GOSPEL ON REPEAT

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Today I met Jun. He’s a cool 12 year old kid. I enjoyed hanging out and getting to know him. Like me, his favourite sport is soccer. We had fun beat boxing and making up songs about how Jesus is Number One!

Jun lives in Surawet, North Sulawesi with his mum, dad and brother. He is part of the Compassion project in his area. Unfortunately he no longer has a sponsor.

His father is a rural worker, but work is seasonal. It mean his family lives on $25 a month.

A Compassion sponsorship for Jun would be an incredible support to his family and Jun continuing in the program.

Do you have a sponsor child? If not, prayerfully consider sponsoring Jun. It’s only $44 a month.

Interested? Let me know ASAP and I can line it up.

Ps – Jun is the one on the left :)

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Sometimes Christians unhelpfully put evangelism (sharing the good news of Jesus) and mercy ministries (caring for the sick, sad & suffering) on opposing ends of a spectrum.

In one of our team meetings someone suggested that it’s like cutting a baby in half. Implication, we do both… So don’t cut the baby in half! We love people by proclaiming the death & resurrection of Jesus AND by loving people practically.

Sometimes organisations like Compassion are critiqued for not sharing the good news of Jesus, only on about the physical and not the spiritual.

The evidence on the ground is that the good news of Jesus is central to the work of Compassion and the communities they work with.

On Thursday we visited a Child Survival Program (CSP). It’s a program where mothers are supported from pre-birth until their child is 3. We had the privilege of sitting in on one of their weekly meetings and hearing some of their stories.

It was kind of like a noisy women’s bible study. It included: a bible reading; singing; Jesus-centred preaching; prayer; a call to turn from superstition by coming to God in prayer and seeking medical care; partnership through financial giving; eating food.

If it was only about physical support, most of those things would have been unnecessary.

But lives are being impacted now and for eternity.

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Visiting communities impacted by the generosity of Compassion supporters has been a privilege. One of the things that has stood out has been the gratitude shown among children and their families. They know that they have been shown grace and mercy.

Knowing the grace we’ve been shown by Jesus also shapes how we ought to show grace and mercy toward others.

“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.” (2 Corinthians 8:9 NIV)

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One of the things that was clear in Compassion HQ is their desire to partner with churches in local communities in caring for those in need. This has become even clearer after visiting a number of projects.

It means that, while Compassion has a good name, it’s not about Compassion’s name. The individual churches are the store front for the real care that is taking place in Jesus’ name.

The churches are central to the holistic care received by children in the project. Families are able to thrive physically, emotionally and spiritually.

(The pic is of a welcome dance/song at the Ekklesia church and project… It was awesome!)

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Colin Buchanan is king of the kids in Manado! It’s been lots of fun hanging out with Colin and his son Riley. Like the Pied Piper, kids in every community we visit flock to him! He’s a natural.

It’s been fun singing songs together and pointing the kids of Manado to THE King of kids, Jesus.

“But Jesus called the children to him and said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” (Luke 18:16 NIV)

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