GUEST POST: Sponsor Visit Part 3 – Going to Bolivia to meet Raquel :)

A sponsor travels to Bolivia to meet her sponsored child, Raquel, for the very first time. If you missed them, click here for part 1 and part 2. Today we get to meet Raquel. And you won’t want to miss the very beautiful moment with her sponsored child’s mother… enjoy!

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By Susan

Traveling to see Raquel: 14 hours (plus or minus a few) on an airplane; a total of 8 hours plus on a bus in between cities, and taxis are the main mode of transportation. Even though I was prepared with bus schedules, times and cost and a list of taxi names and numbers and all accompanying instructions, I never used them. Taxis are everywhere! First ride: the most expensive. After that, Compassion La Paz hailed a trustworthy taxi and after that, the hotel would call for one when necessary. As for the bus, women walk the sidewalks and bus terminal announcing the bus line and its destination. They take your name, money, assign you a seat, and give you your ticket right there. I had a wonderful seat mate who gave me a window tour of the sights all along the way.

 

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However, all the prayer, planning, and preparation does not ready a sponsor for the tearful embrace of a sponsored child’s mother… at least not this sponsor!

The first person I recognize as I enter the student center is Raquel’s mother. She stands alone with her hair pulled back from her bronzed complexion and she is holding a child’s artwork. Her countenance seems to mirror my sentiments exactly. And at that moment, my own anxious feelings fade when I glimpse this tiny woman in pink.

No translation necessary during the warmth of our initial embrace. The love of a mother for her family radiates from this woman. Her tears tell the story of her appreciation for Compassion’s ministry and how in turn her family is strengthened.

 

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Raquel… isn’t she beautiful?! :)

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Next stop: Raquel’s classroom.

 

Introductions are made and then the children have the opportunity to ask questions of me and me of them. Afterwards I take pictures of the children on the chance that somewhere out there a sponsor may recognize their child.

 

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Before leaving to enter the next classroom where the older students meet, I am presented with the gift of entertainment. Soon familiar hymns are floating through the air from the strings of a violin. Raquel’s sister is the musician and I am touched by the courage this young girl has to share her talent. Each of these children has been gifted by their heavenly Father.

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Bright eyes, shy, cautious, contemplative expressions, and smiles in all varieties—each student is a gift and gifted for glorifying God.

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And although I didn’t know it at this point in my visit, this is where the giftedness of the Pastor/Director, husband/wife team comes into play at this CDC.

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— Susan

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THANK YOU!

Please thank Susan, our guest contributor, today for sharing her heart with us as she travelled to see Raquel, her sponsored child in Bolivia. And for taking all those extra photos! Did you see your sponsored child in any of them?! And wasn’t that an amazing and beautiful moment with Raquel’s mother…. wow! Thank you so much for sharing it with us.

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RELATED LINKS

GUEST POST:  Sponsor Visit Part 1  Heart reflections as a sponsor prepares to meet her child

GUEST POST:  Sponsor Visit Part 2  Going to Bolivia to meet Raquel

Have you ever blessed your sponsored child’s mom?
Love = Letters
Say no to sad mail days
To write or not to write
Sample Letter 1 – 2 – 3
Dinosaurs in Ghana
10 letters in one week
A life of fear – Eduar gets his bus
Haiti… 4 stories of hope… 5 years on 
How do you inspire your child to serve others?
Glimpse behind the scenes – Compassion translator
Kefa & Estefany – Out of a suitcase and into our hearts
Former Compassion Children – Where are they now?
Olive meets her sponsors and shares how her life was changed
Glimpse behind the scenes – Compassion International Global Ministry Center: Part 1 – Part 2 – Part 3 – Part 4 – Part 5 – Part 6 – Part 7
Where is your sponsored child’s country on this persecution spiral?
Why write? Compassion pastors working directly with the children explain
“I like going to church because there nobody hit me,”  a Compassion child tells their stunned sponsor on their sponsor visit, in front of his mother… and see how beautifully the sponsor handles it. Only the grace of God could have come up with this reaction-turned-opportunity for great healing).

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