But Jonathan’s Heavenly Father and creator had a different identity in mind: a chosen, cherished, and gifted son. God created a leader.

Jonathan started to sense his gifting at an early age through the encouragement of Compassion staff and the motivation of his sponsor. He has spoken in front of groups since he was 9. And by age 12 he was already preaching in children’s meetings.

“It was always easy for me to take a microphone and speak about the Bible. That’s how I developed my skills to speak in public.”

In 2007, the sub-secretary of the national board of education heard Jonathan speak so well in public that she invited him to speak at a special supper meeting with the president and his ministers at the presidential palace.

In 2010, he was chosen to travel to the World Bank building in New York City to participate in the simulated sessions of the United Nations, where he played the role of governor of Guatemala. And in 2011, he was at the United Nations and the American Capitol in Washington, D.C., in order to study public politics processes.

“I am in love twice, first with missions and second with diplomacy and politics.”

Jonathan feels that his study of languages is an asset in both fields. He learned some Creole while in missions in Haiti in 2007, and after the earthquake there in January of 2010, he returned to Haitian soil with his local church and Yankees’ relief pitcher Damaso Marte.

Jonathan with children in Haiti

“There, we bought a piece of land for a school for children in City Soleil, the worst barrio of Haiti. There, children hold AK-47s and Uzis; life is very difficult. You can see the holes in the walls caused by the shootings.”

It was all a lot for him to take in. But a talk with a visiting sponsor to the Dominican Republic helped change Jonathan’s perspective on missions, diplomacy and politics.

“He told me that God was interested in big things for my life. He said, ‘God has a more ample purpose for your life. Your country needs leaders.

The people in your country have no more faith in their leaders because they have disappointed the people. The people vote for the least bad, not for the best.”

In late 2011, a taxi driver who was taking Jonathan home told him, “I know who caused the difficulties in this country; it’s the Christians’ fault.”

The driver wondered why Christians can’t get together to speak up and try to find fair solutions to the real problems of the nation.

Jonathan was stunned, but believes that talking to that taxi driver was like God speaking to him. The driver wondered why a Christian couldn’t be the president.

“It was as when the stones speak. I opened my eyes and said to myself that God was calling me to something more. My dream is to become an ambassador, and at the utmost degree, represent my country as the president.”

Excerpts taken from the Compassion Blog.

 

Jonathan Almonte

While Jonathan’s story is certainly special, it is one of thousands. God’s calling supported by the ministry of Compassion International develops leaders day-in and day-out.

Dr. Bruce Wydick, professor for the Department of Economics at the University of San Francisco, conducted an independent study on international child sponsorship to see if it could be proven. It could and can. His extensive research was published in the April 2013 issue of the prestigious Journal of Political Economy, a leading economics journal. And the results are quite exciting.

“. . . that children who participated in Compassion’s holistic child development through sponsorship program stayed in school longer, were more likely to have salaried or white-collar employment and were more likely to be leaders in their communities and churches than their peers who did not participate in the program.”

You can read the full article here.

Sometimes a little love is all it takes for a child to realize he or she has God-given potential. Are you ready to speak up for a young leader who needs an identity secured in truth? We invite you to learn more about child sponsorship.