"We Think of Her as One of Our Own Children"

For Michael and Faith Slagell, child sponsorship has become much more than a monthly commitment. After years of sponsoring a girl in India, their relationship with her has grown through prayer, visits, shared experiences and a deep love for who she is. Michael recently shared with us the story of how God has used their sponsorship to shape their family and give them a front-row seat to the work He is doing through the ministry in India. We’re honored to share his words with you.

"Once, each month, a line item charge is found on our credit card statement from Children To Love and we get a form letter from John Penrose expressing thanks for our contribution in the form of sponsoring a child. 

She, our child, is there completely on the other side of the world, and we are here in America where opportunities abound. Is this what sponsoring a child for Children To Love is about? It can be. But for us we have pursued it much further. Maybe it’s because we’ve never had a girl as a child of our own. Maybe, it’s because we are retired educators and we value what education can do for a child, especially in an impoverished country such as India. Maybe it is because we feel each person is a child of God and He wants them to be in a relationship with Him. It is all of the above.

When we first heard the Director of the Ministry in India speak at our church about the ministry and his calling from God to furnish, not only an opportunity for children to be taken off the streets but to provide them with an education in order for them to be self-sufficient as an adult and be shared the love of God, we knew what God wanted us to do. We immediately signed on as a sponsor of a child, choosing a girl. From there God spoke in our hearts. Even though we had never met our girl, God instilled a love for her which included counting her as one of our own children being prayed for each day.

The ministry in India, with the guidance of the wonderful director, is the complete package of what we as parents and educators had always worked for. With God’s calling, we have visited the ministry four times to help with Bible Camp for the kids at the home, as well as to serve at the new ministry-connected English Medium School.  While we were there, we were able to meet our girl in person and get to know her on a personal level. We have chosen to go beyond the monthly commitment making sure she gets to celebrate her birthday and Christmas each year. On a couple of occasions, during our team trips, we’ve been able to take our girl shopping alongside the team and local staff, letting her choose dresses or items that she would like. We also have helped cover the cost of tutoring, giving her tools to do well on her critical tenth year exam. 

As you must surmise, we have chosen to take our sponsorship much further than a line-item expense on our credit card statement each month. We continue to pray for her each day and think of her as one of our own children. In return, we have received many blessings in knowing we have a child on the other side of the world who has been taken out of poverty and is being given an opportunity to pursue what God might call her to do."

-- Michael and Faith Slagell