"The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit" Psalms 34:18
I first heard about the Child Survival Program (CSP) through Compassion International in late 2009. At the time, my church, Main Street Baptist in Oneonta N.Y, was going through Louie Giglio's messages. It was then that I was faced with the both shocking and heartbreaking truth: 9 million children under the age of 5 die needlessly each year from preventable causes like diarrhea, malnutrition, dehydration, and influenza. That is 1 child every 3 seconds. In the next minute alone, 20 more innocent children with lose their fight. Some of them are toddlers; others are stripped of their potential even before birth.
I was both stunned and shocked. I could not believe how I had been living so comfortably, oblivious to the fact that every 3 seconds an innocent child lost their chance at life. Of all the things I was unsure of, I knew something had to change.
Deep down, I knew that God wanted me to do something big for him. At first I thought about how wonderful it would be to start a CSP and be able to help these children and thier mothers. But I labled is as a "crazy impossible idea" and tried to leave it at that. "Besides," I told myself, "I'm just a teenager, what can I do?" But I couldn't stop thinking about my want to do something for those children.
Almost a year later, in the late fall of 2010, I took a step and contacted Compassion International, expressing my desire to raise the $25,000 needed to start and sustain a CSP for a year. In the months that followed, I watched God do amazing things as everything started to fall into place.
Since then, I've partnered with a couple of CI advocates from Ohio who have also taken up challenge. They have raised the $4,500 neccesary funds to start a CSP, and now the beginnings of the project are in motion. The Anslay Church of God CSP is located in Mbulu, Tanzania, and I am so excited to see what God will do there!
Through this project mothers and expectant moms will recieve(and are already recieving!):
Prenatal care: Expectant mothers will get dietary supplements, medical care, and education on fetal development, birthing, and breast feeding.
Food: Mothers will recieve nutritious food in addition to learning about preparing balanced meals and hygienic food preparation.
Health Care: Children are treated for diseases and infections and both the mothers and children get regular check-ups and updated health records.
Education: They are given the oppurtunity to learn to read, write, and develop a trade skill to help them provide for their families.
Faith: Compassion makes sure that moms and children know of God's abounding love for them. All of the benefits of the CSP are given through a local church, so moms and children are surrounded by a caring community.
This is a really big project, and some people have already told me I am crazy for trying this. But I believe that if we pull together, with God's help, this is truly possible. Together, let us take a stand against poverty and death itself to save young and unborn children, giving them the chance that they deserve.
"Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness." Psalms 115:1
Thank you for visiting my fundraising page and taking the time to read this!!! It means so much to me. Please join with me in prayer for this project and for the lives of the women and children that it will reach.
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