Children of Jesus
Love, More than Money
Catherine Song( Denver, CO)
I first heard about the COJ ministry during a Sunday message a couple years ago. I was amazed about the work that the HHK World Mission Center was doing and immediately signed up to sponsor a child. Throughout the years, my husband and I added two more children to sponsor.
I felt blessed because I was notified that I would have the opportunity to meet all three of our sponsor children during the mission trip. To be very honest, prior to the trip, sponsoring a child meant signing a check of $ 25 / month per child and giving it during offering.
When we got to our hotel in Cusco after long day in travel, the kids were waiting for us there. We were told that it took them 4 hours of bus ride very early in the morning to come to meet with us. It was an amazing feeling to personally meet our own sponsored children. After changing into something more comfortable, we all went out to dinner.
The restaurant that we went to was filled with laughter and excitements as other sponsors met their children as well. But there was very awkward and strange silence in one of our sponsored child, Eliane. Her silence made us very uncomfortable.
Then, we were told that her mother had left the family recently. She left her husband and 4 kids to live with another man. My heart immediately stopped and I had no idea how to respond. Right away, tears were welling up in my eyes.
Throughout the night, I could tell that Eliane was a child that was hurting deeply. She barely smiled and was very reserved, even with the other kids. It was heartbreaking to see such a young child suffering greatly.
At the end of the night, I told her few things that the Holy Spirit was convicting in my heart. I said,“ Even though people may leave, God’ s love is never ending and He will never leave. Please continue going to church, reading the Bible, and praying to God. I love you and God loves you that much more.”
I pray that she understood and took those words to heart. God used this experience to teach me that what these children need was love more than anything else. Sponsoring a child is not merely a check, like I previously thought, but an opportunity to reach hurting children with the love of God. As soon as we returned from Peru, my husband and I put together a‘ Prayer Board’ with all of our sponsor kids, as a reminder to pray for them and show them love daily.
6 HHK World Mission Center