For the last few years, my family has sponsored a new child through Compassion International. He is seven years old in second grade, and he lives in Ecuador! His name is Andres Sebastian, and I got to meet him yesterday. Since I am in Ecuador, it didn’t really make sense to not take an opportunity to go and visit him. Not only does he live in Ecuador, his house is roughly 15 minutes away from where I am staying in the north part of Quito. So many little details worked out perfectly to make this trip happen.
Yesterday we began our day of fun meeting Sebastian, his mom, and Compassion tutor at the Compassion offices. He is a little bit shy but definitely warmed up quickly. We got to take him to a place called Mr. Joy, which is like a Fun World in America. We fought with ball guns, raced electronic cars, slid down huge slides, and played foosball. The whole time he was laughing and having so much fun. Afterwards, we got lunch in the food court, and he wanted KFC and an ice cream treat. It was a special time to get to spoil him all day.
On the way to visit his house, we stopped by the church where he goes to get tutored every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. He also attends the same church on Sunday. I got to learn a lot more about what Compassion was doing and just how involved in the children’s lives they are. This branch has over 500 students and each one has a sponsor. They get a meal each time they attend, learn other lessons with the tutors, and have a 30 minute devotional each meeting day. The tutors are required to go the home of each child once every three months to check on the conditions in which they live. They make sure the children have backpacks, school uniforms, school supplies, medical check ups, and a Christmas present each year. Most morning sessions have roughly 90 younger students and the afternoon has around 130 older students. This branch helps kids from 0-22 years old. Depending on the different regions in Ecuador, the sponsorship money can go to different places. In the Amazon jungle area, the money is spent more on treating skin problems and bug bites. In the coast, a lot of the money goes to dental problems. I feel like Compassion is very good about meeting the specific needs of each area. It was uplifting to get to see where he learns, and they made sure we had all the information.
The last part of the visit was a home visit. He is the youngest child of three. He has two older sisters and lives with his mom, dad, sisters, and a few dogs. His mom works at a chocolate factory, and his dad works at a tire warehouse. He is the guard and works in the building. His company provides them a house on the facility property and pays for all the water and electricity. He is also attending night school to get his truck driving license. In four years of working with Compassion, Christina, the staff worker who helped us, said that his house was the nicest she’s seen. Their family is so blessed because both parents get to spend a lot of time with the children because of how close they live to work. It is a beautiful family who you can tell truly loves each other.
Sebastian loves to play fútbol and has a very good left foot. He enjoys school and is very intelligent. His oldest sister says she likes being at school more than at home. Sebastian also enjoys riding skates and bikes. He is so well mannered and held my hand the entire day. At the very end of the visit, he opened his present from our family, and he was so excited. He tore through the tissue paper and couldn’t stop looking at the goodies. His favorites were the new soccer ball and modeling clay. Before leaving, Hilary, my squad leader who came with me, and I played soccer with him. It was so much fun, and we showed them gringas know how to play soccer, too.
Saying goodbye was sad and hard, but especially after meeting his family and sweet tutor Rosie, I know he is in good hands. He is surrounded by people who love him so much and are pushing him to strive. Before we left, his mom gave each of us a little chocolate goodie bag from the factory. It was so delicious and so kind. Overall, it was just such a good day getting to know him and his family. He is the cutest, sweetest, most generous, loving, and caring child. I am now even more excited to write to him because I have put a name with a friendship.
Please let me know if you have any questions about Compassion or want to get involved. Check out their website: www.compassion.com. They work in so many countries providing support but more importantly a relationship with Jesus Christ. He is who they are centered around, and I truly believe they are an organization bringing His kingdom. I have been so blessed by them to meet this wonderful family. So please keep Sebastian’s family in your prayers.
Thanks so much for reading. I am still doing well and on fire. All last weekend I hung out with my students adventuring around the park and bowling. Also, happy late Mother’s Day to all of you. I know how much I appreciate my mom and all of the other women who have influenced me. So thank you for being wonderful moms!
