When Compassion International sent me a child, over twenty years ago, she went by the name of Astuti Rahayu.  She seemed to have low self-esteem, and felt she wasn't ever doing well enough, nor pleasing to my expectations, and always apologizing. I said I didn't have those expectations, and all I wanted was for her to be happy ...though her pictures she sent had a sad face. I continued to ask her to just be happy, and that God gave her a smile that she could use. Compassion International is for children, and we lost touch, but I then tried to find her on social media. Initially, I 'friended' a girl whom I thought would be close to her present age --- 'Astuti Rahayu', and thought it was her (hadn't heard from her in years, nor seen a picture in years), but it wasn't her. But, I did then find another Astuti Rahayu (apparently the name is popular in Indonesia) ...and it was the Astuti whom I had sponsored all those years, and perhaps she saw the other Astuti who I had friended and wanted to be known uniquely ...I don't know, but she changed her name to 'Febe Arli'. I also saw something she had also changed ...she was sporting such a big wonderful smile. And this is her photo ...one of many, with all smiles.

Here she has a very sweet smile ...with her loving eyes also smiling. Sometimes she has a soft look, and not as much of a smile, but her eyes smile. Maybe I can see it more than a casual observer ...because I know her and love her. And she knows God, and loves Him too ...which I can also see when I look at her photos. I thank God for the opportunity to touch lives, and make a difference ---knowing foremost that it's not about us, but about us being merely open to God's working things out for good ---as He is the One who directs and touches lives.

The sad thing is that often the children that we give birth to ...well, they have expectations too. And in America we have so much ...and often the expectations that others or society places upon us, well, we then also place them upon ourselves too. And that doesn't seem fair, and they are often distorted with claims that one does not only desire happiness, or a smile. And it can be like the 'Prodigal Son', where one child compares, doesn't really understand ---and passes judgment, not really knowing the heart, and complicating a world that has so much ---though denying what can be, or already is there, all because of unfair comparisons and expectations.

I also found a young man who I had sponsored when he was a child, and he travels all over his country on his bicycle ...usually with other bicyclists. He has a wonderful smile too ...it never seemed a problem for him. I wish I could also find Onithe Petit Jean (from Haiti) ...the world is so full of beautiful hearts.

    Dad was raised in a family of six ...and there were six of us. We were the largest family on my Dad's side of the relation. Mom had two brothers and a sister ...and we weren't the largest family on my Mom's side of the relation. Her older brother had four children, but her youngest brother had six ...just like she had. Yet her older sister had nine children. Needless to say we had great family reunions. 

    I was 40 years old, and was not yet married ...so, I wanted to have a family like Dad & Mom, with six children.  So, I sponsored six children through Compassion International. And I was only able to locate these two wonderful (now adults) human beings.

    I did get married the next year then ...and Cindy and I have raised our five children to adulthood now. Shannon, Leah, Josiah, Samuel, and David ...all wonderful and so enriched our lives, and continue to do so. Shannon is married and has four children of her own at the time of this blog.

    So many blessings!!!