My Prince

We have all seen it-the sad faces of starving children on the TV or advertisement on the Internet asking you to sponsor them and give them a better life. How many times have you actually paid attention? How many times have you looked away and thought nothing more than it to be a hoax?

When I was a child those commercials would wreck my little heart. I would ask, cry and sometimes beg my parents to sponsor a child. As a teen I would see the advertisement and know that one day when I was financially able to I would sponsor a child.

In 2009 my mom and I went to a Women of Faith conference in Dallas, TX. Laying on my chair was a picture of a little girl with the caption,"Will you be my sponsor?" All weekend long I thought about it. They surprised a long time sponsor with a trip to see the family that had became her family through the years of letters written back and forth. As I watched I became emotional and thought about the day that I made someone-worlds away-a part of my family.
I was only a sophomore in college and made just enough money to pay my credit card bill, gas and food each month. I decided that as soon as my credit card was paid off I would sponsor a child. That decision stayed tucked in the back of my mind as I worked to pay off my card for the next year. October of my junior year we went back to WOF in San Antonio, Tx. On our way out of the drive way I put my last credit card payment in the mail.

The months before the trip I had considered getting a pet and naming him Prince. Because I was single and lived alone and thought that I needed a Prince in my life. (Tuck that away somewhere important. It will make sense later).

We arrived at the venue and found our seats. There wasn't a World Vision Sponsor Profile in my seat, but that did not matter, I was going to stop by the WV booth and pick out a special child to sponsor later. Sometime during the day on Saturday they had a segment on sponsoring a WV child. During the segment I looked around and saw a profile in the seat two seats down. I walked over and opened it. My eyes widened as I scanned the profile of the most precious little boy named, Prince. My first thought was, this Prince is better than getting a pet Prince! I filled out the info, turned it in and he became mine. My Prince.

That was a little over two years ago. My husband and I are still his sponsor and love sending him letters and as many little toys as I can fit in the 6x9 envelope that we are allowed to use. Boy have I gotten creative with that!! I received a letter from him last week, I could not stop smiling as I opened it. In the letter he thanked me for the "magic towel" and small toys (dinosaur figures). He loves them so much that he can't sleep without them. My heart melted as I pictured this 4 year-old little boy begging his mother to let him sleep with a wash cloth and dinosaurs - that can't be comfortable- but it gives him comfort.

My point in telling this story is that sponsorship with World Vision is so real and so worth it. You get to be a foreign missionary from your house and you expand your family as you get to know them. The list of pros goes on and on. Check it out for yourself by going to www.worldvision.org