After mass yesterday we took the littles to The Compassion Experience. Through the stories of two real children, we were immersed in other cultures, deeply saddened by the realities of growing up in poverty, and inspired to help. The audio tour guides your family through the sights and scenes of daily life in three different impoverished countries. The experience is free and travels to cities all over the country. Today is its last day in Roswell, GA, but it will be back in the metro area in the coming months.
The experience is so well done, and you will be moved to tears as you hear the stories of up to three different children.
We started with Carlos, in his meager home in the Philippines. We heard about how he lost his alcoholic father at age 7 and began working to help put food on his family’s table. His story was hard to hear as I stood there watching my own 7 year old with tears in my eyes.
We also spent time living in Olive’s tumultuous world in Uganda, and learned how she slept in forests to avoid being taken by soldiers, lost her mother to aids and survived tuberculosis herself.
Both were fortunate enough to be sponsored in a Compassion Center and both stories have uplifting and inspiring endings.
The experience is appropriate for kids, but I personally believe that Whit (almost 8) is the youngest I would take.
We were so humbled and so inspired on leaving the experience. As a family, we decided on a very specific way that we will help.
If you’ve attended, I’d love to hear your thoughts. If you haven’t, I really do recommend going.
Let your life change the world…
DIXIE DELIGHTS DELIVERED
I have heard great things about the Compassion Experience, but we’ve never gone ourselves. I’m so glad to hear about it from someone I “know”. We’ve considered sponsoring Compassion children for a long time, but just have never done it. For no real reason other than the dreaded ‘we just haven’t gotten around to it’. Shameful.
Thank you for sharing your experience! xo
What a unique way to understand the blessings in our own lives as we hear the first-hand experiences of children in scary and impoverished countries. I hope the Compassion Experience comes to our area.
Amanda, y’all are wonderful parents to your boys. They are lucky to have you!!!!!
We attended in Houston, TX a few years ago, invited by a friend from Bible Study. Compassion International does a great job and I, too, was moved by the experience on a much stronger level than I anticipated. But for the grace of God, my own children… We sponsor a Peruvian boy a few days younger than my oldest son and have enjoyed praying for him as a family and receiving his letters and cards. Its just too easy to make the commitment to sponsor a child. A monthly credit card charge and we get to be on the ground providing something tangible and showing God’s love through action. Thank you for this post. I hope it inspires others to do the Compassion Experience and maybe more.
I think it’s very important for our kids/grands to experience these things so they have a better understanding of how very fortunate we are. I took Alex and Abby by a mission and also we chose from an Angel Tree at Christmas. Their eyes were huge as they began to understand that these children didn’t have a home, food, clothing, a safe place to sleep and certainly no toys or gifts at Christmas!
We all need to show more compassion I think…
xo
Pat