Keren

That's her name. A little girl in Colombia who has stolen our hearts simply from a brochure. And my heart cannot be still until I make sure she's ours to sponsor.

Adoption has always been big on my heart. I always knew that one day I would adopt a precious child to love and care for as my own. Luckily, the Marine seems to share my dream of adopting. But since we're unmarried and at the ripe old age of 19 and 23, we really have no desire to adopt a child any time too soon. Alright, I would adopt a child right this minute if I could.

A few months back, I heard about Compassion International. Those darn commercials that only air in the wee hours of the morning telling you to donate money to help the starving children always break my heart so Compassion stuck with me instantly. Go check out their website if you need more information. Or! Go sponsor a child of your own! Please please please let me know if you do choose to sponsor a child. I would love to hear about it.

Anyways... As the Marine was trying to decide what to get me for Christmas and I was doing an awful job of giving him suggestions, it hit me. What if he sponsored a child for me. Let me write the letters. I don't think he totally understood what I was asking.

I went to their website and looked and looked at pictures of children that needed somebody to sponsor them. I looked. I couldn't pick one. How could I say, Alright. This is the one. I choose you.

I couldn't. I couldn't pick only one. I would have picked them all!

So I slowly just backed away from the idea of doing it right now. I couldn't pick one. I couldn't say no to all the other faces.

On Friday night I went to the Rock and Worship Roadshow. They love Compassion. They had their booths set up to offer information. But as I was late, I didn't have time to stop and pick up a packet.

And this is where God stepped in.

He pretty much said, look here, girlfriend. I've been telling you to do this. Here's your shot.

The lead singer of Mercy Me came out and was talking about how awesome Compassion is and how much we should all help sponsor a child right now. Okay, okay. I already know. But how do I choose?!

Raise your hand and we will bring you a child specific packet.

Wait. So I raise my hand. You bring me a packet. Not of general information. But of ONE child who needs sponsored. Not of hundreds of faces. But one. One that needs me.

And that was it. I raised my hand and God brought me Keren. A four year old girl who lives in Colombia. The fact that it was a girl just a few months younger than my monster was proof that she was mine.

The best part was this. As a broke college student, I wasn't sure how I was going to pay the $38 a month. Yes, I would willingly go without just to pay this, but right now funds are low. I asked my dad if he would be willing to help me make sure I had the amount I needed each month until I could get on my feet. He agreed, of course.

But wait.

Not thinking much of it, I sent a picture of Keren's picture to the Marine. Just because I wanted to share her. His response?

I'm helping you with her. What do you want me to do? Don't tell me no.

My heart melted. She wasn't mine. She was ours. The Marine willingly agreed to pay the $38 a month to help Keren. I asked him again and again if he was sure. I decided to do this, not him. I wanted to make sure he didn't feel forced to help in some way. And he just kept telling me. I want to. I want to help.

And now I just have to call them in the morning and make sure I didn't mess everything up by leaving with the packet instead of dropping it off at the booth.

Prayers!