By Rebekah Martin
Associate Editor

First Baptist Church of Opelika is giving people the chance to experience a third-world country without ever leaving home. FBO will host The Compassion Experience Oct. 18-22.
The Compassion Experience, brought to Opelika by Compassion International, is a 2,000-square-foot immersive tour through replicas of homes, schools and markets of children who have been through Compassion’s sponsorship program. Each guest will use an iPod Touch and a pair of headphones that will guide them through the tour, while they listen to the stories of children in countries including the Dominican Republic and the Phillipines.
Opelika’s Compassion Experience will feature the story of Jey Mbiro. Mbiro was a poverty-stricken child in Nairobi, Kenya when he participated in Compassion’s child sponsorship program. According to its website, Mbiro, who doubted if he would be able to attend grade school, went on to graduate from Kenya’s Daystar University where he studied youth ministry thanks to Compassion International. Mbiro will be the featured speaker at First Baptist Opelika Oct. 18 at 8 p.m.
The Compassion Experience is free and open to the public. Walk-in visitors are welcome, but to avoid waiting in line, visitors can register for a time slot online at: https://cts.compassion.com/events/843.
Tours will be held on the following dates and times: Oct. 18 from 5-8:40 p.m.; Oct. 19-20 from noon-7:40 p.m. and Oct. 21-22 from 11 a.m.-6:40 p.m.
First Baptist Opelika is located at 301 S. 8th Street.