40-40-40 ... Day 26: Standards of Excellence in Short Term Mission

I'm so excited that my brother and sister-in-law, Roy & Suzanne, are heading to Ecuador in April! I spent an incredible 10 days in Ecuador when I was in college and absolutely fell in love with the people, the scenery, standing on the equator and strolling through the neighborhood markets. I know they will have an even more rewarding experience, because they are getting to meet Emilia, the child they sponsor through Compassion International.

Randy and I spent time in Oregon with Roy & Sue right before we moved to Mexico. During that time they loaned me their copy of "Too Small To Ignore," by Wess Strafford, founder of Compassion International. It wasn't the easiest book to read, because Strafford went through many challenges during his boyhood in Africa that were painful to recount, but it was an honest telling that showed why he felt such a conviction to start this organization.

Compassion International has been endorsed by many organizations and well-known Christians and ranks high on accountability, meaning that you can trust that when you sponsor a child, that child will receive the support, the letters, the gifts that you send. And to prove it, they are all the time inviting people to come and meet the children they sponsor.

Roy & Suzanne are going to Ecuador with their church, Westside Community Church, which has recently partnered with other organizations and the community of Loja, Ecuador, to plant a church. While there, the team will also be working on service projects (possibly putting in a playground! how fun!), meeting their sponsored children and putting on a Vacation Bible School. Our kids in Mexico still talk about some of the groups who have come to do VBS with them, so I know the kids in Loja will be equally blessed! Not to mention the life-changing impact a mission trip can have on those traveling. God is doing a new thing... we'll just have to wait and see what it is!

ACTION STEPS

PRAY for the team traveling to Ecuador, April 16-27.
JOIN a church that is mission focused, like Westside Community Church.
LEARN more about Compassion International.
READ "Too Small To Ignore," by Wess Strafford.
SPONSOR a child through Compassion International.
DONATE to one of the team members traveling to Ecuador through Standards of Excellence (SOE), knowing that the seeds planted on this trip could result in a life-changing impact!