Recently, our sponsored friend in Nigeria left the Christian Foundation for Children and Aging program . We had been sponsoring him for about five years and wish him well.We wanted to continuing sponsoring a child and I thought we'd switch to a girl about First Daughter's age in Central America. We received her sponsorship materials this week and she's a darling! She lives in Nicaragua and is just a few weeks older than First Daughter. She lives in a one-room building with a dirt floor. No electricity. No running water (though they do have access to a good well). These are facts First Son and First Daughter can barely comprehend, but "meeting" our new friend and conversing with her through cards and letters will help them see how we are all made in the image of God. She is our friend, even though she lives in a different country, speaks a different language and does not have electricity.
During this holiday season, we are constantly reminded of our material blessings. Some of you may be using some time at the end of the year or early in the next to consider your budget. Please take a moment to consider joining us as sponsors giving Hope to a Family with the Christian Foundation for Children or Aging or seeking out one of the many other worthwhile organizations matching sponsors with children around the world. (Read more about charitable giving at Charity Navigator.)
Providing consistent support to a single organization is one way to be a wise steward of God's gifts to us. Working with CFCA or a similar organization additionally gives us a way to see real benefits, to share the love of Christ and feel his love in return from one young child and her family. We don't just drop money in a basket; we are contributing to an organization that is helping our friend and her family build a community. They support each other. And us. What a blessing it is to know that someone there is praying for us! We are all on a journey to the same place and, no matter our position here on earth, we can be a support and a help to each other.
So I don't miss any of the important details, I've copied the suggested text from their website as well:
We sponsor a child through Christian Foundation for Children and Aging, an organization that creates relationships between sponsors in the United States and children, youth and aging persons in 23 developing countries. Through its Hope for a Family program, our contributions provide life-changing benefits such as education, nutrition, clothing and medical care for our sponsored friend. Through letter writing we are able to learn about our sponsored friend's life and offer our encouragement and prayers.
Grounded in the Gospel call to serve the poor, CFCA works with people of all faith traditions. CFCA receives the highest ratings from Charity Navigator and the American Institute of Philanthropy.
