Jessi’s Compassion Trip to Bangladesh

Hi friends and family,

For the past 3.5 years I have sponsored this boy below from Koya, Rajbath Bangladesh through Compassion, International. Koya is home to about 5,300 residents. Most adults in Koya, Rajbath work as day laborers or on plantations and earn the equivalent of $64 per month.

During these 3 years I have been in communication with him via letters, photos, drawings, and small gifts. It’s been a great experience to know that I have been able to have an impact on his and his family’s life. Compassion provides Bible teaching, picnics, Sunday school, health screenings, supplemental food, indoor and outdoor games, team building activities, nutrition and health education, peer counseling, talent development, educational assistance and tutoring in their centers across the world all focused on sharing the love of Jesus with those who living with minimal resources.

For those of you know who me, know that I have only been on one small, domestic mission trip to Idaho from Oregon when I was a teenager with my youth group. I have always been terrified to do any type of mission trip or even the thought of travelling overseas scares me (even though I don’t admit it).

Compassion offers guided trips to many areas of the world that they provide assistance to. One trip coming up in March of next year is to Bangladesh. It’s a week long trip from March 8-16 that will be guided by experienced travel leaders. I would be travelling with 14 others who have sponsorships in Bangladesh and we would be able to see what God is doing in Bangladesh and the area that Sajol lives. The highlight of the trip would be to spend an entire day with Sajol.

I have never felt such a sense of peace, yet anxiety about a potential trip. Not only have I never travelled overseas, I have taken very minimal trips within the states, and most of them have been for work.

I will continue to keep praying about this opportunity and God willing I’ll be making the trek over there in March. If you would like to help me fundraise, I would be incredibly grateful. The total cost for the trip is $4,000. It seems impossible at the moment, but I know that if this is something God wants for me to do, he will figure a way.

I would appreciate all prayers for me during this time as I try to figure out whether this is what God wants. I honestly never thought I would ever travel to a place like Bangladesh, but it’s been put on my heart and I know it’s God.