Another Letter from Jhon!

This letter that I received from Jhon today was a surprise in one than one way. First, I just received a letter from him last week, so I was surprised to get another one so soon.

Secondly, it wasn't addressed to me, which isn't really that odd, since he is my correspondent child, and it's early in our relationship. However, this letter, that was addressed to his financial sponsor, was a response letter, responding to things his sponsor had asked and told him, and it told personal details. This tells me that his financial sponsor was writing to him. I wonder what made him stop writing to Jhon. Whatever the reason, I am so happy to be able to correspond with him and get to know him. He seems like an absolutely terrific young man.

 

 

_____________________________________________________________________________________

 

Dear _______

 

Hello! I greet you with the peace of the Lord.

 

I tell you that I am doing well at school. We already started with the 1st quarter exams and I did very well. I want to tell you that I had a good time on my birthday along with my family where we shared a delicious cake. I also shared with my friend Miguel, Jose, and Manuel. I tell you that my favorite sport is soccer. What is your favorite sport? What is your favorite animal?

 

I also like computing and I like to manage computers and to talk with my friends through the internet and also with some relatives that are in touch at the moment.

 

I tell you that almost all the members of my family like to play basketball and volleyball because these sports are so fun for them. I also like swimming in the swimming pool and now I am waiting for my parent to receive his salary so he can bring us to the swimming pool.

 

Well, now I must say goodbye wishing you lots of blessings.

 

With Love,

Jhon

 

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Letters to My Kids: April 2013

This month, I wrote my sponsored children one letter. I used the online writing tool for my Compassion kids and I handwrote the for my World Vision kids.

This month, in my preschool class, we have been learning about the caterpillar to butterfly life cycle. I decided to share this with my sponsored kids and tweak it a little bit. Here's the letter I wrote to them:

___________________________________________________________________________________

This month, I have having a great time teaching my students. Together, we are learning about how caterpillars turn into butterflies. We caught some caterpillars and we have them living in a jar in our classroom. Everyday, we are watching them as they eat leaves and get bigger and bigger. Soon, they will begin the change of spinning their coocoons. In a few weeks, we will have beautiful butterflies that we can let go into the air outside. The students and I are having a lot of fun watching the process. Watching beautiful changes in nature always reminds me of how amazing our God is.

Seeing a caterpillar turn into a butterfly reminds me of how people can change when they learn about and know Jesus. Before we accept Jesus into our hearts, we are sinners without even knowing it. We make bad choices and do not ask for forgiveness because we do not realize that Jesus is there. Like the caterpillar, we have not gone through a big change yet.

Then, just like the caterpillar spinning itself into a cocoon, we begin to learn about Jesus. We read the bible, we pray, and we sing songs of praise. The caterpillar spends a few weeks inside of it's cocoon. This is a long time for a little caterpillar. Sometimes it takes us a long time to get to know Jesus and accept him into our hearts and to believe that Jesus is our savior.

Then, the caterpillar burts out of its' cocoon and it's a brand new creation. It's a beautiful butterfly! This is like a person after they accept Jesus into their hearts. This person is now a brand new creation. They have Jesus in their heart and they are so very happy. The world seems much more beautiful and happy.

Have you accepted Jesus into your heart, Melaku? If not, I will pray that you come to know Jesus as your savior.

Love,
Kayla

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The First Letter from Melaku!

A first letter is always so exciting. This letter from Melaku was written before he knew that I even existed and my name has been penciled in. But still, it's always nice to learn that basic information about a sponsored child.

I am happy to share this letter with you today:

 

 

____________________________________________________________________________________

 

Dear: Kayla

 

My name is: Melaku

 

I am 20 years old

 

My parents Names: Maaza & Kebede

 

My Sisters' & Brothers' Names: Tedros, Dawit, & Hewan (all brothers)

 

My Favorite Things:

 

Best Game: Soccer

Best Food: Egg

Best School Subject: Math

Best Pets: Sheep

Best Bible Story: Noah

Best Color: Yellow

Best Song: Jesus is my Peace

Best Holiday: Christmas

 

I live in: Mojo town, a place particually known as Megala.

 

When I grow up I want to be: A driver

 

Message for my sponsor: I love you so much. I would be glad if you came to my country to see me

 

Questions for my sponsor: What is your job? Are you married? Do you have kids? What do you like?

 

Please pray that: I may reach what I want to be

 

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A Sweet Letter from Xhuliano

I love how often Xhuliano writes me. We really have built an amazing relationship. I could have never imagined that I would be so in love with this little boy. It's been a wonderful (almost) year and a half.

Here's the letter:

 

 

 

____________________________________________________________________________________

 

Dear Kayla,

 

I was so happy to receive a letter from you again. I felt happiness when I read your letter about me and my family, with your beautiful and sweet words.

 

Here in our town it has been rainy and quite cold. Now in March the weather has changed a lot and feels like it is summer. I wish you could feel warmer when it will be cold there, my friend. I like playing in snow, what about you, Kayla?

 

I pray to God everyday for you, just like you pray for me and my family. You pray a lot for my father. he got sick in February for 15 days. I prayed to God for his health and now he is better than before and he wishes you luck in your life and your family too. Also good health for you. My mom and two sisters love you and we keep you in our heart.

 

I keep doing good at school now. Yes, I like football very much and I was so happy to receive your stickers, thank you. Here, on 7th and 8th March we had Teacher's Day and Mother's Day and I wish you happy Teacher's Day and success. If you were here in my country I would give you a bouquet of flowers just to smell a good fragrance.

 

My God bless you.

 

Xhuliano

 

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Co-Sponsorship of Sandesh

Last September, I sponsored a beautiful little boy named Sandesh through Compassion International. Sandesh is 9 years old and he lives in large slum in India. Adults in his community often work as day laborers and only earn about $35 a month. I was instantly drawn to Sandesh.

 

I sponsored him with the hope that I could create a co-sponsorship opportunity. This gave everyone an opportunity to give a little bit to support this little boy. Over the 7 months, Sandesh has been sponsored through donations given to me by other child sponsors and readers of my blog. Now, I want to open it up to even more people. I know there are compassionate and loving souls who can come together for the sake of this precious boy.

 

Sponsoring Sandesh only costs $38 a month. For this small amount of money, Sandesh is provided with healthy food, clean water, healthcare, a good education, and the love and support he truly deserves.

 

Enough money has been raised to sponsor Sandesh through June. My goal is to raise enough money to cover the sponsorship costs until the end of 2013. That is 6 months of sponsorship. The total comes to $228.

 

Any amount of money is helpful and absolutely appreciated. All money raised will go towards sponsoring Sandesh.

 

If you would like to donate, I created a fundraising page just for this purpose. You can visit it here:

 

Sponsorship of Sandesh

 

 

 

World Malaria Day

I like hanging out here.

In the 3rd world.

It's perfect.

It's hot. It's humid. It's wet.

The water here is great! It stands around in huge, dirty puddles. People walk through these puddles all day. They get their drinking water there. They wash their clothes and dishes there. I love spending time near that water.

And at night! It's wonderful here at night. Homes are made of sticks and mud and grass. There are no windows to keep me out. When I get in the houses, there isn't much that can stop me. I see unprotected sleeping children and I see dinner. I dive right in. They never even saw me coming.

I am a mosquito.

I carry around malaria and I pass it from person to person. I know there is a drug that can kill this disease, but that doesn't scare me. The people here can't afford that drug. They can't afford the nets to keep me out. When I pass malaria onto a child, there is nothing they can do. Without this precious medicine, there is no cure. In just weeks, this child will be gone.

And the cycle continues

___________________________________________________________________________________

This is a reality for millions of people around the world. People know that malaria exists and what malaria will do to one of their family members if they contract it.

They also know that there is nothing they can do to stop it. When money is short, it comes down to buying food or buying a bed net. As much as it pains parents, food has to come first.

April 25th is World Malaria Day.

Want to fite back? Actually, do you want to Bite Back? Show those mosquitos who's boss!

Compassion has a wonderful program where you can do just that. You can help change this cycle of disease.

Visit this page to learn more about Compassion's Bite Back program\

Here, you can make a one time donation. No donation is too small to make a change. Your money will be used to provide families with treated bed nets for families. The money will also go towards treating those with malaria and teaching families how to prevent from getting malaria again.

This is an absolutely worthy cause. Help Bite Back!

Happy 11th Birthday, Kalpesh!

Today, my precious boy, Kalpesh, is 11 years old. In December 2011, I was just learning about Compassion International. I was already sponsoring through World Vision and was unsure that I wanted to have my money going to two organizations. A friend of mine told me about Compassion's correspondent program and I was immediately on board. This was a way for me encourage some children while I learned about how this organization worked and how things were run. (Of course, now I'm absolutely in love with Compassion).

Right away, I asked Compassion for three correspondent children. I was assigned Eric from Ugandan and two children from India, Meena (who I no longer correspond with) and Kalpesh. It was pretty much love at first sight with all of these children.

 

 

Dear Kalpesh,

 

Happy birthday, my dear friend. I can't believe you are already 11 years old. When we first started writing to each other, you were only 9 years old. You are growing into a wonderful young man. The letters you write to me are always full of such wonderful words and details. I feel like I really have gotten to know you and I love you very much.

 

I pray that on your special day, the marking of your 11th year of life, you know just how loved you are. I love you very much and I hope that we have many years together to write and get to know each other. I pray that you know just how much God loves you, Kalpesh. God is always watching out for you and he will always be with you in everything that you do.

 

I hope that on your birthday, your family is able to do something a little special for you so you know how wonderful you are. I also hope that you receive the gift that I was able to send you.

 

Love,

Kayla 

Have I Mentioned Lately How Much I Love Abu?

Oh, it's been a few days?  Well, it's about time I do it again.

I LOVE ABU!

In October, I sent a financial gift to him. With World Vision, all family gifts have to be at least $100, so I save up for them for a long time. One of the most amazing things with these gifts through WV, is that you are absolutely garaunteed a picture of the child and what was bought with the gift. I love seeing these pictures of what Abu was able to buy and how amazingly far money can go in a 3rd world country.

After 6 long months, the picture is here! I have stared at if for hours today before posting it on my blog. It's just too beautiful. 

First, his smile. It's beaming! I have been sponsoring Abu for over 5 years and this is the very first time that I've seen him smile. It goes right to my heart. I will hold that smile in my heart always. I fully intend on telling Abu that now that I know he can smile, I will expect nothing less. ;)

Second, he looks so healthy. In his last picture, he was stick. His arms and legs were so skinny and his cheeks were sunken in. Awhile back, he was able to buy a big bag of rice, so I'm very glad to see that he has been eating enough.

Lastly, he was able to buy so many things this time! A new outift, shoes, a bag of more clothes, a big bag of rice, and a STACK of school supplies. Look at all that paper!

Okay, okay, without futher ado, here is the infamous picture:

 

 

The picture came with this letter:

 

_________________________________________________________________________________

 

Dear Kayla,

 

Your child, Abu-Bakarr extends many thanks and happiness for your gift that you send for him and his family and they were very happy to get the $100 U.S dollars. They said thank you, Kayla.

 

This gift was received with happiness and many prayers from the family for your good support and they received with thanks.

 

He said, he was happy with what they bought for him and he think and pray for you and you are doing well for him and thank you very much for your good support.

 

Once more, the family of Abu-Bakarr appreciate and thank you for all what you are doing for him. Thank you, Kayla. May the Lord bless you with much love!

 

Your Child,

Abu-Bakarr

 

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First Letter from Jhon!

I was assigned Jhon from Bolivia as a correspondent child on December 3rd. And today, about 4 1/2 months later, I got my first letter from him. It was a long wait, but I am very happy.

Jhon wrote a very nice letter, with many details. Also, his handwriting is impecable! I have never seen a 14 year old boy write so nicely. I will definitely be complimenting him on his handwriting in my response letter.

 

 



__________________________________________________________________________________

 

 

Dear Kayla,

 

Hello, I greet you with the peace of our Lord Jesus. I thank you for the letter you sent me and I am very happy for your photos. I am very happy to meet you and your family who looks so beautiful. Thank you for the money you sent me. I bought clothes and shoes. My parents get up every morning to go to work. My father works as electric and my mother is working at the student center. My parents play basketball to have fun. They like sports like you. I have three siblings named Katherine who is 11 years old, Nicolas is 5 and Rodrigo is 21. I am 14. Jesus dropped his blood on the cross to save us from our sins. I want to be an engineer when I grow up. My favorite food is noodle, meat, and salad. My favorite color is yellow. My favorite sport is soccer. I want to study to be a doctor. (An engineer and a doctor, eh?) God has been providing for my family with blessings and protection for our lives. I want that my family is always united and I wish success for the jobs of your family. I close with love and affection. May God bless you and your family.

 

Your Friend,

Jhon

 

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Tie-Dye for a Cause!

For those of you who are newer readers or for those of you who remember this from awhile ago, I have a sort of a small business that I'm a part of. A few months ago, I was pushing this idea a little harder and then I sort of dropped it off and got busy. But, I would love to spread the news again.

I sell tie-dye!

All money raised by selling these shirts go towards my sponsored children. Depending on what the current need is, this could be either a month of sponsorship or money towards a birthday/family gift for one of my children.

All t-shirts cost $12. This includes shipping costs

All shirts are in men's sizes. Small, medium, large, and extra-large. If you sponsor through World Vision, these shirts make excellent gifts to send to your sponsored children. I recently had a woman buy a shirt for all of her WV sponsored children. I think they are absolutely going to love them! At least, I hope they do.

If you don't sponsor through World Vision, these shirts are still pretty cool to wear. They make nice birthday gifts for people who love to wear bright colors. And, from what I've heard, they are a pretty big hit for teenagers. I've heard this from moms who have ordered some for their kids.

If you are interested in seeing what shirts I currently have in stock, please visit here:

Tie-Dye for a Cause (It is a facebook album, so you must be logged into Facebook to see it)

If you are interested in purchasing a shirt that you see in that album please let me know. I will also do custom orders. You tell me the size and colors you want and I will make it for you.

I will also make Kid Sizes for $10 and onesies for $7. Kids always look cute in tie-dye and onesies make wonderful baby shower gifts. How cute would a newborn look in tie-dye? These sizes will be made in custom order only. If you are interested, please email me.

For orders, please email me at Groth.Kayla@mail.ic.edu . I take payments through PayPal. It's the most secure way I've found to collect money.

Thank you for your interest and support!

A Long Awaited Letter from Sadiya

I was so excited to see a letter from Sadiya in the mail today. I last received a letter from her in September. 7 months and one inquiry later, I received a letter! This letter was written on December 20th, so it took exactly four months to get to me.

The first part is the "My Project Learning" template and the second part is a letter written by Sadiya's tutor. Like her last letter, it gave quite a few details and had many kind words in it. I also got a very nice drawing and a coloring with the letter.

 

 

____________________________________________________________________________________

 

 

My Project Learning

 

 

In my project they teach me to: Pray everday, be polite and kind, share/help others

 

At my project, I learn extra-curricular activities like: Dancing

 

I've learnt how to take care of myself by: Bathing Everyday

 

I learnt about Praying at my last VBS.

 

I learnt about Helping during my curriculum classes.

 

 

Dear sponsor Kayla ,

 

I, with Sadiya, greet you in the name of Lord Jesus Christ. She is doing good here. All her family members are also doing well. She is so glad receiving your letters. She is so happy that you sent her a photo. She is regular in the project. She likes to eat anything cooked in the project. She never complains. She wants to hear bible story much in the class, in which I often see her. There are so many activities we teach children to do, like craft making, games, drawing, and Gospel, etc. She is going to write her annual examination upcoming March, so kindly pray for her study and for her family. She does remember you and your family in her personal prayer.

 

Yours in Jesus

 

 

 

 

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Touching Thursday (On Friday Again)

I really haven't been all that busy this week so I'm not sure why I didn't post this yesterday.

Oh well.

These three children have been on my mind and I would love for them to find a sponsor soon. Such precious children.

 

Isn't he show precious? I love his wide eyes!

 

Name: Ali

Age: 5

Birthday: April 5th

Country: Burkina Faso

Guardians: Father & Mother

Number of Siblings: 2

Chores: Caring for Animals & Running Errands

Hobbies: Soccer, Hide-and-Seek, & Playing Group Games

School Performance: Not Yet in School

Compassion Activities: Church Activities & Bible Class

 

You can sponsor Ali here

 

 

 

Frank has been sponsored!

 

 

 

What a pretty smile! This beautiful girl has been waiting 387 days for a sponsor.

 

Name: Subdini

Age: 9

Birthday: October 9th

Country: India

Guardians: Father & Mother

Number of Siblings: 2

Chores: Caring for Children, Caring for Animals, & Cleaning

Hobbies: Singing, Playing House, & Playing with Dolls

School Performance: Average in Primary School

Compassion Activities: Church Activities & Vacation Bible School

 

You can sponsor Subdini here

 

A Precious Letter from Abu

The mail is just pouring in recently! I'm beyond happy to be able to share all of these letters with you lately. I was absolutely shocked to find a letter from Abu today. Usually, I only hear from him every couple of months. It's only been 3 weeks since my last letter from Abu. Maybe now that he's getting older, he's showing more interest in writing.

This letter was extra special for me today. Awhile back, I traced my hands for all of my kids and encouraged them to do the same. I even mailed each of them a piece of paper so they could use it. Abu used that paper to trace his hands! I was so happy to see them. It was almost like I got to hold his hands. He traced them on his own.

Even more special, at the top of the picture it said, "I Love You Kayla." It was written in English and it was written BY ABU. In his community, all letters are written by a community volunteer that can write in English. That way, no time is wasted in translation. However, it's very sad because I have been sponsoring Abu for over five years and I have never seen Abu's handwriting before. Today, I did! Yay!

Time for the letter!

 

 

__________________________________________________________________________________

Dear Kayla,

Abu and grandmother received the letters, photos, and the stickers you sent. They appreciate you and say many thanks to you. They are proud of you anywhere they go. They pray that God continues to bless you and your family and make provisions for you all.

Abu has drawn his hands on a paper for you, though not well shaped because he did it on his own. He is very much happy to have you as his sponsor.

Also, when his grandmother comes from village, he will have her take a picture and send it to you.

He's in the second term of the school year and Abu and his friends often play football on the field.

Moreover, Abu and his grandmother say thank you and your family and always remember you.

Love,
Abu-Bakarr

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Another Long Letter! This Time, from Kalpesh

I also heard from my boy, Sagar, today. Scroll down to read his letter.

I am so happy to have heard from my lovely boy, Kalpesh. Last year, I heard from him multiple times a month and this year, I heard from him in January, and then nothing until today. I was so happy to get a letter from him that literally jumped up and down and squealed in my apartment. It's a good thing that I get home from work before anybody else in my building, haha.

Here's the letter:

 

 

___________________________________________________________________________________

 

Dearest Friend Kayla ,

 

Greetings to you in the sweet name of Lord Jesus Christ from me and my family members in this wonderful new year. Once again, I am very glad to write this letter to you. First of all, praise the Lord and thanks to him for this wonderful opportunity. Also, I am very glad to receive your letters, stickers of cars, pictures of Big Ben and Grand Canyon, your photograph, picture of tiger, and cross stickers. Also, the picture of Jesus Christ's birth. One thing I forgot about was our anniversary of our friendship. Happy friendship anniversary to you to. (The one year anniversary of writing to Kalpesh was in December). I also wish you a happy and prosperous new year. Thank you so much for your encouraging words. I promise I will do everything without complaining and I will memorize the verse with you. (I shared Philippians 2:14 with him).

 

Here, I am trying to answer your questions. I go to school by walking. My favorite subject is Marathi. I struggle with English at school. I spend 6 hours a day at school. My best friend is Kalpesh at school (Guess Kalpesh is a common name!) There are 52 children in my class. My class teacher's name is Mrs. Vidya. My house is made up with wood, sticks, and mud. I am staying iwth my uncle, aunt, and cousin siblings. Most people here are daily wage workers. I like to learn about Jesus at the project. There are 163 children registered at the project. I like to know more about baseball. (I shared with him about a baseball game I went to).

 

Thank you so much for doing everything for me. Once again, wish you very happy and prosperous new year and may God help you in your job and give you good health.

 

With Lots of Love,

Kalpesh

 

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Long Letter from Sagar!

This long awaited letter is amazing! At the beginning, he is thanking me for a money gift that was sent to him after I sponsored him.

 

 

_________________________________________________________________________________

 

Dear Sponsor Kayla ,

Loving greetings! It's a great joy for me to write this letter to you. With the gift you sent me, I received new clothes, school supplies, such as textbooks, notebooks, pencil box, school bag, and synopsis guidebooks for the subjects I find tough. Even though my father has died, yet by witnessing all the gifts and love I have received from you brought tears to my mother and grandmother's eyes. And we are so grateful to you!

Now that I have all the study materials, I am studying hard and I am regularly going to school. my sister Tanisha too has received her birthday gift as she is also sponsored of Compassion.
Presently, the weather is winter here, and slightly it has gotten warmer. Last month we celebrated Christmas with utter joy! We, along with other children, were taken to a beautiful garden along with our parents. We sang songs. We loved the Christmas pageant! And from the skit we saw, we were able to know that Jesus's birth was supernatural and that he was the king, yet he took the lowliest place on earth and loved us with a love that no one could over love. He loves us children so much! We really had the best time of our lives! We also received new clothes and Indian sweets on that day. We were so glad indeed!

Thank you for being so kind and loving. Know that you are always in my thoughts and prayers.
Loving Child, Sagar

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Another Lovely Letter from Xhuliano ( 2 of 2 Letters Received Today)

If you haven't seen the letter I received today from Sagitaria, be sure to scroll down to read it. I was going to separate the letters into two different days' posts, but I really do like to have the letters posted on the day that I receive them. It's a way for me to keep a for sure record.

Anyway, here's the letter:

 

 

 

_____________________________________________________________________________________

 

Dear Kayla,

 

I received the letters that you sent me from November 27th, December 17th, December 26th, and January 2nd. I got them all written by hand - all those beautiful and sweet words for me and my family. I thank you very much. With the trainers I got, I go to school everyday and I think of you everyday. I play with them in my physical education class and I have much fun. We had a great time for my father's birthday and we got him a bouquet of flowers. My two sisters Stelina and Marsela love you very much.

 

Now, I have not go so much difficulties at school as I now know all the teachers and they are all very nice, so I feel that the subjects are easier. I asked my main teacher and she said that I should be well behaved and study hard so I can be a good student. (He was struggling in school. I encouraged him to not be afraid to ask his teacher for help, because that is what teachers are there for.)

 

I love you and you will always be in my heart. It was wonderful that you had written me about Jesus. I am very happy to learn more about Jesus from my friend.

 

You are very important to me too. I learn lots of things that I do not know from you. You are a smart and pretty girl and you express very kind words. I was also very glad that you liked the card that I sent you. I loved your picture too - your face looks so smiley and sweet.

 

Do you have a heating system in your house? What about clean water? We have got a wood heater. I go to the mountain with my father and we prepare the wood for being warm and we also cook on the heater. On the fire, the food cooked turns out to be really delicious. We have got a trio cable (a system that allowes you to watch several TV stations on pay) and cartoons are my favorite, such as Tom and Jerry. I like Albanian movies as well as the stations displaying the soccer matches.

 

We had a great time at Christmas, for the birthday as well as for the New Year celebrations - I was very happy to receive the t-shirt and other gifts for my birthday that all came in due time. Thank you so much. You are a wonderful friend. Whenever I have got some free time, I take the books that speak about Jesus and I read them. I like "The Good Shephered" and "The God that Makes a Way". (I'm guessing these are books provided by World Vision). But I also liked what you wrote me, it was really pretty. I learned more and I expect to learn even more about Jesus as I believe in God very much. I hope you will write me even more about Jesus, my wonderful friend and I pray to God every day for you and your family. May God bless you and may you enjoy good health!

 

Xhuliano

 

__________________________________________________________________________________

A Letter from Sagitaria! (1 of 2 Letters Received Today)

This letter is amazing! It's 4 pages long and answers every question that I've asked her over the last few months. These long letters with all of my questions answered seems to be a theme with my kiddos lately. I love that!

 

 

__________________________________________________________________________________

 

 

Dear Kayla ,

 

Greetings of peace to you, Mama Kayla. How are you Mama Kayla over there? I am just fine down here. During the new year holiday, my family and I went to Rawang. I saw rice fields in Rawang. How was your new year Mama Kayla? Was it pleasant? I had a one week holiday during that time.

 

Thank you for your letter, Mama Kayla. Also for the stickers and picture to be colored. Also for the gift you sent me.

 

Answers to my sponsor's questions:

 

1. What is your house made of? Wood Planks

 

2. Who lives in your home with you? Mother, older brother, older sister, younger sibling.

 

3. Where do you sleep? Do you have a bed? Matt. I do not have a bed.

 

4. Do you have electricity in your home? There is electricity at my house.

 

5. Where do people get water in your community? I get water from my surroundings

 

6. How do people typically travel around your community? By foot/walking

 

7. How does Compassion help in your community? By helping a child who is financially in need

 

8. How many children are registered in your Compassion project? 178 children

 

9. What do you like the most about your project? Drawing pictures

 

10. What food is typical in your community? Saksang

 

11. Do you know of Hello Kitty? I don't know Hello Kitty

 

12. How is your family doing? My family is fine

 

13. What do your parents do for work? My father and mother work as a fisherman and a farmer.

 

14. How did you celebrate the New Year? In my country, we celebrate the new year's eve by playing fireworks and gathered together with family.

 

15. What is your goal for the new year? My target in 2013 is becoming the best student in my class

 

 

My the Lord Jesus Bless You,

Sagitaria

 

 

Here's the picture Sagitaria drew me of the rice fields in her village

 

 

__________________________________________________________________________________

 



Happy 11th Birthday, Celeste!

Today, my precious Honduran girl, Celeste, turns 11 years old. What a joyous day!

 

Dear Celeste,

 

Since the day that I first laid eyes on you on Amanda's blog, I loved you. I loved everything about you. Your pretty black hair up in a ponytail, your cute outfit, your hands on your hips, and a sassy look on your face. I hate to admit it, but I tried to pretend that you weren't meant to be mine. For days, I stayed away from Amanda's blog. But, your face interrupted in my dreams and your name was constantly on my mind. When Amanda posted an update on her blog, she announced that there were only a few children remaining from the project she would visit. You were one of those children.

 

I couldn't deny it anymore. You were mine.

 

A few months after that, Amanda visited Honduras and went to your project. She brought you gifts and many cute pictures were taken of you. You are absolutely beautiful.

 

I wish you all the best on your birthday, beautiful girl. I pray that you enjoy a great day with your grandmother and your brothers. I pray that you know just how truly loved you are by so many people. And amazingly, no matter how much I love you, our God loves you even more. I hope you know that to be true.

 

I am so excited to meet you in August. I sure hope that you are a fan of big hugs, because I am longing to hold you close and tell you how much I love you.

 

Happy birthday, sweet girl.

 

Love,

Kayla

Touching Thursday: Longest Waiting Children

This week, I have chosen three children who have been waiting over 250 days for a sponsor. That is over 8 months. That is a long time for a small child to wait to hear that somebody loves them enough to invest in their lives.

Can you show one of this children love?

 

Taseni has been sponsored!

 

 

 

I am just in love with this boy

 

Name: Ratual

Age: 8

Birthday: March 25th, 2005

Country: Bangladesh

Guardians: Father & Mother

Number of Siblings: 1

Chores: Carrying Water

Hobbies: Soccer & Group Games

School Performance: Average in Primary School

Compassion Activities: Church Activities

 

You can sponsor Ratual here

 

 

 

Maria has found a loving sponsor!

Wordless Wednesday: When Poverty Meets Compassion 7

 

Friends in Kenya

 

Arts and Crafts in Haiti

 

All Smiles in Nicaragua

 

Home sweet home in Honduras

 

Precious Princesses in the Philippines

 

Letters to Sponsors in the Philippines

 

Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies in Uganda

 

 

 

 

*I do not own any of these photos. All photos were taken from the Compassion blog. 

Rocking Letter from Kwizera Yves!

When I felt the cream colored envelope I got today, it felt unusually thick. My mind thought that it was a letter from Sagar with a picture of what he bought with his gift money.

However, when I opened it, it was a letter from Kwizera!

I should note, that he actually goes by his second name, Yves, so that is how I will be referring to him from now on. I'm even going to change the labels on all of the posts about, so you probably won't even notice, haha.

Anyway, this letter was extra awesome. It was actually two letters in one. One was the "My Christian Learning" template. Attached to that was a long letter answering many of the questions that I've asked him over the last few months.

I am certainly falling in love with this little boy.

Here's the template letter:

_________________________________________________________________________________

1. I learn the most about the Christian God from: Church

2. In my project I am learning about the Christian God: His love. And He stays with us always.

3. In my project I am learning about the bible: Story of Jesus, Elijah, Moses, Joseph, and Noah.

4. My favorite bible story is: The story of Joseph

5. My favorite bible verse is: Jeremiah 25:11

6. My favorite thing I learned about Jesus is: He died for us.

7. My favorite song to sing at my project is: I am a Sheep of Jesus

8. When I pray to Jesus, I pray about:  Knowledge, protect my family, protect the project workers, and bless my sponsor.

Dear Kayla,

Yves greets you in the name of Jesus Christ. He wished to answer some of the questions that you've asked him and he appreciates you for the letters that you sent to him. Rwanda is a small country in East Africa. I like rice, meat, and chips.

_________________________________________________________________________________

Here's the 2nd letter I received today!

_______________________________________________________________________________

Dear Kayla,

My favorite subject is English. My parents are farmers and I wish to be a driver. My favorite color is Red. My favorite sport is football. In Rwanda we cultivate potatoes, bananas, coffee, tea, sorghum, beans, sweet potatoes, maize, and cassava.

We are 6 people at home. Father, mother, and my 3 sisters. I am the 6th. Their names are: Father is Aphrodis, Mother is Bernadette. My sisters are Magnifique, Pacifique, and Rachel.

We request you to pray for us so that we can get a house. Pray for us so that we can progress in our studies. Pray for my father so that God can heal him because he is sick.

I wish to see the White House in America. If I get the means I can go there.

Rwanda is surrounded by Uganda, Kenya, DRE, and Burundi. Thank you so much for the photos that you sent to me. It pleased me. I was glad to hear the story of Easter.

I love you so much and I appreciate you.

__________________________________________________________________________________