At lunch today I visited with Pedro. He’s a full-time university student, studying marketing and business, pressing ahead with a heavy class load to be finished as soon as he can. Still he makes time to work as a translator for Compassion whenever he can.

There will be lots of translators with our group on Saturday when we sponsors meet “our” children, so there are enough to go around for all the meeting and getting acquainted that will be going on.

I asked Pedro if Compassion pays the translators. “Yes, we get paid. But all of us would do it for free. We love doing what we do.”

Pedro has been involved in this way with Compassion for about 2 years and has been present for approximately 30 sponsor-child meetings. He had lots to say about those special days. (This isn’t a totally direct quote, but close).

I always cry when the children and sponsors meet for the first time. It’s such an emotional moment. It never gets old.  It makes such a difference for the child and for the sponsor. Afterward, the sponsors pray for the children in a new way.

There is always a time for sponsors and their child and his or her family to exchange prayer requests. I’d say that 70% of the children and families don’t ask for anything. They just express great thanks and say a general sort of “pray for us.”

I remember one 80-something grandfather during a home visit. He remained in a hammock because he’d been injured in a fall. His wife couldn’t hear. You could look around at the house and see parts of it collapsing, because they couldn’t afford to repair it. But when we asked him how we could pray for the family, all he said was, “I am so thankful to be alive, to wake up every morning, to have a job.” (He’s 80 years old and he’s still working!).

Every time I finish one of these days, I go home and fall on my knees and thank God.

I’m already crying, just thinking about it. Just wait till you meet Juan.

As Pedro talked, a mental video was running in my head, thanks to our daughter-in-law Molly‘s visit a couple of years ago with “their” child in Salvador.

We are waiting. For Saturday when Talitha will meet Juan.

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