Compassion

Meet Monica.  My parents have sponsored Monica since she was 5 through the Compassion International program.  Compassion runs a child sponsorship program.  You can learn more about it here.  Monica is now 15.  Her family lives in a jungle community that is about a half an hour flight from Shell.  She has only been "out" of her community 3 times!

Back in September her mom and brother stopped by our house.  They were in Shell trying to figure out schooling options.  There is only an elementary school in their community.  Her mom decided to allow Monika to stay with her aunt and uncle's family in Shell to attend high school.  Without her mom close-by to help her figure out where to buy school supplies, uniforms etc. she came to us.  The day we were running around to find supplies, we started to get hungry, so we decided to go out to eat.  Monika sat in the restaurant wide-eyed, as it was her very first time to eat in a restaurant!

After much apprehension those first few weeks, Monica is slowly, but surely adjusting to the fast "city" life.  She goes to church with us and comes over several times a week to work on homework.  Pray that she makes some good quality friends and doesn't become overly influenced by worldly things.  Also, pray for her living situation.  It's hard to be away from your family and even harder when you can't pick-up a phone and call your mom.   Also, pray that we would have patience with her when she shows up for help at inopportune times. 

Monica

Our friend, Cecilia, is in charge of Monica through the Compassion program.  She is in charge of 300+ Compassion kids, just in the Shell area!  That's a lot of kids to keep track of!  Compassion hands out school supplies and uniforms (and many other things throughout the year) for children in their program.  Can you imagine keeping all of that straight for 300+ kids?!  Here is their school supply storage room.  This is just for the supplies for kids in this area - not for all of Ecuador.

Jonas and Robert are both Compassion missionaries who each have their own territory where they take care of the sponsored kids.

Supplies ready to take over to Alas (MAF) so they can be flown into the jungle.

Cecilia also took us into the storage room where they keep Christmas gifts for the children.  I believe each child gets a little something for Christmas, but some sponsors send extra money for additional gifts.  I was overwhelmed with the things in that room.  Not your typical American Christmas gifts - but things to make a family's life in the jungle easier.  Gas tanks, mattresses, blankets, shoes, pots and pans - what a blessing the Compassion program is to these families.  This program is truly amazing and the people involved have great, servant's hearts!

Chad made a video of some flying Alas (MAF) did recently for Compassion's annual camp held in the jungle.  You can go to this link to watch it:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RY_ondz7mS8

Romelia, Manuela, and Cecilia with Chad.  Chad was able to fly these ladies out to the jungle for a "Compassion" visit.