4th and Final Assignment

This is our last Compassion assignment. It's the end of the month and 2006 children have been sponsored since September 1st. 1102 to go to meet the goal of the Compassion Blog Month. We've done well! I so wanted to participate in this last assignment. But I just can't. 

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The assignment this week is to write a letter or a poem from the perspective of the child. To "pretend" to be a child in poverty, writing about "the sights, sounds and smells of poverty" ... what do I know?

I understand the assignment and I understand the idea of trying to put oneself in the place of the children we sponsor. But I can't truly imagine what it's like, and so, I don't want to pretend. I don't want to dismiss their suffering as something easily imagined.

I've toyed with the idea of writing a fictional account of our daughter's first few months. I could do it with all the reading I've done. And I think it would be an ok thing to do, because it would be a fictional account.

But to sit here and compose thoughts from sweet Peter's head ... I won't do it.

When my children first learned about Peter, they didn't understand why we couldn't just send him a bunch of money. Or adopt him outright! The realization that he was probably pretty happy with his grandparents and sibling, though poor, was a toughie.

We spoke about what our money would do. Medical care, two good meals while at school, education itself, access to religious education ...

So, I guess, the sights of poverty include a very small portion of rice for dinner. The sounds of poverty would involve a growling stomach, surely. And the smells of poverty would surely be a result of the lack of flush toilets, among others. Yes, I guess I can imagine ... but I still feel like it belittles it somehow.

Anyway, I can't fulfill the assignment the way it was given, but I can make one last attempt to get more children sponsored. Please, just visit the site. Look at the children. Consider it. Just think about it. Please. Let's get those last 1102 children sponsored before September 30!

Click here!