B.O.B.I.'s Business of Bliss & Inspiration

The Aftermath of a Natural Disaster...

Please note that if you are viewing this via email that may need to open this post to watch the following video:

Yep that's what many of us in the United States might think of these living conditions.

That is...that only after a natural disaster...such as Katrina, or the recent string of tornadoes...would we ever find such unbelievable living conditions.

As you may know, this week I am following all of the Compassion Bloggers as they witness and write about the ministry of Compassion International to children living in the Philippines.

Compassion Bloggers in the Philippines 2011

This week I am closely following all of the Compassion Bloggers who have traveled to Manila to see firsthand, how Compassion International works.  Five bloggers and three team leaders are going to the Philippines for one week and they are going to share their experiences with us and you can follow along and read all of their posts right here.  If you are like me...you prefer visual aides...aka pictures of the people whose words you are reading so here you go...the five bloggers and their trip leaders (from l to r):

 

 

Compassioniate Request: For the life of Achile!

UPDATE: Healing The Brokenhearted: Achile Update, Shaun Groves, July 2, 2010

God Answered Our Prayers...Achile after his surgery, recovering in the hospital ;)

For all the details, hop on over to Shaun's post and see more glorious photos of this sweet, now smiling boy, Achile.  God Bless everyone for your prayers and support!

God Luvs Me Enough...

Compassion Blogger, Brad Ruggles, while traveling to Kenya earlier this month, wrote this wonderful blog post, A Father To The Fatherless, about a young man named Eliud...

 

 

Eliud Otieno is an 18-year old Compassion-sponsored young man who was a ray of hope in one of the darkest places that the bloggers had visited during their trip to Kenya...Mathare Slum...

...where over 800,000 people live within 3 square miles...garbage is piled everywhere and sewage flows freely between the houses...aka...10' x 10' slum shacks that are made of cardboard, mud and tin.

By 2007, both of Eliud's parents died, and he was left living alone in this hell hole. Thankfully, with the support of Compassion, and his sponsor, he has continued his education and survived, living in this slum. with great hope for his future.  Please watch and listen to this video of Eliud talking to his sponsor, Nick:

To Nick, from Eliud

Please hop on over to Brad's blog post and read his entire post that I have simply "para-phrased" here.  There is so much more to learn more about this amazing young man, Eliud and what a difference Compassion has made in his life...trust me...you will be inspired!

About "Compassion" and this BLOG

Compassion Bloggers

Today while reading my current blog posts in my Google Reader, I was reading this lovely, inspiring post by Ree, The Pioneer Woman about her fellow blogger friend whom she affectionately calls, P.R. aka "Pastor Ryan" (he is a Pastor...and a really great guy :}  

OMG...I just do not have words for how these posts moved me and before the morning was over I had a headache and puffy bags under my eyes from all the tears.  But my tears were not just from sadness...I was moved so much by the stories of all the bloggers who are in Kenya right now and by all the photos that they have taken during this trip.  I continued to read about this wonderful organization and was moved to do more than read and leave comments on these blogs...

 

Bloggers from Left to Right:

 

1. Brad Ruggles, 2. Kent Shaffer, 3. Kristen Welch, 4. LV Hanson and 5. Ryan Detzel

Almost two years ago when I first started blogging, I opened a premium account with Typepad because I always had the intention of writing more than one blog.  Also, when I had my blog banner designed for my original blog con-tain-it, Solutions for Storing in Style,(update: Now Love Shack Baby) I had the designer create a second blog banner for B.O.B.I.'s, Business of Bliss & Inspiration, (update, now Love Shack Giving) because I knew that I wanted a blog that would be "inspirational" in some way...deeper than my organizational and interior design ideas on my original blog.  I also didn't want to start a blog just for the sake of writing another blog...I needed to find my passion for this blog!

Enter: Compassion and Compassion Bloggers

Sponsor a Child

Sponsoring children in need is breaking the cycle of poverty  

Compassion International exists as a Christian child advocacy ministry that releases children from spiritual, economic, social and physical poverty and enables them to become responsible, fulfilled Christian adults.

Founded by the Rev. Everett Swanson in 1952, Compassion began providing Korean War orphans with food, shelter, education and health care, as well as Christian training.

Today, Compassion helps more than 1 million children in 25 countries.

A passion for children