Hunger.

I think it’s something we all rarely experience unless we choose it, but for many people in Haiti, hunger is their normal state. I learned today that most people in Haiti, if they are lucky, eat one meal a day! Just one!

If I don’t have three meals a day then my stomach lets me know that it’s angry! Imagine you are a parent with several children and today is your third day in a row not eating. You eat less so your children can eat at all, the problem is that you are slowly starving to death.

This is the heartbreaking tragedy in Haiti. I met a family today with 6 children and no income; neither parent can find a job to provide for the family. Its possible that they would have already starved to death except for Compassion International. One little boy in the family is sponsored through the Compassion program meaning that he and his family receive the food they need to stay alive.

The best part is that Compassion does not JUST provide food, but health care, education, and the love of Jesus Christ! This same family that lived in a room that is probably the size of your bathroom explained that they do not feel safe in their home or neighborhood. However the mother said it was ok because they trust in Jesus to take care of them.

Compassion also invests in the future of each child. The child we met who was sponsored in the family wants to be a doctor and a pastor when he grows up. Through compassion he will be encouraged to dream and will be given the tools he needs to continue in school and make his dreams a reality. The hope is that one day he might be able to get a good job and take care of his whole family, making sure that hunger is no longer a part of their story.

For now, the family is eternally grateful for their child’s sponsor that helps to keep them alive, but more importantly, helps to keep their hope alive.