“Visitors will see hope come to life.”

Craig Macartney
Spur Ottawa Writer

The room is dim; a dirty concrete floor with cold cinderblock walls imposing on three sides. The only light shines through the thick steel bars. It feels so real, just like the Nairobi prison where 9-year-old Jey was held, but a child’s voice reminds you that this is a story of hope.

“That’s when I decided to kneel down and I remember praying to God.”

Walking through the gate, you see the other side of the prison wall: the brightly lit school room of the Compassion centre that changed Jey’s life. You are not in Nairobi, you are in Kanata at the upcoming Compassion Experience.

“This is the next best thing to visiting the developing world,” explains Allen Summers, co-lead pastor of The Bridge Church that will host the event. “They are bringing a huge 88-foot truck in and expanding it out with canvas so people can get a feeling for what it is like to go to a third-world country. It is really worth seeing.”

Guests walk through the 1,700 square foot display, set up to look and feel like the developing world. Photo courtesy of Compassion Canada.

The 1,700 square-foot display is being set up by Compassion Canada, from April 12 to 15, on the campus of The Bridge. It allows guests to walk through the narrated stories of two kids, Jey and Yannely, who were sponsored through Compassion International. Jey will also be speaking at the Sunday service at The Bridge on April 14.

“When people think of poverty, they typically think about the symptoms of poverty—homelessness, lack of food, and no access to education,” says Colin Ashton, National Ministry Relations Manager with Compassion Canada. “The Compassion Experience was designed to bring the life experience and stories from children around the world to North America. [Compassion programs] stir hope in children, and visitors will see that hope come to life.”

Ashton says the free experience is family friendly and offers a great chance to talk to kids about helping others and showing compassion to the vulnerable. Each story takes about 20 minutes to experience.

“We just think it is one of the premier organizations to help children around the world.” Photo courtesy of Compassion Canada.

There are no obligations for participating in the event, but Summers says he has three goals: “that people would understand how children are living in different parts of the world. Second I hope people will understand that by sponsoring a child you can make an unbelievable difference in their life. Thirdly, there are a lot of people who already sponsor children. Seeing this will give them a better glimpse into the world in which their sponsored child lives so they can better identify and pray for them.”

Summers and his family sponsor two kids through Compassion. He cannot say enough how much he believes in the organization.

“We just think it is one of the premier organizations to help children around the world. They only work through a local church. They make sure the child gets physical care, spiritual care, the food they need, medical care, and additional training in education courses. It is amazing the difference Compassion makes in a child’s life.”

The event runs from 11 a.m. to 6:40 p.m., April 12 to 15. Walk-ins are welcome, but Compassion encourages guests to register for free to have priority access.