Compassion Church Partnership Launch

So very exciting news, our awesome church has launched a Compassion Church Partnership. We have two regions we are partnering with, one in the Phillipines and one in Brazil. Every year our Church has a Beyond day, which is an annual event to raise awareness and money for Missions, also they created a beyond mission team. I am overjoyed to announce that I have the opportunity to act in the role of Church partnership co-ordinator. Praying I can do the job and well, God help!!

Our set up

Our team of Compassion Child advocate volunteers

There was such a great response and so far of the 200 children that have been allocated to our church partnership, 173 have been sponsored!!
Dan and I are now Compassion Parents to another blessing from heaven, her Name is Vanessa, she is from Brazil and she is 6. Vanessa doesn't have a Mummy tragically, and I am a Mummy without many children so I am truly blessed to be able to love her, provide a hope and a future for her and to write letters to show her she is loved she is valued and I believe there is a good plan for her life and I WILL use the resources which God has entrusted to me to walk beside her into that future!

See our Shirts, "Overcoming poverty is not an act of Charity, it is an act of Justice!"

So a church partnership links an Australian Church with Compassion and its partner churches in a specific developing community, region, nation, in our case Philippines and Brazil. This mutually beneficial partnership allows every member to be Christ's hands and feet, and together seek justice for children in poverty.

"He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." Micah 6:8

Fun with Mum

Rarely do Mum and I get time off together where we are free, but this day we did. So we decided we would take William into the city to the Dinosaur Museum. Great idea, walked all the way there, "Closed till January for renovations". Will was a bit upset. We softened the blow with water park fun!! and a Boost Juice

Walking along the river, William and Nana.

Pool lagoon fun

Followed by lunch at the Chocolate resturant, wow sooo good!!

We had a great day all together, thanks Mum xoxoxo

Picnic at the beach

Oh the serenity, watching your child play by themselves happily, while I bask in the beauty of the surrounds and the soaking up of the magnificent sun, damaging my skin but doing wonders for my clotting factors!!

Bit of sun, sand and surf, oh the life :-)

We were right near where the skydivers landed!! He's looking

My Showered blessing from heaven

Boys day out

Couldn't get rid of the white eye thing, sorry William you just look a little creepy, but I love you. Apparently red eye doesn't remove white eye!!

William and Grandy had a boys day, Grandy took WIlliam to see the Smurfs!! Nanag and I enjoyed girly chat, coffee and cake, lovely way to spend the day xx

General Everyday

William and Pa playing twister, not exactly successful but funny!!

We do parks a lot, I love to get outside and play around with Will, fresh air, playgrounds, kick balls, friends, beach etc. I am not a homebody I go a bit stir crazy. Dan on the other hand would happily stay inside and play transformers and lego with Will, the wii and Nerf technology. There is only so much cars and lego a girl can take. I figure we are a good balance and William gets the best of both Worlds, or at least thats what I tell myself ;-)

So ok it is not everyday you get to play trouble with Optimus Prime :-)

Hair-cut Mag time

So so funny, William reading (ok pretending) a magazine while having his hair cut!!

A Compassion Night in India fundraiser

The Millenium Development Goals

The workers, look at that food!

Isn't she beautiful!

It Shouldn't end at the Beginning

Preparations nearly complete

I had an idea to have a child survival fundraising dinner, so while Nana and Granddad were here they happily agreed to help Mum and I run one.

Child survival is one of my great passions, having watched my own beloved son Christopher pass away in my arms. My Christopher died because there was nothing our medical profession could do to save him. The pain of losing a child is indescribable so bad I didn't think it was something I could suffer and still live. It literally sucks your breath away, makes your body heave, your chest ache and you cry an ocean of tears.
Somehow, probably with some divine intervention, healing begins and the pain slowly softens. Never goes, there is always reminders, watching the child you have grow, whenever William is sick that breathtaking fear and ache returns, smells, photo's, plans, clothing. The part of your heart that shatters, glues itself together slowly but it is always broken with some sharp edges that occasionally stab, and you are acutely aware of the love you missed out on enjoying.

This is my story, everyday 22,000 mothers share my story. However unlike my Christopher, for most it is not because saving their child was not possible, it is because they didn't have that "option". Compassion Child Survival works, together we can save lives, build healthy transformed nations, change the statistics and change the world, one child at a time. I couldn't save Christopher, but I can save many "somebody else's child". Will you save "Somebody else's Child", will you live out the greatest command to love Somebody else??

Having been involved with Compassion Australia and having the opportunity to see first had the transforming work in action in India last year I am determined to try and support their work. The Child survival program is one of Compassion's core programs which aims to holisticly care for mothers and children up to age three to ensure they survive and thrive, The beginning of becoming all God intended for their lives.

My little Indian :-)

Together Mum, Nana and I cooked up a storm and it was Yum!!

The dinner cost $40 per couple which bought "New Mum Kits" from the Gifts of Compassion Catalogue, supporting Child survival

We then watched the "Children for sale" DVD which shows the impact of both poverty on both body and mind and how the work of Compassion is transforming children and communties, releasing them from poverty in Jesus name.

This is me with my booklet of letters from my dearest Gerryl from the Philippines!

Teddy Bear Picnic

Stickers all round, for both Rupert Red and Rupert Green, Nanag made them :-) William was in the local Mag, a star!