Reminded of Hope and M.A.D.

Each morning as the kids leave for school I tell them, "GO MAD!"  MAD means "make a difference."  I need to tell myself this each day, too.  To live these words each day so my children can see that we should never stop GOING MAD!

Baby Bangs is blogging from Ecuador for Compassion International.

So are Kelly, Sophie (where you can cry and laugh as you read Jonathan's story), Ann and Melanie (where I couldn't help be a tad carsick with her as I read of her experience!)

These five blogging women are on tour with Compassion in Ecuador.  I've been stalking their blogs since they've left and have been so moved and ministered to at the same time. 

In 2008, I asked you to join me in making a difference in a child's life.  Since that post, we have sponsored Roosbell each month. 

May I be honest and say I really didn't know how much our letters meant?

When he shows us his bedroom, there are no photos of his father on the wall. Or mother or brother. Just a trio of smiles— a photo of a family, a long haired girl, a cluster of kids. It’s good to find smiling here. We brush at wet cheeks and smile too and ask who are these beautiful friends of yours, Jonathan?

I look towards our translator. She asks Jonathan and she turns to us —
“These are his Compassion sponsors.” The the only family he knows, right there, hanging over his bed, the only things hanging on the walls of this hut. Love is always our only art.
“These are the letters they write me.” A smile flickers. The scrawling script under the Compassion logo talks of snow and dogs and school. “I love Mr. Andrew and his family very much.”
He whispers it.
Love is always our only hope.

I honestly don't know that I'll ever get to meet him face-to-face like this; but if God wills it, I AM THERE!!!  In the meantime, I am LOVING the new online letter writing tools that allows me to load pictures and backgrounds to make it more personal.  We are going to be more faithful in writing Roosbell.  That is a something we can do to M.A.D.