Review- Mud, Sweat & Tears by Bear Grylls

4.5 Stars

I really enjoyed this book. It was very entertaining and easy-to-read, with most chapters only 3-4 pages in length.

The book is about how adventurer and survival expert Bear Grylls grew up and his life experiences which got him to his point in life where he began his TV series Man VS. Wild. Bear also shares parts of his Christian faith.

It is a great read for anyone who enjoys a real man sharing his very real life stories, the highs and lows, from fighting for his life after a faulty parachute nearly cost his life while skydiving, to being the youngest Brit to reach the summit of Mt Everest. A highly recommended book.

Last Chance

There are only 3 days left to sponsor Erik, through Compassion Australia before his packet expires.  The cost is $44 per month. If you, or someone you know is interested, please contact me ASAP.

Erik is 10 years old and lives with his parents in Guatemala.  This family stuggles to survive because of poverty, and the average monthly income in his community is only US$50.  Erik needs a sponsor!

Indonesia

Indonesia is located in Southeast Asia. It comprises of over 13,000 islands. It is the fourth most populous country in the world, and has the world's largest population of Muslims.

Indonesia has high urban growth, which puts strain on the capacity of major cities to provide housing and social services. There also remains a lack of adequate infrastructure and resources, with the conservation of Indonesia's forest and peatlands a current struggle.

While poverty and low living standards persist throughout Indonesia, particularly in rural areas, there has been some progress in recent years, including a new poverty task force.

Issues children face in Indonesia:

• Malaria
• Malnutrition
• Dengue Fever
• Lung Infections
• Influenza
• Respiratory Disorders
• Skin Diseases
• Diarrhoea
• Colds
• Typhus

Many communities are in desperate need of employment opportunities, tuition assistance, educational materials,life skills training, affordable education, health services, improved sanitation, teachers, vocational training, suitable land for farming, improved housing, libraries, increased wages, clean water, recreational centres, income-generating programs, better access to public transport, and adult literacy.

Compassion International began working in Indonesia in 1967. A second office was opened in East Indonesia in 2005. Altogether, over 69,000 children participate in over 460 Child Development Centres across Indonesia. Compassion Australia assists over 7,800 of these children, Currently 132 Indonesian students are enrolled in the Leadership Development Program and around 31 Child Survival Programs.

Indonesia:

East Indonesia:

To sponsor a child from Indonesia though Compassion Australia, and change their life forever, click here

My Prayer Child

Many of us child sponsors are at our limit of sponsor children financially, but when a child grabs our hearts, the thing we can do is pray.

This is Keyling, and she has been on my heart for weeks.  She is having her 8th birthday in exactly one week.  What a fantastic birthday present - receiving a sponsor!

She lives near Leon, Nicaragua where the average monthly income is only $19.  Normal houses have dirt floors, wood walls and cardboard roofs.  What good is cardboard and dirt when the 6 month rainy season arrives?

Her community is in desperate need of proper sanitation, employment and vocational training.

Yet, despite the poverty that Keyling is living in, she is still like any girl and loves playing with dolls and jumping rope.  Her above average performance at school proves that the poverty around her does not ruin her spirit and the joy of being a child.

To view Keyling's profile click here

Sponsorship costs $44 a month, love, prayers and writing at least 3 letters per year.

Keyling is listed on the Compassion USA website, but can be transferred to any of Compassion's Country Offices around the world.  If you are unsure of this, just ask me and I will try and assist you.

Toms

Haven't heard of Toms Shoes?

They are the most comfortable shoes I have ever worn.

They look great.

And best of all, for every pair of Toms purchases, Toms will give a pair of shoes to a needy child somewhere in the world.  These children may never have had a pair of shoes, let alone a NEW pair, just for THEM!!

So, you are changing a child's life by shopping!

This video is of Toms distributing shoes to children in Honduras.  The smiles and laughs are priceless!

*REPOST: Extra Love?

I am reposting this because I am still looking for a sponsor for Erik, and time is running out.

Do you and your family have a little extra love to share? All it takes is some love, prayers, a short letter every now and then, and $44 a month to change the life of a child through Compassion Australia.

I am fortunate enough to be a Compassion Advocate, and I currently am looking for Erik..

Let me introduce you...

This is Erik.

Erik is 10 years old and lives with his parents in San Gaspar Chajul, Guatemala. Much to his mother's disgrace, his white shirt is dirty from being outside playing soccer (his favourite) with his friends, before he had to come inside and have his photo taken. He also loves playing with cars and singing.

Erik is living in severe poverty in Guatemala, but with Compassion's Child Sponsorship Program, having opportunities that many other children could only dream about. Your sponsorship with provide such things as nutritious food, hygiene education, recreational activities, medical and dental care, tutoring, Bible teaching and educational support and literacy classes for the parents of Erik.

If you would like to add Erik to your family, please let me know, his packet expire on 31^st Aug.

*** Julia has been sponsored!***

Review: Little Princes by Conor Grennan

My Rating:  4 1/2 Stars

This is one of those books which you begin reading and don't stop until you finish it.  It is the story of Conor Grennan, who spends 3 months volunteering at a orphanage in Nepal, as a 'good deed' to impress his friends.  This is until he falls in love with the children of Little Princes Orphanage.  He learns of the plight of trafficked children from the mountains, who are bought to Kathmandu to be sold as slaves, and kept in horrendous conditions.  He vows to change the lives of the lost children of Nepal, who are children nobody seems to care about - who vanish.  The story is honest, funny and heartbreaking.  It is a great read for anyone with a heart for children.

And they grow up!

This week I have been fortunate enough to recieve updated photos of my sponsor children Pras and Niki.  They are both growing up (as kids do!) and they are both loving, caring kids..

Here is Pras Feb 2010:

And now, Aug 2011: I love that you can see his confidence.  He looks happy and proud to have his photo taken.  He is also wearing his 'church shoes' he bought with the birthday money we sent him.  He's also keeping them clean and white!

And Nikita in Oct 2009:

And her now, in Aug 2011: She looks very happy!

This week we also welcome Christine, who is 9yrs old from the Philippines.  She is a correspondence child, and in her years with Compassion she has never received a letter or gift.  That will soon change!

Kangaroos!!

Are you stuck for ideas for what to write and send to your sponsor children?  Well this week (and the coming weeks) my letters are about kangaroos.

I made up a 2 sided fact sheet with simple interesting facts, and gathered some items.. and Ta Da, accompanied by a short letter-  a package ready to go!

Some colouring pages for the younger kids, how to draw a kangaroo page for the older kids, a bookmark, stickers, a laminated picture and some sheets from a notepad with kangaroos on them.  What a fun thing to create, and ask your child to draw you a kangaroo and send back to you!

Review - Three Cups of Tea - by Greg Mortenson & David Oliver Relin

My Rating: 2 Stars

This is a true story of Greg Mortenson who, after a failed attempt at climbing K2 in the Himalayas, vows to return to Pakistan and build schools for the desperately poor inhabitants of the Northern rural villages.  It is a multi million copy book, and a US #1 bestseller.

I enjoyed the book until about halfway through, when I lost interest, mainly because it is a long book- 330 pages. The story itself takes place between the 1990's and 2002 (with some interesting events happening in 2001).

A good read if you're interested in learning about the Middle East through different eyes, and the story of one man's mission to promote peace – one school at a time.

Honduras

Honduras is a republic in Central America. It shares borders with Guatemala, El Salvador and Nicaragua.

Currently, over half of the nation's population still live below the poverty line.

1/3 of infants are malnourished

18% of the population have no access to basic health services

10% lack access to safe water

1/3 lack access to sanitation

Recently, Honduras has been hit unusually hard by tropical storms and hurricanes in recent years, including severe flooding in 2008 that killed dozen of people, and displaced over 20,000 Hondurans – half of whom were children.

Issues children face in Honduras:

• Diarrhea
• Colds, Coughs, Fevers
• Respiratory Illnesses
• Skin Diseases
• Worms
• Malnutrition
• Gang Violence
• Allergies
• Parasites
• Dengue Fever
• Dental Problems

Many communities are in desperate need of employment opportunities, potable water, sewage systems, schools, vocational training centres, paved streets, security from gang violence, drug and alcohol abuse rehabilitation centres, health care, tuition assistance, teachers, scholastic materials, garbage collection, recreational centres and increased incomes.

Compassion International began working in Honduras in 1974. Close to 37,000 children participate in around 174 Child Development Centres. Compassion Australia assists over 1,900 of these children. Currently 55 students participate in the Leadership Development Program.

To sponsor a child from Honduras through Compassion Australia click here

Happy Birthday!!

Happy Birthday to Pacifique, who turns 15 years old in Rwanda today! Hope you have a great day!!

Wise Words

I came across these words of wisdom from Mother Teresa, and I hope they will encourage you as they encouraged me:

"What we are trying to do may be just a drop in the ocean, but the ocean would be less because of that missing drop".

It Begins With A Child

When I started this blog, I titled it 'It Starts With One.. Act Now', because one person - You, can change another's life, in a easy, simple way.  This Compassion Australia video "It Begins With A Child" says exactly the same, why not take a moment to watch the video and meet Moses?