It’s our privilege to announce a recent blog post that features CFCA:

Watch over thy child, O Lord!

A new sponsor to the CFCA community shares her experience, as well as a beautiful prayer for children everywhere.

I pray [this prayer] when my daughter sails out of the house each morning, but now I’ll include this sweetheart: Melven, the little guy we just sponsored through the Christian Foundation for Children and Aging. This is a fantastic organization, for which our former pastor now works; they spend their money wisely in the developing world, and the kids and elderly folks sponsored really do exist. Melven is 6, likes “maths” and dancing, and has a little sister and a dad whose income as a security guard “is not enough to maintain basic expenses.”

Read the full blog post here

Share this post:

Thanks to Lisa Hendey for featuring this guest blog post from Loretta Shea Kline, CFCA director of communications:

Family learns what it means to ‘love your neighbor’

My greatest hope for my two daughters was that they would grow up to be good people ñ to follow the commandment of Jesus to ìlove your neighbor as yourself.î

Our Catholic social tradition teaches us that loving our neighbor extends to our global neighbors, and that we are one human family despite national, racial, economic and other differences. It also guides us to put the needs of the poor and vulnerable first.

How, though, do you teach children such concepts?

I have been blessed because my work involves me daily in the Churchís social teachings, and I am able to share this gift with my family.

Read the full blog post here

Share this post:

It’s our privilege to announce two recent blog posts that feature CFCA:

1) St Henry II: Sponsoring

This wonderful, firsthand account of a blogger’s journey into sponsorship deeply moved us.

Reflecting on my CFCA experience, I knew that I would be a blessing to the people I sponsored, but I didnít think theyíd be such a blessing to me. Rajesh, Margaret, and Darweshi arenít just random people; they are a part of my family. Getting a letter from one of them is the highlight of my week. I pray for them and I know that they pray for me, and I hope that Indira is in heaven praying for all of us. Becoming a sponsor is one of the best decisions Iíve ever made; if you experience it yourself, youíll understand why.

Read the full blog post here

2) In the Heart of my Home: Teaching charity, hope to your children through sponsorship

Our thanks to Elizabeth Foss for publishing this guest blog post from Shanxi Omoniyi, CFCA web editor and writer!

One of my sweetest childhood memories is writing letters to my family’s sponsored child. My parents have a long history of child sponsorship, and they encouraged us to write to their sponsored children. We were maybe 8 or 9 at the time.

I remember looking at the children’s pictures, reading their letters and wondering what their lives were like.

Today I work as web editor and writer for Christian Foundation for Children and Aging. CFCA is a lay Catholic sponsorship organization serving more than 300,000 children, youth and aging persons around the world.

Read the full blog post here

Share this post:

We asked, and you voted!

Recently we invited our readers to vote on which was our best blog post of 2011.

The voting was fast and furious ñ more than twice as many votes as last year! We’re thrilled with the response.

All of the posts were wonderful, but as always, there had to be a winnerÖ

Organic vegetable gardening takes root in CFCA Filipino community came in first place.

A close second (with only five votes making the difference) was sponsor Cheri Duchrow’s ‘God story’ behind her latest sponsorship.

In third place was Kristi Sands with her reflection on 12 years of child sponsorship.

Thanks, again, to everyone who responded to our survey.

Happy New Year, and we hope 2012 brings more and even better stories to the CFCA community!

Share this post:

We want to hear from you! Out of these top blog posts for 2011, which would you consider the No. 1 post?

The nominations are:

1)†Sponsor describes ‘God story’ behind latest sponsorship

“My latest child sponsorship has its own God story. I had read about othersí experiences in many countries where people make a living in city dumps and live in the slums. These break into the silence of my soul, and I cannot shut out the images.”

2)†Organic vegetable gardening takes root in CFCA Filipino community

Rapid urbanization has brought many problems, including garbage, malnutrition, poverty and food insecurity. CFCA helps secure food for sponsored friends and their families while encouraging them to develop creative, sustainable solutions. For example, parents of sponsored children in the Philippines are cultivating vegetable gardens.

3) Preacher witnesses the miracle of sponsorship

“But having seen Juanaís broad smile and abundant tears, I made a mental note to myself: I must share with everyone how their gifts to CFCA can be an answer to prayer ñ how a few dollars invested in the right project can seem like ‘un milagro (miracle).’”

4) 5 ways to ‘visit’ your sponsored friend

We explore ways to ‘visit’ your sponsored friend without leaving home!

5) A former sponsored child in El Salvador looks back

Juan Carlos was sponsored through CFCAís Santa Ana, El Salvador, office for 10 years, from 8 to 18. He is now 28 and lives outside Santa Ana with his wife and their 2-year-old son. Juan Carlos works in the maintenance department of a local hospital. Nimia works at a textile factory.

6) Joy of the journey: Reflection on 12 years of child sponsorship

“In the Nicaraguan airport, I decided to swallow my lack of confidence in trying to communicate, paste on a wide smile, and try to use the language of love and my little Spanish to the best of my ability. As my spiritual director would remind me, I know how to smile in Spanish!”

7) Washing laundry by hand in Guatemala

Think doing laundry is a tedious job? Most women in San Antonio Palopo, Guatemala, do their laundry by hand … in a lake!

The No. 1 post that the majority of our readers choose will be given a place of honor on our blog, and it may be repurposed for our promotional and marketing materials.

Have you made your choice? If so, click here to take the survey.

Voting closes Dec. 20, so be sure to vote before then!

Please share the survey with your family and friends, particularly those who don’t yet know about CFCA. We’d enjoy hearing what they think of these posts, too.

Thanks, and we appreciate your help!

Share this post: