This morning I woke up thinking about Yulli.

I wanted to know what she told her family last night, if the clothes we bought her fit and if she was wearing her raincoat this afternoon when it began to pour.

Although I was traveling with the team and visiting another Compassion project and the Compassion Colombia main office, my mind kept drifting back to the little girl who stole my heart.

Tonight the Compassion Colombia staff threw a goodbye dinner for our team. There was sizzling meat, authentic Colombian dancing and a surprise that still takes my breath away.

As the Leadership Development students, in costume, performed in front of us I caught the slightest bit of movement out of the corner of my eye. Before I could comprehend what was happening, Yulli and the other children sponsored by someone on my team walked into the door wearing leis and party hats. We weren’t expecting to see them again so it was a huge surprise.

Yulli had her grandmother with her tonight so Michael and I got to meet her too.

“Thank you for sponsoring Yulli,” she said. “I love her very much because she is with me all the time. I am thankful you are her sponsors because I know she has someone to help her grow up when I am not here.”

That’s when I noticed. Yulli was wearing one of the dresses we brought her and she had several of the barrettes we gave her in her hair. She had also painted her nails with some of the nail polish we brought. Her grandmother, Anna, also had some of the barrettes in her hair and she was holding Yulli’s raincoat.

My eyes were seeing tangible proof that I was making a difference in the life of a child. Yulli walked into the room tonight with all the confidence in the world. There was no measure of shyness. It was like she knew she was loved and that she could do anything.

When I asked her if she wanted to talk to any of the university students performing for us she nodded vigorously. So she and I walked over to Dina.

Again, I watched God paint a picture for Yulli of the dreams He has for her life. As she talked about wanting to go to college one day and listened to Dina assure her God would make it possible no matter how impossible it looked, I knew.

God has a calling on Yulli’s life. She will break the cycle of poverty and go on to do things I can’t even imagine. There is a future and a hope set before her that was once unfathomable.

On back to back days my sweet Yulli got to talk with two women who grew up just like she did and have gone on to accomplish big things. I watched her eyes grow big and heard her Spanish grow rapid as she engaged in conversation with them.

And I saw it. The beginning of a dream—the first inkling that the things her heart desires might be possible.

When we said our goodbyes she said what she said yesterday:

“Thank you for everything.”

I heard what she said loud and clear. She wasn’t just thanking me for the dress the raincoat and the other items. Those were all nice and helpful—and it’s obvious she loves them.

But my heart knew what her heart was saying. What I heard her say was:

“Thank you for helping me dream and thank you for your commitment to help me get there.”

My heart’s response was instant.

There is nothing in this life that I would rather do.    

Tags: child sponsorship, Compassion International, ending poverty

This entry was posted on Thursday, August 19th, 2010 at 8:29 pm and is filed under Colombia Trip, Compassion. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.