“The Sponsor A Child program is our best tool to be in regular, direct contact with our most tender and sensitive population—children,” says Rev. Nouh Yattara, leader of our partner TNT in Mali.

“Because of Christmas Cheer, the love shown through sponsors, and the meeting of educational needs, parents have become more open to the love of God.”

Most believers from Islamic background in North Mali put their faith in Christ before the age of 18, thus, Rev. Yattara and his team are committed to serving children, despite a strong Islamic culture. Through one of their youth outreaches, Elijah House, a number of sponsored children have chosen to put their faith in Christ.

One of them is fifteen-year-old Ibrahim. He says, “I praise God for Elijah House. My life was transformed when I came here. Before, I didn’t have much courage to pursue my studies because I was always hungry. My parents passed away and I had to live with a poor uncle who already had a crowded family of twelve. At Elijah House, not only have each of us learned to respect the other, but we are also helped with food, clothes, and schooling. We are like brothers and sisters. They teach us a lot of good stories about life and I enjoy the ones about Jesus. I received Him as my Lord and Savior in my heart.”

As TNT works to build the Church in North Mali, their care for children has been a key to building and keeping strong relationships with local communities. “In the beginning, Muslim leaders of the schools were reluctant to work with us,” said Rev. Yattara, “but now they rush to carry out everything that is needed for the sponsorship program. We are so grateful to see this program running so well in benefit of the communities and of the kids at school. The children will certainly never forget the people who invested in their lives to help them gain hope in this poor, desert place.”

Since the 1980s, our partner Mission Community Services (MICOS) has been caring for the educational and spiritual needs of children and their families through our Sponsor A Child program. Nearly 100 home Bible studies and 20 churches are the direct result. Read how God has blessed both children and adults through the love of sponsors like you.

When you sponsor a child, you may not realize the impact your love and prayers have on the lives of your child's entire family.

"Our whole family came to know the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior through the sponsorship program and the Bible study held in our home," said Evie Bayona, mother of a former sponsored child. "Before, I was an avid worshipper of idols because I thought they could save me. But, as we continued to attend Bible study, my husband and I realized our deep need for a Savior. Now our whole family has become Christians. We thank God that through the sponsorship program we have received the greatest gift of all - salvation. I thank the Lord for the sponsors of my children who faithfully prayed for my family for years."

The Bayonas are just one of hundreds of families that have taken part in our sponsorship program in the Philippines since it began in the 1980s. From the beginning, the focus of our ministry partner Mission Community Services (MICOS) went beyond just the individual child, extending to the whole family and community.

In MICOS' program, one parent of each sponsored child is required to take part in a weekly Bible study, opening the door for outreach to siblings and extended family members. To date, nearly 100 home Bible studies and 20 churches are a direct result of the Sponsor A Child program in the Philippines.

The sponsorship program has also given rise to an array of complementary programs - from a milk fund for undernourished children to an annual evangelistic rally for parents. Realizing the particular importance of having Christian fathers, MICOS held an evangelistic event for 120 fathers of sponsored children on December 30, 2009. That night, 47 fathers prayed to accept Jesus as their Savior. "I was once a drunkard," said Jovito, one of the fathers who attended. "I liked drinking alcoholic drinks with my friends. I didn't care much about my family's needs. Now I have accepted the Lord Jesus in my heart as my Savior. I will share this precious experience with my family. I will spend more time with them and really love them."

A number of students in the Philippines and elsewhere have graduated from high school with sponsorship help and gone on to full-time ministry. One of them is Sonny. He is earning his Bachelor of Theology degree at Philippine Missionary Institute. He writes:

"Throughout my elementary and high school years, the sponsorship program helped not only my studies but also my whole family. During these days my mother and two siblings attended services at Sabutan Christian Church. I will never forget the tears falling from my mother's eyes every time she shared of the faithfulness of God to our family during testimony time at church.

"The seed of God's Word, that was planted when I was a child, did not wither. I know that sponsorship was used by our Lord as a way for me to know Christ.

"Eventually, both of my siblings became believers through the Sunday school ministry that I invited them to. Today, they are actively participating in ministry. My family is a living example of God's faithfulness. Besides spiritual transformation, the three of us will be graduating with college degrees this year. If we add up the cost, there is no way our parents could afford to pay for our education with their small income. But because we learned to rely on God's power and promises, we are experiencing His abundant blessing. Our sponsors deserve our whole-hearted gratitude for introducing us to Christ and giving direction to our lives."