more than numbers.

I wanted to take a quick minute and give an update on the Child Sponsorship Program.  I just completed my first quarterly board report, and it was so encouraging to see the progress in terms of actual numbers.  I tend to be a black and white thinker, so numbers are my thing.  God has shown me the power in stories, but sometimes seeing statistics speaks in big ways.

> Total number of children in our program: 476 (which is about to grow tremendously as we begin working with new orphanages in Nigeria, Haiti, and Mazatlan)
> Total number of children sponsored: 286
> 66 new child sponsors (since I started)
> 22 pending sponsors

The best part about these particular numbers is-- they aren't just numbers.  These are children whose lives are being changed.  286 children who are receiving proper nutrition, the chance to get an education, and understanding they are loved.  These are people who are deciding to invest in something bigger than themselves.  Each one has a story and a way that God is moving in their lives.  As much as I love numbers, nothing gets me excited quite like that.

Check out what Andrew and Anna Conrad (Back2Back missionaries in Cancun) recently had so say about Back2Back's Child Sponsorship Program, and the unique relationship built between sponsor and child:
http://blog.agconrad.com/2012/06/real-impact-of-child-sponsorship.html