Our brother from Africa

The first time Hunter crawled up onto Santa Claus’s lap at our local shopping mall, he was two years old. He looked Santa right in the eye and told him he wanted two things: 

1. Orange pop 

2. A brother

He still gets orange pop as a special treat and annually from Santa. As Hunter has gotten older, he became specific in his brother request. He wanted a brother his age. Then when he was about seven years old, he said he wanted a brother from Africa. Anyone in our family knows about this request. Hunter has been vocal about it.

As of today, Hunter has a brother from Africa. Through Compassion, we sponsored Benjamin from Kenya. 

It was through several blogs I follow that I learned of Compassion.  Nathan and I have researched Compassion and have been deeply moved.

However it was the below two posts by MckMama Monday and Tuesday of this week that further encouraged us to sponsor Benjamin. I showed both to Nathan at lunch yesterday.

http://www.mycharmingkids.net/2010/03/mathare-valley.html

http://www.mycharmingkids.net/2010/03/full-circle.html

And Brad Ruggle’s story on Eliud:

http://www.bradruggles.com/2010/03/08/a-father-to-the-fatherless

I know it takes some time to read through all those blog posts but I highly encourage you to take ten minutes of your day and read them. Brad Ruggle’s video on “To Nick, from Eliud” is one that you cannot miss. And Eliud’s prayer written above his door God loves me enough to feed me, bless me, and give me hope for the future. Amen.

Nathan and I believe in the missions motto that my parents deeply instilled in me as a child which is “Do what you can, with you have, where you are”. We support our local church, local missions and outreach as much possible. We want to make a difference where we are and not only reach out to those on the other side of the world. It is a balance that we strive for and what we instill in our children. We want them to have a Biblical world view. A world view with Christian perspective, morals and values.

From now on, for $38 a month, our family will be sending letters and praying for Benjamin. Hunter started last night. Benjamin is 13 years old this month and living in the Mathare Valley of Kenya. He is now Hunter’s “brother” from Africa.

And as our girls are just a little older we will sponsor a child for each of them.

(I took these pictures minutes ago.)

E’s best version of a bunny face is below…

$38 is a third of the amount I spent at the grocery store last night. It is what I spend on a case of diapers. It is about the amount of money many of the elderly ladies in our community spend on the $10 each bingo cards each week or at least each month. And for that small amount we can sponsor Benjamin, impacting his life and truly impacting our family.