Hope: to look forward to with desire and reasonable confidence
This past May we took our oldest, Cayden, to Haiti to meet his friend Wonsli. Wonsli is the child that Cayden sponsors through Compassion International. Now, let's get this straight, Aaron and I pay the bills, but it's his child. Cayden picked him out and has sponsored him since he was five. They write letters back and forth and he's a real person in a real place and this past May Cayden was able to fully grasp that reality as him and Wonsli interacted for the first time ever.
Since we started our adoptions in Haiti Cayden has begged to get there and meet Wonsli. He was crazy excited about this opportunity and thanks to lots of friends and family he was able to buy his plane ticket and head to a country that is so dear to our family. Taking Cayden to Haiti was precious to me, and I know it was a monumental trip for him as well.
Cayden and Wonsli are a few years apart and although I'm not Wonsli's mom, I still hope things for him like I hope things for Cayden. Here are three things I hope for Cayden and Wonsli as they grow up.
I hope that these boys will know God. I hope that they will love him with all their heart and give their lives to him. Cayden and Wonsli live in different places, live different lives, have different surroundings and family lives, but both of these boys are hearing the gospel and I pray that it penetrates their hearts at early ages. I hope that they don't half-heartedly give their life to God, but I pray that they follow after him with all that is in them. I hope that they forsake it all for the sake of the gospel.
I hope that they will know the world around them. Taking Cayden to Haiti was so good for him, because we desire that our kids not think that the world looks like it does here in Austin. In fact I want my kids to know that most of the world doesn't look like this at all. My prayer for Wonsli is not necessarily that he experience anything outside of his country, but that he know there is more. That he knows there are people around the world that need Jesus, just like I want my kids to know that there are people around the world that need Jesus. Kids need to know there's more to this world than what the see in front of them.
I hope that they will change the world. World changers. I want to raise world changers. Wonsli can make a difference in his country. Cayden can make a difference in his country. Wonsli can make a difference in the world, and so can Cayden. I want both of these boys to look beyond themselves and see what they can do for others.
I hope all of these things and many more for them. They can make a difference.
Wonsli is one of the three children we sponsor through Compassion International, and you too can make a difference in a child's life. Sponsoring a child is an easy step to helping someone outside of the world that you live in every day. We involve our children in this and it is opening up their world view as well. Won't you think about this for your family? You can make a difference and bring hope to someones world.
*This post was written as a part of Compassion's Blog Month where they are trying to get 3,160 kids sponsored! Will you help them?**
