Over the 36 years I spent as a pediatrician, I have learned the enormous value of a father in the lives of his children. Even so, it has been my[…]

News for you from Indonesia! Read on to learn more from Compassion First president Mike Mercer:  “It seems like a small detail, but it was actually momentous. Last week Compassion[…]

The girls and staff at Sarah’s House were honored to receive a personal visit on November 18 from Bintang Puspayoga, the Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection Minister (MoWECP) of Indonesia.[…]

April 11th, 2022

An Easter Letter

Easter Greetings from Jakarta! I just walked through what will be the next aftercare facility that will come online for Compassion First in Indonesia. It’s fitting that we are considering[…]

When I held my oldest daughter for the first time, I thought: “I could be the father of only girls.” And that was a welcome thought. In the manner that[…]

June 17th, 2021

Going Back to Indonesia

Disorienting and put in order. That’s how the 17 months of physical separation from my friends in Indonesia has felt to me. I’ve missed them, but not more than I’ve[…]

Every year at Sarah’s House, we take time as a staff to celebrate all the girls in our care in a Recognition Ceremony. It is a time to stop, reflect,[…]

We’ve been talking about Bali a lot lately. It’s our next place of expansion – and a place we would already be working except for hard shutdowns due to Covid-19.[…]

March 3rd, 2021

We’re Dreaming Bigger!

We are so excited to announce that we have already reached our goal of raising $5,000 for the technological needs in our field! Because of you, our staff and girls[…]

February 25th, 2021

Three Opportunities for You

As Covid-19 and its restrictions moved into the cemetery communities of East Java this past year, the felt presence of God came too. When suffering comes close, God moves in[…]

November 19th, 2020

2020 Christmas Letter

Dear Friend, I pray that you are well as we turn the corner toward Christmas. I further pray that these times only prove to bring your family closer together than[…]

September 1st, 2020

Doing the Impossible With You

2020 has brought opportunity for new depths of resilience discovery in all of us. I’m not sure challenges make us stronger as much as awaken dormant strength that’s already there. Every[…]

July 21st, 2020

2019 Annual Report Letter

Greetings! On more than one occasion in the last year, I have found myself sitting against the wall in one of our aftercare centers just watching it all: the life[…]

March 18th, 2020

Isaiah 45

And I will give you treasure hidden in the darkness- secret riches. I will do this so you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, the[…]

December 23rd, 2019

2019 Christmas Letter

Greetings and Merry Christmas. I feel like I’ve been thinking about this Christmas since about the time we packed it all up from last year. It’s a little bit of[…]

June 29th, 2018

2018 Annual Report Letter

Greetings from the Compassion First Family. It is an honor to compile this report for you every year. A year-over-year examination would demonstrate growth and maturity, at least on some[…]

June 29th, 2018

2017 Annual Report

Dear Friends of Compassion First, In 2017, we experienced significant donor growth for the first time in several years. With our strong emphasis on the field, this kind of growth[…]

Our team at Sarah’s House knows that it takes incredible strength and perseverance to journey with us on the road to recovery. It is important for every young woman we[…]

April 20th, 2018

A Rescue Fund Update

A couple of weeks ago, I returned from a trip to Indonesia. As I reflect on the work Compassion First has been engaged in, I believe we are making very[…]

March 19th, 2018

An Invitation to Dream

My wife Korie and I have always desired to be involved firsthand in the wonderful work Compassion First has been doing in Indonesia. It was exciting to read updates, hear[…]

March 16th, 2018

Family Camp 2018

  Dancing. Tie-dying. Confiding. Singing. Storytelling. Swimming. Water-sliding. Laughing. Lots and lots of laughing.     Some days are unforgettable.   65 families from our beloved cemetery community participated in[…]

Come and see what our God has done, what awesome miracles he performs for people! (Ps 66:5) I love this verse. You can almost hear the excitement in the psalmist’s[…]

February 23rd, 2018

The East Java Shelter Has a Name

One year ago, we had an invitation and a dream to open an aftercare shelter for children rescued from the horrors of sex trafficking in East Java, Indonesia. Fresh from[…]

Spread the Love Today   1. Show your significant other that love is about more than chocolate and flowers.   2. Teach your kids that we all have so much[…]

Valerie Bellamy is in East Java making preparations for our new shelter for survivors of child sex trafficking. We missed her terribly at our recent Founders events, but we wanted[…]

The Compassion First headquarters team in Oregon held five events this fall. In place of one large annual banquet, we introduced the East Java Founders Tour–a series of small events[…]

September 20th, 2017

Disrupting Pipelines

Earlier this year, I journeyed to Papua with our National Director in Indonesia, and our Director of Law Enforcement Training. It was our first visit to this place where so[…]

August 10th, 2017

“I am one of a kind.”

Watching little girls grow up in the cemetery is not for the faint of heart. We hold our breath and hold on tight as she goes from 8 to 9[…]

July 25th, 2017

She’s Twelve

Most of the day today has been spent assisting with a rescue in East Java. She’s twelve. I found myself saying this throughout the evening tonight. I just couldn’t believe[…]

It’s hard to put into words an experience when God invites you to participate in something so big you can’t even wrap your mind around it. A time when you[…]

March 16th, 2017

Shelter

By Valerie Bellamy, Director of Cemetery Outreach I’ve been thinking a lot about shelters. What is takes to build them and what it means to be one. I’ve got much more to learn about[…]

Watch Ret. Sgt. Mike Geiger’s Video Updates from his Trip: What is the Rescue Fund? An Important Meeting A Precious Encounter   Of all the trips I have made to[…]

February 1st, 2017

The Search Begins

We have all experienced things that feel too big and too heavy to communicate. After a trip to Indonesia this week, my words feel more important than ever before as[…]

November 14th, 2016

Made Known

Knock, knock, knock. The innkeeper opens the door. With a downcast face and a shake of his head he answers the desperate plea of the young couple. “Sorry, there is no[…]

August 25th, 2016

Love is at Work

Love. It greets her at the door. She enters Sarah’s House defeated by insecurities which are often masked by a forced smile, a strife for extreme perfection or rages of[…]

We are dedicated to serving adult survivors of sex trafficking in Oregon. It is our goal to work in a collaborative manner with authoritative local organizations like Safety Compass to[…]