"Albertine"

Rwanda, now that I have seen, I am responsible. Faith without deeds is dead. Now that I have held you in my own arms, I cannot let go till you are…I will tell them, Albertine.”- Brooke Fraser

Brooke Fraser is a musician whose music I listen to frequently. One song in particular caught my attention, because I could tell there was a story behind it. A couple of years ago, Brooke decided to make a trip to visit the child that she sponsors. On the trip she met a young orphan in Rwanda named Albertine. This child inspired Brooke to write the song “Albertine” to tell her story.
The author James states in the first chapter of his self-titled book that we are “to look after orphans and widows in their distress… (James 1:27).” This is the same author that reminds us that our faith without deeds is dead (James 2:17). Just as Brooke (and the Bible) says, our faith needs to be acted out. That is why I want to take a moment to tell you about my own Albertine.
This past year I finally acted on God’s shoving me to sponsor a child. I now have the privilege of helping out Vanessa, a six-year-old little girl who loves ladybugs. I’ve written briefly about her before. My monthly donation helps provide her with the opportunity to go to school, the ability to see a doctor if she gets sick, food, and it also allows her to hear about God’s love for her and her family. Although I’m supposed to be blessing her by financially supporting her, she has blessed me with her childlike faith. I want to challenge you to sponsor a child. You might be thinking, “Are you kidding me? The economy is in shambles. I can’t pay my own bills. It’s just not a good time.” Let me be honest. It’s never a good time. It costs approximately $38 to sponsor a child each month. Essentially that is a dollar a day. Are you a frequenter of Starbucks? As helpful as it is, I’m sure you can cut back to help someone out. Do you eat on the run? Maybe it would be better to spend a couple extra minutes to pack your lunch (which is the cheaper and healthier route). Maybe you’re still thinking, “You just don’t get it. I honestly don’t have any money!” May I remind you of the story of Elisha and the widow in 2 Kings 4. The widow had absolutely nothing except a small amount of oil, yet, since she had a willing heart, God stretched that oil so that she could not only make food for Elisha, but have enough oil to sell and pay of their debts AND feed her and her son! I beg you. Pray about it. See what God would have you do. If he leads you, act. I had been pushing it off for a year or two, because I didn’t think it was a good financial decision, but God has provided.

There are two organizations, Compassion International and World Vision, that come to mind for you to check out with further information and opportunities to support a child. Go! Spend a couple minutes now praying about it and reading over the websites. I promise you that God will bless you for it.