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Then he said to them, "Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For whoever is least among you all is the greatest" (Luke 9:48 TNIV).

Nine shots in less than a month! Sore arms and a touch of fever or two. It's been interesting. As I was pulling my sleeve down, the nurse at the health department joked about the three Band-Aids I had on my arms after one of my visits. "You look like a pincushion," she joked, "so we'll see you next week?" She giggled at the little grimace on my face and the funny she had made. "Yep!" I replied, "I'll see you next week for that last shot!"

Why in the world would I get nine shots in such a short period of time?

Africa!

Lord willing, I will be going to Uganda with Compassion International in February. The trip is to see the operations there and also help folks in our Heartlight Internet family know more about sponsoring children in the AIDS ravaged countries of Africa. Heartlight is also sending along some small gifts for children and World Bible Translation Center is sending some New Testaments; but the focus of the trip is to open our readers' hearts to the idea of sponsoring a child.

Donna and I have sponsored a little boy for quite some time, but the very same day we had decided we wanted to sponsor a little girl, we received an email from Compassion International asking if I would be interested in going to Uganda. I would get to meet the little girl we will be sponsoring and get to encourage lots of other folks to join us in sponsoring a child. What an incredible blessing! What a Kingdom opportunity!

I can't think of anything more crucial in our time than helping children to know the love of Jesus and give them a chance to grow up to serve him. Yet in so many countries, poverty and disease prevent children from having much of a opportunity to do any of these. In the squalor of poverty, we can help them experience the love of Jesus and perhaps prevent them from being recruited or kidnapped into a life of hatred, violence, and self-destruction.

So, off to Africa! And you are a part of the trip.

I was invited because of our interest in Compassion International and because of you — the tens of thousands of people in our Heartlight community. Many of you have already committed to sponsor a child each month. I hope many others will consider the possibility of doing so in the future. We are hoping to find sponsors for 500 children as a result of this trip. Many of these children live with the prospect of losing one or both parents to AIDS before they finish their teenage years. We can make a difference!

So, you see, I'm quite happy to get all my required shots and make a long trip with all its adventures and risks, because nothing — not a thing — is more important than helping children get an opportunity at life and to know the love of Jesus and the family of God.

So, please, help out with the trip and the effort in any of the ways you believe God would want you to help. Here are some things you can do:

• Pray for us and the trip to Uganda in February: the effectiveness, the impact on the children, and that God opens the hearts to help us find 500 sponsors for these precious children — during the trip, we'll keep you updated through the daily Heartlight articles as well as my blog.

We have an opportunity to change our world one child at time!

• Learn about Compassion International and prayerfully consider sponsoring a child from Uganda or another African country: for just a little more than one dollar a day, we can change the future of a human soul
• Ask God to awaken his people: we have an opportunity to change our world one child at time, throughout the world and home if we choose to do so.
• Pray that God will raise up great leaders for God's Kingdom in Africa out of these children who are helped.

11 Indispensable Relationships You Can't Be Without! by Leonard Sweet Using 11 classic figures from Scripture, Leonard Sweet details key personal attributes that make up God's Dream Team for your life.

Phil Ware is minister of the Word at Southern Hills Church of Christ in Abilene, Texas. For the past 10+ years, he has also been co-editor of HEARTLIGHT Magazine. For more details, click here.

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