Do You Really Matter to Your Sponsored Child?

Recently, I (Alison) received this email from a friend:

"Do I understand this correctly? If a child is an orphan and we (I) sponsor them, does that child really consider the sponsor as their parent?

If so, I feel like an IDIOT! To me sponsoring is always the right thing to do, basically it's a responsibility and a privilege, but I never thought of that child as 'my child'.  I think I've been doing this all wrong. There has been no relationship other than with the bank or organization receiving the funds for the child."

Does this sum up your sponsorship experience? If so, you’re not alone. Diane, whom I sponsor through Imana Kids, is my third sponsored child, but she’s the first I’ve attemped to support in ways that extend beyond financial obligation.

It wasn’t that I didn’t care about my other sponsored children, I just didn’t believe writing an occasional letter or sending a package of stickers would have any positive impact on their lives.

Then, five years ago, my husband and I decided to grow our family through adoption, and everything changed.

Poverty Redefined

In 2011, when we traveled to Rwanda for the adoption, witnessing true material poverty firsthand wrecked our worldview, and our hearts. We came home determined to cut every possible expense and use our finances to relieve as much need as possible.

But as months passed - each week unveiling more of our daughter’s brokenness - we began to understand poverty in a new way. We’d eradicated her material poverty - her belly was full of nutritious food, her body swaddled in clean clothes, her home secure and comfortable - but her heart…

Her little heart was still ravenous for more. More love. More reassurance. More hope. She’d lost so much in her short life. We couldn’t fill that void as quickly or easily as we could fill her plate.

Her need taught us this: For most orphans (and probably most people), the deepest poverty isn’t lack of food, clothing, and shelter. Those things, like beauty, are only skin deep. But relational poverty? That void reaches to the depths of a soul.

Relational poverty isn’t exclusive to orphans. It isn’t confined by geography, personality, or economics. There are a few things things every human heart needs to hear:

“You’re not alone."

"I see you."

"You are precious."

"Don’t give up. You can do it.”

Don’t you know someone who needs to hear those words? Don’t you sometimes need to hear them yourself?

Sponsorship Beyond Skin Deep

Understanding relational poverty should transform our approach to child sponsorship. Is it wrong to sponsor a child and never have a relationship beyond the bank transaction? As I told my friend, funding a child’s education is no small thing. In much of the world, education is essential to breaking the cycle of material poverty.

But consider this: During our recent trip to Kimisagara with Visiting Orphans, we had the privilege of distributing sponsor gift bags to the Imana Kids. The bags included various gifts: Bibles, colored pencils, hair bows, underwear, toothbrushes, flip-flops, bookmarks, and all sorts of delightful treasures. Guess what the kids reached for first?

The letters. Almost every bag contained a letter from the sponsor. From young to old, that letter was the most prized possession of all. Many of the children set their bags aside without even looking at the other items until they had painstakingly penned letters in response.

It couldn't have been clearer: relationships trump things.

With this in mind, consider the impact your words and love could have on a child suffering from relational poverty. Orphaned or not, his or her heart is undoubtedly hungry for affirmation, encouragement, and hope.

After all, isn’t yours?

CHANGED: When God Moves

Our team has been home from Rwanda for just over two weeks. While our bodies have acclimated to time and routine, our hearts and minds continue to process all we experienced.

Unforgettable

If you followed the blog during our travels, you’ve already heard poignant testimonies from some of our team members. If internet difficulties hadn’t gotten in the way, you would have read similar stories each day. Every one of us saw God move in powerful ways, and we are changed.

Kristi:

My life has changed so much but at the same time stayed the same. People that know me may not see the change, but I see it, feel it and live it. I have a sense of peace and hope that I had never known before. I fell in love with Africa - the people, the land and the beauty of it all. I felt The Lord at work in Africa - I felt The Lord at work in me. The sense of peace that I feel is real! I know it is real because The Lord gave PERSPECTIVE to me on this trip.

Leah:

I am able to say that my faith has grown, which is no small thing. I have considered myself handicapped by the level of my faith and so frustrated by my lack of faith. But I knew that was something that I couldn't conjure up on my own, but something The Spirit had to work about in me. My prayers are no longer empty, without expectation. God has allowed me to see Him working before my eyes and I'm forever grateful and forever changed.

Cara:

I have always struggled with joy. Joy is something that has never come easy to me and something I've never really worked at. But after going to Kimisagara and seeing how incredibly joyful those sweet children are, though they have absolutely nothing, is a slap in the face. I am now so much more aware of joy and I can honestly say I have more joy in Christ because of our experience.

It would take far more than a blog post to capture all the unforgettable moments from our time in Rwanda. For now I’ll just give you a few highlights:

1. Children Serving Children

While I’ve heard all along that the kids at Kimisagara love each other like family, this was my first opportunity to witness it firsthand. I loved seeing the older kids care for the little ones, and to recognize the trust and affection they have for one another.

And what a joy it was to see our two youngest team members, Molly (11) and Annabell (9), pour themselves into the children. These girls were resilient, patient, and eager to serve. I learned just by watching them, and our team was stronger for having them there.

2. Rwanda the Beautiful

We spent our last 36 hours in Gisenyi, a lake town in northwest Rwanda. The 4-hour drive from Kigali to Gisenyi was breathtaking, with panoramic vistas of terraced hills, rural settlements, and volcanic mountains. While we love Kigali, it was a treat to see more of the landscape and appreciate the incredible diversity and beauty of the nation.

3. James

Throughout our trip, James demonstrated contagious joy and inspiring faith. This is a man who walks with God. In Gisenyi he bestowed on us the privilege of hearing his story – a miraculous account of salvation, restoration, and hope. Our Imana Kids are blessed to have him in their lives, and he would say the same of them.

Thank you for praying for our team and the children. God heard and answered in marvelous ways. He is at work, and He will finish what He has started. Please continue to pray for Imana Kids as we pursue His lead in serving the kids of Kimisagara.