Favorite Activities from Colombia!

My Colombian kids used to write me faithfully every 2 months, but things have really been slowed down over the last year. I last heard from them 4 months ago and before then, it had been 5 months since the last letter. I hope that now that the updates are completed, things will start to improve.

However, if there is anything I appreciate about Colombia, it's that every project in the country (I have compared to other sponsors, as well) writes on the same topic each time. So, all three of these letters share about what my kids enjoy doing It's so great to know my kids this way.

First I will start with the letter from Jonatan. His letter is shorter than usual, but still has a few good items of information. Whenever one of my children write a short letter, I imagine them sitting at a table writing a letter, really wanting to go off and play or sing or do art or something else fun. I personally love it!

Jonatan is 9 years old. His letter is dated February 6th, 2017.

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Dear Kayla, 

Beloved sponsor, may God bless you! I am very grateful to you for all the beautiful letters you send to me. In response to your last questions; I am doing quite well in school. I am very grateful to God that my parents are well. All my siblings are content and enjoying good health. In my free time, I enjoy playing on the tablet. I bid you farewell wishing you much success in your daily tasks. Sending lots of kisses and hugs your way. I want to give you the biblical promise in Nehemiah 8:10. 

Jonatan

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Onto the letter from my little man Daniel, who attends the same project as Jonatan. He has always written long, detailed letters and I basically love everything about that. :)

Daniel is 11 years old and he wrote his letter on February 7th, 2017.

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Dear Kayla, 

I send my greetings and a big hug for you and your family. Today I want to share about the activities I do for fun. In my free time I like to play soccer and dodgeball, and sleep in. Sports are among my favorite activities, such as swimming, jumping, and going for rides on my bike. I also take time to rest and relax, read, and sing. When I am here at the Compassion project, I like solving word search games, painting, making arts and crafts, playing musical instruments, and participating in the educational field trips. I usually spend most of my time with my siblings, close friends, and my family. When I'm bored, I watch television, usually a channel called Senal Colombia. One activity that I find to be a lot of fun is going down to the river to fish with my dad and my siblings. I want to thank you for all the letters you have written to me. You have a beautiful family and I pray for God to bless you each day. Please keep my family and me in your prayers, as well. This year I am studying at a mega school where there are approximately 8,000 students. In my classroom alone, there are 41 students. I want to share this bible verse with you: Isaiah 43:10. Farewell with a hug and a kiss for you, with much love and affection. 

Daniel

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And now I end with beauty. ;) A letter from Lina. She is a girl after my own heart telling me that her favorite activity is sleeping. I also love to sleep. I take a nap whenever I can snag one.

Lina is 18 years old. She wrote this letter on February 10th, 2017.

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Dear Sponsor, 

I greet you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. I hope that you and your family are well. I am very happy because my grandma came to spend Christmas with us. Changing the subject, I'd like to tell you that in my spare time I really like to read and listen to music. Those are just two of my favorite hobbies. I'd also like to tell you that my favorite activity is sleeping. I also want you to know that at the project, I really enjoy learning about God everyday. When I am outside the project, I really enjoy being with my friends. But what I like to do the most is play with my sister. When I am bored I watch TV. I'd like to tell you that I did great in school and made it to 11th grade. I ask you to please continue supporting me with your prayers so that everything goes well for me. I'd like to know, could you write a letter to my sister Luisa? Thank you for your monthly contribution and for the gift you send every year. I hope someday I can meet you personally. I want to ask you to please pray for my uncle because he is going through a difficult situation. I want to share with you Psalm 16:7-11. 

Lina 

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Letters from Five Chatty Boys

A few days ago, I wrote a post with an almost identical title. My girls had been chatting up a storm! Well, I guess my boys got jealous because since then, I have received a ton of letters from all boys. I will share five of them today. From youngest to oldest, let's begin!

I start with a letter from little Daniel. I am amazed because this is the 3rd letter I've received from him this year. As you know, it's only March, which happens to be the 3rd month of the year. Hearing from a kid once a month isn't bad at all. ;) This particular letter is written on the What I Like Best template.

Daniel is 7 years old and lives in Ecuador. He wrote this letter on January 18th, 2017.

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1. The game I like most is: Soccer 

2. And this is how I play it: With a ball 

3. My favorite subject at school is: Mathematics 

4. Please pray for: My parents

5. I want to thank you for: Writing to me 

6. What I enjoy doing most with my family is: Going for walks

7. My favorite place to visit is: The circus because I can see many animals. 

8. I also want to say that: You are always in my prayers 

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Now a letter from Bryan. After a long six month wait, this is my very first letter from him! His letter is written on the Festivals & Holidays template. 

Bryan is 8 years old and lives in Nicaragua. He wrote his letter on January 26th, 2017. 

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1. Our National festivals/holidays are: Christmas 

2. My favorite festival/holiday is: Bible Day 

3. My favorite celebrates festivals/holidays by: Eating & Visiting Family 

4. At the project, we celebrate Christmas with: Food, Games, & Praying

5. My favorite food to eat during celebrations are: Stuffed Chicken 

Hello dear sponsor! I'm happy to count on your love and friendship. I hope God always blesses you. Amen. 

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Onto a letter from Enmanuel. I was happy to hear all about Christmas celebrations in this letter! 

Enmanuel is 9 years old and is from the Dominican Republic. The letter is dated February 2nd, 2017. 

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Dear Kayla, 

Hi! May God bless you. I am so grateful for all your letters you have sent me. They are very beautiful and I like them so much. You have such a beautiful family. May God bless you all a lot. Here in the center, we celebrated Christmas with a delicious dinner and my family made a special dinner too. I really like rice pudding with cinnamon. I have a toy car. I play with it at my friend's house. My favorite color is red. They are going to celebrate my birthday, even though the date is far away. We celebrate birthdays with cake, candy, balloons, and toys. I ask you to pray for my family. I say goodbye with love. 

Enmanuel

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Now we move onto teenagers who seem to think they don't need to draw me pictures anymore. Haha. This letter is from Lamayian, who I have been calling Daniel for a really long time now. I have asked him what name he likes to be called and he has finally answered me. 

Lamayian is 17 years old and lives in Kenya. This letter is dated February 25th, 2017. 

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Dear Sponsor, 

I greet you in the name of Jesus Christ. I am doing well and God has really blessed me and my family. I am doing well in the project. I hope and trust that you are doing well with your family. I thank you for the letters that you have sent to me.  I am very happy to see them. I appreciate you for the support you support me from far up to today. I pray for you for all that you wish. I like to be called Lamayian, which means Blessed. I am happy to know that we like the same kind of food. I am encouraged by the lesson on Ezekiel who got a vision. I know through God we shall have great visions. I also saw the pictures of the athletes who are good in athletics. Goodbye. 

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Last up, a letter from Nikko. His letters have moved my heart since the very beginning. He has always written from his heart and shares very well. I am touched by the fact that he thanks for me for supporting him, even though he didn't graduate from school. As if that could ever make me stop loving him. 

He appears to have gotten a large stack of letters from me all at the same time. There was obviously some kind of delay in his project getting letters delivered. That explains the fact that it's been over four months since I last heard from him. Nikko has often been one of my most dedicated writers. 

Nikko is 18 years old and lives in the Philippines. His letter is dated February 15th, 2017. 

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Dear Ms. Kayla, 

Hello my friend! It's been awhile since I've written you a letter. I received many letters from you and also pictures. Thank you so much. I don't really know where to start with all of the questions you have on your letters. Let me first start from my Christmas celebration. I see you celebrated your Christmas with your family and it was a joyous one. About mine, I celebrated it with my family also. It was simple, with few food, but it was joyful. Thank you, by the way, my friend, for greeting me on my birthday. I heard it late, though, because of delayed letters, but I still appreciated it. Thank you also for sharing your stories. I feel sorry to you that I was not able to finish my studies. I thank you for understanding and supporting me still. Now I am glad to tell you that I have started a small business called Ukay-Ukay. It is selling used clothes from other countries. I'm glad I earn money to help my family. Today we are experiencing windy weather. Yesterday was Valentine's Day. What did you do yesterday? Please continue to pray for me here. 

Love, 

Nikko 

Romans 5:8 "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." 

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Letters From Five Chatty Girls

You often hear me talk about my little boys, my big boys, my teen and young adult boys on my blog. Yes, it is true that I have more boys than girls in my sponsorship family. 

However, I have the pleasure to write to and get to know 25 beautiful girls from all around the world. Just like my boys, my girls write wonderful letters and I have received a slew of them over the last week. This will be another long post, as I share five letters with you. From youngest to oldest: 

First up, a letter from little Nicol. Her letter is written on the template titled How I Have Fun. 

Nicol is 4 years old and lives in Colombia. Her letter is dated February 7th, 2017. 

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1. During free time, I like to: Watch TV and play with dolls. 

2. My favorite activity is: Painting

3. When I am outside, I like to: Go to the river 

4. When I am inside, I like to: Sing and pray 

5. I usually play with: My brother and my friends. 

6. When I am bored I like to: Be alone 

7. One fun thing I like to do is: Play in water 

Thank you for the letters you sent her. Her family is happy and grateful and your letters are beautiful. She liked to hear that you have a big family. May God keep you. We are praying for you. Nicol sends you a kiss and a big hug. She wants to share this verse with you: Jeremiah 31:3-7. 

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Onto a letter from my very newest girl. I wasn't expecting to hear from her this soon, so that was a lovely surprise. And this letter was written less than three weeks ago! She wrote on the All About Me template. I'm a bit confused on her parents' names...

Marilyn is 7 years old and lives in El Salvador. Her letter is dated March 14th, 2017. 

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1. My natural parents or guardians are: Santos and Santos. 

2. My favorite game is: Softball 

3. The color of my hair is: Black

4. My birthday is: December 15th, 2009. 

5. My brothers and sisters names are: Nelson and Evelin 

6. My favorite things are: Dolls

7. I live in the: Countryside 

8. My favorite food is: Beans and Cheese 

9. My favorite color is: Blue 

Dear Kayla, 

Marilyn greets you with care and hopes you are enjoying many blessings from our Creator. When she grows up, she wishes to be a nurse. She likes to go to the project very much. Her favorite bible story is about Abraham being put to the test. Her favorite subject is Science. Goodbye and she wishes you write again soon. She wishes you many blessings. 

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Now a letter from Jhayra. I get a sense that her and I had a bit of a slow start when it came to letters getting started, but now I have received two in one month! 

Jhayra is 10 years old and lives in Peru. Her letter was written on February 15th, 2017. 

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Dear Godmother Kayla, 

I greet you in the name of Jesus. Thank you for the photo, the letter, The Father's Love Letter, and for the Christmas card. I am glad that you take care of the kids. Surely you are talking to them about the word of God. Are you married? Surely God will give you a son or daughter. The Father's Love Letter was very beautiful. The texts were very beautiful. Thanks for the coloring pages you sent to me. I will cut them out and paint them and use them to decorate my room. I know it will look very cute. On the Christmas tree, I decorated many things. I tell you that I am at Baley Academy. I am on vacation, playing with my neighbors and attending the project. It is the month of February. I end with a strong hug and kiss. 

Jhayra

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I am so happy to receive this letter from Ayling. I have been faithfully writing to her since the end of August and this is the very first letter I am receiving from her! I think that she is still getting me confused with her previous correspondent sponsor because she is asking me about my boyfriend, even though I have told her that I am single Oh well. We'll get there! 

Ayling is 10 years old and is from Nicaragua. Her letter is dated October 5th, 2016. I have no idea what took it so long to get here!

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Hello Dear Sponsor Kayla, 

Receive greetings from Ayling. May God bless you. She says she is grateful to you for your sponsorship and photos. She wants to tell you that she went to celebrate birthdays last month and she spent them great at the pool. She says that she already has Jesus in her heart as John 1:12 says. She says that she has her Easter celebration in April. Her family and she go to church to commemorate the death of Jesus. She would like to know what bible story you liked when you were a little girl. Since when were you dating your boyfriend? She asks you to pray for her studies and her family. She prays for you. She fondly says goodbye. Her teacher Jaqueline helped her write this letter. 

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And the last letter of the day is from Faith, who I call my grumpy-faced girl. Every photo I've received of her, so far, has her making an pretty sour face. I think it's adorable. :) 

Faith is 11 years old and lives in Kenya. Her letter was written March 4th, 2017. 

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Much Greetings My Dear Sponsor, 

It is my hope that God has been protecting you. I am fine with my family members. God has been our helper. I am happy to inform you that I received your letter that you sent to me. I was very pleased for you remembering me. I thank God for how far he has taken me. We are almost towards the end of the first term of Grade 6. I am happy that I am doing well. Keep on praying for me so that I can continue doing well. I pass my warm greetings to your family members and friends. I love you very much. 

Faith

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Double the Love from Bolivia

I have two wonderful boys in Bolivia, one little guy, one big guy. I love them both dearly and they write great letters. I will share both of those letters with you today.

I'll start with my little guy, Rodrigo. Little Man wrote on the My Project template.

Rodrigo is 6 years old. He wrote this letter on February 14th, 2017.

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1. My Project's Name is: Pueblo Nuevo 

2. The number of children in my project is: 380

3. In my classroom there are 72 children. 

4. I get to my project by: Walking

5. My favorite activity to do at my project is: Do Homework 

Dear Sponsor, 

I greet you in the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ. I am Rodrigo's tutor. My name is Paul. He wants to tell you that school started and he is excited to go back and see his friends. I say goodbye with a huge hug. Please pray for his mom and dad and his studies. 

Love, 

Paul & Rodrigo 

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Now the letter from my older guy, Jhon. Towards the end of the year, he will graduate from his Compassion project. I thank God for every letter from him these days. Each one means so much to me. 

Jhon is 18 years old. His letter is dated February 17th, 2017. 

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Hello Dear Sponsor Kayla, 

I greet you with the love of Jesus Christ. Thank you for the letters. At the center, I was the one with the most letters. I would like to have the whole day to go and play soccer with my friends and the evening to be with my family. My favorite fruit is apple. I do not have a favorite vegetable, but I do like lettuce. The best gift I have received is this life that God gave me. On sunny days, I like to go to the pool. I pray before going to bed. If I were invisible for a day, I would go to a candy store and it all the candy, haha. May God bless you. 

With Love,

Jhon

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Two Letters from Eric!

It's always so great to hear from my "Little Brother"! If you have been around my blog for a long time, you know all about Eric. I first started writing to him in 2011, among three of my very first correspondent children, that I started writing to at the end of the year. When I was assigned to him, he was 16 years old and I was 23. I told him that he was like a younger brother to me and in some letters, he referred to me as his older sister.

Well, I am so proud of my younger brother! When I first was assigned to him, he was 16 years old and only in 4th grade. After receiving his  very first letter, I found out that he could barely write or read. Over the last five years, Eric has dramatically improved and was able to graduate from 8th grade. His handwriting is even better than mine now (which really isn't too hard to do, as my handwriting is terrible). He has been enrolled in a vocational program to learn construction skills and seems to be doing well.

Eric will graduate from the Compassion project this August and I hope to be able to stay in touch with him somehow. If not, I just know that I will really miss him.

Last month, Eric wrote me two letters and it's such a joy to hear him doing so well. It seems his family members are doing well too. His mother recently had some illness that was affecting her legs eyesight. I am so glad to hear that she is improving.

Eric is 21 years old and lives in Uganda. This first letter is dated February 1st, 2017.

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Dear My Friend Kayla, 

I greet you in the name of Jesus Christ. Praise the Lord. I hope that you are fine. I am also doing well. I am happy to write to you again. Thank you for the letters you wrote to me. They encourage me so much. My mother has improved. She can walk and do some simple work. I thank God so much. I am doing well in my course. I can work with others to set up a reasonable house. I hope by the time I finish the course I will be a good builder. Thank you for supporting me. I am praying that God will bless the work of your hands. Thank you for loving God and singing for him with your friends. I love singing for God too. He deserves praise and worship. God bless you. 

Your Friend, 

Eric

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The second letter was written on February 15th, 2017. I think my favorite part of this letter is that Eric's friend Brian greets me too. :) 

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Dear Kayla, 

I greet you in the name of Jesus. How are you, my dear friend? For me, I am okay. I am so happy to write to you again. Here at our place, life is okay. We have fresh maize and beans. We are also planting Irish potatoes. How is your life? My mother greets me so much. My brother Moses is studying well. He is in Primary Five. I am also studying well. I am soon finishing my course. I am working hard at school. Thank you for writing to me. I received the letters. I am happy to know that you celebrated your grandfather's 80th birthday. Thank you for the photos you sent to me of your family members. How are Chloe and Gage? Thank you for sending me their photos too. Thank you for sending me the scripture Ezekiel chapter 37. I like the story and I learned that God is powerful. He is able to save us and make us useful in life. How was your Christmas? For us, we enjoyed it. We had a Christmas party at our project. We ate good food like rice, meat, and cake. We also had sodas. At home, we also a nice time. Greetings from my friend Brian. He is fine and we share a lot. My construction training is going on well. God bless you. 

Eric

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Letters from a Little Kid and a Big Kid

I have two letters to share with you today. One letter from a sweet little one and another letter from one of my oldest young men. I so love having kids at both ends of the age spectrum (and in the middle!). It's so fun to write to children of all ages.

I will start with the letter from my little girl Carolin. She wrote this letter on the My Project template, so it's fun to learn a little bit more about her life at her Compassion project. In a past letter, Carolin told me about her three best friends Emily, Camila, and Sara. I asked her how old they are. She is answering me in this letter.

Carolin is 5 years old and lives in the Dominican Republic. Her letter is dated January 24th, 2017.

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1 My project name is: Children in Christ Child Development Center. 

2. I got to my project 2 days per week. 

3. The name of my tutor is: Rosa Emilia 

4. When I am at my project, I typically eat: Rice & meat and oatmeal 

5. Typical activities I do at my project are: Listen to Bible stories. 

Dear Kayla, 

The girl hopes God continues blessing you. She thanks you for your letter. Emily is 4 years old, Sara is 5 years old, and Camila is 6 years old. They are in the same project. Sara and Camila are also in the same school as Carolin. Please pray for her family. See you soon. 

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The other letter I share today is from Ronaldo. If that name sounds super familiar, it's because I just shared a letter that I received from his this month. Another letter in the same two week time period is definitely a wonderful surprise! In this letter, he is responding to a few letters that I've written to him and answering some of my questions. I love this guy! 

Ronaldo is 20 years old and is from Colombia. His letter is dated February 7th, 2017. 

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Lovely Kayla, 

How are you? I am happy to write to you. Your pictures are beautiful. I thank you for the present of your favorite athletes of my country. (I told him that my favorite soccer team is the Colombian national team. I think this is what he is talking about). It is late to congratulate your grandfather on his birthday. I tell you that Hector is younger than me. In my free time, I like playing soccer with him and my friends. This is my favorite activity. When I am not in the project, I enjoy reading language books. When I am in the project, I like playing video games and I like listening to God's music. Sometimes I don't feel so good, so I watch TV. I forgot to tell you that Hector is 10 years old and he is playful. I ask you to pray for me. I very much love my brother! You look like an angel with your toy Mickey Mouse. One thing I like is doing tricks with a ball and challenging my friends. Have you ever played soccer? In these days, it was my birthday and I received beautiful pictures of your family. Don't forget you are special to me. Think about this Bible verse, Romans 13:1, "Let every person be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except from God and those authorities that exist have been instituted by God." God has the control, Kayla, and he will watch over you and your family. 

Ronaldo

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Letters to My Kids: February 2017

This post is MUCH later than I would typically write it each month, but I have finally been able to view my past letters on my Compassion account. There has been a glitch so far this month that hasn't allowed sponsors to view their letter history. But now that the glitch has been fixed, I was able to save the letter that I wrote in February.

Last month, I wrote just once to all of my kids. I'd like to blame it on the fact that the month is short, but I think I just got lazy and couldn't think of another letter to write. I'm already doing better this month, as I've written twice and will probably write again.

Disclaimer: Writing once a month is not a bad amount of writing for your sponsored children. In fact, it's great! My personal goal each month, though, is to write 2-3 times. It doesn't always happen that way, as you can see, but I do like to write more, when I can manage it. If I can't, I can rest assured in the fact that my kids still heard from me that month.

Last month, I wrote to all of my kids about the story of The Boy Who Cried Wolf. Basically, I introduced that I would be sharing a popular story from my country, I retold the story in my own words, cutting it down a bit to fit on the letter template, shared the moral of the story, and then asked each child if they had a popular story from their country that they would be willing to share with me. I've asked that question in the past and got a good story or two back. I'm hoping for some great stories this time!

Here is the letter that I sent:

A Little Bit About School from Zenebu

I received my very first letter from Zenebu. I was so happy to receive it as it had been over six months since I first started writing to her, with no letter from her. I am definitely glad to read some of her thoughts. This letter is written on the My School template. I always enjoy learning a bit more about what my kids' school lives look like.

Zenebu is 6 years old and lives in Ethiopia. Her letter is dated February 8th, 2017.

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Dear Kayla, 

1. I am in: 1st Grade

2. My school is 1 km from my house. 

3. I get to school: On Foot

4. It takes me: 20 minutes

5. My school uniform is the color: Black

6. My favorite school teacher's name is: Mestawet 

7. My favorite subject is: Language 

My Prayer Request: Pray for my family and education

Thank the sponsor if child has received a gift: A blanket was bought for me with the money you sent for Christmas. 

Anything special the child wants to share: She said she is in 1st grade and goes to Tokuma School. 

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Four More Letters, AKA I Have So Many Letters to Respond To!

So far this month, I have received 14 letters. Last month, I received 21 letters. I have responded to a total of...zero of them. With my crazy work schedule lately, and the fact that I've been extra addicted to playing online games lately (oops), my letter response time has dropped down. However, I have tomorrow off work and will get all 35 letters responded to. I always have such a good time responding to my kids' letters and, as you have read recently, these letters are so good! I have so many details to respond to and questions to answer. I'll return back to age order again, for this post.

First up, a letter from Agness. She is such a sweet girl. I hope to have many great years of writing to her.

Agness is 13 years old and lives in Tanzania. Her letter is dated February 18th, 2017.

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Dear Kayla, 

I hope that you are fine and healthy. The aim of this letter is to greet you and say thank you for the nice letter that you sent me. I like to tell you that I celebrated well during Christmas. I am doing well in my studies at both school and the center. During the celebration, we went to church and then back home. At the center, we were happy to celebrate with our friends. MC was the fellow student. (I am not sure what this means). He guided us well. This was happy moment for all of us. I don't have more to say. May God bless your nation. 

Love,

Agness

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I received another letter from Erick, which is awesome, considering I just heard from him at the end of February. You go, Erick! In this letter, he is answering several of the questions I've asked in past letters.

Erick is 14 years old and lives in Honduras. He wrote this letter on February 15th, 2017.

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Hello Dear Kayla, 

I am happy to write to you. I received your letters and they are beautiful. I really like the decorated photograph. I like the parable you shared with me. It says that God forgives us even when we are against him. I am glad to know that you had the blessing with your favorite band. The photographs look very nice. I love God as well and he blesses us. Kayla you are very beautiful and your work seems fun. Give my greetings to Gage and Chloe. They look very nice next to you. Thank you for the postcards. I am glad to know that you were able to celebrate your grandfather's birthday. You look very happy as a family. I'll tell you about me. My name is Erick and I live with my grandmother and my three sisters; Isbeny, Jenny, and Marbella. I like to play with my friends. My neighborhood is very beautiful and is located in Danli. People call Danli the city of neighborhoods, because it has many. My house is made of concrete blocks. I sleep in my own bed and I share my room with my sisters. We do have electric energy and clean water. People here work in the cigar and fabric factories or in building. Compassion helps kids who lives in poverty. They gives us school supplies and celebrate our birthdays. Many people here travel, but I don't know how many. Our project has 343 kids, from age 3 to 18. Would you like to visit the place where I live? Do you think it is interesting what I am telling you? Please pray for me. I will pray for you. 

Erick

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Following that, another letter from the same country! I have been writing to Carlos for going on four years now. I just love him so much!

Carlos is 16 years old and lives in Honduras. Like my other recent Honduran letters, this letter was written on February 15th, 2017. That must have been letter writing day across the country.

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Hello Dear Kayla, 

How are you? I am doing well with good health, thanks to God. My family is also in good health and greet you with great affection. I'm very glad every time that you write to me. I want to tell you that I have learned to share with others. In my spiritual area, I have learned to pray and read the bible. I have also learned to brush my teeth, wash my hands, and take a bath every day, to be obedient, timely, and responsible. What I like most about what I have learned at the project is that God loves me. I want to thank you for always supporting me. Many thanks for the letter that I received. Thank you for the Christmas gift. I ask you to always pray for my life. I would like to know, how is the weather in your country? I say goodbye with a hug. 

Carlos

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Last up, a letter from my man Joel. This is the very first letter that I have received from him. For me, the relationship has officially started. 

Joel is 16 years old and lives in Mexico. This letter is dated January 7th, 2017. 

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Hello Dear Sponsor, 

I want to tell you about me. I finished the third period at school and I struggled a little bit, but I did it. On the holidays, I went to the sea with my uncles. They are pastors. I also went with some uncles from Monterrey and we spent a good time in the New Year. My dad was a little sick because he ate too much. He spent the Christmas break sleeping and didn't notice when the New Year started. I hope to do better at school this year, with my friends. Please pray for my studies, my family, and my sister, who is in college. I would like to ask you, what is it like there, in this season? I want to thank you for being my sponsor and for trusting me. 

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Lots of Letters: Part Two!

It's time to continue the post from earlier this week. I know that I said I wouldn't have long, overwhelming posts, but well, I lied. I was going to post six letters, but it's actually only five. I miscounted originally.

So, the adventure begins! There are some great letters in this bunch!

Kwizera is up first. He was chatty in this letter!

Kwizera is 12 years old and lives in Rwanda. He wrote this letter on December 21st, 2016.

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Dear Kayla, Beloved Sponsor,

I first greet you in the name of Jesus Christ. I and my family greet you and love you so much. We pray for you that God may bless you. In Rwanda, we are experiencing sunshine and we grow beans. We shall celebrate Christmas on December 25th and it will be on Sunday and we shall go for prayers with my brother. In the project, the gave us rice, cooking oil and soap. I and my family are happy about it. I was also happy for the letter that you sent me telling me about your friend who wants to be my friend also.  At school, I scored 59% (equivalent to a C grade in the U.S) marks and I was the 10th in my class. I sat for the national examination. Pray for me that I may pass. I end by wishing you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. 

Kwizera Yves

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Now a letter from Celeste. I swear her letters get longer and longer each time I hear from her. Can't say I don't love that! 

Celeste is 14 years old and lives in Honduras. Her letter is dated February 15th, 2017. 

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Hi Dear Sponsor Kayla, 

I hope that you and your beautiful family are very well in health. I am very well, thanks to God. I want to make you aware of the beautiful experience in the camp that I attend at the CDC. We were there 3 days and it was very nice. We learned things at camp. The place was called Jerusalem. The theme that we had was Metamorphosis. We made prayer requests in front of a campfire and did many dramas. During the vigil it was a beautiful experience. We learned many good things. I will pray for Chloe's arm to heal (It was healed last July) and I am going to pray for Gage and you. My favorite toys were always Barbies. I always liked to play them with my cousin Evelin. We had a good time at the Christmas dinner. We had a very rich dinner and at the end of the night, we exchanged gifts. We gave a very special gift to my grandmother. Among all the family, we gave her a television. Everything was very nice and special. It was such a great night. My perfect day would be to spend it with my friends on the football field and then have a sleepover where we would tell scary stories and jokes. It would be very nice. I say goodbye with a strong hug and many kisses, thanking you for always remembering me. I hope to receive one of your beautiful letters soon. 

With Much Love and Affection, 

Celeste 

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Next, a letter from Rujikorn. She is keeping up with the pattern of long, chatty letters. Man, I love my kids so much! Rujikorn is also my most talented artist and she included four different drawings with this letter. Some for her prayer partner, Agness, and others for the kid I nanny for. What a sweet girl!

Rujikorn is 12 years old and lives in Thailand. Her letter is dated January 25th, 2017.

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Dear Kayla, 

I am happy and thank you so much for your letter and beautiful photo. I like it a lot. I enjoy writing to you. Thank you so much for the Christmas gift. The project bought me a blanket. My family and I are so warm with it because it is so cold here. We celebrated Christmas at the project. I listened to the sermon about the birth of Christ in Bethlehem. He was in a manger in the cold. It is a great love from God to you and me and all believers. Please send my regards to Agness. I will pray for her. Please also send to Gage and Chloe. Their photos make me happy and encourage me. I will draw for you all because I miss everyone so much. You are like one of my family. I will pray for you and ask God to provide you children. I believe that God is able like when he provided Sarah a baby, even though she was 90 years old. I watched the Olympic games on TV. I like it a lot. My favorite sport is volleyball. I like to hear about expert athletes. I wish to be an expert athlete too. I enjoy going to school every day. After school, my sister and I help do the housework and then we do homework. I usually take my sister for playing sports on the pitch, if we don't have homework. It is fun. I wish to take you playing sports, if you lived near me. It might be much fun. I attend project activities every Saturday. I have learned many things. My friends and I have fun. My parents do odd jobs some days when somebody employs them. They usually grow veggies or harvest cabbage. My parents and I are so happy that you are my good sponsor. Please pray for my studies and my family's wealth. My family and I remember you in our prayers. God bless you! 

With Love and Regards in Christ, 

Rujikorn

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Onto a letter from Daniel Lemayian (I use both names because I still have NO IDEA which name he prefers). So far, this guy has been slow to open up. I will keep writing faithfully until that day! 

Daniel Lemayian is 17 years old and lives in Kenya. His letter is dated December 13th, 2016. 

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Dear Kayla, 

I greet you in the name of Jesus Christ. I am doing well and God has really blessed me and my family. I am doing well in the project. I hope and trust that you are doing well together with your family. I thank you for the letters that you have sent for me. I am very happy to see them. I appreciate you for the support that you give me. I pray for you and I wish you a Christmas blessing. May the Almighty God bless you and your family. Bye. 

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The last letter for today is from Maria. She is another example of a child who has really just blossomed in her letter writing. It's so great to see these kids go from shy to so expressive. 

Maria is 12 years old and lives in Brazil. Her letter is dated January 18th, 2017. 

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Dear Sponsor, 

How are you? I am fine. My literature fair was very nice and the subject was Heroes and Villains. In my classroom we all wore costumes and presented several dramas about it. What is your favorite movie? I like all kinds of movies. I went to the movies with my mom and my brother and his girlfriend Gisele. We watched a movie called "Minha Mae e Uma Peca 2". It is a Brazilian comedy and it was very nice. How were your Christmas and New Year? Mine was good. I spent Christmas with my family. I give you a hug and kiss. For your meditation: John 14:6, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." 

Your Sponsored Child,

Maria

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