We finally did it!

Our family just sponsored a child, and we couldn’t be more excited! It’s something that we’ve wanted to do for a long time. The only reason we haven’t done it sooner is because we just wanted to be very prayerful and intentional about who we sponsored. We’re in this for the long-haul, so it was important for us to make a connection we knew would last.

So I’d like to introduce you to Samuel Saul of Drouin, Haiti.

I don’t know much about him yet, but I’m looking forward to getting to know this handsome young man. Here’s what I do know…

He’s seven years old, and has one brother and one sister. His favorite activity is to play soccer (like many other kids in his area).

The town that he lives in (Drouin) is north of Port-au-Prince in a very poor area of central Haiti. In fact, it’s also the area where the big cholera outbreak started in October 2010. So things like disease due to the lack of clean water and proper sanitation are major problems.

The good news is that our sponsorship will mean that he’ll have better access to food, medical care, clothing, and education. A portion of the funds will even go into community development projects in Drouin, so that Samuel Saul will grow up in an area were we’re eliminating problems like the lack of clean water. And this means that our sponsorship will bring him hope.

If there’s anyone in my family who’s more excited than me, it’s probably my son. We picked seven-year old Samuel Saul because his name and age is so similar to my eight (almost nine) year old Samuel Paul. My boy is definitely following in his dad’s footsteps with his big heart for the poor and the orphaned. I imagine these two will develop a strong connection for many years to come.

For now, we have a picture of Samuel Saul hanging on our refrigerator door, along with other family photos and accomplishments. Our next step is to write him a letter and send a picture of our family so that he knows who it is that’s agreed to invest in his life.

The coolest thing is that I’ll be in Haiti with Help End Local Poverty next month, and I’m hoping that we’ll get the chance to head out to Drouin so that I can meet him. Wouldn’t that be amazing?

I sponsored Samuel Saul through Help End Local Poverty’s HELP One Now initiative. It’s not a massive organization like Compassion or World Vision, but it is a tribe who is making a real difference and impact in people’s lives. That’s why I’m partnering with them. So please consider sponsoring a child today. Join me in bringing hope to other children like Samuel Saul.