Three Letter Tuesday: Volume 18

It's Tuesday! 

It's 7:30 a.m and I leave for work at 8:00 a.m. 

Let's see if I can focus enough to get these typed up before I leave. ;) 

Super typing powers: ENGAGE!. 

Today's first letter comes from Yohannis. It's just a short letter, a few sentences long. Yohannis lives in Ethiopia, where it's not only a different month than it is here, it's an entirely different year. They follow a different calendar than the rest of the world, so it can get confusing, at times. 

Yohannis is 9 years old. His letter is dated (according to our calendar) September 25th, 2018. 

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Dear Kayla, 

How are you? Me and my family are fine. I am very happy to receive your letter. Me and my family are very glad to hear from you. Now it is January here. That is the month where we start class and meet new friends, so I am very happy! Goodbye! 

Yours,

Yohannis

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Next is a letter from my eternally chatty guy, Daniel. It's been such a pleasure getting to know him all these years! 

Daniel is 13 years old and lives in Colombia. His letter is dated September 1st, 2018. 

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Dear Kayla, 

Hello, dear sponsor. How have you been doing? I am grateful for your sponsorship all this time. My last medical checkup was in January 2018 because my chest was hurting a lot. I went to the doctor with my dad and I was happy that they examined me. My doctor advised me to eat lots of fruits and vegetables, drink plenty of water, and participate in sports. They examined my chest with a stethoscope. I want to ask you some questions. When is your birthday? What is your favorite food? Where do you live? I want to tell you that we have many activities in our CDC, like music, sports, academic reinforcement, cooking, and medical checkups. I also want to tell you that I am doing well in school. God has blessed my family. Our CDC took us to fly kites on August 23rd. Our church took us to fly kites too. I say goodbye with a bear hug and a kiss. I will be praying for you and your entire family. I ask you to pray for me and my family too. I give you this bible verse: Jeremiah 29:11. 

Daniel 

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We end today's post with another letter from the same country, this time from Lina. I must say, that out of all of my kiddos, the kids from Colombia have always been the most chatty of the bunch, right from the get-go. 

Lina is 19 years old and wrote this letter on September 9th, 2018. 

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Dear Sponsor Kayla, 

Greetings to you and may God bless you. How have you been? I want to tell you that my family and I are doing great because finally, after 10 years of not seeing my father, I will be able to visit him soon. I also want to tell you that my last medical checkup was in April of this year. It was my yearly checkup at the project. I was there with the doctor and I felt calm. She weighed me and measured me and she recommended medicine for gastritis and for my menstrual cramps. Where do your parents live? What do they do for a living? About your questions, the doctor recommended regular visits to her for tests to find out why my menstrual cramps hurt so much. Thank you for your spiritual and economic help. Please pray for my brother as he does his military service. Also pray for a house for my family. I want to say goodbye. I hope that God protects you and blesses you always. I want to share Psalm 86: 1-17 with you to meditate on. 

Lina

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Five Letter Friday: Volume 10

Somehow, it's Friday.

I've spent every single free hour this week in my classroom, trying to get everything done for the preschool year to start.

I will never get everything done.

Open house is next Thursday.

Everything with not be done.

I will have to accept that.

But, the joy of letters never stops.

Here are our five letters for today:


We start with a letter from Joel, who seems to be doing wonderfully! I am hoping for great things in his future!

Joel is 17 years old, lives in Mexico, and his letter is dated June 9th.

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Hello Dear Kayla, 

I want to thank you for writing to me and telling me nice stories that I enjoyed. In this letter, I want to tell you how I have been doing in school. These are my last days at school and very soon I'm going to take my admissions exam for university. I'm very happy because I have finished another goal in my life and with the help of God, I am ready to start a new challenge in my life. It will be one of the most difficult because I will have to leave my house and learn lots of new things. God willing, I hope to pass my exam and continue studying. Thank you for the present you sent me. With it, I was able to buy a pair of pants and two shirts. Please pray for my studies and my family, so we are exemplary Christians and for my sister and me to do well in school and that we are exemplary children for other people. I would like to ask you, what is summer like where you live? What do you do in your summer vacations? Where do you go to? Do you like sports? I want to thank you for being my sponsor and telling me great stories. 

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Onto a letter from another young adult, a letter from Lina. She had been studying nursing, but had to quit due to lack of funds. It sounds like things are difficult for her right now. I hope that God can show her what next steps to take in life. 

Lina is 19 years old, she is from Colombia, and she wrote this letter on July 4th, 2018. 

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Dear Kayla, 

I greet you in our Lord Jesus's name. How are you? I want to tell you that there are still many problems between me and my grandmother. Things with my grandmother have not improved. Also, I cannot continue studying nursing and I can't get certification. Someday I would like to visit South Korea and learn about their culture and self-discipline. I would like to participate in contemporary dance. I would like to be like Job because he was a man of faith. I would like to meet and talk with you. I want to thank you for your support. I'd like to become a pediatrician. My dream is to help my family because we have hard times. I would be nice to improve our quality of life. What did you want to become when you were a child? I thank you again for your support and prayers. I ask you again to please pray for difficult situations that we have in our house. I will pray for you. Finally, I say goodbye and I wish you blessings. I give you the Bible verse Psalm 103:1-22. I send you a hug. 

Lina

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Up next is a letter from my girl Tamire. This template letter is titled My Family. Even though I've been writing to Tamire for quite awhile, I had no idea she had so many siblings! That's why I love these template letters! They teach us so much good information. 

Tamire is 8 years old, from Ethiopia, and her letter is dated July 24th, 2018. 

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1. My siblings from oldest to youngest are: Amde, Diribe, Mabre, Bose, Zina, Shalo, Damno. 

2. In my family, I spend the most time with: Zina 

3. Extended family that live with me are: N/A

4. My family lives in: Town 

5. My food is prepared by: My sister Mabre and my mother

6. My favorite ways to help my family are: Cleaning the house & child care 

Please pray for my family. I received your letter and I liked the pictures you sent me. Thank you for sponsoring me. 

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Another letter from another lovely girl is up next. This time, a letter from Nicol. She is great at sharing details about her life! Her letters come off as so joyful. 

Nicol is 9 years old. She lives in the Dominican Republic. She wrote this letter on July 7th, 2018. 

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Dear Kayla, 

Hi! I am so happy to write to you again and I wish that God blesses you always. In my family, we are doing very well. In my studies I did very well. We got our reports and I passed to the next grade. in the center, I keep learning Bible stories and many other things. I want to share with you I'm on school vacation. We will soon have a trip to La Vega. I also plan to spend time playing with my friends. I give thanks for your love and prayers. What is your favorite sport? Please pray so the Lord helps me be more obedient. I bid you farewell. 

Nicol

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Today's final letter is from my boy Dagim. I've been saying it a lot lately, but I am so glad I decided to send a popular children's story to my kids each month. I have been getting so many good responses. Storytelling really seems to be something that is universal. Everyone appreciates a good story. :) 

Dagim is 10 years old, lives in Ethiopia, and his letter is dated July 25th, 2018. 

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Dear Kayla, 

My dear family, how are you doing? I'm doing very well with my family. I'm so glad and thankful for your letter. I love the story of The Ugly Duckling. I got a great lesson from it. I learned that I shouldn't judge my friends by their current status because I don't know what their future will be. Thank you very much for sharing such a nice story with me. Please pray that I can have a nice and successful future. I would be so happy if you would share more stories with me. Thank you very much for your prayers and financial support. I love you very much. Until the next letter, be well. Goodbye. 

Yours,

Dagim

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Letter Love from Teens

Before I started my sponsorship journey, I never thought I'd make a connection with a teenager. God has given me the innate talent to take care of, relate to, and teach very young children. But I have never really considered myself good at understanding teenagers. Well, then when I started my sponsorship journey, God led me to sponsor boys, and then older boys, and then older girls. It's only just more recently that my family started to gain some younger kiddos. But, all of a sudden I was making these fabulous connections with kids that had the word "teen" in their age.

And I love it so much.

So today's post will include letters from several wonderful teenagers who send me loving letters from all over the world.


Let's start this post off with a letter from Jhojaira, who has always been great at responding to things I write to her. It really feels like a conversation when we write to each other.

Jhojaira is 14 years old and lives in Peru. Her letter is dated April 28th, 2018.

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Dear Sponsor Kayla, 

I greet you in the love of our Lord Jesus. I want to thank you for the beautiful letter you sent. I love reading the stories that you write to me. I also like to see the photos and analyze them. Goldilocks is also a popular story here in Peru. I heard it at different times in school when I was younger. We can learn from this story that we shouldn't take other people's things. Anyway, I like the story very much. Let me ask you, are you in good health these last few months? Before saying goodbye, I ask for you to pray for me and my family to draw closer to God's way. I send you many hugs. 

Jhojaira

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This next letter is from Jhonrex and it comes with good news! In his last letter, he asked me to pray that he would have enough time to join a cell-group (what we call a small group) at his church/project. It seems like that prayer was answered!

Jhonrex is 17 years old, lives in the Philippines, and he wrote this letter on April 21st, 2018.

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Dear Kayla, 

Hello. How are you? If you ask about me and my family, we are okay. Thank you for the letters you sent. You talked about last new year and Christmas and about how cold it is where you live. I also received the letter that had photos of bulldozers and the photo of you together with your family. I'm glad that you continue writing to me and praying for me. 

About our weather here, it is now hot because it is summer here, but in your place it is very cold, so please take care of yourself. I am now in a cell-group with only four other members. We study the Bible, learn about God, and pray for one another. About school, I am still pursuing ALC (Alternative Learning School) because I still desire to finish. I am also still assisting the teachers at the project, with the youngest children. 

Please pray that I will remain in good health always, along with my family. What activities do you have there in the winter? Do you enjoy it? 

I end this message now. Thanks for your unending support. God bless you. 

Respectfully Yours,

Jhonrex

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This next letter is more like a quick note from a young man. He must be a very busy guy, but it is still nice to get an update about him. I don't hear from him very often, so even these small updates are great. 

This letter is from Lemayian, who is 18 years old and lives in Kenya. He wrote this letter on May 4th, 2018. 

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Kayla, 

I greet you in Jesus's name. I am doing well and my family members are also fine. How is your family? I hope and pray that you are all doing well. I normally go to church every week and I am doing well in the project. I than God very much because last year was good, but this year is better because we got a lot of rain and everything is green all over. Thank you for the letters you have sent me. I am very happy to see them. May the Lord bless you. 

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Onto another letter, this time from Lina. This letter seems to focus on things about herself, which I love. It's nice to learn more about her interests and things I can pray for her about. 

Lina is 19 years old, is from Colombia, and wrote this letter on April 24th, 2018. 

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Dear Sponsor, 

I greet you. May God bless you. How are you? My family and I are fine, thank God. I want to tell you that for the past two months, I have been attending a new church with my mom and sister. We feel fine and hope everything will be well there. I tell you that my name means "the person who anoints." I am the oldest of my siblings. My hair is brown and my eyes are brown. One thing that I do well is comb and style my hair. I also like reading. How is your family? What activities do you do in your free time? Sponsor, I will answer your questions. I don't suffer from any disease but my period is hard and I have bad cramps. I have these symptoms for 1 week each month. I have a medical appointment soon, on April 27th,  and I will tell the doctor this. I like to listening to music and playing with my mom and sister. I spend time with other children from the CDC and we like to go to the mall, park, and ice cream shop. I tell you that on Christmas I was not doing well because a relative passed away. I felt sad, but I feel better now. Thank you for your support during this time. Please pray for me to start a professional career after university. I also would like a family someday. I give you a Bible verse to think about; Psalm 119:17. 

Hugs,

Lina

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The next letter from today is from Jule, who I haven't known long, but he has been a great writer since his very first letter. Unfortunately, it seems like he is struggling in school. I will keep praying for him and encouraging him through letters. 

Jule is 14 years old, from Rwanda, and wrote this letter on May 12th, 2018. 

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Dear Kayla, 

I, your child Jule, greet you in the name of Jesus. I thank you for the way you care for me and pray for me. I am trying at school. I got a 49% marks and was ranked in 33rd position. Please pray for me to at least be among the top ten students in position. I like reading English books and it please me because my family is also doing well. I thank you for the letter you sent to me, sharing with me your news. I and my family are doing well. It pleased me so much to know that you pray for me. I am glad that your people who were sick got well. Romans 10:9-10 blesses me so much. May God bless you. I conclude by thanking you and wishing you God's blessing. 

Your Child,

Jule

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The last letter for today's post is from Milkias. I am not sure where this letter has been, but is seems to have been lost in cyberspace somewhere, because it just made its way to me this month, after traveling around somewhere for 6 months.

Milkias is 13 years old and lives in Ethipia. His letter is dated January 16th, 2018.

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Dear Kayla, 

Greetings to you, my beloved supporter! How are you and your family doing? I and my family are very fine, thanks to God. Happy new year 2018! I received a letter you wrote to me, along with all the gifts. I had a dog, but now she has died and I was very sad. I received the gift you sent me for the Christmas holiday celebration. I am very grateful for it. Thank you for sending me a gift and God bless you. I am attending my education well and I am studying hard to have good results. Please pray for me. Goodbye until we meet in another letter. 

From Your Child,

Milkias

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A Whole Slew of Updated Photos!

What could be better than a post full of collages of my kids with their latest, updated photo?

Not much, I think.

All photos can be enlarged by clicking on them.

Brisa from Nicaragua

Carolin from Dominican Republic 

Hillary from Kenya

Jhojaira from Peru 

Jhoyra from Peru

Lina from Colombia

Mariza from Nicaragua

Muzuro from Uganda

Rodrigo from Bolivia

Two Extra Photos!

Letters with extra photos attached are such a blessing! I was especially happy to see these two photos because both of these kids are nearing graduation age and chances are very slim that I will receive another official photo of them. I am so grateful that I get to know these young people.

I'll share Gary's letter first. He is set to graduate this year, in November, so him and I only have a few short months together. He's a great guy and I just know he will do wonderful things.

Gary is 17 years old and lives in Nicaragua. This letter is dated February 14th, 2018.

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Hi Dear Sponsor Kayla, 

I want to thank you for your sponsorship and I hope that you are healthy. In my home, due to the storms, our beds and mattresses got wet and our provisions were damaged. Everything is going well now, thanks to God. We celebrated Independence Day on September 15th and I had fun that day. All the people in Nicaragua celebrate it with their family. I went with my friends to see the parade. We put out flags in our houses. First of all, I hope in God to pass my school year. I will do my best to achieve my goals. I want to study and I will do my best to complete my studies and become a graduate. I would like to join the army. Thanks for your gift, letters, and photos. You have a beautiful family. Your children are precious. The weather is getting too cold. The temperature has been 24C. I am enclosing a photo of me with my family. Have you traveled to other countries? How is everything going in your work? I am praying for you that God blesses you and your family and keeps you healthy. I ask you to pray for me, my family, and my studies; my mom and siblings. I say goodbye to you with lots of love. 

Yours Faithfully, 

Gary

Gary is the oldest/tallest boy in the photo

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The other letter I received was from Lina. It appears that her financial sponsor sent her a money gift and I get to see the things she was able to buy! 

Lina is 18 years old and lives in Colombia. Her letter is dated February 12th, 2018. 

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Dear Kayla, 

Today I am glad to write to you again to wish you the best blessings from our Great Creator to you. You know, the situation at home is fine, although the relationship with my grandmother has worsened a little bit. For that reason, I ask you to support me by praying for that my relationship with my grandmother gets better. I inform you that my family and I live in a three floor home. It is made of brick and it is under construction. It has a cement floor. The utilities companies of the municipality provides us with water and electricity. The roof of our house is made of corrugated iron sheets. Can you tell me what your house is made out of? Do you build earthquake-resistant houses? Sponsor, I am very grateful to God and to you because you have blessed me greatly. Since I have arrived to this place, I have been blessed through your prayers, contributions, gifts, and beautiful letters, which express how important I am to you. By the way, I answer your questions about my nursing studies. Unfortunately, I had to drop them because I am going to enroll in SENA (A quick Google search informs me that it's some kind of educational program).  It is a public institution and it is more affordable for me to continue studying there because they will give me a subsidy for transportation. My wish is to work as a nurse for awhile. Sponsor, to finish my letter, I hope that God is blessing you greatly and giving you health in life. I give you a song called "Digno" by Marcos Brunet. Have you heard it? I also give you the passage Psalm 37:34. Sponsor, thank you very much for the passages you sent me and for the money gift, which I used to buy a bag, a pair of sneakers, a blouse, and underwear. Thank you very much for the gift. 

Lina

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End of 2017 Letters: Part 1

Over the next few days, I will be posting daily. I want to post all of the letters I received this month (and it's a good deal) before the end of 2017. I want to start the new year off with a clean slate! So I will be posting daily until all the letters are posted. Feel free to read or not, haha.

Let's start with a letter from Carlos, who is 17 years old and lives in Honduras. He wrote this letter on November 6th, 2017.

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Hello Dear Kayla! 

I hope you are in good health. I am in good health. Thank you for the letter you sent me and for writing it. My goal is to be a doctor. My sisters from older to younger are Kelly, then Cynthia. I spend most of my time with my brother Julian. At home we live, my family and me. My mom prepares food for us. What I like to do with my family is play together. We did not see the eclipse because it was cloudy. I have never seen one before. I am glad you enjoyed that experience in your country. I liked to see the photos of the eclipse. My mom's name is Karen. I will always pray for your family. I read the Bible verse you sent, Romans 8:11, in the Bible they gave me at the CDC. What is your favorite fruit? I ask your prayers for me and for my family always. I am thankful with God for everything that you are. Goodbye with a strong hug. 

Carlos Alexander

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Now, a super long letter and another beautiful drawing from Rujikorn.

Rujikorn is 13 years old and lives in Thailand. Her letter is dated November 16th, 2017.

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Dear Kayla,

Hello. I would like to thank you very much for your letter, pictures, and interesting questions. I am very excited and happy. I enjoy studying at school every day. I attend the activities at the project every Saturday. I have practiced teaching the young students, age 3-5. I tell them the story of God's creation, teach them to memorize scripture, to practice praying, and singing. The children can do very well. They are smart and can memorize the scripture very well. You are my good friend who keeps encouraging and helping me and praying for me all along. You are part of my family. I am studying in the 7th grade. In October, I started the 2nd semester. There are two semesters in each academic year. Next year, in April, I will start studying in the 8th grade. I thank God that I have grown up with God's grace. I help my parents with working, such as washing clothes, cooking, cleaning, and washing dishes. I am studying in a school that is far from my house. I take a monthly shuttle bus. I will pray for your new house. I believe that God can help you. Luke 1:37 says, "For with God, nothing shall be impossible." I will answer your questions: 

1. I like to dress casually. I don't like to dress sexy. 

2. Today I have eaten boiled bamboo shoot with chili paste. It's very delicious. 

3. My house is a wooden house and it has two bedrooms. 

4. At the project, there are 4 classrooms for the following age groups: 3-5 years, 6-8 years, 9-11 years, and 12-14 years. 

5. In my free time, I read the Bible and play healthy sports. 

6. The thing that makes me laugh is my friends when we play together. 

7. Some of my friends talk too much and it makes me laugh. 

8. My best friend is you and the friends who I study with. But there is a friend who is better than anyone in the world, and it is Jesus, our God.

9. The last party I participated in was the Mother's Day event at the project in August. 

10. My closest friend is Noochjaree. She is younger than me and I keep helping her when she needs a tutor. I also tell her about Jesus. 

I would like to thank you very much for your answers and for your living. Please pray for my studies and my parent's work. I pray for your always. May God protect you and your family from bad things, like harm and sickness. I wish you to have only good things in your life. I love you and miss you. 

Rujikorn

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Now a letter from Lina. This post today is starting to be just about letters from teenagers. I am just posting them in the order that I received them, so it's just the luck of the draw today! 

Lina is 18 years old and lives in Colombia. She wrote this letter on October 25th, 2017. 

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Dear Kayla, 

It is a pleasure for me to greet you once again in our Holy God's name. Now I'd like to tell you about what I like. My best friend is a boy who attends my CDC. His name is Joel. I spend most of my time in the CDC with him. The colors I feel attracted to are black and purple. I like how much grandma cooks fish which, by the way, is my favorite food. The activities I often do are going for walks and visiting friends. I also like to sing. A sport I often practice and like is soccer. Now I'd like to answer your questions. We've had solar eclipses in certain cities in my country. Unfortunately, this kind of phenomenon has not been seen in my city. Now, I'd like to tell you that my health is a little bit delicate. I want you to pray that I can get better. Also pray for my family. I want to thank you for your monthly financial aid to my CDC and for your letters. I say goodbye giving you this Bible verse: Matthew 22:37-40. I hope it blesses your life. 

Lina

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Now, onto a letter from Edwin Anju, who I just can't figure out which name he prefers. He seems to use them interchangeably. I've been using Anju when I think/talk about him because I think it's such a fun name. He signed his last letter with Anju and he signed this letter with Edwin. It looks like I will have to ask him what he likes to be called. 

Anju is 13 years old and lives in Indonesia. His letter is dated October 11th, 2017. 

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Shalom Kayla, 

Thank you for your letter. I will answer the questions from your letter about things I like. I like riding a bicycle around my house. The names of my family members are: My father is Fran Seda, my mother is Dorti, my big sister is Devi Sarah, my big brother is Risky Imanuel, and my little brother is Frandi. There are bananas and many vegetables in our garden. I like wearing t-shirts and shorts. Today I've eaten rice and fried catfish. I have two bedrooms at home. We have three classrooms at the project. If I had an hour off today, I would play soccer. Something that makes me laugh is a funny story. My best friend is Jonson. I have never seen a solar eclipse before. That's all my letter now. 

Edwin Anju

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I am going to close out today's post with a letter from Jhoyra. I love how she is "fishing" for more coloring pages from me. :) 

Jhoyra is 11 years old and lives in Peru. Her letter is dated November 8th, 2017. 

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Dear Sponsor Kayla, 

I greet you in the name of Jesus Christ. Thank you for the letter that you sent me. I am glad to know that Gage and Chloe are finishing preschool. I tell you that I like to paint, but I like to pages to color you send better. I do handicrafts with colored paper. I also tell you that we did a parade for Halloween and there was a vigil at night. I tell you that my birthday was on October 1st and I had a great time with my family. I ask you to pray for me and my family. I say goodbye with a big hug. 

Jhoyra

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Letters from South America

Towards the end of November, letters from South America all seemed to roll onto my account at the same time. Let's share those letters all together, as a group, today!

First up, a letter from Jhojaira. She seems to be responding to the letter I wrote to her about my nanny kiddos starting their school year. I shared some of the things they would be involved in this year, as well as some of their interests.

Jhojaira is 13 years old and lives in Peru. Her letter is dated October 9th, 2017.

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Dear Sponsor Kayla, 

I greet you in the precious name of our Lord Jesus Christ. I thank you for the beautiful letters you sent to me. I'm glad to know that Gage is doing well and that he will join a basketball team. But I am especially glad to know that he will join the choir at church because everything we do to worship Him is good. I am excited to know that Chloe turned one more year older in life and I hope God gives her many more years of life and blessings. I like to sing like her, too. I hope you spent a nice summertime together. Also, regarding your questions, there was an eclipse in my country many years ago but I never could see it because it was not possible to see it where I live. I am very glad to know you had a nice eclipse day together. I say goodbye in the name of Jesus and wish you many blessings. I send many hugs and kisses. 

Your Sponsored Child,

Jhojaira

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Sticking to the same country, Peru, I now share a letter from Sunrei, my little girl who writes like an adult. At least, in my opinion. She really knows how to share details in her letters. 

Sunrei is 10 years old. This letter is not dated. 

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Dear Sponsor Kayla, 

I greet you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. I thank you for the nice letter you sent me. I'm always praying for Mariela, so everything goes well for her, that's she strong and brave, and that she always stays in Jesus Christ. At the Huachipa Zoo, I saw the giraffe, tiger, puma and fox. The animals were so beautiful. My little sister is beautiful and big. She's 7 months old. I'm very happy with her. I'm doing well in school. How's your health. How old are you? I ask you pray for my family's spiritual life, especially my mom. Isaiah 61:1, "The spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives, and release from darkness the prisoners. I end with a strong hug and kiss. 

Sunrei

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Let's travel a bit to a new country and read a letter from my boy Jonatan. He used this letter to answers many of my questions from the past. My account recently updated that Jonatan is now performing above average in school. That, combined with his interests, he seems to be doing really well in life. I'm so proud of him! 

Jonatan is 10 years old and lives in Colombia. He penned this letter on October 18th, 2017. 

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Dear Kayla, 

My precious sponsor, greetings to you in the wonderful name of our beloved Savior Jesus. I want to tell you that I'm part of the worship team at church. I play charrasco and the tambourine. I'm so grateful to God for allowing me to serve in His work. I also want to tell you that I have some good friends. I have fun playing soccer with them and also jumping rope. My best friend is Jhonatan. I met him in the park and we like to play tag. I watch Bible stories in my free time. The project took us on a trip across the Bible and it was so much fun. I want to thank you for the photos and the drawings you sent. Your letters are so beautiful. About your questions, I want to tell you that there was an eclipse in my country a month ago. Today I ate rice with green beans. Lots of love. I give you this verse; Matthew 21:22. 

Jonatan Caleb

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Like earlier in the post, we'll again stay in the same country and share a letter from wonderful young lady; Lina. 

Lina is 18 years old and lives in Colombia. Her letter is dated August 14th, 2017, so it appears to have gotten stuck somewhere in the process. 

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Dear Sponsor, 

I greet you with a "God Bless you." I want to tell you that I have three friends, named Daniela, Danna, and Joel. My best friend is my mom. When I'm with my friends, we like to talk about our future and our dreams. What I most enjoy with my friends is playing. It's fun to do crazy things. I like to have friends because I can count on them in difficult moments. Now I answer your questions. I'm very well, thanks to God. My health and well-being are much better now. I would like to work with newborn children because it interests me a lot. I would like to work with children that age because they are more treatable and are very adorable. In the future, I would like to be a pediatrician. Yes, I would like to have other pets because I like animals a lot. Now I tell you that this week was the talent festival that we have every two years with other projects. I participated in dancing, but sadly we did not win. We had a lot of competition. But I had a great time and I enjoyed the festival. Thank you for your monthly contributions to my CDC. Thank you also for your letters and birthday presents. Before I say goodbye I want to ask you: How many friends do you have? What are their names? I want to ask you to help me pray for my dad, who will get out of jail soon. I ask you to keep him in your prayers a lot. I say goodbye, but first I give you this Bible verse. Psalm 27:8. God bless you. 

Sincerely,

Lina

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2+2=4

Double the love from Rwanda. Then double the love from Colombia.

Four letters with a ridiculous amount of love.

Man, I love my kids.

Let's start with a letter from Kwizera, who just turned 13 year old today. This letter is not dated, but no doubt written when he was still 12 years old. ;)

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Dear Kayla, 

I foremost greet you in Jesus's name. I and my family are fine and we thank God. How are you and your family doing? At school, I am studying well and we are now preparing for the end of the year exams. Pray for me to succeed. To respond to your questions: I most like to wear long trousers and t-shirts. Our house has three rooms and it is built with burnt bricks. I thank you for sending me a letter. My family and I loved it. To my friend Erick, I advise him to respect his elders. To close, I wish you the peace of God. May God bless you. 

Kwizera 

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My other 13 year old from Rwanda is Jule. A sweet boy that I am still getting to know. I love this letter that shares some more things about him. This letter is dated October 14th, 2017. 

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Dear Kayla, 

I first greet you in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. My family and I are doing well. No problems. I'm doing well at school. I like the lessons in math, physics, and chemistry. It is raining here and we are growing crops. I like playing soccer with my fellow kids and I hope to be a great player in the future. I'm learning baptism classes at church. I like to pray. I thank you for the letter you sent to me, sharing with me your updates. I saw a solar eclipse once and it was beautiful, but also scary. I like Isaiah 40:26. Please pray for my studies. We pray blessings over you. Conclusively, may God bless you. 

Jule

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Now we move onto some big "kids" from Colombia. I just love these young adults so much. They have such great things to say and great outlooks for the future. I thank God for Compassion helping to instill this confidence in these wonderful young people! 

Let's start with a letter from Lina, who is 18 years old. Her letter was written on June 22nd, 2017 (no idea what took so long to arrive!). 

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Dear Kayla,

I greet you in the love of our Lord Jesus Christ. I want to tell you that my school vacation is in the month of June. My vacation lasts 21 days. During my vacation, I often come to the CDC and stay home with my family. What I enjoy doing most on my vacation is reading, listening to music, and going on trips with my friends. On my vacation I like to eat a lot and my favorite food is fried fish. My favorite people to spend my vacation with are my mom and my sister. On my next vacation, I would like to travel to another country. I would like to visit Panama and France some day. Those are two of my favorite countries. I would like to go around and learn more about their people and culture. What city in the world would you like to visit? I want to thank you for looking after me by doing your monthly contribution to the CDC, for your letters, and for the presents. I want to tell you that I am now studying in nursing school and I'm doing very well. In the future, I'd like to do something I'd really like, which is to be a pediatrician. I like children very much and would really like to work with them. I say goodbye with a big hug and wishing that God blesses you. I ask you to keep praying for me and for my family. I want to give you this Bible verse: Malachi 3:16. 

Lina

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And to end, a letter from Ronaldo. It's been such a blessing getting to know this young man. He seems like such a kind, sensitive, and smart guy. 

He is 20 years old and wrote this letter on July 20th, 2017. 

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Dear Kayla,

My very remembered Kayla, how are you? Right now I have the letter you sent me in my hands. Gage and Chloe are beautiful. Tell them I say hello. Thank you for sharing their photo with me. I tell you that right now in my country, we are on a school break. We have two months of break, June and July. I use this time to visit relatives and practice soccer with my cousins in the evening. I like to eat seasoned rice with chicken. I love it! My parents and brother are almost always with me. I confess something; one day I would like to visit your country to see the most popular places and to take photos of me with some people there. Kayla, I am very thankful to you for being so special to me. I keep you present in my prayers. I ask you something: Have you ever thought about coming to my country? I ask you to keep my family in your prayers. 

Ronaldo

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