I am a squash wall!!...

I started my shift at 11:00am, John was there already (he started at 9:30am). It was 1:00pm and we had only signed one sponsor during the entire day. We were working really hard and for some reason, getting a huge tons of "no's"; I was getting a little frustrated and I think John was able to see that. All of a sudden John said "Javier, you are a squash wall!" I had no idea what he meant, I was like "...uh.... ok?" And then I asked why? John said "You just have to keep bouncing off the 'nos' and soon they will say yes!" I laughed so hard, and then John started laughing also...

A few seconds after laughing I realized he was right. We have to get through the "no's" before we get  someone to say yes. I mean, that is something I know already, but the way John painted the picture was so refreshing and funny that we both kept saying to each other throughout the day "you are a squash wall!" (and laugh).

Kyle, proudly holding his two sponsored children!

Funny enough, an hour later I stopped Kyle, a very nice gentleman who was surprised when I told him that not too many people stop at our booth. "That's crazy, I would think a lot of people would stop for something like this!" Kyle and I talked about the 115 million children that are under child labour and how the sponsorship program is a way of preventing more children from becoming part of such a dark reality. His heart was moved and he decided to sponsor one. "I don't know who to choose so you help me", he said. I told him about how girls are exposed to so many dramatic things such as sex slavery, but also how boys are exposed to endless hours of dangerous jobs. I told him that, if he wanted, he could sponsor a boy and a girl. To my surprise, he said "I think I will do that". This is one of those moments that stays in your mind and heart for a long, long time. There he was, Kyle, a gentleman who probably (most likely) did not go to Cottonwood mall to sponsor a child but when the opportunity was given to him he sponsored, not one but two children. What an HUGE heart of this man. A boy from Ghana and a Girl from Bangladesh now have an incredible future ahead, thanks to Kyle.

To all World Vision fund raisers out there, remember: WE ARE SQUASH WALLS!..

The Lantern Project
-Javier Cuellar-