Sunday, June 9, 2013

Compassion Fatigue
By Dawn Brown


Do you suffer from compassion fatigue?  Do you feel guilty when you don’t help and then guilty if you do?  Do you try to do your part for those in need and then wonder if you’ve done enough?  When you give, do you question if it makes a difference?  Do you ask yourself questions like, who’s to blame for the poverty or why should you even bother?

If compassion fatigue is wearing you down, you might need to refocus.  I hope this article will free you.  I recently read the book, Invisible: What the Church Can Do to Find & Serve the Least of These.  One chapter offers some help that I’d like to draw upon.

The purpose of our salvation is not just a future in Heaven.  We follow Jesus for the here and now too.  “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”  We are here to serve.   It’s an opportunity for us to see God work and for the world to see Him too.  What a privilege He’s given us!     

Most of us healthy Americans have the ability to accumulate wealth unlike most of the world.  We can come alongside struggling ministries who serve “the least of these”.  The Bible talks a lot about serving the poor, the widows and the orphans.  I’ve heard that there are over 2,000 Bible verses that address the topic!

God tells us to think of what we are giving to others, as though we are giving it to Him.  It might help to become less concerned about who’s to blame for the poor and the injustices we see.  Maybe we should stop wondering if we are really making a difference.  God gives us the chance to give others the benefit of our goodwill and monetary blessings, and He promises to bless us in return.  How exciting! 

Those blessings may come in unexpected ways.  We may be freed from our self-centered egos.  Our focus on the Lord may begin to go deeper.  We may be moved beyond our prejudice or fear.  Our burdens may be lightened because we are learning to trust God to meet our needs, rather than trust our ability to earn our own way.  A growing and maturing faith may be gained.  We may have a more willing and open hand to others.  We may experience the joy of being obedient and being used by the Lord.  The most important blessings don’t always come in material things.

We need to learn to live the way Jesus did.  Ask God to give us His compassionate heart.  Then, the cry of human need will reach into the deepest part of us and compel us to joyfully respond. 

When it comes from Him and we begin to work and give with the right motives and not out of guilt, we will begin to give up our self-centered, materialistic lives and be overcome with loving kindness, openhanded generosity and be advocates for the marginalized.  God will bless us.  God doesn’t twist our arm, but He invites us, and offers us meaning and fulfillment in our lives! 
“When we ask God to do something about poverty,
God is saying back to us, ‘I did do something.  I made you’”.
–Shane Clairborne


Elizabeth giving school books to Dennis & Syokau in 2011.  Read about Dennis next.

Dennis is One Smart Guy!


Elizabeth Mativo is so proud of Dennis and what he has accomplished.  In spite of being in and out of school much of his life, Dennis has graduated from high school and has very good grades!  Early on in this ministry, Elizabeth identified him as being a very good student who really wanted to learn.  He has been steadily in school since 2010.  Your donations to Child Arise are changing lives!  
Not all children in Kenya have the privilege of going to high school.  Only those who pass a very difficult national exam are allowed.

To attend the University of Nairobi, students must have a GPA of B-, which Dennis has exceeded.  He has taken the entrance exams and qualifies to go directly to the University.  This is quite an accomplishment, especially from a child who grew up, in and out of school depending on funds, without enough food, overworked and a difficult home life.
You may remember reading about the tragic family event he experienced.  Being distraught over poverty, his mother killed his two younger siblings and then killed herself.  This left Dennis and a sister, Nthenya, who was featured in an earlier newsletter.

Their father re-married and their stepmother died of AIDS.  While we were in Mbooni, the father told us that he is troubled with bad dreams and scary thoughts.  He travels away from Mbooni trying to find work, like a farm hand or building things, but there is little work to be found.
Because there is no electricity in Mbooni, Dennis has no computer experience, which he will need at the University.  The next step in his education is to go to a computer school in Nairobi for several months, to gain the skills he will need to succeed.  From there, he will begin at the University. 

These computer courses come at a cost of $1,439 which includes his room and board.  I hope Dennis will have a chance to graduate from college and the possibility of achieving a life sustaining career, because someone reading this (or several someones) may be willing to provide him with that opportunity.

Elizabeth Mativo’s daughter, Irene, states, “I personally have very high hopes in Dennis.  He is a brilliant young man.”
 
Prayer Requests

U Please pray for continued improvement in Elizabeth’s knee.  Working on her crops and walking the mountain trails hasn’t allowed for proper healing.  Paise that she is able to do her work.  God is able!

UPray that the Bible lessons for the woman and children will bring them closer to the Lord.

U Praise for those in the community who continue to come to receive a Bible.  Even men who don’t attend church are coming!

UPraise for how the Lord is providing through money from partners in U.S. and that more children will be helped to go to school and for adequate food for the women and children. 


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Donations can be made to

Child Arise Kenya

Widows & Orphans Ministry

827 5 Ave Dr W, Andalusia IL 61232

309-798-2596

dawn@childarisekenya.com

ChildAriseKenya.com

Child Arise Kenya is an IRS approved 501(c)(3) nonprofit tax-exempt ministry








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