Gifts to Honduras!

Over the years, I've had several opportunities to send gift bags to my sponsored children, through those that are going on a sponsor tour to one of the countries. Buying items for my kids and packing them into a bag NEVER gets old. It is always so much fun to scan the aisles at the store for things that my kids will like. I always try to picture my kids receiving their gifts and feeling so joyful. As I don't have the means to visit my kids on a trip, being able to show my love through these gifts is such a blessing.

There is a trip to Honduras coming up in October and I had the opportunity to pack up bags for my two teenagers, Celeste and Carlos. I thought I would have a hard time finding things for them, since they are now too old for toys, but it wasn't hard at all. It was fun! Here are the gifts that I bought:

Celeste is receiving an orange tote bag, a washcloth (the box is soap, but it didn't fit in the final bag), a 300 piece puzzle, purple pencil carrier, pens, pencils, pencil sharpeners, notebook, calculator, toothbrush erasers, manicure set, elastic bands, beads, colored pencils, and a clip-on LED light. 

Carlos is receiving an orange tote bag, washcloth, toothbrush, soccer socks, set of mini screwdrivers, a pencil carrier, notebook, calculator, manicure set, pencils, pens, colored pencils, erasers, pencil sharpeners, and a clip-on LED light. 

Amazingly, everything fit into their respective bags and will be mailed off later today. I can't wait to get word that Celeste and Carlos received their gifts. Maybe I'll even received a photo! (Wishful thinking). 

Project Director Letter: TZ-231

Hello again, everyone! Happy Monday morning! It's time to read another letter from another one of my children's centers. This one is from TZ-231, which is where my boy Haji attends.

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Dear Kayla, 

I greet you in the name of Jesus! My name is Frederick, the leader of the church that hosts ELCT Bagamoyo Student Center where your sponsored child attends. The center is located in Bagamoyo District, Pwani Region, Tanzania at the shores of the Indian Ocean. 

Thank you for supporting Haji. Contributions from sponsors like you make a difference in the children's lives spiritually, cognitively, socio-emotionally, and physically. 

Our region is among the four regions in Tanzania that are ranked as very poor. Most of the people are Muslims and there is a massive illiteracy rate. Then men are engaged in small-scale fishing and the women sell items, such as okra, green leaves, and fish. Since the economy is not good, the local church needs to mobilize resources to help the people. 

Our center's vision is to be a great place of hope where the children are inspired to be the best they can. We want to nurture a network of stakeholders and together, create mutual, enduring value. We also want to be a responsible center that makes a difference by helping build and support sustainable communities. 

We will teach the children English and math class, which are the two subjects that they need the most help in. Spiritually, the children are developing well. We have started Bible competitions among the children to test their knowledge of the Word of God and to encouraged them to reflect Jesus in their daily lives. This past year, ten children have confessed Jesus as their savior. The center is also ensuring that all children who fall sick are getting good treatment. In addition, we have started cleanliness campaigns and have distributed mosquito nets to the children. As a result, no children have died from malaria lately. 

When sponsors send gifts to the children, they are used to fulfill the wishes and needs of the children, reducing the financial burden on the family. The children are very happy when they receive letters from their sponsors. They feel valued, and they look forward to writing to their sponsors and telling them about what is going on in their lives. They feel that someone cares for them and that they have a friend overseas. Please write a letter to Haji. 

Please pray with us for the spiritual and physical health of the children, as well as their families and community. We will pray for you as well. 

Thank you again for your support for Haji. May you stay blessed! 

Yours in Christ, 
Frederick 

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Ugandan and Kenyan Letters, FTW!

Yes, I said FTW. Internet slang...umm...FTW! :)

Let's jump right into the letters, shall we?

Up first, a letter from Derrick. It appears that he has joined a vocational course. I think that's great! I sure hope he learns well!

Derrick is 13 years old and lives in Uganda. He wrote his letter on May 27th, 2016.

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Dear Kayla, 

I am happy to hear from you. Thanks a lot for the letter and the photos. I am glad to tell you that I joined a course of vocational training. I am learning mechanics. I have decided to join mechanics and hope to finish and do mechanical jobs and earn some money. 

To answer your questions, Compassion, first of all, has taught me about God. I have been able to go to school and get items, like a mattress, and this has helped me to sleep better. I have been coursed and guided on how to live a healthy life and make good choices. 

The letters received from you, my sponsor, encourage me to work hard and to know that I am loved. Knowing that God uses you to support me makes me feel special. 

I love to hear what God is doing in your life and about you and your family. I am happy when you tell me how I have grown and when you encourage me. 

Derrick 

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Now I have two letters from Kenya to share with you. My letters from Kenya have been the most reliable since the new system started. They have been coming like clockwork and traveling the fastest. In this next letter, Brian is answering questions I just mailed to my kids at the beginning of July. My letter got to to him in just about two weeks. Then he answered the letter and it made it back to me in a month. 6 weeks total. Amazing!

Brian is 15 years old. His letter is dated July 23rd, 2016.

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Dear Kayla, 

Receive warm greetings in Jesus name. My family and I are fine and God has been our protector. How is your family? Thank you for your letters and here are the answers to your questions. 

My favorite fruit is the orange. My favorite vegetable is cabbage. My favorite sweet food is chapati (dessert pancake). My best gift I have received is clothes. I like going to church every Sunday and after church, I visit my friends. My favorite game is football. If I could be invisible the whole day, I would go to my friends and call them, but they would not see me and I think that is funny. 

Before I wind up, I have a bible verse to share with you. Ecclesiastes 11:9 says, "Young people, enjoy your youth. Be happy when you are still young. Do what you want to do and follow your heart's desire. But remember, God is going to judge you for whatever you do." 

Thank you for your support and may God bless you. 

Brian 

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Onto another letter from Kenya! This letter is from Daniel. I was assigned him as a correspondent child in March and it's been a long wait to hear from him. I am so happy to have this first letter from him! This young man was assigned to me completely by chance and I fell in love with him instantly. I really hope that we get to write to each other for many years. I am not sure why he didn't write at all between March and July, but hey, whatca gonna do, right?

In his letter, he mentioned that he loves athletics. There is a chance that he just means sports, in general. But, I really hope that he means "athletics", as in track and field events. I am about to write Olympic themed letters to my kids in countries that won medals and Kenya got some medals in "athletics." I hope he enjoys that topic!

Daniel is 16 years old. He wrote this letter on July 2nd, 2016.

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Dear Kayla, 

First and foremost, I greet you in the name of the Lord, our Savior. I am doing well in school and my family members are also doing fine at home. I am working hard at school and at home. I hope and trust that you are also doing well. Me too, I hope that we can we can be good friends. My favorite food is chapati and meat and fruits. I enjoy athletics and singing. I am happy to see your letter and I love you so much. I am happy to see your photo on your letter. You look like a new friend. My family is also happy for you. We are four people in our family. I am thankful to God for this family. We live in a rural area, not in town. May God bless you and your family! 

Daniel 

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Things Are Looking Up!

This month, I have received more letters than I have been receiving lately and it's been great! It's so good to see things improving. I've even heard from some kids that I haven't heard from in over six months. I've been eagerly awaiting these letters. I have been really missing my kids.

So today, I have another three letters to share with you. I thought about spreading them out into separate posts, but that's never really been my style before, so why start now? Haha.

First, I'll start with the letter from Sagitaria. She is such a sweet girl and included a coloring page for the little girl that I nanny for, with her letter. It's a picture of a helicopter, that I am not going to post with this letter. I don't have a way to print out the coloring page, but I so love Sagitaria's thought and love for her!

Sagitaria is 12 years old and lives in Indonesia. Her letter is dated July 5th, 2016.

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Shalom Mama Kayla, 

How are you, Mama? My family and I are fine. You are doing fine, right? I am overjoyed as I am reading your letter. Oh yes, mama, I made it to grade 8. I am very excited to get good grades. This is all by your prayers. I pray that your family there does well. Mama, it is the dry season in Indonesia, but flowers and vegetables continue to grow well. I enjoy writing to you very much. I have school and project holidays now, so I stay at home and help my parents. Please pray, mama, that I become a better student in grade 8. My best friend is Lidia. We both colored the pictures you sent and I will put them on my bedroom wall. I won't forget to pray for little sister C to recover soon from her broken arm. I am sending a picture for C to color. May she be happy with the picture. I'll stop here for now and I hope you write me back. Lord Jesus bless. 

Love, 

Sagitaria 

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Next, a letter from my sweet boy, Haji. He is one of the children that I've been hearing from like clockwork since the new system started. I am happy to see some countries really jump on board and figure out the new system. I can't wait to see all of Compassion's countries working smoothly every two months. 

Haji is 13 years old and lives in Tanzania. His letter was written on July 9th, 2016. 

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Dear Kayla,

Praise the Lord Jesus. I hope that you are fine. I also am fine together with my family. Also I am doing well with my studies. Thank you to God for giving me the gift of life. Currently, we are in a holiday and I am expecting the schools to open soon, to proceed with studies. Pray for my progress at school and I will do the same so that God will give you the gift of life together with your family and to continue to protect you in your work and for you to be successful. 

MwinyiHaji

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The last letter of the day is from Nikko. It had been nearly six months since I heard from him. After being used to hearing from every two months or less, I was missing him. I am so happy to have this letter! 

Nikko is 17 years old and lives in the Philippines. He wrote his letter on March 19th, 2016. 

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Dear Ms. Kayla, 

Hello my beautiful friend! I received six letters from you. Thank you so much for these. Today, I write a letter to you because I'm happy to receive all of your letters. How are you while reading this letter? I hope you're fine, same as me and my family. 

I have read the verse you shared, Romans 8:37. Thank you for sharing it. I enjoyed reading about Thanksgiving in the United States and the meaning of the Five Finger Prayer. I learned a lot from reading your letters. And regarding your questions, I'd like to answer them the best that I can. Compassion helps me learn to pray and to know more about God. For me, I am blessed having a sponsor like you. I am fortunate because you have supported me in so many ways, especially with your prayers. If someone is planning on sponsoring a child, that would be a blessing. Have them imagine the smile they could put on the child's face. It is important to write letters because we can know each other more and to know each other's situations. I like letters about God and events in your country. 

Please continue praying for me. I am praying for you also, for good health and blessings. How is your job? 

Love, 

Nikko

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Letters from some Little Guys

By little guys, I mean my "10 year olds and younger". For some reason, in my head, 10 years old is the threshold into big-kid-hood.

Anyway, here are the three letters I want to share today:

First up, I received a very first letter from Dagim. He didn't have too much to say, but that sometimes happens with a first letter. I'm hoping to see a much more open boy in the next letter.

Dagim is 8 years old and lives in Ethiopia:

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Dear Kayla,

I learn the most about God from my brother. When I pray to God, I pray about my class. Please pray that I'll be a clever student. I want to be a doctor. I love drawing, playing soccer, and reading. Thank you for all your support and your letter. May God give me the best of health. 

Dagim

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Up next, a letter from Solomon. He is 10 years old and lives in India. His letter is dated May 14th, 2016. 

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Dear Aunty, 

Greetings to you in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. How are you? I am fine by God's grace. I am happy to receive all your letters. Thank you so much for sharing about the Ten Commandments and prayers. Please share my regards to G and C. They are very cute and lovely. I am glad and excited to say that I have passed my 4th grade exam and I am stepping in 5th grade. Thank you for your prayers. In our project, we had VBS and learned many things about Jesus. He gives us hope, courage, and wonderful things. I enjoyed the arts and crafts in VBS. Please pray for my studies, family, and friends. I am praying for you and your family. 

Thanking You,

Your Child,

Solomon

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Last up, a letter from Ernest. There have been many hiccups in the new letter system, but I have heard from Ernest every two months like clockwork, since the new system started in April. That's definitely saying something, right? Ernest still does not write his own letters, but I'm sure he will in the near future. 

Ernest is 10 years old and lives in Ghana. His letter was written on July 5th, 2016. 

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Dear Kayla, 

Ernest says he thanks you for your wonderful support. His says his father sows maize during the rainy season on their farm. He says pray for him and his father always. He says pray for his father to have a good harvest from his farm. He says he will pray for God to bless you and grant you a long life. 

Ernest

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Last Letter (Potentially) From Chintada

A little explanation on the title of this blog entry:

My lovely young man, Chintada, is 20 years old. He is set to graduate from his Compassion project in January. Between the slowdown in letters and the fact that things have been so unstable in India, I have no idea if I will hear from again. I am trying to remain hopeful that I do, but only time will tell. Maybe I'll even end up with a whole pile of letters from him that all arrive at once...or something like that.

Anyway, this letter that I got from him was written on March 29th, 2016. It took quite a long time to get to me, but it's totally worth it.

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Dear Kayla,

Loving greetings to you in the name of Jesus Christ. I am keeping fine with my family. I hope you are also keeping fine there. 

I am very glad to have received your letter and I came to know more about you. I saw the photo of your children (my nanny kiddos) and I am very happy to see the photos and they are very nice. 

I have done many new programs, such has "How to Face Interviews", "Safe Drinking Water", and "Vocational Skill Visit". I have learnt many new programs through the project. It is helping my future. It is the summer season going on and we are feeling very hot here. We are getting some fruits, such as mango, jack fruit, and cashews, etc, in our area. 

Please pray for my future and my family. Especially keep on praying for me learning tailoring, for me to complete and have success in tailoring. I am also praying for your family everyday. My family is very happy with what I have been doing for my future. My favorite game is volleyball. Do you like volleyball? 

Thanks,

Chintada

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Project Director Letter: IN-804

Another Monday, another project director letter. Are you ready, kids? Aye, aye, captain!

Anyway, onto the letter, from IN-804, which is the project my Kalpesh attends.

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Dear Kayla,

Greetings to you! 

I am Pastor P., Project Director of the Compassion International Child Development Center attended by your sponsored child. Thank you so much for sponsoring Kalpesh. This center is located in Kothada, in the Northern region of India. We are thankful for your valuable sponsorship. 

The church and center are serving in this area for many years. We have a proper church building in the community. The church is catering to the nearby villages too. The center is a wonderful strategy to get connected with the local community. 

The community which we are ministering to are tribal people and most of the inhabitants are living in small huts. There are many challenges in the community here. They do not have constant employment and sickle cell anemia is found among children and parents. Addiction, illiteracy, malnutrition, and unhygienic living conditions are also prevalent. The often migrate to some nearby towns for employment. 

The biggest problem we face here is child marriage; boys at the age of 15-16 and girls as they reach 14-15 get married. Children are also often neglected. It is challenging to mold the community, but working with the children has given us an opportunity to impact a new generation. 

We want our children to get a quality education and have better futures. We see children improving in their academics. Our regular parent meetings and awareness programs are constantly challenging parents on the issue of child marriage and alcoholism. Parents started cooperating with the church now and are taking interest in the education of their children. 

We are also training and helping the parents to provide livelihood options such as cow rearing. We see behavioral changes in some parts of their lives. We are constantly working with them. Sponsored children are learning vocational skills, especially music, computer, and sports and they are excelling. 

Sponsor letters are a blessing for our children. They feel valued to have letters. They are eagerly waiting for the letters. It amazes them to think about how a person who has never seen them or met them sends letters, gifts, and assistance to them. We urge all sponsors to write letters, as they can mean so much. 

We are requesting you to pray for the sponsored children and families with sickle cell anemia, for more sustainable livelihood opportunities, that the addicted parents would be released from alcoholism. Please also pray for the center staff who are working hard, and pray for the eleven children who are appearing in the tenth grade board exam this year. 

We are once again grateful for your kind help. Thank you again for your support of Kalpesh. We praise and thank God for you. We are constantly praying for you, along with our center children. 

With Prayers, 
Pastor P. 

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Letters to My Kids: July 2016

Hey! It's only a little over halfway through August and I'm posting about my July letters. Not too bad of a timeline at all, compared to how bad I've been at this in the past, haha.

Last month, I only had time to write one letter, as opposed to my usual two or three. The woman who basically runs the show at my part-time job is about to have a baby and for the 8 weeks that she is on maternity leave, I'll be taking over a semi-large chunk of her job, while I am there on the weekends. In July (and still now), I've been taking extra time at work to be trained in some of these new procedures. Talk about busy! But, I think I can do it! If not, thankfully there will be other people there to direct my questions to.

Anyway, due to the fact that I basically just at work in July, I sent my kids another one of my famous lists of questions. I send these lists a couple time a year because my kids love them. They are always so responsive to these lists and most of the kids answer all of the questions that I send. I just make up a list of questions that I want to know the answer to or questions that I think are fun. In this letter, I also answered all of the questions myself, so they can get to know this information about me, as well. I'm hoping for some great answers in return.

A New Kiddo to Love

Ever since last year, when I lost several of my correspondent children, due to a company having to stop sponsoring a large number of kids, I have been trying to get my number of children back up to the number I love writing to. It's been quite a challenge. I've lost several more kids this year and it seems like every time I get a new child, I lose another one. Such is life of a correspondent sponsor, right?

Anyway, this week, I lost one of my kiddos, Fetehalew, due to his sponsor wanting to write to him again. It's always sad to see a correspondent child go, but I think that's one of the best reasons to lose a child. In a perfect world, all financial sponsors would write to their kids frequently.

Yesterday, I received a new kiddo to write to. I am so excited to get to know him! He is just so cute. He was just enrolled into his Compassion project in May and was sponsored for the first time just two days ago. His sponsor requested a correspondent sponsor right away, so this kiddo is brand new to Compassion. He's about to find himself in a whirlwind of letters.

Meet 7 year old Bryan from Nicaragua:

Project Director Letter: DR-484

Today we read another another project letter!

Today's letter comes to us from DR-484, which is the project my little guy Enmanuel attends. This letter is actually from the pastor at his church, but I am still going to include it in this series because...why not?

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Dear Kayla, 

My name is Martha Yesenia Tejeda. I am the pastor of the Iglesia de Dios Pentecostal in Sabana Grande de Boya in the Dominican Republic. I am ministering to Enmanuel in the Camiando con Jesus (Walking with Jesus) Child Development Center. Here, we are happy to work in favor of our community's children who are in need. It is a privilege to have the opportunity to express our thanks to your for your support of Enmanuel. 

Actual Photo of Enmanuel's Community

We minister to a very poor community but we are well aware that, with God, nothing is impossible. One of the major difficulties and challenges we are facing in our community is the lack of employment opportunities. As a result of that, many children are left alone or live with other relatives while their parents go to work in other communities, in order to support their family. Another major challenge is the delinquency that afflicts our community. 

Our vision is to ensure that all the children participating in the center, as well as their parents will become Christians and that, in the future, they can enjoy a good state of spiritual, physical, emotional, and cognitive health. From our experience in doing this work, we can testify that many children who start coming to the center are malnourished and with a depressing look at first. After a short time, thanks to the intervention of our doctor and the entire staff, we have children in stable conditions. 

Working with the children and their families in the spiritual area is what really makes the difference between the children attending the center and those who are not. We are implementing programs including evangelism campaigns and follow up discipleship of new believers. With the help of the Lord we will release the children from poverty. 

I would like to share the story of two children who lives were changed by the center and sponsorship. The first one is a special needs child with psycho-motor impairment; he is the boy of a family in great need. We have been able to impact the family in a lovely and extraordinary way by rebuilding their home. The second story is about a newly sponsored girl. Her father has a job with a salary well below the minimum wage, but now we are able to build them a house of wood and zinc.

One of the greatest satisfaction is seeing the joy on the children's faces when they receive a letter from their sponsors. The joy of receiving news from their sponsors is something that motivates the children to continue staying in the program. So please continue to write letters if you can. 

We are very grateful for your support in favor of Enmanuel. We are working tirelessly to ensure that our children have a healthy life and are being prepared to be self-sustainable in the future. I say goodbye wishing, in the name of the Walking with Jesus center, that the Lord will bless you and will fill you with joy and happiness. 

In Chris,
Pastor Martha Yesnia Tejeda

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Dagim's Updated Photo: 2016

I was surprised to receive this photo update because it was still a few months away from the 2 year mark. Early photo updates are always so great!

Dagim will turn 9 years old in October.

It's Great to See Letters Rolling In!

For about the last month or so, maybe six weeks, I haven't received any letters, so I was shocked to receive so many in such a short amount of time. I can only hope this is a sign of things to come and things will start to pick up again. With over 50 children that I write to, I should be receiving more than just a few letter a month.

I know that things have started slowly, but I ready to see some significant progress!

I have three letters to share with you today. This will be my final letter post, after a few in a row. Then I have other fun things to share with you, so keep coming back. :)

First, I'll share a letter from Mulwa. He writes a short letter, but still, good to hear from him. Mulwa is 9 years old and lives in Kenya. His letter is dated July 9th, 2016.

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Mulwa salutes you in the name of Jesus Christ! He says that he is fine in the Lord, together with his family. He hopes that you are also fine. He informs you that he has been attending the project, which has been of much help in his life. He appreciates you for the much concern towards his life. He also thanks you for the letter which you sent to him. May God bless you. Amen. 

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Next up, a heartwarming letter from Sandesh. In the past, he has typically not written his own letters. I asked him in a few letters recently when he would begin to write his own letters (I think he is plenty old enough) and he did with this letter! And his words really make my heart happy. It always great to see how much our kids love learning about Jesus and finally understanding how much they are loved. 

Sandesh is 12 years old and lives in India. His letter is dated March 8th, 2016, which is quite a long time ago, that's for sure. I'm glad to have it. 

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Dear Kayla, 

Greetings to you in the good name of Jesus Christ. Hi, how are you? I am Sandesh. I am so happy that you call me friend. I could not see the event that you talk about, but it is very informative for me and my friends in the project. Yes, my friend Kayla, Jesus is powerful. In our project, we learn about Jesus, his love, and his mercy. We are very special to God. He created us in his own hand, so we are also powerful. I love you Kayla, my friend. God bless you! 

Your Lovely, 

Sandesh 

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Lastly, a letter from Jhonrex. He is another one of my kids that I hadn't heard from since before the big letter system change, so I was so happy to see a letter from him make it through. 

Jhonrex is 16 years old and lives in the Philippines. His letter is dated March 10th, 2016

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Dear Kayla,

Hello. How are you there? I hope you're in good health and condition. I am okay. I thank God that I will soon graduate from Grade 6 in this month, March 2016. My center class is also okay, even though I cannot go there regularly because of my classes in school. Please pray that I can continue schooling in high school this coming school year. By the way, thank you for the letters I received. About some school activities, we just had a "Language Month." About your question, if we have rules in school, in the project, and at home, yes, we have rules. They are hard to follow, but I am trying my best to follow them because they are for my own good. Do you have any plans to visit the Philippines? God bless you, Kayla. 

Sincerely, 

Jhonrex

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Looooong Letter from Lina

Goodness, gracious, I love those Colombian kids and teens. They write some of the most wonderful and long letters. I especially love this letter because Lina wrote an entire extra page, which she decorated beautifully.

Lina is 17 years old. Her letter is dated May 10th, 2016.

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Dear Kayla,

I hope our good God blesses you greatly and abundantly. I want to tell you about my spiritual life. First of all, I can tell you that the person from whom I learn the most about God is my tutor Cindy. In the CDC, I'm learning that God takes care of me in my sadness moments and foremost, He is love. About the bible, I have learnt that it is a manual the Lord has given us to live our lives. By the way, my favorite bible stories are Esther and Job and my favorite verses is Isaiah 43:2. My favorite song is "Nadie Me Dijo" (Nobody Told Me). On the other hand, I can tell you that what I like the most about learning from Jesus is that he intercedes for me before His father. When I pray, I always pray for my family. I take this opportunity to thank you for your support through your prayers, letters, and contributions. In fact, with the money gift, I could buy a pair of pants, a blouse, and a pair of shoes. I want you to pray for Colombia because we are prone to earthquakes. Do you also have propensity for these natural disasters in your country? At last, I can tell you that I am happy because in the CDC, I am part of a group called the Nomads. We impact other young people with evangelism. Answering your questions: I can tell you that in the CDC, we are learning income-generating activities. They are teaching me to make handicrafts in wood, like chests and frames. Everybody at home is fine and I am enjoying good health. My graduation will be in 2018 and I'll be enrolled in the Compassion program until age 22. Yes, there is a university close to my home. As for me being sad, I can tell you that I have had difficult times, but God has been my help. I always imagine Jesus and his 12 disciples in unity. What makes me happy in God's presence is praying and praising him. Darkness frightens me. I look like my mom. I am right-handed. My wish is to impact other young people, preaching in a creative way. I would establish a law that young people can study for free. I realized I had a sponsor by the letters you sent to the CDC. I haven't any awards, so far. I'd like to meet many people, but especially Lilly Goodman. I don't have a nickname. If I had a garden, I would plant guava trees. Would you live to visit my country? What is your favorite song? What don't other sponsors write to their sponsored children? 

Sincerely, 

Lina

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Instant Letters from Uganda!

I have been getting behind on my blogging, lately. I have received several letters in the past couple of weeks that I just haven't had time to sit down and write out. That changes today! You will see posts of letters for the next few days. :)

 I will share two letters today that I am calling my instant letters! I am calling them that, because both letters are dated July 28th and that just so happens to be when they showed up on my account. Now, I realize that these letters were, obviously, not written on July 28th, but they still came through on my account on the same day they were dated (which must have been the day they were scanned into the system). Because they are from Uganda, they are written in English, so they skipped the translation process. Anyway, onto the letters:

To start, a letter from Brenda, who is 17 years old.

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Dear Kayla, 

I am greeting you in the name of Jesus Christ. How are you and how are your family members? Back to me, I am okay.  My family members are greeting you, so receive their greetings. 

I have received a letter you wrote to me and really the letter was so nice because I pass through it daily. I am happy and God bless you. 

It was so great to celebrate Valentine's party. I congratulate you. I also thank you so much for the stickers and cards you sent for me and my friends. 

We have entered into the second term now at school so pray for me so that I end it successfully and I can pass the exams well. 

Here, I have a verse from the book of Proverbs 21:1. It says that the king's heart is in the hands of the Lord. I put my life in the hands of the Lord. It teaches me to look far so that I can become somebody and now I am the head girl at school. I hope to grow higher, becoming important in my life. Thank you very much. 

Your's Faithfully, 

Brenda

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Now, the letter from Eric. He just turned 21 years old a couple of days ago. 

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Receive loving and special greetings from your son Eric, in Jesus name. How are you and the members of your family over there? Back to me, I am fine and the members of our family are sending their loving greetings to you. Thank you. 

I thank the almighty God who has kept us alive up to this time and I am very happy and proud to communicate with you once again. Thank you so much for the letters which you sent to me. I was very excited to receive them and know how you are doing over there. May the good Lord bless you richly. I thank God who enabled you to take good care of G and C and me. May the Lord bless you for the love and care you always show to us. I pray for you everyday and I am praying for C, for a quick recovery for her arm. 

As you have asked about my best friend, his name is Ivan. We go together to the market during the holiday and we are in the same church choir called "Sanga Yesu", which means "Follow Jesus". I am proud to inform you that I love serving God and the people he created. 

About the question of my favorite toy in childhood, I enjoyed playing football and do to this date. 

May God bless you richly. 

From Your Child,
Eric

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Project Director Letter: IN-967

It's time to hear from another one of my favorite projects, IN-967! This project is situated in a remote village in the Himalayan Mountains. It gets very cold in the village in the winter. Because of it's remoteness, there are literally no job opportunities in the village. Nearly 100% of the adults are unemployed and schools are very poor. Thanks to Compassion, schools have been created and the children are receiving a good education and parents are being taught money-earning skills. Compassion has really brought change to this village.

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Dear Kayla, 

I am V. the Project Director of the Child Development Center in Uttarakhand, India where your sponsored child attends. On behalf of the children and the entire center, I would like to express my gratitude to you for sponsoring Khushi. We believe that your contribution will bring a change for eternity. The children in our center are so receptive to the voice of God that, at times, even we are astonished. We can only say with the psalmist that God is working and it is marvelous in our eyes. 

Due to poverty and poor economic conditions, the people involve themselves in unlawful activities, such as making homemade liquor. The children become the victims to domestic violence at home. Many of the fathers become alcoholics and there is continued struggle in the families. Families break and the children suffer. In all of this, children are not able to get an education, proper nourishment, and so on. They become victims of social deprivation. Hence, there is a need of education in the community. We need to restore families and uplift the children, as well as the people in the community. 

In all of this, we praise God for using the center to bring a change for the better. The center is able to have an impact on the community. We visit families and counsel them. We encourage each parent to learn and grow. They open their homes for us to enter with the love of God. We pray with them and hold trainings for the parents and the people in the community to help them learn and start vocations of their own. We have counselling and workshops for alcoholics. 

I wish to share a testimony here. One of our fathers had a severe chest pain and was admitted to the hospital and they determined that he had a heart attack. He was then rushed to the intensive care unit where doctors found a hole in his heart. The child and mother began to cry and we comforted them by saying God will heal him. The father started recovering and returned home soon. The family's faith in God was solidified and now they regularly attend church. 

The children have been admitted to school and they are regularly encouraged and inspired to study well. The children who were malnourished and physically weak are no gaining strength and nourishment through the efforts of the center. The children who were affected by caste intolerance and were facing a lack of self-confidence are now improving a lot. 

God continues to keep our vision vivid and sharp. It is a vision that one day all the children in our center will become committed followers of God. They will be a part of the church and will be the agents of transformation wherever they go. 

I want to thank the sponsors for being the most important part in the process of the children's transformation. The relationship that is developed through letters, prayers, and support means a lot to the children. The relationship can lead to remarkable changes. Changes that we all will cherish for eternity! All our children become very thrilled whenever they receive a letter. Thank you for sponsoring Khushi! 

Please continue to pray for the children. Pray for the center and the staff. Pray that we will continue to press on, come what may! Thank you so much! May God bless you richly! 

Blessings,
V. 

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