In Matthew 22:37-39, Jesus says, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
But who is your neighbor? The person who lives next door? The kid who sits next to you in class? Sure, they are neighbors. But so are your family members, your teacher, the people at church, the kid who eats lunch alone at school. And Jesus called us to love them. That means showing kindness to and helping everyone — even those who seem very different from us.
If your family sponsors a child through Compassion, that child is your neighbor too! There are many neighbors around the world who live in poverty. Let’s explore the world to meet some kids in Compassion’s program. God created each one of them to be special. As you read about them, imagine you met them in person. How would you show love to them?
Kauany, an 11-year-old in Brazil, is happy that her friend Tainara pushes her wheelchair. Kauany hasn’t been able to walk since she was 7, when she got cancer in her spine. The treatment made her hair fall out. She was afraid of what other kids would say. But her friends at the Compassion center showed her love. They “were happy to see me,” Kauany says. “No one laughed at me.” They included her in games, and had races where Tainara pushed Kauany’s chair as fast as she could! And guess what? Kauany recently found out her cancer is gone, and her doctors say she might walk again someday!
Did you know?
Many kids with disabilities who live in poverty don’t have the wheelchairs or medical care they need because their families can’t afford it.
The pastor of a church that helps sponsored children shows love to 6-year-old Deybi and his family by giving them supplies like food. Deybi’s family just moved to Colombia from the neighboring country of Venezuela to escape violence. They were so afraid of being hurt by criminals that they left their home and all their belongings behind. There are many families from Venezuela moving to Colombia to find safety. Compassion’s church partners in Colombia are showing Venezuelan children love by making sure they get the food, medicine and other supplies they need!
These friends live in Uganda, where most people have brown skin and eyes. But Shakul, the boy on the left, was born with blue eyes and unique skin of more than one shade. Differences sometimes frighten people. Shakul’s mom was frightened when he was born, and she didn’t want to care for him. But his grandmother knew that God made him special, and she took him to live with her. Some kids run away from Shakul because they’ve never seen anyone who looks just like him. But Shakul’s friends at his Compassion center learn about Jesus and how to love their neighbors. So they are kind to Shakul and like to play with him.
Karunia, 9, lives in east Indonesia. She was born with a disease that affected the shape of her skull and caused her to be born without fingers and toes. When she was a baby, she was sick a lot. But a church in her village registered her in Compassion’s program so she could get medicine, care and surgery to feel better. Now she is healthy, with lots of friends who love her at her Compassion center. “I love to play with my friends at school and at the center. I love to lead prayers or singing,” Karunia says. Sometimes bullies make fun of her because she looks different from them. But Karunia knows how to reply: “My mom taught me to say back to them that this is what Jesus gave me.”
Patchanok, 7, is sponsored in Compassion’s program in Thailand. She belongs to a people group called the Hmong, who are known for their colorful clothing and customs. Patchanok goes to school and gets extra help from teachers at her Compassion center. They help her make a plan for her future — to work hard and finish school. In the Hmong culture, it is common for kids to drop out of school after eighth grade to get married. But Patchanok will have a lot more choices when she grows up, because her sponsor and church love their neighbors — including her!
Mileysi, Darwin and Milainy (pictured from left to right) live with their dad, Domingo, in the Dominican Republic. After Domingo went blind and could not find work anymore, his wife moved out, leaving him to raise their three children alone. Now the children are losing their eyesight too. They have a disease that causes blindness and has no cure. Thankfully the children are in Compassion’s program at a church. Since their sponsors and their church know how important it is to love their neighbors, they have helped the family a lot! The children have received operations on their eyes and glasses to help them see better. They even got a new home that makes it easier to walk around without hurting themselves.
Jesús is a 7-year-old who lives in Peru. He was born with a disease called Carpenter’s syndrome that changed the way some of his bones formed. When he started going to school at age 5, some kids said unkind words to him because his hands looked different from theirs. It made him sad. But when he was 7, his mom found out about Compassion’s program and signed him up. Now Jesús goes to a Compassion center at a church, where he has friends who love them as their neighbor! They know that God makes everyone special and doesn’t make mistakes.
Cleidy is an 11-year-old student who lives in Guatemala. She loves to write — especially letters to her sponsors! Cleidy was born without hands. That hasn’t stopped her from becoming an excellent writer and artist! She even won a prize at her Compassion center for letter writing. Her grandmother and a tutor at her Compassion center love Cleidy and teach her to work hard for what she wants. “I love how the center and my tutor, Jamin, believe in me and support my future,” Cleidy says.
María José and her mom, Isabel, live in Ecuador. María José was born with an illness that left her unable to walk or speak. She barely moved. When María José was 5, Isabel carried her to a nearby church and registered her in Compassion’s program. Isabel told the teachers at the center that María José could not walk, talk or move. But a teacher named Karen had hope that she could! Three days each week, Karen spent one-on-one time with her, singing and reading Bible stories to her. “It worked!” Karen says. “María José began to move her arms and her head every time she heard a song.” After a few months, Karen hired a local man to build this special walker just for María José! She surprised her doctors by being able to stand and walk with it! Isabel is so happy that Karen showed extra love to her sweet daughter.
Patchanok, 7, is sponsored in Compassion’s program in Thailand. She belongs to a people group called the Hmong, who are known for their colorful clothing and customs. Patchanok goes to school and gets extra help from teachers at her Compassion center. They help her make a plan for her future — to work hard and finish school. In the Hmong culture, it is common for kids to drop out of school after eighth grade to get married. But Patchanok will have a lot more choices when she grows up, because her sponsor and church love their neighbors — including her!
Mileysi, Darwin and Milainy (pictured from left to right) live with their dad, Domingo, in the Dominican Republic. After Domingo went blind and could not find work anymore, his wife moved out, leaving him to raise their three children alone. Now the children are losing their eyesight too. They have a disease that causes blindness and has no cure. Thankfully the children are in Compassion’s program at a church. Since their sponsors and their church know how important it is to love their neighbors, they have helped the family a lot! The children have received operations on their eyes and glasses to help them see better. They even got a new home that makes it easier to walk around without hurting themselves.
Jesús is a 7-year-old who lives in Peru. He was born with a disease called Carpenter’s syndrome that changed the way some of his bones formed. When he started going to school at age 5, some kids said unkind words to him because his hands looked different from theirs. It made him sad. But when he was 7, his mom found out about Compassion’s program and signed him up. Now Jesús goes to a Compassion center at a church, where he has friends who love them as their neighbor! They know that God makes everyone special and doesn’t make mistakes.
Cleidy is an 11-year-old student who lives in Guatemala. She loves to write — especially letters to her sponsors! Cleidy was born without hands. That hasn’t stopped her from becoming an excellent writer and artist! She even won a prize at her Compassion center for letter writing. Her grandmother and a tutor at her Compassion center love Cleidy and teach her to work hard for what she wants. “I love how the center and my tutor, Jamin, believe in me and support my future,” Cleidy says.
María José and her mom, Isabel, live in Ecuador. María José was born with an illness that left her unable to walk or speak. She barely moved. When María José was 5, Isabel carried her to a nearby church and registered her in Compassion’s program. Isabel told the teachers at the center that María José could not walk, talk or move. But a teacher named Karen had hope that she could! Three days each week, Karen spent one-on-one time with her, singing and reading Bible stories to her. “It worked!” Karen says. “María José began to move her arms and her head every time she heard a song.” After a few months, Karen hired a local man to build this special walker just for María José! She surprised her doctors by being able to stand and walk with it! Isabel is so happy that Karen showed extra love to her sweet daughter.
Patchanok, 7, is sponsored in Compassion’s program in Thailand. She belongs to a people group called the Hmong, who are known for their colorful clothing and customs. Patchanok goes to school and gets extra help from teachers at her Compassion center. They help her make a plan for her future — to work hard and finish school. In the Hmong culture, it is common for kids to drop out of school after eighth grade to get married. But Patchanok will have a lot more choices when she grows up, because her sponsor and church love their neighbors — including her!
Mileysi, Darwin and Milainy (pictured from left to right) live with their dad, Domingo, in the Dominican Republic. After Domingo went blind and could not find work anymore, his wife moved out, leaving him to raise their three children alone. Now the children are losing their eyesight too. They have a disease that causes blindness and has no cure. Thankfully the children are in Compassion’s program at a church. Since their sponsors and their church know how important it is to love their neighbors, they have helped the family a lot! The children have received operations on their eyes and glasses to help them see better. They even got a new home that makes it easier to walk around without hurting themselves.
Jesús is a 7-year-old who lives in Peru. He was born with a disease called Carpenter’s syndrome that changed the way some of his bones formed. When he started going to school at age 5, some kids said unkind words to him because his hands looked different from theirs. It made him sad. But when he was 7, his mom found out about Compassion’s program and signed him up. Now Jesús goes to a Compassion center at a church, where he has friends who love them as their neighbor! They know that God makes everyone special and doesn’t make mistakes.
Cleidy is an 11-year-old student who lives in Guatemala. She loves to write — especially letters to her sponsors! Cleidy was born without hands. That hasn’t stopped her from becoming an excellent writer and artist! She even won a prize at her Compassion center for letter writing. Her grandmother and a tutor at her Compassion center love Cleidy and teach her to work hard for what she wants. “I love how the center and my tutor, Jamin, believe in me and support my future,” Cleidy says.
María José and her mom, Isabel, live in Ecuador. María José was born with an illness that left her unable to walk or speak. She barely moved. When María José was 5, Isabel carried her to a nearby church and registered her in Compassion’s program. Isabel told the teachers at the center that María José could not walk, talk or move. But a teacher named Karen had hope that she could! Three days each week, Karen spent one-on-one time with her, singing and reading Bible stories to her. “It worked!” Karen says. “María José began to move her arms and her head every time she heard a song.” After a few months, Karen hired a local man to build this special walker just for María José! She surprised her doctors by being able to stand and walk with it! Isabel is so happy that Karen showed extra love to her sweet daughter.