Where in the world have I been?

I've been offline for a week or so, at least in regards to this blog. I have not dropped off the face of the planet, though! (And no, I have not left the country to go on a trip to visit my sponsored child, although I would love to! Starting to save up the roughly $4000 for the trip to IO in 10/2010, to cover plane fees to the port city, passport, vaccines, etc.)

I've been spending a lot of my mornings this past week working in my backyard, hoping to clear out a space from a bunch of weeds to be able to plant an actual garden, so I haven't spent much time blogging.

Last Saturday, I went to work a table at an Acquire the Fire/Teen Mania concert. I worked the 12:00-5:30 shift; the final shift ended at 10pm, so take that into consideration when I report the new sponsor count. By 5:30, there were 44 "pay nows" and 28 "pay laters". (Pay later = fill out the form, but I don't have the cash/checkbook/credit or debit card info to be able to make a payment, and pledge to send it in within 10 days.)

Roughly 75 children were sponsored that day before dinner. It's quite possible that the number went up--the coordinator was expecting a rush around 6:00. Depending on the evening schedule, there may have also been activity when the event ended (9:00ish?). I don't have a final count, but I do know that about 75 children were sponsored that day.

Please pray for the woman who paid for three months in advance, and will re-evaluate at that time whether she'll be able to afford to continue. Pray that God blesses her heart with this sponsorship within the 3 months, and shows her where the money can come from for the sponsorship. I think she was in nursing school, so money was tight.

Please pray that Jonathan in Ecuador will find a sponsor soon. I had seen his packet in December when I was showing several packets around at church and my workplace. I was so surprised to see his packet again (not just because it was his, but any child's profile that I had seen before). He's an older child at 13 years old. He's had a sponsor before, and needs a new one now. He's been without a sponsor for at least 3 months.

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I'll be going back to Baton Rouge for the Mercy Me concert next Thursday, April 2nd. I pray that many children find sponsors at this event, also.

April 17th, I'll be working a table at the EWomen Conference (there's another event the same night, at LSU--but unfortunately I can't be in two places at once).

It really pumps me up to work at a Compassion table, to help sponsors fill out the sign-up sheets, and encourage them to write to their children, telling them how much it will mean to the children--and how I as a sponsor look forward to receiving letters also!

On April 22nd, I will be showing a video at my church, with a sign-up table also. I am praying for at least one child to be sponored (while at the same time asking God to surprise me!).