DAY 32

Today I am grateful for: Compassion

I got mail today – a letter from my Compassion sponsor child in Kenya. His name is Sammy Ndegwa Ronald, he is 13 and has been my sponsor child for the last 4 years.

It is both an incredibly sobering and equally encouraging experience to receive letters from this little guy. In his first letter to me back in 2006 he finished off with "I'm grateful to you for giving me a chance to change my life". And that is what Compassion is doing, with the help of all their sponsors - changing the lives of thousands of children who would, without their help, never have a chance to pull themselves out of the terrible poverty they were born in to.

Here are a couple of excerpts from his letters that just make me smile with his love for someone he has never met, and a reminder that life is a blessing here in Australia:

- "Pray for me to be a good boy at school and at home"

- "Also, there is not enough food in our village, what about yours?"

- 'Thank you for the Christmas gift you sent me. I was as happy as a King"

Nothing has made me feel so grateful about my incredibly blessed situation in life than hearing from Sammy. How blessed am I that I can go to the shop and buy whatever food I need, I have received some of the best education available and am now employed at a fulfilling job that pays me well. I have access to free health care, answers to any questions I could ever ask, transparent and reliable government, free speech and equality as a female.

If you don't already, let me encourage you to consider sponsoring a child through Compassion - you really do change a life the moment you sign up.

I should be grateful every day that I live in this country and at this time.