A Life Devoted to Advocacy

My name is David Chalmers and I am a Global Poverty Fighter.

While that may sound grand, all it means is that I am a sponsor and advocate with child development organization Compassion International. Compassion started in 1952 and currently partners with the local church in 26 countries releasing children from poverty in Jesus' name through providing food, water, medical care, educational help, a loving sponsor to speak words of life and encouragement, and the opportunity to have a relationship with Jesus.

I am a 33-year-old teacher from Australia and I started sponsoring with Compassion at the end of 2006. God put Compassion on my heart to such an extent that since then I have financially sponsored 55 children in 26 countries, and have visited 31 of my kids in 12 countries.

Despite my inexhaustible passion for the ministry of Compassion, I must make it clear that I am not a Compassion employee or spokesperson. Just an 'Average Joe' who has seen the effectiveness of Compassion in action and I want everyone to know about it. While there is no easy answer or quick fix to the problem of poverty, joining the local church around the world in partnership with Compassion is a good start. 

The purpose of this page is not to brag or boast. I am not foolish or arrogant enough to fall for that. As a Christian I am very aware that everything I have comes from God, and He wants me to use what He has given me to help others.

I have embraced a life of simplicity, generosity and sacrifice for the sake of others and I am trying to set an example, particularly for Christians in the developed world, that we can make a difference in the lives of others rather than living a life devoted to self, ease, comfort and pleasure. That is not what God has called us to. I choose to do it through Compassion sponsorship.

One day we will all be accountable to God for the way we used what He gave us to look after, and to use for His glory. Did we use it for ourselves, or to help others?

The last eight years of sponsorship and advocacy with Compassion have been amazing. On my travels God has taken me to see and experience things that have both brought me to the depths of heartache and lifted me to the heights of joy.

This is simply my personal advocacy page, and all glory goes to God. If you choose to have a look at some of the things on this site, I hope you will be challenged, encouraged and inspired.


This is my current Compassion family, five of whom I have been to visit. From top: Sehila (16, Bolivia), Josefa (16, Guatemala), Antonio (10, Nicaragua), Larissa (6, Brazil), Danna (11, Mexico), Aljane (7, Philippines).


This is the cover of the book I have just published with Ark House Press in Australia. It is all about the work of Compassion and contains stories of many of the trips I have taken to visit my sponsored kids. It is not a warm-fuzzy feel-good read. The stories are all real and are not fabricated or embellished in any way. The stories of the home visits to people trapped in poverty are often tragic and heartbreaking, but on the flipside there is so much tangible joy and hope for the future in the work that Compassion does. I have seen it for myself and I want to share it with people.

To purchase the book:
http://www.arkhousepress.com/shop/go-into-all-the-world.html

http://www.koorong.com/search/product/go-into-all-the-world-david-chalmers/9780992572600.jhtml

http://www.word.com.au/Go-Into-All-The-World/David-Chalmers/9780992572600

Non-Australian friends:
https://www.createspace.com/5215742

http://www.amazon.com/Into-All-World-Compassion-International/dp/0992572606/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1425220157&sr=8-1&keywords=david+chalmers+go+into+all+the+world

Here are some blog reviews of "Go Into All The World"
http://mamaof2greatkids.blogspot.ca/2015/01/come-meet-this-man-with-50-kids.html

http://forshamim.blogspot.com/2015/01/go-into-all-world.html

https://childrencount.wordpress.com/2015/01/02/living-generously-go-into-all-the-world-book-review/

http://www.compassionfamily.blogspot.com.au/2015/02/go-into-all-world-by-david-chalmers.html

http://www.crystalkupper.net/the-man-with-50-kids-a-review/

http://givinggratefully.com/2015/01/07/go-into-all-the-world-book-review/

http://thisomerofmanna.blogspot.com/2015/03/go-into-all-world-review.html

Here is a link to recent interview with Sight Magazine, a Christian publication in Australia:

http://www.sightmagazine.com.au/stories/conversations/chalmers17.3.15.php

Here are a couple of other blogs in which I feature:
http://davemiers.com/the-man-with-50-kids-david-chalmers/
http://www.bloggingfromtheboonies.com/2012/07/joy-beauty-and-hope-guest-post.html

In February 2015 I was blessed to have interviews for both radio and TV in Australia, promoting my book and Compassion.

On February 21st I was flown up to Sydney by Wesley Mission and interviewed for their weekly TV program "Wesley Impact TV." It will be aired on Sunday May 24th at 5.30am on Channel 9 (Australia) and on the internet a week later.

Four days later I recorded an interview for Vision Radio and History Makers Radio which will be aired in the near future.

 
This is an article that appeared in the Portland Observer newspaper on Friday January 9th, 2015. Portland is a small town in southwest Victoria where I lived and worked for three years.


This article appeared in the Portland Observer in October 2012, shortly after I returned from visiting ten of my sponsored children in Brazil.


I was humbled to have my Compassion journey feature in the September 2013 edition of the Compassion magazine.

This is my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/dccompassion
It features 140 videos, all about my Compassion travels: homes, churches, Projects, communities, singing, dancing, playing, first times at restaurants, malls, zoos and fun parks.

A couple of special videos:

This video featured during the kid's segment at Glen Waverley Anglican Church's Compassion Sunday in 2014. I was told 15 kids were sponsored after the service, and to even have played a small part in that was amazing.


In 2012, a relative of mine named Chad Loftis filmed a mini-documentary of my Compassion journey. It was released in September 2013, at the same time as the article in the Compassion magazine. I had my heart and motives questioned by people close to me, but I hope God used it for His glory.

And finally, my personal blog is: http://supernintendo81.blogspot.com.au
To read stories and see pictures of my Compassion trips, click on:
* September/October 2012
* January 2013
* April 2013
* September/October 2013
* September/October 2014

Man On A Mission Writes Book To Encourage Others (transcribed newspaper article)

I spent a few days over the New Year period staying in a little town called Portland in south-west Victoria, where I lived and worked in 2008, 2009 and 2012.

Last Sunday I held a book launch for my Compassion book "Go Into All The World." I did publicize it but it only ended up being a small gathering, with lots of people away and many others choosing instead to enjoy a day in the sunshine (can't compete with that). I also didn't have any actual books with me to sell, due to a communication mix-up with the publisher and the printers.

The positive to come out of it was I had the opportunity to sit down with a friend who is a journalist with the town's local newspaper, the Portland Observer, and tell him a little about my Compassion journey and about the book.

The article was published in today's edition of the newspaper.
    


There were a few small errors, however I am happy with the content and exposure of the article. I have transcribed the text below, error-free.
_______________________________________________________________

Man On A Mission Writes Book To Encourage Others
Portland Observer, Friday January 9th, 2015

Travelling overseas to an unknown location can be daunting at the best of times; however, travelling to some of the more impoverished, crime ridden areas of South America can exacerbate those feelings of trepidation.

For David Chalmers, the poverty or crime rates did nothing to deter him from visiting his sponsored children.

A sponsor with Compassion International, a Christian child sponsorship organization which provides aid to more than 1.4 million children, Mr Chalmers took the plunge.

Six years and 12 countries later he has put together his thoughts and writings into a book - Go Into All The World - One Man's Journey With God and Compassion International.

In 2006 Mr Chalmers began sponsoring a number of children with Compassion and was invited to visit the children and their families so that he could see where his money was being spent. "This all spawned from my worldview that God wants me to help others," said Mr Chalmers. "That's my motivation. My first visit was in 2009...I became hooked."

Mr Chalmers would work as a teacher during the school term, including in Portland at St John's Lutheran Primary School, then visit families during school holidays. In September 2009 he visited Sehila (Bolivia), Daila (Colombia) and Rosa (El Salvador).

"I have visited 12 countries in my time and was encouraged to write a book by a number of friends," added Mr Chalmers. "I wrote about the work of Compassion and their effectiveness. From what I have witnessed, kids from poverty are growing up to become doctors, teachers and even government leaders....I believe people want to help, whether they are Christian or not, they want to help others."

Last Sunday a small but supportive crowd gathered at Portland's South West Community Church to hear the journeyman talk about his work with Compassion as part of his unofficial book launch; the official launch will take place in Werribee in February.

"The book contains stories about my involvement (with Compassion). It's not an easy read, as the stories contain to contrasting moods: home visits versus project visits. The home visits are very confronting because of the poverty, family disintegration and violence, but when I write about the Project visits, there's a sense of hope. I hope that people are challenged, encouraged and inspired from this book."

Copies can be bought direct from Mr Chalmers via his blog (http://supernintendo81.blogspot.com.au) or through Abundant Life bookstore in Portland.