This year’s Super Bowl between the Eagles and Patriots will be the most watched sporting event in the United States. However, in Ecuador, they think it’s crazy that we throw a “football.” Even though people in Ecuador could care less about our big game, there are a few similarities I noticed while visiting one family.
1. The Underdog
No one is picking The Eagles to beat The Patriots this year but almost everyone would love it if they did. It’s hard not to root for the underdog.
Samuel is 4 years old and lives in extreme poverty in Ecuador with his mom, two brothers, and sister. Their home was severely damaged by an earthquake in 2016 and collapsed as they tried to repair it. They now live in a sweltering metal shack with no running water and poisonous snakes have been known to get in at night. Most would think that Samuel’s future is hopeless but just imagine the underdog story he’ll tell when he ends the cycle of poverty in his family because of Compassion.
2. Tom Brady
Tom Brady is the quarterback and leader of The Patriots. If The Patriots win, it’ll be because of his leadership.
Elena is the Tom Brady of her family. She’s now a single mom of four (Priscilla, Elijah, Jeremy, and Samuel) because her ex-husband was abusive. She washes clothes for work and makes $2 for every 12 pieces. It’s barely enough but she doesn’t give up. She knows that if her family is going to have a future, she can’t quit.
3. The MVP
At the end of the Super Bowl, one person will be named the game’s Most Valuable Player. It’s usually the player that has the biggest impact on the game.
Priscilla is only 13 but she is the MVP of her family. She has a Compassion sponsor and the joy she receives from her sponsor’s letters and attending the project spreads through her family. It’s probably why her smile is so contagious.
4. The Coach
In every great game, there’s usually a great coach on the sidelines guiding and motivating their team.
This is Pauli. She works with Compassion and is the ultimate encourager. I watched as she diligently prayed for each person and reminded Elena why she was a great mother. Her motivating words brought us to tears and would be worthy of any pre-game pep talk. Without her and the Compassion team, it would be easy to just let poverty win.
5. The Loser
Unfortunately, one team and their fans will have their hearts broken when they lose the Super Bowl. As a Falcons fan, that was me last year.
However, because of Compassion, the loser in this family will be poverty.
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