His eyes sparkled.

He smiled ear to ear.

When we told him we were friends of his sponsor (she’s a Hearts at Home mom) and that we had come to visit him and bring him gifts, he lit up.

Ombeni is 17 years old. He lived in a mud and stick house in a small neighborhood of other mud and stick houses.  He attends the Compassion Center that also sponsors the Child Survival Program I shared with you yesterday.

Ombeni is studying welding. His hope and dream is to become a welder and his sponsor is helping him do just that through Compassion.

When we sponsor a child, most of us are thinking of little ones who need to nutrition and education.  Ombeni was given that when he was younger. However, now he’s approaching adulthood and even though his sponsor is providing the same monthly $38, Compassion now adds job education to Ombeni’s program.

He’s definitely been given a hope and a future.

Once again, I came face to face with a grateful mother. She asked us, through our interpreter, to thank Ombeni’s sponsor and to tell her that her family’s life has been changed.  We told her we would do that.

But I’m going to do more than tell Ombeni’s sponsor, I’m going to tell you that. From one mom to another.

I’m going to ask you to change a life. Today.

You’ve been with me this week. I’ve definitely stepped outside of my comfort zone here. Will you join me in stepping out of your comfort zone, too?

At the beginning of my trip, I asked you to pray about how God could use you to release a child from poverty. I’m now asking you to talk about this as a family, if you haven’t already.

I’m asking you to click on the box below and see what face causes a tug on your heart.

I’m asking you to share this week’s blog posts and pictures with your spouse. With your children. With your moms group. With your friends.

Please don’t put it off. Please don’t think that someone else will do it. Please don’t look the other way.

The need is real. You can do something about that need.  I’m asking you, from the bottom of my heart that has seen the difference child sponsorship makes, to do that today.

I’m heading home…but my heart will forever be in Africa.

I will never be the same.

If you’d like to see the other blog posts from the Africa trip, you can find them here.