Letter from A Sponsored Child (based on real events)

Dear Family,

Have I told you how my life has changed? How God has worked through you to give me hope? You see, I live in an area of the world where girls my age rarely receive an education. Often this happens because we older girls stay home to help our families, sometimes we even take the place of our mothers who have passed away due to illness or childbirth or hunger. Most often though...we're exploited. Given away to earn a living for our family. The ones who offer the jobs make grand promises to our parents about how we'll be cared for, how we'll make enough money to send back home, how they won't have to worry about anything anymore. But the dark, ugly truth is that we're sold, we're de-moralized, we're seen as nothing more than a reusable commodity...until finally there is no way out and now...this becomes our life, where everyday we wish for death.

Family...most times older girls like me are not sponsered. But because you chose me, God has done something absolutely transforming. I am receiving an education, my family has food and clean water and most of all I am learning about Christ. Thank you for giving me a chance....my life will never be the same.

Love, your sponsored child

"Bless the Lord...who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's"

Psalm 103:4

www.compassion.org

Child Sponsorship: Just a Little Does So Much!

So, I've joined up as a Compassion International blogger to help get 3, 000 needy children sponsored in 30 days. Will you help?! Just read the blog post below and visit their sponsorship page (link provided at the bottom of this page)...that's all!

Look at this cute little guy? You may not know it but he is a pretty special part of our family. That's right, we've been sponsoring him for a few years now and would you believe that it's totally changed our family?

Dinesh lives in a slum community in the southern part of India. He has 1 sister, 1 brother and, fortunately, both parents living. He loves cricket, learning about the Bible and going to class at the Compassion Center. He gets medical care, food and an education through their support. However, if Dinesh had not received this support through Compassion his life would have looked very different. Perhaps he would have been one of the 44 million destitute, Indian children who struggle to survive every day. They are not able to receive an education, many do not have access to enough food or clean water. Often they are from lower castes where they have no hope of ever making a better life for themselves...so the cycle continues. 

Yet, this was not God's plan for Dinesh. He had a better plan. But let me tell you something...God had a better plan for us too. He showed us His heart for the poor, the needy, the fatherless and the orphan. He opened our eyes to the millions of hopeless men, women and children around the globe and showed us how we could help. Really, He showed us that He has commanded us to help:

“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:

to loose the chains of injustice

and untie the cords of the yoke,

to set the oppressed free

and break every yoke?

7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry

and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—

when you see the naked, to clothe them,

and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?

8 Then your light will break forth like the dawn,

and your healing will quickly appear;

then your righteousness[a] will go before you,

and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.

9 Then you will call, and the Lord will answer;

you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I."

Isaiah 58: 6-9

Our prayer is that your heart is stirring for the needs of the poor. Those of us who live in the western world have more material wealth than we could ever need. We have been blessed so that we might bless others. Child sponsorship is a beautiful way to help. Not only does it allow you to bring aid to the needy but it allows you to form a relationship with these precious children. They will share their lives with you as you help to provide education, healthcare, food and water for them. I promise you though...you will gain far more than you could ever give to these children. Even if you feel like you may not be able to sponsor a child at this time, at least visit their page  (http://www.compassion.com/sponsor_a_child/sponsorship.htm), look at their pictures and choose one or more children to pray over. You might be surprised how God provides for you so that you might provide for them.

Baptism

As promised, here are a few pictures of Madison's baptism from over the weekend. What a precious Mother's Day gift it was! Below, I have included the beautiful blessing Dan spoke over her. I know this will be a treasure for her over the years to come.

Much Love to you all!

Baptized as a child of the Covenant

Dad reading his blessing over Madison

Listening to the Pastor

Madison Emigh Francis, baptized May 13, 2012

Afternoon pictures

The weather was so beautiful this afternoon that the girls and I decided to take a few pictures outside.


Savannah and Belle










Baby loves :)










Little Madison












Pretty girl










McKayla and Mom












Sisters!

Easter outfits and an update.....finally

Hello? Is anyone still out there? Well, I'm back with some updates and a few photos. I can't believe the last time I posted was in November!! I've got to do a better job of this! We've been busy over the last five months as you can well imagine. Savannah is finishing up her 8th grade year and is quite excited about starting 9th grade in the fall. We are planning to continue to home school through high school as we have seen what a huge blessing it is to our whole family. She has been busy horse back riding and keeping up with her tutorial that meets once a week. She has also been babysitting, pet-sitting and working as a "mother's helper" for a few families. She has grown so much in maturity and has an incredible work ethic just like her dad. McKayla has one month until her big ballet recital. She has really fallen in love with ballet and practices almost every day at home. She will be in the third grade this fall. Daniel has grown so much physically and emotionally this year. I can't believe what a difference a year has made! He has made some huge strides forward with regard to school and has become quite the helpful little man around the house. Annabelle is working hard at keeping all of her siblings in line. Daily, she tries to show Madison the ropes and will probably be running her own corporation shortly. Madison recently turned 1! Hard to believe our little pip squeak is now walking and talking.

Well, I hope to update more regularly to keep you all in the loop. Here are some pictures from this morning with the kiddos in their new Easter outfits.

Love and Blessings to you all,
The Francis 7

History Fair....

Well, finally, I am posting a long overdue update. Our summer was great...hot, but great. This fall has already been busy with homeschooling, ballet lessons, football, horseback riding and traveling. We've also had the opportunity to open our home to many of our famiy members! This morning we enjoyed a history fair downtown. A re-enactment of a southern encampment during the Civil war. Here are a few shots from our outing. Enjoy!

Somalia

*UPDATE: Since posting this, news has spread that the terrorists have pulled out of the capital city and borders are now opening for aid to come in! Keep those prayers coming! God is at work!


We pulled into Starbucks for our weekly stop. I ordered a half pound of coffee and waters for the kids. Knowing that 2 year olds don't fair so well with cups brimming to the top, I stopped by a trashcan to dump some of hers out. As I was pouring that clear, fresh water into the trash I thought about this picture

Children in Somalia searching for water amidst a drought and famine torn country. I thought about how I drive around in my nice, air conditioned car to my brand new, large, carpeted home and enjoy many of the foods, refreshments and luxuries our country has to offer. I do this without a thought of what is going on in the rest of the world. Oblivious. Selfish. Thoughtless. I read yesterday that the first accurate death toll from the Somalian famine has come out. Within the last 90 days more than 29,000 children under the age of 5 have died. Stories are emerging about families that have walked 20 miles for food, losing children along the way, only to find that the camp they were searching for is full and they are forced further out into the rural desert. There in the country the risk of violence, especially towards women, sky rockets. Al-Queda linked rebels are controlling things and refuse to allow international aid in to help their people. So, not only is it difficult to get aid over to Somalia but when it arrives it is, almost always, stolen or destroyed. Some organizations such as Samaritan's Purse and WorldVision have been able to get some help to these people...but it is very little. As someone recently said, these rebels would rather see the death of their people than the death of their pride. In fact, they refuse to even acknowledge the famine for fear of being overthrown. Daily, thousands of people are dying..husbands...fathers....mothers...
grandmothers...newborns...young girls...little boys. Do I think about them while I'm dishing up dinner to my family? Do I think about them while I am taking a hot shower before slipping into clean, warm sheets? Do I think about them when I laugh with my children or during family movie night? I didn't....but I will now. I hope you will too.

Will you pray for them?