I think one of the coolest things our student ministry does is sponsor a child through Compassion International. I don't know if any of you already know this, but every week, in both the middle school and high school rooms we take a collection that goes completely toward our sponsorship of Leonela Veras Dominguez. It only cost about $30 a month to provide everything she needs, and we also have opportunity to send additional gifts throughout the year.

Leonela is a beautiful little girl who lives in the Dominican Republic. She'll turn 8 years old next week on December 20, does quite well in school, and regularly participates in various church related activities. Recently, she participated in a mime with her church group, and she likes attending a Chispa club because, in her words, they teach her the Word of God and a Bible verse every week.

I've been familiar with Compassion International for some time, and Shannon and I have talked of sponsoring a child before, though we've not yet followed through. Having the students sponsor Leonela is something Jeremy started a couple years ago, and I'm glad we are still doing it today. The more I interact with her through letters and photos, the more she means to me, and I want students to get in on it, too. Earlier this week I talked with a friend of mine about trying to come up with a way to get students interacting with Leonela more directly. When you think of it, pray for Leonela and for our students; especially that some will fall deeply in love with her, and, in turn, be used by God in missions to unreached people.