Saying Goodbye
What in the world?
My husband and I, like many other child sponsors around the world, just got some bad news.
We’d heard warnings that the Compassion International letter was coming, but held out hope that the troublesome situation would resolve.
Unfortunately, there it was in the stack of mail my husband brought in from the mailbox. We stopped everything we were doing and sat down and read it together.
* “It is with deep sorrow that we share with you that Compassion must close its sponsorship program in India on March 15th.
Our hearts break for both you and…”
Shocking, to say the least.
Our sponsor child, “SG,”1 now faces an unknown future.
“SG” is one of our two sponsor children. Our other child is from the Dominican Republic and has, thankfully, been spared so far from a foreign government’s unfeeling political maneuvers.
We Will Never Forget
To say we’re frustrated and upset is an understatement. I’ve talked with another sponsor, and we’re both reeling from the awful news.
What will happen to our child? Is she going to be safe?
“SG” is a beautiful little girl. We’ve cherished each photo that we’ve received from her. Her dark hair and deep, soulful eyes make quite a contrast to the red sari that she wears in her picture.
We were beginning to know her from her letters, all of which had to be translated back and forth when we corresponded.
“SG” wants to be a teacher when she grows up.
She loves to color, especially flowers.
We don’t know a lot about her home life, except that it was rough. Her parents don’t get along and the village where she lives is poverty-stricken. We were relieved that Compassion’s funding through local churches provided a haven for her. It was a break from the sadness all around her. She had fellow students her own age to laugh and play with.
She could be happy.
Through Compassion, we always knew that she was getting food to eat and water to drink, attending school regularly, and learning about Jesus. We were especially relieved to know that she was safe.
Now, with the Indian government’s restrictions aimed at Christian charitable organizations, our child and other innocents living in extreme poverty are at a greater risk for sexual trafficking. Age is no barrier to predators.
Shameful Statistics
Forty-thousand children abducted each year, per a report from the Human Rights Commission of India.
That is forty-thousand too many, whether it’s in India or anywhere else.
I think of all of these innocents that could be being taken against their will and it makes me want to cry.
My fellow sponsors and I feel heartbroken and sickened. Potential danger lurks everywhere in these impoverished communities. Children of all ages wander the streets of their villages begging for small amounts of mostly contaminated food. Their hopes for an education and a way out, now potentially dashed. So far, the local churches there are still operating, but this dire situation needs prayer.
Our letter from Compassion urged us to write one final, goodbye letter to our child.
How do you write a goodbye letter to a now eight-year-old child?
This is so messed up.
As a longtime writer for over thirty years now, I am seriously struggling to put a goodbye letter into words.
It hurts.
We are praying that God will protect these children, now left without sponsors. I hope that “SG” will continue learning about Jesus and become the teacher she wants to be.
Heavenly Father, You love these children.
We ask that You will keep them safe
during this time of great uncertainty in India.
Help them to know love and feel our prayers.
We also humbly ask that You will strengthen the local churches
and that, despite the intense political pressure,
they can continue to minister
to these innocents and their families without fear.
In Jesus Name, Amen.
Goodbye Doesn’t Mean Forever
As Christians, we have an everlasting promise of a reunion with other believers in Heaven.
I believe we will see “SG” there.
No man, no government, and no political ideology will ever be able to change that.
***
1 “SG” – Full name withheld.
* Letter excerpt from Davis, Rick., Vice President USA Compassion International. Correspondence received March 11, 2017.
