would like to sponsor Irene I will mail you her packet and you can get started. How easy is that?  Send me an email francisdrew@gmail.com and tell me where to send her. If you have questions please ask me.  I’m sure this is not something you do every day and you have questions so please ask.  You can trust Compassion.  They do what they say they are going to do.

Compassion International

In honor

In honor of the end of the election years…I thought it only fitting to show you the many facebook status updates I saw this morning.

Steven Lamphear can has Bush out of office now? Kthnxbye…

someone tell me again what is supposed to be my motivation for working…shouldn’t a check or something be coming soon?

lready feels oppressed and wonders why people think socialism is a good thing…

knows God can and will use the absolute worst to bring the most good for His glory and our good.

is going to bed and kissing Capitalism goodnight…forever.

is Ashamed of America!!!!

is remembering, “The LORD is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?…It is better to trust in the LORD, than to put confidence in man.” Psalm 118.

is glad we have a president today…lived in Florida the year of the hanging chads.

finds it funny that that McCain spent 300 million on the campaign Obama spent 600 million. For a job that pays 400k. And we wonder why the economy is like it is.

is getting my number to be served with my handout – I mean baillout, too!

is so incredibly proud to be an American and is praying for President-elect Obama.

is proud to be an American and believes in her country…and no, not for the first time in her adult life.

knows that God wasn’t suprised by anything that has happened today, and knows that the future still rests firmly in His hands!

just saw a video of obama mocking the Bible…pray for our new President.

Well, this is definitely a night of history… we’ll see what kind of history as time goes along. I’m all for hugs & normal tv. No more bashing commercials. And hey – if that dude can get my house sold, that would be a massive surprise!

Knows that Jehovah is my God and my times are in His hands.

s waiting to see if all the folks who said they would move to Canada really will. And if you do, goodbye because I don’t want a flake like you in my country!

why is america full of idiots?????

is praying for an America that can put their faith and hope in Jesus Christ. What a joy would it be to see a nation praising His name. .

‘s hope is in Christ, not Obama.

apologizes for his mis-spelling of critique, he doesn’t pay attention to detail when the end of a democracy is in sight.

tomorrow we will move forward is an opinion, nice try though! sorry you took so much of your time to look that up just to be wrong.

i especially love the folks that say they want to leave the u.s. and go to canada because it will be “socialist” when obama takes office. do they not realize that canada is socialized????

prays for rest and clarity for president bush and compassion and strength for president-elect obama.

is give it to God.

MAY GOD’S WILL BE DONE IN AMERICA!!…MAY WE BLESS HIM THROUGH THE OUTCOME.

is proud to be an American tonight! Congratulations, Obama!!

is fully relying on God for strength, stamina, unity and peace.

is getting ready to hear our new anthem, “Praise The One, Obama…”.

Ok there you go.  Hey if you got some good ones send them my way.  You can put them int the dear drewbox or just enter them to the right where it says click here under the Note For Drew. Peace

edit:

We were too depressed to leave the house tonight. We watched non-news television instead. Scare Tactics to be exact. But let’s have an unpolitical hang-out soon.

is really happy that we can change anything in this country that isn’t working.

is just wondering, now that there is a black president, we can finally get rid of affirmative action right? Also, now Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton can stop?

went to the gas station this morning and still had to pay…now I have to work so more people can benefit from my paycheck

is worried about the election today. I still can’t believe people are actually going to vote for Obama. God help us.

Isn’t this what we do?

Sometimes I wish our copy editor worked for us personally but since she does not I’m on my own here. My hope is that I am clear and you read the need between these lines.
On November 11 we will leave for my 4th trip with Compassion.  We are heading to Haiti to shoot another video on Compassions work. About 4 years ago I got the travel bug. I think it was the Amazing Race or something.  Anyway I got into a habit of traveling to different parts of the world each year sometimes with my company sometimes by myself.  The trips that seem to affect me the most were the trips where I’ve been given the opportunity to work with Compassion.  I was introduced to Compassion through my Company.  They had decided to partner with compassion to raise sponsorship in the student world which gave me the chance to find out what its all about.  I had never heard of Compassion before that and couldn’t really tell you about a single child sponsorship program other than having the phrase in my head “Wont you help Manuel?”  I’m getting a little sidetracked or is it sidetrack.  Well I’m a creative director so it meant that it was my job along with my team to develop some type of promotion for Compassion. Oh a little plug the video you see to the right is my company special.  Yeah so the first project in which I left the country for was Guatemala. We were taking a girl named Sarah Drake down there to meet a child she was about to sponsor.  I’ll try and post that video later.
You ever have those moments in your life when you realize that your life has to be more than a day to day routine until you die.  Here is what I see at every Compassion project that I visit. A fight against poverty, Jesus’ name being proclaimed, and an organization that does what they say they are going to do. .  I saw kids that were connected to others around the world. I saw nationals who were in charge. Which for some may not be a big deal but to me it’s a very big deal.  Too many times we in the west become super heroes wielding our super powers and ideals on developing nations without regard to tradition or history. So lets change that.
Trust me.  You can change the life of one single person.  I was watching poverty being fought from a distance and while we haven’t beaten it yet Compassion is beating the crap out of it in Guatemala and it’s giving it a couple bloody noses in Peru.  Because of what I have seen in those countries I decided this past year to become a Child Advocate.  It’s a big deal to me.  One because it causes conviction in me to do something and two it was time for me to stand for something.  I can’t just travel and not do anything about the places I visit.  Oh so if you are looking for a child to sponsor look me up and I can connect you with one.  I can explain to you why poverty and its externalities affect us in the U.S. but I’ll put it this way. Mark 16:15 says Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. This is doing that. Matt 28:19 says to make disciples of all nations. Folks this is what we are suppose to do. Lose your life.
Oh and his name is Elinuru Lazaro Laizer and he was born Sept 20, 1999 and he lives in Tanzania.

Compassion-Just changing lives

Peru Pictures_Compassion International

You can see the full set at Drew’s Flickr