What is your dream for the kids in your life? That they will be rich, famous, loved, healthy?  That they’ll have good jobs or get married? For lots of reasons, I’ve had to die to lots of dreams when I think about my kids’ futures. Now my main hope and prayer is that they will be lovable and loving World Changers. That they will understand God’s love for them so fully that they can’t help but shape their lives around that relentless truth.

Greta and I got back from Haiti last night. We went there to Chicken Dance.

When Greta was so sad about going to her new school in our new town in a new state I did a little Chicken Dance in the dark at the bus stop. One day she told me to “do it bigger!” so the whole bus could see and smile with her. She wanted to share it. That’s Greta. She wants joy for everyone.

She agreed to share it with the whole world by recording it and putting it online in our silliest fundraiser yet. Shockingly, that raised $10,500 to educate and empower children in Haiti through Haiti Partners.

We took this quick trip Haiti to listen and learn at the Haiti Partners Children’s Academy, one of the schools HP works with. We also hoped to bring some joy and encouragement to the kids, teachers, and community by doing the Chicken Dance there with them.  I had agreed to do it one time, but I was asked to do it FOUR TIMES. (Official video and photos coming soon.)

Greta’s giving heart isn’t a new thing. Last year, when our Family Compassion Focus was Homelessness she proposed we have a party for a homeless family moving into their first home.  Totally her idea. She envisioned a Christmas Craft Sale to buy them basic supplies.  Her birthday present for Jesus was ornaments and a nativity scene for the family.

She also supported her brother’s compassion project to run a 5k for our local homeless shelter.  At 6 years old she ran 5k. Bystanders cheered, “Go Little Tough!” as she ran by smiling. She wanted to run holding hands most of the time.

The year before she painted for hours in the basement to make plaques and signs to raise $20,000 for Clean Water in Africa through Blood:Water Mission. She sang and told stories about her pieces, imagining who might buy them and who might get clean water because of that.

Our first year formally pursuing a Family Compassion Focus she helped me make over 1000 cupcakes in 2 weeks. As a part of Sixty Feet‘s “Cupcake Kids,” the $2600 we raised would help orphaned and imprisoned kids in Uganda. After morning kindergarten we spent the afternoons baking cupcakes.  She sorted m&m colors and decorated singing, “I’m making cupcakes for God” in the sweetest, most joyful voice. I cried.

In 2010, after the Haiti earthquake, as a tiny munchkin, she passionately decorated Valentine heart ornaments to help us raise $37,000 for Haiti Partners, our first family compassion experiment.

And Greta is always excited about Martin Luther King Day.  She’s asked us to make cakes to celebrate the past two years because “We love World Changers, and Dr. King was a really big World Changer.”

I don’t know what Greta’s future will be. I don’t know what seeds God planted in her heart on our trip to Haiti. But I’m going to keep watching, listening and learning.

Jesus, I surrender my dear Greta to you, trusting that you will guide her to a life far more amazing than I could ever ask or imagine. Help me not get in the way. Amen.

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Do you know a World Changer?  We’d love to learn from them!  Send me a message in the comments below, or at familycompassionfocus@gmail.com.

To learn how the Family Compassion Focus got started, read Our Story.

To get ideas for how to start your own Family Compassion Focus, read Getting Started. (Remember, it’s never too late and there are a thousand ways to do it.)

To learn from other families practicing compassion, type in World Changer in the Search box.

©Aimee Fritz & Family Compassion Focus, 2015.