![\"Laura](\"https:\/\/wvusstatic.com\/www\/uploads\/2018\/10\/IMG_1842-1.jpg\")
This is why we sponsor Loveness and other kids through World Vision. We want them to know they are seen by God and us.<\/p>\n
We have sponsored many kids over the years — some who have broken our hearts and others who have thrived, but they all received the message that they are seen. They matter to God and to us.<\/p>\n
There is Justine, who got pregnant as an unwed 12-year-old and had to quit school. We visited her in Uganda and mourned the potential that would not be realized. We mourned the loss of her own childhood. God still sees her. She is still beloved.<\/p>\n
There is Miguel, who grew up before our eyes in Guatemala and loves baseball, reminding us that all kids deserve a childhood with fun in it. God sees Miguel.<\/p>\n
There is Rita, who didn’t do particularly well in school but was able to go into trade school to be a beautician. God sees her. She is precious to him.<\/p>\n
There are many others over the years — each seen, each loved by our family.<\/p>\n Then there is Loveness. We have been privileged to visit Loveness in Zambia and will see her again soon. She has a smile that lights up a room. She has a family who loves her and who trusts God. We brought her a dress on her third birthday, and she wore it in every picture after that for two years.<\/p>\n The reason I share these stories is because regardless of the outcome, these kids are made in the image of God and need to be reminded that they are seen and loved. They matter.<\/p>\n My husband, John, was serving as the senior pastor of our church in Minnesota when our faith community sponsored over 1,000 kids in Rakai, Uganda. Early one Sunday morning, in the 90s, news broke that the Lord’s Resistance Army had kidnapped a bunch of children overnight for the purpose of forcing them to be soldiers and domestic workers. As people came into worship that morning, one after another asked my husband, “Are those our kids? Are those our kids?” John went to the pulpit and assured the congregation that the kids who had been kidnapped were not from Rakai. But even though they technically weren’t “our kids,” all of them are “our kids” in a sense. They are beloved by God and need to know they are seen. They matter.<\/p>\n Just as my friend saw me in my moment of pain, God sees each child in need. Sponsoring Loveness and our other kids has given us the privilege of partnering with God’s work in the world. If you sponsor a child, maybe take a minute now to pray that they’ll be reminded today, through the care of World Vision, that they are seen and matter.<\/p>\n [vc_separator]<\/p>\n Laura Crosby is a speaker and writer who also partners with her husband in ministry. Connect with her at lauracrosby.me<\/a> or on Instagram at @lauracrosby<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" World Vision child sponsor Laura Crosby shares how child sponsorship lets children know that God sees them. They are precious in his sight.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":391,"featured_media":44296,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[188,1],"country":[135],"filter":[178],"leader":[],"class_list":["post-44294","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sponsorship-news-stories","category-christian-faith-news-stories","country-zambia","filter-voices","tags-sponsorship","tags-church","tags-winter-2018-magazine","tags-magazine"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"Loveness](\"https:\/\/wvusstatic.com\/www\/uploads\/2018\/10\/D485-1016-174.jpg\")