March 19th, 2018

An Invitation to Dream

My wife Korie and I have always desired to be involved firsthand in the wonderful work Compassion First has been doing in Indonesia. It was exciting to read updates, hear testimonies, and meet some of the Indonesian staff on their visits to the U.S., but there is nothing like personally experiencing the cities, culture, aftercare shelters, and smiles of those touched by the hard work of the CF staff.

After becoming part of the Compassion First family six years ago, and nearly four years on the CF Board of Directors, our involvement has grown, but more importantly, we have developed many valuable relationships that have become our extended family.

Last month, we headed to Indonesia where we had the opportunity to spend two days at Sarah’s House, CF’s aftercare shelter for child trafficking survivors in North Sulawesi. The expertise, passion, and love of the staff is incredible. We sang karaoke, danced Zumba, played basketball, and the girls taught us card tricks. The highlight of our visit was creating personalized large paper Valentines with a pocket where each of us could place notes of encouragement to each other. We used this time to learn about each girl’s dreams, and how the CF staff can help them keep moving toward their aspirations.

We also spent time in East Java, where the CF Cemetery Centers are located, as well as the new shelter. We laughed and played games with the children, walked the streets, and encouraged the staff. We participated in the annual CF Family Camp where over 100 children and their families played, ate, and spent an afternoon at a local waterpark.

The personal experience of meeting the dedicated CF staff and girls at Sarah’s House, and seeing the smiles and laughter of the young children who flock to the Community Centers in East Java, will always be a life-changing fulfillment of a dream for us. We can’t wait to go back and spend more time with our new friends and watch them achieve their dreams as well.

Whether you are new to the CF family or have been following the story as it unfolds, dare to dream. Your dreams may be life-changing, not just for you, but others as well.

-Lonnie Sproat, Member of the CF Board of Directors

Categories: Updates