Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Meet Nduku!

Meet Nduku, our "adopted" child through Compassion International that lives in a village called Kaani in Kenya. Nduku's 11th birthday was on Sunday, so I thought it'd be a great time to introduce her! We adopted Nduku a little over 2 years ago, and it has been a complete joy to be connected with this child!


It's amazing to have a relationship with a child that is over 8,000 miles away and has a completely different lifestyle than we do. Nduku lives in an agricultural type village where homes are typically earthen floors, brick walls, and iron sheet roofs. Nduku is responsible for carrying water and gathering firewood. How different than our daily duties!!! But the really amazing thing is the personal letters we get from her. We've received six so far, and they are full of thanks, prayer request for her, questions about us, and comments about how she prays for us and our family members (she will specifically name them, which is adorable.) She also talks about what she is learning about different characters of the Bible, and thanks us for the specific Bible verse that we've included in our last letter. Compassion also gives the opportunity for you to give a birthday, Christmas gift, and family gift each year. It is unbelievable what Nduku has told us they've been able to do with our rather small gifts! Everything from buying chickens, goats, a "petticoat", food supplies, a BED, and construction materials for their home. It melts my heart to think how God can use [what we think] is a "nominal" amount to extraordinarily affect others' lives. 

When I say "adopted", I mean that we give $38 a month to provide Nduku with an opportunity to be involved programs that reveal the gospel to her and train her in the Bible. It also helps to provide basic needs like clothes, food, etc.  If you have ever given a passing thought to something like this, I strongly urge you to consider it and check out the Compassion website. We spend more than $38 on a tank of gas!!This is an awesome investment in a child's life to help them know Christ and have opportunities that they otherwise would not have. 

"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." -John 13:34-45

"This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God." -2 Corinthians 9:12