by Suzanne Hadley

Norma Tutillo and Manesés Ordóñez couldn’t be more different. Norma, 11, is quiet and observant. Manesés, 10, is loud and outgoing. Norma does well in school and enjoys table games like dominos and chess. Manesés uses his quick mind to memorize play scripts, and he loves to invent games for friends. Norma is calm with perfectly polite manners, and Manesés is exuberant and talkative.

But these two kids have some important things in common: They both love Jesus Christ, and they’re both living better because of Compassion International.

Sweet Refuge

Norma and Manesés call Ecuador home. Located in South America, their little country (about the size of Nevada) sits on the equator, which divides the world’s Northern and Southern hemispheres. Ecuador is a beautiful place with lush jungles, rolling hills and snowcapped volcanoes.

The two children live in Villaflora, a town just south of Quito—Ecuador’s capital. The people living in and near Quito speak Spanish.

Despite the breathtaking scenery, 70 percent of Ecuador’s 14 million people live in poverty. That means 10 million people don’t have enough food to eat or a decent home. Most families live in houses with dirt floors and cement walls. Norma’s father is a technician and Manesés’ dad is a sergeant in the military, but each man makes only $80 a month—less than the price of most bicycles in the United States!

Because so many Ecuadorian children are poor, Compassion provides food, medical care and after-school programs to help kids grow up healthy and educated.

Each day after attending a nearby school, Norma and Manesés go to the Sweet Refuge Compassion project located in their community. They join other children for a nutritious lunch of chicken vegetable soup. After lunch, all the children attend a Bible class; then they receive help with their homework. Many times they get to do a special activity, such as a craft or a game.

Making crafts is one of Norma’s favorite things to do. “I like to make little birds and boats out of paper,” she says. “I am very patient when I make things, because I like them to be perfect.”

Manesés enjoys art projects, too. But riding his bike and playing computer games are his favorite things to do.

“Ee-hoo!” he shouts joyfully when he finds out it’s his turn to play Mine Field, his favorite computer game.

Power Source

Norma and Manesés receive many good things through Compassion, but the most important thing is a Christian education. Because the project is run by a local church, each child who attends hears about Jesus.

“I love the story of when Jesus fed 5,000,” Norma says. “Jesus had only a few loaves of bread and five fish. But He multiplied them for all 5,000 people!

“I’m impressed by this kind of miracle. Jesus did it because He wanted to show the power of God. The power of God is so wonderful and great.”

Manesés is also amazed by God’s power: “I like the story of David and Goliath,” he says. “When the king was looking for a person who could fight the giant, nobody thought about this little guy, because it was impossible for him to win.

“The people were thinking about their own strength and power, but when David had to fight this giant, he thought about the power in God.”

Faraway Friends

Norma and Manesés attend the project thanks to sponsors—people who send money each month to support them. Norma loves her sponsor family, who lives in the United States. The family has three children ages 9, 11 and 12. They send Norma photos and letters that tell all about their family. The children write her letters, too.

“They tell me about school and if they won any prizes,” Norma says. “When I feel sad, they encourage me to feel better and trust in God. They say the Lord is my best friend. He is the only one who can help me.”

Not every child at the project has a sponsor family. Manesés and many other children around the world are still waiting for theirs. Manesés hopes to receive a family soon—maybe this year. When that happens, he’ll have a lot to say to his new friends!

You Can Help!

Compassion International and other Christian ministries help millions of children all over the world. If you want more information about sponsoring a child, you can contact:

In the United States
Compassion International, P.O. Box 7000, Colorado Springs, CO 80997; www.compassion.com

World Vision, Child Sponsorship, P.O. Box 0104, Tacoma, WA 98471-0104; www.wvi.org

In Canada:
Compassion Canada, 99 Enterprise Dr. S., P.O. Box 5591, London, ON N6A 5G8

World Vision Canada, Child Sponsorship, 6630 Turner Valley Rd., Mississauga, ON l5N 2S4

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