Brian Weber, Compassion church relations manager; Edith Weaver, Compassion Go representative; and the Rev. Mark Hinman at Hillcrest Baptist invite the community to visit the Compassion Experience, which will be running through Monday. Compassion International is a holistic development program for children across the globe. P-J photo by Katrina Fuller

Seeing a third-world country firsthand may not be possible, but Compassion International would like to give area residents a 20-minute walk through.

The Compassion Experience, a project of holistic development program Compassion International, has come to Hillcrest Baptist Church over the weekend to give visitors an idea of what the children they serve go through and live like on a daily basis. A large set-up has been put together in front of the church to allow visitors the chance to walk through the daily life of an impoverished child in either the Dominican Republic or Kenya.

Attendees are invited into the set, given headphones and an iPod and sent on their way through a maze of rooms that tell the stories of two children who have been helped by Compassion International.

The Rev. Mark Hinman said the event kicks off a new partnership between the church and Compassion International. The church will now be involved with the program in Honduras, thanks to the partnership. However, Hinman said the Compassion Experience is a benefit for the community as well so they can also experience what it is like to be in a developing country. He said the response from those who have already visited has been positive, but he was also impacted by the stories told in the experience.

“My heart is deeply moved every time I come into contact with a child’s story,” he said. “I immediately do what a lot of us do, I have four daughters, and I imagine my daughter in the situation of this little girl.”

Hinman said he thinks, “How is it that I am blessed to live where I am and she grew up in abject poverty?” In these types of situations, he said there are two choices: to be sad and feel guilty about it, or to use the blessings one has to bless others.

“God calls us to be compassionate and to love people,” he said. “Bless to be a blessing.”

Hinman said another special experience will be held today when Samuel Polanco who grew up in the Dominican Republic and was a sponsored child through Compassion International will speak about his experience at the church at 8:45 a.m. and 11 a.m. Polanco is currently a representative of Compassion International and a recording artist.

Edith Weaver, Compassion Go representative, is a three-month volunteer with the project. She said she has spend time in various areas in the U.S. and has seen about 2,000 to 5,000 people come through the Compassion Experience display per weekend. The display is often set up in conjunction with a church, but there have been occasions where it is set up at a mall, she said.

Weaver said the experience has been amazing and said it is a good way to be “immersed.”

“It’s a lot different than seeing something on T.V. or hearing something to actually walk in someone’s shoes,” she said. “I think that’s very important for someone to see.”

Weaver said the project works to connect people across the globe in order to provide hope and resources to those who need it most. With the Compassion Experience, people are invited to be a part of breaking the cycle of poverty that people are in all while getting a better understanding of what that entails on a daily basis.

“They can release a generation from poverty which will in turn release other generations,” she said.

The Compassion Experience will run throughout the weekend, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. today and from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Monday and is offered at no cost to visitors. Those who are interested can visit www.compassionexperience.com and make a reservation, or walk-ins are also welcome.