When I Grow Up

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What do you want to be when you grow up?

A question that has been asked and answered for generations.

What did you want to be when you were a child? What do your children dream of becoming when they grow up?

Most of us think of the career we want to pursue, but in places like Santa Isabelle, in Colomi, Bolivia the answer is not doctor, lawyer, scientist, or astronaut. In this place, one child answered that question in a way that profoundly touched my heart.

Carlitos, the little boy in the red and blue soccer uniform wrote this answer to the question –

When I Grow Up

When I grow up I will live in a house where I can rest.
When I grow up I will fix the car my father bought long ago.
When I grow up I will be a soccer player, and all my goals will be listed in a magazine.
When I grow up I will work the land and grow flowers.
When I grow up I will be a teacher and teach children with my love.
When I grow up  . . .
Parents always remember that I will not forget you when the sunset comes.

When Norma, the beautiful lady in the baseball cap, grew up she became a World Vision advocate for women in Santa Isabelle. As a former sponsored child herself, she is giving back and helping to improve this entire community as she works to improve the lives of women and their children.

We were almost as excited as the children about the ribbon cutting ceremony that opened the community’s new playground. They were thrilled to use their new swings, teeter-totter, and slide all provided by World Vision through Child Sponsorship gifts.

The town’s mayor said, “The children used to smile, but now they are filled with joy. Thank you World Vision.”

Your sponsorship of a child can give the gift of joy!

Scroll up to the top and take another look at the photo of Carlitos with Michael Bianchi our World Vision Team Leader.

As we were preparing to leave Santa Isabelle several of the children chose a Blogger Team Member to gift with a project they had made. Carlitos gave his gift to Michael.

As they hugged each other Carlitos said, “I wish you could be my sponsor.”

After a couple of quick questions to make sure he was registered and that he did not have a sponsor, Michael replied, “Sure, I will be your sponsor!”

I wish you could have seen the HUGE bear hug that embraced Michael’s neck.

I don’t believe there was an adult with dry eyes standing on that playground. And because Michael was willing to say yes to sponsoring one more child, Carlitos has a very special person in his life to love him and pray for him.

Through child sponsorship children like Carlitos and Abigail just might be able to fulfill their childhood dreams about growing up. Won’t you join Michael, me, and others like us by sponsoring a child through World Vision today?

One more thing, I just found out that the first 150 sponsors will receive a special edition Bolivia Bloggers necklace by Lisa Leonard Designs.

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