“ When God wills, it rains with every wind." — Which signifies, that every thing is directed by the will of God.

"A dictionary of Spanish proverbs, tr., with illustr. from the Lat., Span …"

foto – fender bass at carool 2008 ilnam winery with izzy foreal.

The Christmas season has officially begun (less than a month to go!), and I can’t think of a better way to celebrate the birth of Jesus than to show God’s love to a child living in poverty.

That’s why we want you to donate your Facebook, Twitter or email signature to getting a child sponsored before Christmas.

Here’s what you do (on Facebook in three easy steps):

1. Scan the child photo of one your child packs and upload it to your Facebook profile
2. Tell all your friends in your status that this child needs a sponsor for Christmas (you can do this more than once )
3. Pray that God will provide the right sponsor for that child

On Twitter, it’s even simpler!

Send out your advocate link  to your followers in a message 140 characters or less in length. For example, you could “tweet,”

This Christmas, give a child the gift of a sponsor with @Compassion – http://www.compassion.ca/advocate/yourfirstnamelastname

(Mine is www.compassion.ca/advocate/tracysmith)

Remember, Twitter only allows 140 characters, so it’s helpful to use tools like TinyURL.com to shorten your links.

You can also add a sign off  and your unique Compassion website address (we have already created one for you) to your email signature:

Sponsor with Compassion: http://www.compassion.ca/advocate/yourfirstnamelastname

These kids need the gift of a loving sponsor–Let’s see how many we can find!

Serving alongside you,

Tracy

If an economist were to study the situation, the eventual solution might be known as the “trickle down ticket theory”. Unfortunately, however, the unused tickets that companies purchase to major sporting and other community events rarely “trickle down” to the average employee.

“Luxury boxes” are commonplace in all modern professional sports facilities these days. They are a good source of revenue and an attractive amenity. The owners of the boxes are usually successful area businesses. They pay a high annual rental fee to the stadium operators and agree to buy season tickets for all the events held at that facility.

Look around most major league sporting events. You will nearly always find empty seats in the luxury boxes. It’s a scene that’s repeated throughout the country. Company owned tickets going unused because they are not made available to the average employee who would really appreciate them.

It had been about six years since I had last been to Fenway Park. As I looked around the historic old ballyard, it was easy to spot the changes that had been made. Seating capacity had been increased along with the addition of a row of “luxury boxes”.

That evening the Red Sox were scheduled to play the Blue Jays before a sold out crowd at Fenway Park. The only opportunity for a fan to see their beloved ballclub was to wait in line for a chance to buy one of the few “standing room only” tickets that go on sale two hours before game time.

Tonite, being the opening game of a crucial three game series, those tickets sold out in a hurry. Five bucks for the privilege of standing in the aisle for three hours to root for the home team.

As the crowd strolled in prior to the start of the game, the “standing room only” crowd searched for any seats that remained empty. Local practice is that if a previously sold seat is not occupied by the third inning, the ushers allow the standing crowd to take the seats. No chance tonight, there wasn’t an empty seat in the house.

Well, almost all the seats were full. If you cast your glance to the upper reaches of historic Fenway, nearly half of the seats in the “sold out” luxury boxes were empty. Why?

There are fifteen seats in each of the forty plus boxes. While the original intention of the companies that purchased the boxes is to have them available for entertaining important customers and top management, I’m certain that in each of the companies there were countless employees that would have loved the opportunity to have attended the game, even on last minute notice. I’d bet that a few of the standing room only ticket holders were employed by companies that owned unused tickets in the luxury boxes.

Companies that support local activities from professional sports to youth leagues, from children’s theater to concerts should be commended. They can gain additional benefits for their employees however, by making sure that the tickets they purchase don’t go unused. Particularly the hard to get tickets.

Call it the “trickle down theory of tickets”, but it can generate enormous goodwill. I’m sure their were a lot of employees that would have been happy to have called home at four o’clock and said “the boss just gave me two tickets to the Sox game tonight”.

While a guest in a corporate box a number of years ago, a bank president proudly told me how they limited access to the the box to maintain its condition. There are still some managers that think they are better than the people that work for them. Different maybe, but not better. A “classy” organization has no “classes”.

My guess is that the companies that wasted tickets for the best seats in the house while others stood in line for the worst, don’t even realize the opportunity they missed. That lack of awareness is probably evident in other areas of their business.

As hard as it is for the beneficiaries of the privileges to admit, there is an inverse relationship between executive privilege and productivity. When opportunities are shared, a company’s “we/they line” moves in the right direction.

Because its your business and your community, continue to support local activities as sponsors and patrons. If you’re a “class” organization, make sure that a broad cross section of your employees get to benefit from that support.
The street corner ticket scalper provided this writer the opportunity to attend the game. While it may appear otherwise, the ticket “after market” is a sophisticated and interesting business, but that’s another story.

Whether you're a Webmaster, a Blogger, or online shopkeeper, your web page has maximum earning potential. Think of it as a piece of real estate. The more web pages you have, the more property you own. All you need to do is to turn that property into cold hard cash. Sign up and link to our site, then just wait for that cash to come in. It's that easy!

Got Traffic On Your Blog? Turn It Into Christmas Cash Instantly

It is Easy

Whether you’re a Webmaster, a Blogger, or online shopkeeper, your web page has maximum earning potential. Think of it as a piece of real estate. The more web pages you have, the more property you own. All you need to do is to turn that property into cold hard cash. Sign up and link to our site, then just wait for that cash to come in. It’s that easy!

It is Free

Participation is free! Simply fill out the registration form to set up your account and then upload any of our banners or text links to your site. We give you everything you need to begin your campaign. We are a member of the Shareasale Affiliate Network. So if you are too, just add ChristmasDepot.com to your merchant list.

Begin Earning $$$ Immediately

We’ll pay you 10% for every sale you refer to ChristmasDepot.com. The more traffic you produce the more money you earn in commission. Commission payouts are issued on the 20th of each month for the previous months earnings, all year round. Our signup process is automatic so you can start earning money right away.

Note: minimum monthly payout must meet $40.00. Commissions accrue month to month.

Here’s how it works:
1. A customer comes to your website.
2. The customer clicks on the ChristmasDepot.com link, banner or buys our product in your store.
3. The customer completes the order.
4. You earn 10% commission on the sale!

Join Today

Once you register, an automatic signup will guide you through the set up process and you may choose from a number of advertising ideas for your site. New banners are added all the time. If you are a Shareasale user, just add Christmas Depot to your list of merchants. You can also use our data feed files if your online store displays products for sale. We have over 1000 Holiday products to choose from. Select 1 product, 10 products or the whole entire store.

Either way, you will be ready to make money immediately!

You earn 10 percent each time you sell a product or refer a sale to ChristmasDepot.com.

If you have an ecommerce web site, and choose our data feeds, you’ll see some really hot product categories. Energy Efficient LED lights can connect 125 sets together for up to 3000 feet. Rope lights in all colors and sizes. Tons of other string lights for every occasion. High quality, state of the art American Made Christmas trees. We are stacked with instant moneymakers for your ecommerce web site. So take advantage of our data feed file and decide to sell either one or one thousand Holiday products right now.

For marketing methods such as direct email marketing or push advertising, please contact us and we will work with you to make sure you have exactly what you need to promote ChristmasDepot.com effectively.

You may always check the progress of your account real-time; track buying trends and review how profitable promoting ChristmasDepot.com is for you.

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Editor’s note: Ronald, 21, graduated from the sponsorship program in June of 2008.

I’m Ronald from Hyderabad, India. I come from a family where education was always a daydream. I’m delighted to share a few memories of my life, as I was a fortunate child who has been blessed by God.

CFCA has helped me complete my education and stand on my feet. To make my dreams come true, CFCA came to my aid. Because of their valuable and timely help, my parents were able to enroll me in Mount Carmel High School. CFCA took care of all my educational needs and supported my parents.

Throughout my association with CFCA, I thought all the sponsors belonged to rich families, and helped unfortunate children with their surplus. But to my astonishment, my sponsors, John and Bobby, were an elderly couple who were not wealthy, and were no longer in touch with other family members. I was very joyful to know that they treated me as their grandson.

I remember in one of the letters John told me he had made a big board in his room where he preserved my letters, photographs and paintings, and he read them whenever he felt lonely. I was taken aback by his affection for me.

Sadly, John passed away, but Bobby continued to sponsor me. She also shared with me that after John died I was the only one with whom she could express all her feelings. I’m happy that I was able to know such adoring people.

After I received my education, I got a job with an information technology company. Today, I have everything I need: loving parents, a good education and a fine job. And the two most important people responsible for my life being so good today are my dear sponsors, John and Bobby.

Well, it could be worse. This could have happened in April next year, or in the lead up.

But yes, it looks like I’ll be out of action for the next 2-3 weeks as a bare minimum.. that’s on top of the 3-4 weeks I’ve been out already.

My fevers weren’t abating and my cough was getting worse and worse so I went to see the doctor again on Monday who immediately referred me for a chest x-ray. Turns out I have a shadow on the lungs, which indicates an infection. I forgot to ask if this meant pneumonia, some people say it does, some say not necessarily. Anyway I am on my second type of antibiotics already in the vague hope of shifting this infection.

I need to go back just before Christmas for another chest x-ray to check it has cleared. If so, then I can start training. And it’ll have to be proper training.. with a schedule, for the marathon at that point.

On the plus side, I’ve lost 5lbs in the last month. I lost nothing whilst training! Interestingly though I don’t look any thinner, and I’ve lost a lot of muscle tone already. Just proves that fat was turning into muscle before.

I’ve yet to go out running in the dark..

In much happier news – a huge thank you to StrangeGlitter for her extremely generous sponsorship! Very, very kind of you!

There’s a buzz doing the rounds of  tech journalist and marketing blogs right now about Microsoft’s link up with the Sugababes to promote Windows 7 ( see posts from freelance IT journalist Guy Clapperton and Rebecca Thomson of Computer Weekly).  And what about this cheesy video of the girls announcing how much they love Windows 7.

The current thrust of comment in the blogosphere is that Microsoft has misfired badly by using the girl band to push the new operating system.  How many adult tech buyers are into the Sugababes? And what messaging does the campaign really seek to get across?  Is it that  tech companies feel they have to use glamorous female celebs to get interest from women (or maybe middle aged men)?

Maybe it’s just that a senior marketer at MS is a huge fan (I’ve known some business sponsorships to be no more strategic than that – although you’d expect a bit more from a global corporation that has come to expect its every move to be meticulously scrutinised). 

All good fun.  I love Windows 7 marketing!

It’s getting harder and harder to pay for your own coffee at Tuttle. Since we moved over there, our new hosts, LEON, in Spitalfields have been very generously giving away free first coffees until 11am for lovely Tuttle folk – and now Canon Cameras are covering the costs for the whole session (within reason!)

Sam at Canon Camera Buzz writes: “At Friday’s event Canon will be showcasing cameras from compacts to high-end Digital SLRs. If you have any questions, whether on the products being demonstrated or any Canon camera, the Canon UK team will be there and more than happy to help.”

As usual, there’ll be room for you to carry on tuttling without having anything to do with the sponsor if you really don’t want to, but I think people who come to tuttle, but who aren’t interested in shiny new camera kit are few and far between.

If you want to know more, follow @canoncamerabuzz and the hashtag #canontuttle

This is a response to an email from a friend who just moved to another city.  He went to a group attended by members who were not so welcoming.  The second paragraph, in particular, addresses not-so-welcoming AA’s:

I heard L’s fifth step yesterday, it took from 1:00 until 6:45. She had 94 items on her 4th step. It was pretty amazing. She is an exceptional woman. I love her. We have developed something pretty special in the time that we have known each other and have been working together. C’s dad took him for the day, which was such a blessing. We would never have gotten through it in the time that we did with him there. He is a neat kid but he has issues. It was quite an experience for me, I learned as much as she did, I’m sure. I went out to dinner with a friend and then to the 10:00, the topic was resentments. I was a little disappointed in J, who seemed to gloss over the fact that there was a newcomer in the room. Had I been chairing the meeting I would not have chosen a topic from our fourth step–page 30 would have been the suggested topic, or something from step one on the 12×12. I like to read the passage about admitting complete defeat when a newcomer identifies themselves. When my turn came I talked about my first meeting and what the topic was: the slogans. I cried through the whole meeting, I was the last to share. The majority of the folks there said that “One Day at a Time” was the slogan they liked the best. I don’t recall exactly what was said by anyone in particular. I kept looking at the podium, situated off to the side of the room. Hanging from the front of it was a sign that read: “Expect a Miracle”. When the discussion got to me I introduced myself and said that would have to be my slogan since a miracle was going to have to be necessary to get me sober. I shared with the group last night that a miracle had taken place that night, and several since then. I pointed out the line from the Dr.’s Opinion where Dr. Silkworth says “You may rely absolutely on anything they say about themselves in this book”, and how I had indeed come to do just that. I said that I was grateful that I had fallen in with a home group in early sobriety that relied on the book, on sponsorship and that believed in the program and the solution. I said that all over the book it talked about the hopelessness of our condition but that we need only read a few more lines and we could always find hope and demonstrations of faith. I cannot imagine having gone to my first meeting and hearing of nothing but resentments. Wait, I think I did. I was 15. I left thinking alcoholics were a bunch of old coffee-drinking, cigarette-smoking complainers. Something on that night in September of 2001 helped me set aside everything I think I knew for an open mind and a new experience. It was desperation.

As for not very friendly groups, what is my home group now was not very friendly when I first attended there in 2006. I see now that this was in my perception. I suffer from a disease of the perception. The book tells me: “He will show you how to create the fellowship that you crave.” I just had to ask, and take action. I did, and that’s what happened. It was all in my perception. I had to set aside everything I think I knew about the meetings and the fellowship. It was tough. It took me two and a half years. At first I had to drink about it. It was so painful. I don’t want that again. The experience will help me to avoid that again.

I don’t think MBC and KFC considered the implications of including a KFC sponsorship in an ad for a film about vampires.

Whereas Viral Play usually welcomes their special guests on to the show, this time around the Circus Runaways hosted Carlos and Louie to talk about their breakdancing careers. We talk with Lawrence “Law” Singh, Mike Delgado, and Josh Julian about their different milestones in showcasing their skills on TV (Ellen Show, America’s Got Talent), in movies (“Dance Flick”), sponsorship, traveling, and Viral Play gets its first guest Mom on the show. Sit back, relax, and listen in on our latest historical document…

You can find the Circus Runaways on Myspace to see where they will be heading off to next.

Click through to download Viral Play, Episode 6

Viral Play archive:

Viral Play, Episode 5 (Tumbleweeds)
Viral Play, Episode 4 (Jimmy Moreno)
Viral Play, Episode 3 (Media)
Viral Play, Episode 2 (The Gentlephones)
Viral Play, Episode 1 (Beautiful Moonlight)
Viral Play, Episode 0 (Jaime Munoz)

I need a Motorsport Investor with to funding to win.

Blog Name: Don’s Ministry Christian Motorsports Url: http://www.donsministry.info

Language: unknown Topics: Christian Motorsports, Ministry, racing Description: Christian Motorsports Ministry Investments. Bible study resources, Christian resources, Christian motorsport links Popularity: 2 Followers Blog Feed Christian Motorsport Investment Have the finances and want to get involved ? Christian Motorsport Ministry . It doesn’t matter what Motorsport you are interested in, if you are lead to fund this ministry project, we can make it work with incredible (supernatural, God-inspired) results. Pray about it before we even talk in person. http://christianmotorsports.wordpress.com/ Wanted: Christian Motorsport Ministry Sponsor Wanted: Christian Motorsport Ministry . It doesn’t matter what Motorsport you are interested in, if you are lead to fund this ministry project, we can make it work with incredible (supernatural, God-inspired) results. http://christianmotorsports.wordpress.com/ Seeking Christian Motorsport Investor Seeking Christian Motorsport Investor. It doesn’t matter what Motorsport you are interested in, if you are lead to fund this ministry project, we can make it work with incredible (supernatural, God-inspired) results. http://christianmotorsports.wordpress.com/ http://www.christian-motorsports-ministry-investments.i8.com http://www.myspace.com/donsministry.info How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him. – Acts 10:38 Make no mistake about it, this ministry is PRO-LIFE Make no mistake about it, this ministry is PRO-LIFE…the only “choice” comes into the picture when you make a decision to have sex outside of marriage. If you have already had an abortion, then you need to ask God for forgiveness and God is willing to forgive ANY sin if we are sincere.

When Panita Chumchantha decided to tie the knot this past September, she wanted her Thai roots represented at her Canadian wedding.

The 31-year-old, who was adopted by a Canadian family years ago, longed to have her biological sister fly over from Thailand for her special day. But the wish went unfulfilled: her sister was denied a visitor visa by Canadian officials in Bangkok.

“They just said she was not a member of my family anymore,” Chumchantha said. “I just wanted her to come for my ceremony, and then they refused it.”

Shocked and frustrated, Chumchantha and her fiance pressed on with the wedding despite the bride’s Thai side being noticeably absent. “I’m really upset about it,” she said. “It’s just one day in my life.”

Such emotional anecdotes are why NDP immigration critic Olivia Chow is pushing Ottawa to put in place an appeals process for those who feel wronged by Canada’s visitor visa system.

“There’s a lot of unfair stories,” said Chow, the MP for the Toronto riding of Trinity-Spadina, who has heard countless tales of family members unable to attend weddings, funerals or births in Canada because a temporary resident visa, or visitor visa, was denied, with no opportunity for recourse.

“For families that cannot come together for those special moments, I think that’s exceedingly cruel.”

Figures from Citizenship and Immigration Canada show about 200,000 applications for temporary resident visas are turned down every year, but there’s no mechanism in place to allow applicants to appeal those decisions – something Chow said she considers an injustice.

She has asked the House of Commons committee on citizenship and immigration to study the issue, and has a private member’s bill in the works which, if passed, would establish an appeals process. She also plans to “continue to apply the pressure on (Citizenship and Immigration Minister) Jason Kenney.”

That push, however, comes at a time when the federal government is aggressively tightening up its refugee system and restricting the number of people seeking asylum in Canada after using temporary visas to enter the country.

“It’s more than just the visitors visa, I think,” said Jeffrey Reitz, a professor at the University of Toronto who specializes in immigration studies.

A proposal like Chow’s, it could be argued, has the potential to open the door to more refugee claims, which may be made once a temporary visa holder lands on Canadian soil, he said.

“It makes sense to me that this should be put forward,” Reitz said. “I don’t know what chance it has of succeeding.”

Would-be refugees whose visa applications are turned down have little recourse beyond resubmitting their application or seeking leave from the Federal Court of Canada for a judicial review – a costly and time-consuming process that few have the means to pursue.

In July, Ottawa imposed visa requirements on Mexico in response to a surge in the number of Mexican immigrants claiming refugee status on Canadian soil, which had nearly tripled since 2005. Similar restrictions were also imposed on travellers from the Czech Republic.

At the time, Kenney said more than half the Czech claims were being prematurely abandoned or withdrawn – an indication that many may be making false claims – while only 11 per cent of Mexican claims processed in 2008 were accepted.

The surge in the latter is attributed in part to a bloody drug war that has been raging for years in Mexico.

Canadians wishing to express their support for Chow’s campaign have been doing so by way of Facebook, logging on to the social networking site and urging Ottawa to take action in a group called “Calling for Visitor Visa Fairness.”

Each application is judged on its own merits, said Citizenship and Immigration Canada spokesman Nicolas Fortier. “The onus is really on the applicant to satisfy the visa officer that they’re coming to Canada for temporary purposes.”

Kenney refused to discuss Chow’s proposal for the purposes of this story, but when asked about it during committee hearings last month, he indicated that he’s confident in the ability of those who evaluate visa applications to make accurate assessments.

“People sometimes have a hard time understanding the decisions of visa officers,” he said, “but they often don’t know the particulars of the case in hand.”

Anyone who pays the $75 fee to apply for a visitor visa is entitled to know why they are being turned down, and to appeal the decision, Chow said.

Geography seemed to make a difference, she added. European countries, for instance, have a visitor visa approval rate of about 84 per cent, compared with just 43 per cent for the north Indian city of Chandigarh.

“The refusal rate is very, very uneven.”

Kenney, on the other hand, has insisted repeatedly that no geographic bias exists at Citizenship and Immigration Canada. Instead, he said, high levels of fraud and unscrupulous consultants recommending ways to sneak into the country drive down visa approval rates in certain areas.

Chow’s proposed appeals system would be modelled after systems that exist in the United Kingdom and Australia. In the U.K., applicants can appeal to an independent judicial body at no charge and have their case processed in 28 days.

Chow is also calling for a more transparent process that would require the ministry to provide detailed reasons when visitor visas are rejected.

It all sounds good, but would likely pose some practical challenges to a system that’s already heavily burdened with applications, experts say.

“It doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do this, but it would require a significant increase in resources,” said Christopher Worswick, a professor who studies immigration issues at Carleton University in Ottawa.

Worswick recommended an appeal fee that could be refunded if an applicant won their case.

An appeals process would also send the message to officials in embassies overseas that there is an oversight mechanism in place, thus addressing concerns applicants have brought up about biased visa officers operating in certain countries, he added.

“There should be a way to construct a system that’s fair.”

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Article published in Lawyers Weekly: Sports law clears GFC hurdles.

With the globalisation of the sporting industry, increasing commercial interests and contracts, sports law is developing as an increasingly sophisticated and complex practice area. We take a look at the issues and trends for lawyers who work behind the scenes of Australia’s mammoth sports industry. See the full article here …

Carol Schafer is a long-time Advocate who lives in Alberta, Canada. Carol loves to sew and a few years ago, asked God to show her how she could use her sewing machine to be a blessing to Him. Not long after this prayer Carol was at an event where Barry Slauenwhite, President of Compassion Canada, was speaking and during his presentation he shared the story of a young African girl who had married a much older man. When asked why she had married him, the girl explained that she did it because the man had promised her a dress. This young girl gave herself away – for a dress. Carol was deeply moved by the story and believed that God answered her prayer in that moment. She would make dresses for young girls in developing countries, so that they wouldn’t need to give themselves away just so that they could have something pretty to wear. She wanted to give dignity to little girls so they would not suffer the same fate. Women all over Canada have had the privilege of donating their used dresses for Carol to re-make into Destiny Dresses.

This past July I was making last minute preparations for the Advocate tour to Colombia when I received a package in the mail from Carol. It contained a beautiful Destiny Dress with a note saying that she felt God wanted this dress to go to Colombia! Wow…I was honored and touched to be the delivery person for this dress but I had no idea how God was going to bless me in the process. Isn’t that just like Him though?

During our days in Colombia I carried the Destiny Dress around with me in my backpack – waiting for God to reveal to me who He wanted to have this special gift. Mid-way through the week we were visiting a project and it was during the children’s presentation I noticed a very shy girl sitting in the second row wearing a navy blue track suit. She was beautiful – but looked so sad. My heart swelled…she was THE girl… I knew that she was the one God wanted to have the Destiny Dress.

Her name was Sharon and she was 5 years old. She was new to the Compassion program and didn’t yet have a sponsor. I told her that I had been looking for her and that my friend Carol in Canada had made a dress just for her. I think she was a bit overwhelmed at first by all the attention, but when asked if she would like to have the dress, a small smile escaped and she nodded yes. I then asked if she wanted to try it on. Again, another small nod.

She looked beautiful!!!  The little girl in the dress looked so different from the little girl in the blue track suit…she was transformed by the dress – by the love it held.

After a few photos of her in the dress, she paused for just a moment and then threw herself into my arms. She gave me the most amazing hug I have ever had. She held on for a very long time, all the while I prayed for her. I prayed that God would make Himself real to her in her life, that He would protect her always and that He would give her the most amazing sponsor. I felt like I was hugging Jesus as I held her. What an incredible experience – for me and for her!

There were several members of the tour group in the room when this was taking place. I encourage them to share with you their experience. For me, it was a life changing moment. As Paul Winter, one of the tour members watched this exchange, God revealed to him these  Bible verses. “For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.” 2Corithians 10:4-5. Could the weapons in this case be a Destiny Dress?

I am so thankful to Carol for allowing me to be a small part of her Destiny Dress ministry. What an honour it has been for me.  He can move mountains – what more can He do in the life of Sharon and the other 52,000 Compassion children in Colombia! Praise be to Him!

I should also tell you, that I did manage to find a sponsor for Sharon, 11 sponsors to be exact. You see, Paul suggested that our Colombia group sponsor a child together as a tribute to our amazing journey together. We decided to sponsor Sharon!!!!! God had answered my prayer too!

The Holiday Relays are just one month away and the Minneapolis Ski Club is looking for sponsors and advertisers to help support the highly successful MSC training programs. With 550+ area athletes from 20+ schools competing, that’s a pretty good crowd. All sponsors (ski-related or not) with a willingness to help community athletes are welcome!

Download full information (pdf).

Which is better? Ads or Links?

Links – hands down. But there is a differing of opinion on a few factors. I’m going to focus on Twitter for this post as it is great at link sharing.

Here’s an article based on the idea that more followers = higher CTRs (Clickthrough Rates).

And here is one that goes against that idea.

Now these ideas in social media marketing are still kinda new and in the world of sports marketing, Twitter followers are generally over 10K. But what seems quite clear is that in social media spaces, providing information via links that your market cares about is a solid way to go.

Keep in mind – we are in the social media space here – when looking at sponsors, we need to position them as partners. Dropping any old corporate link into your Twitter stream may not sit well with your followers so you need to consider who or what your corporate partners offer that will best suit your base. These people can “unfollow” you very quickly, and will do so if they feel that what they are receiving is not of interest to them. They are there to follow your team – your product – so you need to build social media sponsorships in collaboration with your sponsors that will give them – and your followers, something they value.

“I feel very good when I get a letter. I feel I am being loved very much. It makes me want to write lots of letters to my sponsor.” — Sesilia, 9, Tanzania

Sesilia expresses what all sponsored friends feel about receiving letters from their sponsors. A letter from you is a symbol of love and represents the human connection in the relationship. Exchanging letters is a way for you build that relationship.

If you haven’t written your friend because you don’t know what to say, grab a piece of paper and a pen. Our goal with this month’s eNews is to help you compose a letter step-by-step using as an example a letter written by a sponsor to her friend in Venezuela.

Step 1: The opening
How do you start? This is usually the toughest part of the letter. Start by greeting your friend and asking about the family. Then, follow up with something your friend mentioned in a previous letter as Sheila has done here. Did he take a test? Is a family member ill? Did she have a birthday? The opening is the place to touch base about important events your friend has talked about.

Step 2: The body
Now that you’ve opened the letter, share what’s going on in your household. Sheila mentions Halloween and the upcoming holidays of Thanksgiving and Christmas. Sponsored friends love hearing about holiday customs. Or, share something about yourself. Describe a pet. Talk about your favorite sport. Tell your friend about your children, their ages and grades in school. The words will flow once you start writing about something important to you.

Step 3: The closing
In your closing paragraph, give your friend encouragement. Sheila simply closed her letter by wishing Edinson and his family a happy New Year. Tell your friend you think about him and pray for him and his family. Then, sign off.

Congratulations! The hard part is done. You can include a photo of yourself and your family with your letter. Sponsored friends love getting pictures.

Mailing your letter
Follow the instructions provided with the pre-printed mailing labels you received from CFCA. Send your letter via international airmail, unless it is sent to a U.S. mailing address. Check postage rates at the U.S. Postal Service Web site, www.usps.com.

We have more suggestions about letter writing here.

Was this helpful? Do you have any questions for us regarding letter writing? Drop us a line, we’d love to hear from you.

Why is this one of the most commonly asked questions as we engage in conversation with people about Compassion?

Do we feel threatened?  Challenged?  Do we shy away or find ourselves excited about the topic?  Wherever you find yourself at, any one of those reactions could be normal – depending on the person asking.

But here’s the good news!  This is a great opportunity for us to clarify Compassion’s message and share with Christians on what makes Compassion unique. 

It’s our partnership with the local church.  It’s the gospel.  It’s bringing the message of hope through Jesus Christ to each of the children in our programs.

Check out our website:  The Difference is Jesus

This is what it states:

Poverty needs an eternal solution.

It’s a problem that seems overwhelming—too big for anyone to really make a difference.

But a difference is possible.

Compassion believes it takes more than education, healthcare and social programs to make a difference in the life of a child and help nations escape from poverty. It’s only by the gospel of Jesus Christ that poverty can end, and lives be forever changed.

That’s why we work with the local church in the developing world to bring practical care to children living in poverty. Not only do they have access to education, not only do they get regular health check-ups—they hear the gospel, the most exciting and life-changing news anyone can ever hear!

Because, truly, the difference is Jesus.

With the Holiday Season right around the corner, we wanted to let you know about an exciting fund-raising program we have partnered with; created specifically for non-for-profit organizations such as ours.

We are excited that GiftsThatGive.com, is a website offering over 1000 quality products for you to choose from, and 20% of your purchase will be donated back to the Boys & Girls Clubs in New Jersey, on your behalf!

You will find great brands including  Jay Strongwater, Kim Seybert, Anna Weatherley, Vietri, Lily Pulitzer Paper Products, Seda France Candles,  to name only a few.

All you need to do is to sign onto GiftsthatGive.com to see what we are talking about.  At www.giftsthatgive.com make your selections to be ordered.  In the shopping cart, there will be a dropdown box from which to select (your organization) and 20% of your purchase will come back to help the Clubs in New Jersey!

GeraiHALO Soreang telah berpartisipasi dan mendukung dalam kegiatan babak kualifikasi PORDA cabang bola voli  se Jawa Barat yang diselenggarakan oleh KONI Kab Bandung sebagai tuan rumah pada tanggal 3 – 5 Nopember 2009 bertempat di Gor KONI kab Bandung.

GeraiHALO Soreang turut berbahagia atas lolos nya tim bola voli putra/i Kab Bandung pada babak Kualifikasi PORDA, dimana masuk ke babak selanjutnya PORDA yang rencana akan dilaksanakan pada Juli 2010 mendatang. yang bertempat di/dan sebagai tuan rumah adalah tim dari Kotamadya Bandung.