Extreme Poverty...

"How do you explain extreme poverty to your kids?" Most of our kids today are so blessed, I think it is actually hard for many of them to grasp any "explanation" of poverty...just like it is with us as adults. I think until we "see" it ourselves, we just don't get it. I think that is why mission trips, etc. are so helpful. They help us "see" what we can only try to imagine or catch glimpses of on TV. My kids are at the age (7 and 8) where they are finding out that everyone doesn't live like they do and they are beginning to ask questions. The first thing we did a couple of years ago to "show" our kids a glimpse of the poor was to adopt an angel off the Angel Tree at our local Wal-mart. I took the girls and let them pick a girl who was their age and we went shopping together. While we shopped, we talked about what we were doing and why. This has become a yearly tradition for us. Last year we started an allowance with the girls. I bought some canning jars and gave them 4 a piece. We labeled them, "Church," "Savings," "Spending," and "Giving." When they get their allowance they divide it up between the 4 categories. Of course one goes to church for offerings, one they don't touch, one they get to spend however they choose, and the giving money is used at Christmastime so that now they help buy the Angel Tree gifts with some of their own money. It has made it more personal for them and they know they are helping someone in our community. As we talk with our kids about a little bit more extreme poverty, we decided to sponsor a child through Compassion International. They are a phenominal organization and you actually get to correspond with and even visit the child you sponsor if you so choose. Again we chose a little girl who is around the same age as our daughters and we chose a little girl from India which is where we are adopting from! This makes our discussions about her and her family even more personal. The girls help me correspond with Ganthy by writing letters, drawing pictures, picking out stickers and color pages to send, etc. We also pray for her and her family together. This is such a simple, non-threatening way to talk about poverty. But, more importantly, you are not just "talking" about it with your kids, you are actually changing someone's life together. As my girls and my son get older, I cannot wait to do more. I hope this desire to help others follows them the rest of their life. I hope we can take each one of our children on a Compassion Mission trip when they turn 13 years of age. I think it would change their lives...and mine...forever!