Spence Smith

On our last morning in India, we went to two places that rocked my world in a matter of a few minutes. The Kalighat Kali Hindu Temple and Mother Teresa’s Home For The Destitute and Dying. These two places are the extreme opposite in what they do and they share a common wall.

I don’t have any image of the temple yet. But the only brief way to explain it is dark, human chaos of a misguided religion in action. We walked into the temple and people were every where getting their payers heard. In one corner a tree of fertility for those having a hard time having kids. In another corner goats are being butchered up because they were just sacrificed. There was blood everywhere on the ground with whatever else kind of mess we were walking around. Of course people we staring at us because we were ten very white people in the midst of them all. Men we laying face down on this same ground saying prayers and getting up to move one body length the lay face down and do it again and again and again. It was the darkest place I have ever been. Ever. Hundreds of people everyday go here so they can pray and offer sacrifice to their Kali god.

Next door was the light at the end of the tunnel. Quite literally. Mother Teresa’s first project in Calcutta(Kolkata). The Home For The Destitute and Dying. Pictures don’t seem to do it justice so I’ve posted the video below from CNN India (IBN Live) that gives a great picture of what we saw and experienced.
This is a place for those living on the streets who are on their last dying days. A place they can go to die with dignity and in the loving arms of someone who cares.

This was an incredible experience and I will never forget it. The sights, sounds, and smells were overwhelming to say the least. This is reality… and I’m still trying to figure out how to now make more of a difference in my sphere of influence now that I have seen true and humble service to the poor.

One of the greatest moments is watching sponsors meet their sponsor kids and today was all about that. Angie, Melissa, Robin, Anne, Patricia, Shaun and Becky all met their kids today and we all had a blast with the great moments that happened.(That’s me and Angie’s sponsor child, Sangita, in the picture above.)

We took the kiddos over to Science City (think Mad Max for kids and parts of the Water World set that never made it in the movie) where we got to see Everest in a REALLY old IMAX theater. The only problem was the film looked really cold and yet… it was still 120 DEGREES OUTSIDE!!!

After the IMAX we went over to the 3D Science Show which I just couldn’t resist trying to fit in. (See Exhibit A below) I mean… this show had 3D glasses AND animals flying at your face!! Pete and Keely took pictures and made funny videos through out the day.

So… here’s the deal. It’s one thing to sponsor a child and write letters back and forth. But when you get the chance to meet your child!!!(Exhibit B below – Me and my sponsor child Verelyn from Peru) Wow!!! The letters come to life and you see your sponsorship dollar come to life!!

I love watching people meet their kids for the first time. I know those feelings and how you remember every moment.

If you can afford to go on a sponsor tour to meet your child or if you can go visit them on your own, then I would highly recommend you going for it. It’s an experience you will never forget.

But first… if you haven’t already… go sponsor a little one. You won’t regret it!

I’m going back and forth on what to write. Today we saw enough for me to blog on for an entire week and still probably not cover it all. So with that I will just give you this thought.
We went to a slum near our hotel where the Church partnered with Compassion has helped turn this community slowly around over years of hard work.

This area is big on drugs, drinking, prostitution, and street kids.

People were everywhere and it was a little bit of an overwhelming experience as we walked through the neighborhood and visited homes of children in the Compassion program. I loved the walk we took. People where staring at us and life was happening before our eyes in ways we just don’t see in the US. As my Indian friend from home told me… Your senses will be absolutely overwhelmed… My friend was right.

When I visit areas like this I’m reminded of the local stories we as sponsors don’t get to hear much about because we just aren’t there to hear them. And yet again, the evidence of things unseen for you and me when it comes to sponsoring a child looks like this.

While you were sleeping, church pastors and compassion works were trying to keep these kids…

From becoming these street kids…

And teaching these sweet girls…

To never become prostitutes.

Please sponsor a child.

It really makes a huge difference in the life of these kids.

For the first time in 8 years of going overseas, I stayed back at the hotel because I ate something that really didn’t set well with the rest of my body the day before.  I’m sure there’s no need to really go into the details of what that really is like or even looks like but trust me as we say back home… It Ain’t Right. Anne had the same issues and well… It Ain’t Right.

So… I’m here with the rest of the group in our little room we are all blogging in hearing about the day and the adventure they had. Most notably is Pete who felt a little better than me this morning and yet had his worst day ever because he too had something living in his body that needed to come out. From the stories I just heard… this being inside his body took all day to come out. I just saw the video Pete made of part of his day and all I have to say is I’m glad I stayed back. I’m sad I had to miss seeing our Child Survival Program today. I love seeing these mothers and their babies… cute sweet babies!!!

After looking through all of the pictures Keely took today, I know I missed out on an incredible day. I love these people, their culture and their sweet way.

Check these blogs out to see what went on today. Melissa, Angie, Pete, Robin, Shaun, Patricia, Keely. If you haven’t sponsored a child yet, please do. I can’t tell you enough about the impact it has on the life of a child.

Cute

There’s nothing like a good laugh!

The elegance of a mom loving her child

Sometimes the eyes say it all

Getting a clean bath is all relative

Prayer time is relative too

I know it sounds a little weird to say it like that but I’m big on seeing kids realize their dreams. I have met kids all over the world who have dreams…. Big dreams!!!! However… not so much here. Well… Not exactly.

For the past two days we’ve been meeting kids and their families. When you ask the kids what their dreams are they mostly give you a perplexed look. At this point our Compassion host tells us that kids here have to be taught what dreams are all about and that it’s ok to dream about what they want for their future. Seriously?? You would think dreaming could come naturally.

Like I said… I usually meet a lot of kids who are dreamers, but these kids are having to learn how to dream from scratch which tells me this… these kids really live in a world where there seems to be no hope and no future for them to count on. They know nothing else than what is happening right now in their lives and their future seems just nothing short of hopeless. Does this make sense to you?

So… Here’s what I did see that was very cool today. Compassion has a program for each child called My Plan For Tomorrow. This plan helps each child actually come up with goals and dreams for themselves. The child writes them down and works with a tutor or teacher at their Compassion project to realize their goals and dreams. This isn’t something the parents write for them… It’s all about the child and the child’s future. This is where the dreaming education starts and the confidence you see in kids when they know they can make it is awesome to see.

This afternoon Patricia, Robin, Anne, Melissa and I went to the homes of two girls who were both dreamers. Both wanted to be nurses and both had a look in their eye that said… I can do this.

Amazing… It really is amazing when you dig a little deeper and see how showing Christ through service affects the way a child processes life. Sure… they may be living in 110-degree heat in the poorest place ever but what do they care. It’s only temporary to them because they know they are going to make it and come back to help others make it too.

Now that’s paying it forward!

Once again, I am thankful to see that raising up dreamers seem to be a universal theme around the Compassion Projects I visit. These kids are creating culture and changing lives in the process, not only for themselves but for their families as well… and if you are sponsoring one of these kids they are going to make you want to dream big too.

When you sponsor a child, you are investing into the life of a dreamer that needs the chance and opportunity to dream really big… so go ahead… dream big and sponsor a kiddo.

By the way…. Just in case you need a good way to tell people to shut their cell phones in church, try this out below… The church we visited today seems to have it figured out:)

Oh my gosh!!!! Can we say hot!!!! I don’t mean Africa hot. I mean India hot! Over 100 degrees in the shade with the humidity at LEAST 100% and there hasn’t been a heat wave like this in 29 years!!! Welcome to India! Make sure you wear clothes to absorb all that sweat!

Even in the heat though, I must say… I’ve been to a lot of projects all over the world with Compassion International and this one was definitely a bright spot in the middle of a dark community. 95% of the people in this area are Hindu and there were just over 300 children in this particular project. Amazing work when you consider Christians make up less than 1% of the population. Christ seems to have a way of reaching every corner of the world here. Even the sweaty ones.

These kids are so full of life! A little reserved until you get them playing Criquet then the gloves come off and the ball starts flying! I was impressed with Pete Wilson’s skills to master a good game of Criquet though. His wife will be proud and his boys will think he is whacked for misinterpreting baseball.

As we talked to the kids, especially the girls, there was a great amount of self-esteem, which for this community and their culture was saying a lot!! This is where sponsoring a child is amazing. The work being down through this church in such a dark community is teaching these kids that not only is Christ the Lord, but He is not like all the other gods in the Hindi religion. God is the only god they need. These kids are seeing it and living it. Humbly living as God as called them to live – to be the bright spot and the enemy of darkness….Even if you have to pull out the karate chop!

I get to see this work all the time, but today was one more indication that the partnership between Compassion and the Church is working. Not only are lives being changed, but communities are being changed from the inside out.  This is just one of the many reasons to sponsor a child. It’s just the beginning of truly playing a part in the development of children. Without the compassion program in these communities, most of these kids would be destined for the nothingness of drugs, prostitution and the simple concept of no hope… no opportunity. Education and The Word of God  = the chance to break the cycle of poverty in the life of not only a child but the child’s family. It’s an amazing concept so few people understand about the opposite of poverty.

One new thing I saw this time around was a different kind of skill being taught at the project and it was for the girls. They were teaching them Karate! I know… what? Karate? Why? Well… because these communities aren’t that safe for young innocent girls. So just in-case you’re a guy looking for a little trouble to get into with a girl… think twice or else you might get what these bricks below had coming to them. Shaun posted a great video he shot of this Karate demonstration. Click Here.

This sponsor child is about to break these flaming breaks in two with her karate chop.

Smack!!!

Eat your heart out Brock Gill! This was no illusion! No need to let a little fire scare you...

Sponsor a child… You’ll be glad you did!

Sunday we arrived in Kolkata, India for the week to see the work of Compassion International. It’s Actually Monday morning and we are about to leave soon to see a Compassion projct and to play with kids.

Sunday was a great day and my sense were on overdrive the whole time. Once we got checked into the hotel we took off to go see where Mother Teresa lived, her tomb and the orphange they started at the Mission of Charities.

I was blown away by the simplistic nature of the love this woman had for mankind. It didn’t matter who you were and what place you had in life… all people needed love. She and the women she served with truly took care of the sick, the poor, and the orphaned and the work she started still goes on today.

We saw this tiny little room where she slept, met with people, and wrote for 40 years. This same little bed is the same she passed away in. A Famous woman with a big heart but very humble standings in life. I was truly moved.

As we walked around you could sense God’s presence and that a work was being started here is like no other. Mother Teresa and the women who served here aren’t just after God’s own heart… they have it.

After we visited her world, we went to see this beautifull memorial call Victoria Memorial. Yes… it was big, pretty, and impressed. But pailed in comparision to the hugeness of Mother Teresa.

As the day closed in and the sunset over Kolkata for our first night, I couldn’t help but think we are in for quite a week. The bloggers on this trip are all excited and at the same time really trying to get used to being in such a foreign land.

Me? I live for trips like this…make sure you check out the other blogs from today and get ready… you are going to want to dive into the life of a child after reading what all we have to tell you about.

As some of you know, I’m headed to Kolkata, India (Calcutta). By the time you read this we will probably be in New Delhi on an overnight layover.

I’m taking these group of bloggers headed up by Shaun Groves who handles CompassionBloggers.com for us. We are in for quite a trip indeed.

I want to make sure you know the point of this trip. The bloggers going on this trip will be getting to see Compassion International’s work first hand everyday. Meeting their sponsor children, playing with kids, meeting families, pastors, church volunteers, and watching how Compassion International partners with the local church. Why? So they (and I) can tell you first hand about what they (we) experienced THAT DAY in hopes that you the reader will be compelled to sponsor a child and invest into the development of a little one. I love the immediacy of the internet.

So…  here’s what you can do to help out and take an active roll in this week with us.

1.    Pray – pray for our safety, health, loved ones back home, and for what we aren’t expecting to see. Pray for our time with the kids and what we don’t expect will happen. And finally… Pray for those reading these blogs that they and you will be moved to make a difference and sponsor a child… or another child.

2.    Tell all your friends to come read along. Most of us have ways you can subscribe to our RSS feeds or email like in my blog… just enter your email address in the column to the right of this post and my posts will come straight into your inbox the minute I post something. You can find the list of bloggers here and here.

If you are looking for all of my posts on India as the trip rolls along, you can find them all right HERE.

3.    If you’re a blogger link back to these posts and re post them if you want on your blog. Rising Tides Lifts All Ships. The more people know about what is happening on this trip, the more positive change we can bring to the lives of children in India and to the rest of the world. Careful though… Your life might change in the process… I’m just sayin… These kids will have that effect on you.

4.    If you are on twitter (@SpenceSmith)… follow us all on twitter and Re-Tweet if we say something that moves you or if we Twit Pic something you like. Please don’t foget our Hash Tag for this trip when it comes to Twitter… #CompassionIndia. (Follow the conversation at tweetchat.com – enter CompasionIndia.)

5.    Sponsor A Child. I know… I keep bringing this up. But this is what we do… We do Child Development through the local church and the funding comes through the one on one sponsorship people like you and me provide. It’s so so important.

6.    Finally… if you already sponsor a child… go write them a letter. I can’t tell you the impact one letter will make.

So… that’s it… that’s your part in all of this if you so choose to be an active participant in our blogging trip to India.

Have a great rest of your weekend, good luck and congrats to all my friends running the Country Music Half and Full Marathon today. I’m proud of you all and I miss getting to run with you…. Warm up for the first 20 miles then the next 6 miles is the marathon:) Stretch, Hydrate and most of all… HAVE FUN!!

This is a question that seems to come up a lot lately within my circle of friends. How do you view the church?

Some people grew up in the church and see it as a very negative restrictive place. Most of those people went to a very conservative legalistic church.

Others view it as the essential part of their week and the major part in their lives that keep them connected to God.

Some see it as a place to meet other Christians to interact and encourage on a social level.

And a few see it as a place to hear a good message from their pastor.

Most of the people I talk to about never think of church as the group of people who are constantly reaching out to their community and the people around them to help bring them a better life.

I grew up in the Church of Christ, got into a Christian rock band moved to Nashville via Memphis and have gone to a few different churches while living here since 1995 – A Charismatic Church, Episcopal Church, Anglican Church and now a non-denominational Church.

So… as you can tell I’ve seen a lot of variety and I have enjoy so many parts of each church. But the more I travel with Compassion International the more I see what most churches are missing and that is the simple thought of reaching out to those in real need.

Is it me or do I feel like the western church culture has missed that one?

I love where I go now, Cross Point. They are always finding people to reach out to in the Nashville area even within a couple of blocks of the church not to mention their overseas commitments, which I love to see.

Most churches have a local ministry side and others have their yearly missions trip and the missionaries they support. But what about those right there in your community that need someone to talk to or need a few bills paid or some clothes on their back or a roof over their head? What about those people?

Every time I visit a Compassion project I see Compassion partnered with a local church that has two things they are passionate about. Bringing people to Christ and meeting the many needs of those in their local community. When I say needs I mean… The landlord threw out a mom and her 4 kids on the street and now they need a place to call home or another family on eats maybe 3 times a week for a family of 7 or this little girl is getting sexually abused by her uncle but calling the cops on him will only take the little girl out of the home and out of the community so the pastor has her come stay with his family to keep her out of a bad situation.

I’m headed to India Friday on another Compassion trip and I know I will once again be faced with the question of what does the church look like and how does the church affect culture in this area and meet the needs of those around them.

So how do you view the church? Cool places to hang, worship, and hear a good message? Or is it a place where a collective body of believers can truly reach out to those who really desperately need help? Sometimes a listening ear will do the trick to start…

Today for The Sunday Post I want to feature the India Blog Trip with Compassion International. This friday I’m off to India with 9 other people. I’m leading this trip with Shaun Groves and we are in for quite a trip. The purpose of this trip is to take bloggers and show them our work just like I do for artists. Instead of coming back after the trip and writing about the experience-everyday we will come bck to the hotel and blog about what we saw THAT DAY! Our first blogging trip to Uganda was a huge success as well as the blogging trip to the Dominican Republic. Shaun heads up this effort for us over at CompassionBloggers.com.

Here’s the list of those who will be blogging on this trip.

Angie Smith

Anne Jackson

Melissa Fitzpatrick

Robin Dance

Patricia Jones

Keely Scott

Pete Wilson

Shaun Groves

and ME!

Compassion International sponsor children being taught how to play the guitar.

All this week I’ve been showing the work of Compassion International to a group of artists and music industry people. It’s been another amazing trip to the Dominican Republic. Today we leave to come home but with encouraging hope for the future of the kids we played with and got to know.

The one thing I keep seeing over and over again is the youthful look in the eyes of kids that says… I want to be some one. I want to make my world a better place. I want to be used to bring hope, opportunity and good health to those around me.

These kids are dreamers and they dream big. The great part is they are always given the tools, knowledge, and resources to realize those dreams. Always.

So as you read this and as you follow me around the globe… think about what it is to give a child the opportunity of build a dream and create culture. It’s such a powerful gift to give. It can literally change the world.

Next Friday, April 24, I’m off to lead a trip to India to take a small band of eager bloggers headed up by Shaun Groves. You can find the list of bloggers at CompassionBloggers.com.

Please follow along, Please sponsor a child and please keep us in your prayers. I have a feeling this trip will be more life changing for those of us on the trip than those we are going to meet. Funny how it happens that way.

Interesting title? Working for Compassion International over the past 8 years I have learned that most people think Child Sponsorship is a program that is the same across the board for all non-profits helping children in poverty. Meaning… if there are a number of non-profits helping kids and they do child sponsorship, then most times the general public think child sponsorship means all of these non-profits are giving these children the exact same benefits. The problem is that it’s not that way at all.

For Compassion International, the focus is Child Development. Once these children are enrolled into the Compassion program, they are mentored and educated by volunteers and teachers partnered with the local church whom Compassion has partnered with. Each child receives so much, including at least one meal a day and regular medical check ups. I could go on for days about what Compassion does for these children and their families when it comes to support and making sure every child is taught life long skills as well as the gospel along with the education they are getting. When you look at it all, again, it goes back to child DEVELOPMENT.

Compassion’s mission statement is… In response to the Great Commission, Compassion International exists as an advocate for children, to release them from their spiritual, economic, social and physical poverty and enable them to become responsible and fulfilled Christian adults.

Did you see that last part? enable them to become responsible and fulfilled Christian adults.

This last part of the sentence is the end result of child development. Does this all make sense?

So where does the child sponsorship part come in? Simple. There are two ways compassion funds what we do.

One is giving. Straight up donations. We don’t take government grants so there’s hold up of not being able to teach the Gospel to every child and their families.

The other way we fund what we do is the big one, child sponsorship. This is the vehicle by which we can fund the majority of what Compassion does for these kiddos. However, with child sponsorship comes great benefit to you as the sponsor and to your sponsor child.

As a sponsor, you are linked with one child and no one else is sponsoring your child. In addition, you get the opportunity to write your sponsor child and he or she will write you back. For the child, they are now tied to a sponsor who lives somewhere else in the world who is hopefully writing letters and developing a relationship over time that this child will NEVER forget.

Again….I could go on and on about the benefits of sponsoring a child, but since it was one my mind I thought I would try to bring a little more clarity to the subject. This way, when you see a couple of different organizations that have child sponsorship, you can ask the question… hmmm, I wonder what their program is offering that makes them a little different?