I’ve never been to a photo shoot before, and I’ve definitely never been to one like the one I was a part of today.
While in Honduras, we are working with an organization called His Hands for Honduras. This is a program that provides meals, healthcare, and schooling for underprivileged kids in the community of Zolano, Honduras. These kids are sponsored by other people around the world. Today, I found out that Compassion International is also present in this part of Honduras. My team went to ministry this morning like we had the past two days, but none of the regular kids were there. There were brand new faces, and parents were there too. We figured out that the kids were registering for Compassion International, and they were all getting their pictures taken as well.
This was just some of the kids and their parents on the 1st day.
Close to 100 kids total registered during the two days.
It was nothing like I had ever experienced, and with it came all sorts of emotions and confusion.
“Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.” — Isaiah 1:17
The majority of the kids come dressed in their very best outfits. They have on party dresses and button up shirts. Their hair is in fancy braids or multiple ponytails or slicked back. And for those kids that are in their everyday clothes, there are fancy clothes available on site for them to use. I didn’t understand this at all! I talked to one of my teammates, who said maybe it was a pride thing, which made sense…kind of. In my mind, I felt like it would deter people from wanting to sponsor them because the child looked like they didn’t need support. I thought that if the child looked poor, like they often did in real life, that a person would be more likely to sponsor them. All you have to go on when you decide to sponsor a child is a photo and a little bit of information, so I knew the picture of the child was important. I felt like Compassion International was doing it all wrong!
“Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.’ When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there.” — Matthew 19:13-14
I talked to another teammate the next day, because it was the same thing, and I still didn’t understand it, and it was bothering me. She said that she felt like every child was dressed up in order to level the playing field. If one child looked well-dressed and another didn’t, it may sway a person’s decision to sponsor one over the other. All of a sudden I felt relief, because it made sense to me! Finally! I later looked at Compassion International’s website, and they explained it in a different way, but one that was equally as satisfying. “[Compassion International’s] pictures of poverty are meant to show the dignity and hope which live within the poor despite the oppression poverty inflicts upon them.” Read more about it here, and you will really be enlightened!
“If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” — 1 John 3:17
It is important to view the poor the way that Jesus did.
“Looking at his disciples, [Jesus] said: ‘Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.’” — Luke 6:20-21
Yes, these people need help. They lack many things that they need (often including food, clean water, medical care, clothes, etc.). And yes, we do need to give to the poor the way it tells us to do many times in the Bible. But these people should not just be viewed as poor. Each of these people should be viewed as a beautiful person and a child of God. These people know what it means to struggle, but they also are so thankful for what they do have. They do not deserve your pity; they deserve your love and compassion.
“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” — Colossians 3:12
