Posts tagged ‘Compassion’

January 3rd, 2012

Cycling to Release Children from Poverty

by Rodney Olsen

Please take the time to watch the video above. In it I tell the story of escaping Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti, as rioting escalated and smoke from burning barricades filled the air.

Haiti is just one country where Compassion is working. All over the world, often in difficult circumstances, Compassion is working to release children from poverty. They can only do their job if we’re prepared to get involved.

Having seen first hand, both in Haiti and Dominican Republic, how effective Compassion’s work is, I am determined to do more to help. That’s why from the 12th to the 14th of February 2012 I’ll be taking part in the 25000 Spins Great Ocean Road Challenge.

I’ll be riding 290 kilometres in three days and I need your support. By sponsoring my efforts on the challenge you’ll be releasing children from poverty. You’ll be giving children a real chance at life. Please visit my fundraising page and make a contribution. Maybe you can afford to sponsor me for a dollar a kilometre, maybe 50 cents a kilometre, or perhaps you’d just like to donate $10, $20, $50 or any other amount.

The other thing I’d ask you to do is to spread the video as far and as wide as you can so that it make the biggest impact in releasing children from poverty. Please put it on your blog, share it on Facebook, use the sharing buttons below and do whatever else you can do to help raise much needed funding to support the work of Compassion.

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December 1st, 2010

Want to buy a chicken?

by Rodney Olsen

You might not have a lot of use for a live chicken but for a rural family in a developing country the simple gift of a chicken could be just what they need to break free from poverty.

So where do you buy a live chicken and how do you get it to someone who needs it? Compassion Australia’s Gifts of Compassion is open and ready for business. Their gifts help people who are battling desperate poverty. They can take your money and turn it into a very real solution to poverty.

You can buy everything from mosquito nets to a mechanic workshop with lots more in between including goats, cows, sewing machines and a kit to help new mums.

Compassion’s positioning statement is “releasing children from poverty in Jesus’ name”. Isn’t that something we should be getting involved in at the time of the year that we celebrate Jesus entering this world as a child?

I know that it’s wonderful to recieve gifts at Christmas but most of us already have more than enough ‘stuff’, so why not do something different this year and let your friends and family know that you’d like them to choose something from Gifts of Compassion for your Christmas gift this year?

Go on … you’ve thought about it before but unless you let your loved ones know now it’ll never happen.

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September 23rd, 2009

Buy a chicken for someone you love

by Rodney Olsen

CompassionGifts.jpg

Compassion Australia’s Gifts of Compassion is open and ready for business. Their gifts help people who are battling desperate poverty.

You can buy everything from mosquito nets to a carpentry workshop with lots more in between uincluding cows, sewing machines and a kit to help new mums.

Why not get in early and let your friends and family know that you’d like them to choose something from Gifts of Compassion for your Christmas gift this year?

Go on … you’ve thought about it before but unless you let your loved ones know now it’ll never happen.

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June 3rd, 2009

A million reasons to smile

by Rodney Olsen

compassion.gifSomething amazing happened last month. Something that proves that the problem is not too big to be tackled.

Compassion is currently serving over one million sponsored children. Over a million children now have hope for a better future. When you put the current million together with all those who have been through Compassion programmes over the past 57 years, you’re talking about a significant effort in changing the world one child at a time.

The one millionth child, Fellow Blewussi Kpodo, is 8 years old and lives in Togo with his father, two older sisters and one younger brother.

Fellow’s sponsor is one than the world’s strongest women, Jang Mi-Ran, a long time Compassion supporter and Olympic gold medalist weight lifter from Korea.

You can find out more about the millionth sposorship at the Compassion Blog.

Last week on my morning radio programme I talked to DJ Konz from Compassion Australia about the milestone. You can hear the interview by clicking the play button on the audio player at the bottom of this post.

We talked about the fact that the sponsor of the millionth Compassion child is from South Korea, the country where Compassion began its work. That country has seen such significant change over the last 57 years that people there are now able to help others.

The fact that the child being sponsored is from Togo is also significant. Togo is the most recent country to join the growing list of nations where Compassion works.

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October 30th, 2008

Global Food Crisis

by Rodney Olsen

This video from Compassion gives a little of the background for the Global Food Crisis.

If you care enough to want to see change and to save the lives of those who are suffering the most, please consider joining me on the FAST for FOOD throughout November.

Please read my previous post Every 7 Seconds … for more information.

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October 28th, 2008

Every 7 Seconds …

by Rodney Olsen

Fast_for_Food.jpg … a child is dying from hunger related causes.

An almost equal tragedy is that we’ve become so desensitised to the suffering of others that we often let statistics like that float past us without a second thought.

Can I beg you not to just click past this post? Please take the time to read it through and let it touch your heart.

I’ve seen the desperation in the eyes of those who can’t afford to feed their families. My visit to Haiti in April this year with Compassion Australia was cut short due to rioting and looting brought about by the global food crisis. People in developing countries do not have enough food and even when food is available the cost is beyond the reach of the majority of the population.

The effects of the global food crisis have been further exacerbated by the global financial crisis.

Throughout November, Compassion staff and supporters are joining together in a practical and focused way to support families who are hungry and in desperate need of food because of the global food crisis. FAST for FOOD will help us focus on the need and provide practical ways to make a difference. Will you join us in making life more livable for those who are desperately in need?

I’ll be highlighting the need and sharing something from the FAST for FOOD Prayer Calendar every day through November. Will you commit to praying each day for those who need your help? The need is urgent.

Around the world, people are feeling the effects of the economic and food crises—none more so than the 300 million children who will go to bed tonight hungry. We know that when the well-off suffer, the poor die. The world needs light now more than ever.

As men and women of a steadfast and generous God, this is our opportunity to demonstrate our unshakeable trust in Him by reaching out and generously assisting those who are in desperate need. Although we are not immune to world events, we can rest assured that God is faithful, loves the poor and continues to call Compassion to challenge, partner and equip the church to release millions more children from poverty in Jesus’ name. In God’s economy there is always more than enough and He is always faithful when we pray, fast, give and share with generous and joyful hearts.

I pray that Christ Jesus and the church will forever bring praise to God. His power at work in us can do far more than we dare ask or imagine. Ephesians 3:20 (CEV)

Are you prepared to commit yourself to the cause for the month of November? If you are please let me know in the comments section of this post. You can also help to spread the message by pointing others towards this post.

Together we can see change happening in our own lives and in the lives of those who are waiting to see God’s love displayed through his people.

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