Three Letter Tuesday: Volume 25

There first letter I'll share with you today is from Mulwa. I got a few nice details in this letter, which is great!

Mulwa is 11 years old, lives in Kenya, and he wrote this letter on November 15th, 2018.

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Mulwa greets you in the name of  our savior Jesus Christ. He hopes that you are fine together with your family. He is fine. His family members are also fine. He has been promoted to the next class. The school will soon be closed for the Christmas holiday. He also attends the project regularly. In the project he has learned many skills to help him. He attends Sunday school every Sunday to learn new memory verses and to sing gospel songs. He can recite many memory verses. He likes playing football both at home and at the project. He has a cat named bro. He likes playing with his cat. He will soon prepare for Christmas. He is happy that he will do many fun activities at the project. You wishes you the best in your life! May God bless you. 

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Up next is a letter from Zenebu and this letter from her is written on the template called Festivals and Holidays. I really appreciate how wells he answered each question. I really like I learned quite a bit about her from this particular letter.

Zenebu is 7 years old and lives in Ethiopia. Her letter is dated November 24th, 2018.

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1. Our national holidays/festivals are: Epiphany, Christmas, Easter, New Year, and The Cross Festival. 

2. My favorite food to eat during the holidays is: Local bread 

3. My family celebrates Christmas by: Fasting and going to church 

4. At the project, we celebrate Christmas by: Watching drama, singing, eating candy and cookies. 

5. My favorite national holiday is: Christmas 

6. My family celebrates New Year by: Preparing food 

Please pray for me to be a clever student. I have received your letter. Thank you. Everything is going well with me. I am Kindergarten-3 and the teachers are so good. 

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I close out today's post with a letter from my sweet boy Hansen. I haven't had this kiddo in my sponsorship family very long, but there is just something about him that I adore. He just seems like such a great young man. 

Hansen is 12 years old, is from Indonesia, and he wrote this letter on November 27th, 2018. 

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Dear Ms. Kayla,

Shalom! How are you doing over there? My family and I are all in good health here. Within these last 3 months, I have been studying in junior high school. At school, I am joining in two extracurricular activities; MCC (I looked it up and it's called Millennium Challenge Corporation. It appears to be a group that teaches kids skills so they can be successful in the future) and Band. However, the band is not yet active. This week, I have studied harder than usual. It is because, this week, I will have my first semester exams. I am preparing myself and getting my writing utensils ready. I hope to have your prayer support, Ms. Kayla, that I will have good results. I pray for you too, that you will always be in good health and be successful in your work. May the Lord Jesus bless you. 

With Love,

Hansen

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Three Letter Tuesday: Volume 24

Another Tuesday, another three wonderful letters to share.

:)

This first letter is from Mulwa. He is 11 years old, lives in Kenya, and he wrote this letter on November 8th, 2018.

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Mulwa salutes you in the mighty name of Jesus Christ. He says he is moving on well together with his family. He hopes you and your family members are moving on well too. He says he is very happy because of the support you have been giving him. He says he has been receiving the letters that you've been sending to him. He receives the letters with a clean and joyful heart. He says he likes going to Sunday school to learn more about God. He says that at school he is putting forth a lot of effort to achieve his goals. He has done the end of term exams. Next year, he will be promoted to grade six. He says that he always prays for you to be blessed and he is requesting prayers from you for him to continue doing well. He likes the teachings you write to him about giving to others in their time of need. 

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Next up is a letter from Kwizera. I love the verse he dedicated to me in this letter. It's a simple verse, but it also happens to be the verse of the month at the preschool that I teach at. Just something special, I think. 

Kwizera is 13 years old and is from Rwanda. His letter is not dated. 

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Dear Kayla, 

I foremost greet you and your family in the name of Jesus Christ. I was pleased by your letter. I was amazed by the story you wrote to me that a person must help someone else with things that person doesn't have. Here, it rains. We have finished doing the exams and soon we will go into holidays. Pray for me to succeed. I am happy to relay you verse John 3:16. I and my family are pleased with your letters. Thanks for the photos. 

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We'll close today's post with a letter from Raibel. He wrote this letter on the My Hobbies and Pets template. 

Raibel is 7 years old, lives in the Dominican Republic, and this letter is dated November 7th, 2018. 

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1. Some of my hobbies are: Watching TV and reading stories 

2. I like to do my hobbies with: My friends and my parents 

3. One hobby I would like to begin someday is: Learning how to draw 

4. My favorite animal is: A cat 

5. My pet is called: I don't have a pet 

Dear Sponsor Kayla, 

May God bless you very much. I am writing on behalf of Raibel. He is well and wants you to know that he loves you very much. He would like you to come visit him. Please pray for him and his family, for God to help them. 

With Love,

Raibel

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Five Letter Friday: Volume 12

We survived the first week of preschool! We had some tough moments, as well as some brilliantly amazing moments. I'm looking forward to the year!

The blessings kept pouring in in letter form. So let's share five letters today!

Today's first letter comes from one of my newest guys, Dharshan Kumar. His letter came so fast after receiving him. Judging from what he said in this letter, it seems that he used to have a sponsor that wrote to him and thinks that I'm that I'm that person. I hope I can live up to his letter writing standards!

Dharshan Kumar is 10 years old, lives in Sri Lanka, and he wrote his letter on July 17th, 2018.

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Dear Kayla, 

I am well. How are you? It is raining heavily here. How is the weather there? Why haven't you written to me in such a long time? My teacher told me that you celebrate the new year in June, so happy new year to you! I will have my 2nd term exams soon and next month I will be getting a holiday. I haven't planned where I will go yet because I was busy studying for my exams. 

Yours, 

Dharshan Kumar

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Letter numero dos comes from Nico. He's writing to me on the My Typical Week template.

Nico is 7 years old and lives in Indonesia. His letter is dated July 10th, 2018.

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1. I typically get up at: 6:00 a.m 

2. I go to the project on: Wednesday & Friday 

3. In the afternoon, I typically: Take a nap 

4. My favorite day of the week is: Sunday because there is no school and I can go to church with my family. 

5. I typically go to sleep at: 8:00 p.m 

Dear Sponsor, 

Greetings in love to you. I'm so happy to receive and read your letter. I hope you are always fine and may all your work go well. My family and I are healthy and fine here. I'm so happy because I was just on a long holiday. I love reading your letters. Thank you very much. I hope you won't be bored to keep sending me letters and keep telling me about your experiences. I'm back to school and I'm in Grade 2 now. Please pray for me. I always pray for you and hope the best for you and your family. Greetings in love. 

From, 

Nico

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Next we read a letter from Anny. I recently acquired a large group of kids from a friend and Anny was one of those kids. This letter was technically written to my friend, but was passed along to me. It's full of good information, so I'm grateful to have it! 

Anny is 11 years old. She lives in Guatemala. Her letter is dated July 18th, 2018. 

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Dear Sponsor, 

I hope you are healthy. Thank you for all the letters you have sent me. I feel very blessed for your support. The sport I like best is basketball. It is healthy to exercise. I would like to travel to Colombia, see the museums, and other tourist places and to know the culture. I would like to meet Ricardo Arjano and Gabi Moreno because they are great Guatemalan singers. I would like to play piano and guitar at my church. Thank God I passed my grade and I was promoted to 6th grade. My brother Cristian turned 4 in May. It was also my birthday and my family celebrated it. I am happy to read your letter. I am in the dance group at my church and we praise God through dances. Regarding your questions, thank God I am good and healthy. There are large, medium, and small furry mice where I live. People are not scared of them. They just kill them. I went to school to participate in a play and then I came back to my house. I do not receive English class at my school. Thank God my family is fine. We went to church to pray for others. I celebrated my birthday on Sunday and ate cake with my family. I play Chinese Checkers with my uncle Juan and my aunt Fidelina. What instrument do you like to play? What place in the world would you like to visit? Please pray for my cousins, uncles, grandparents, my mom, and my aunts Ana and Yolanda. My mom's name is Lidia. Thank you for everything. I say goodbye and wish you blessing and success in your life. 

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Now we have a letter from Marinelis, who shared some quick details about herself and also asked me some questions to keep the conversation flowing. 

Marinelis is 16 years old, lives in the Dominican Republic, and wrote her letter on August 13th, 2018.

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Dear Friend Kayla, 

How are you and your family? I hope you are fine. How is the climate over there? I'm doing very good in school. I went out with my sister this summer. We went to the museum. I spent summer in the project. I'm going to have an interesting summer and I will look for approval right after I finish this letter. What is your favorite music genre? I'm doing well in the summer Bible school. Please pray for my family. 

With Love,

Marinelis

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We'll end with a general letter from my boy Mulwa. He continues to have a tutor write for him, even at his age. Unfortunately, I've stopped learning details about him. Each letter seems to be like the last one, just hearing basic information. Maybe it will change in the future. 

Mulwa is 11 years old, he lives in Kenya, and he wrote this letter on August 13th, 2018. 

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Mulwa salutes you in the mighty name of Jesus Christ. He says he is getting on well with his family members. He hopes that you and your family members are also getting on well. He says he is still putting in a lot of efforts in his studies. He says they have done the end of term exam and have closed school for the holiday. He says he likes attending the project because it allows him to grow spiritually, physically, and mentally. He says he is very happy and grateful for the letters which you have been sending to him. He also appreciates the support you have been giving to him. He says he likes going to Sunday school to learn more about God. He says that he is praying for you and is requesting from you, to continue doing well in school. He says may the Lord bless you. 

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July 2018 Photo Updates

I've decided that I'm going to start posting my photo updates monthly. If I don't happen to get any updated photos in a specific month, you won't see a post like this, but with the number of kids that I have, I think that probably won't happen too often.

In July, I received three photo updates:

Mulwa from Kenya

Naji from Bangladesh

Tamire from Ethiopia

End of April Letter Clean Out

It's the final day of April and I have SO MANY letters that I received in April that I have yet to post on my blog and/or respond to. I will not be posting every letter I have in this post, but am hoping to type up at least five of those letters before I get sick of typing. :) Let's start, shall we?

The post will being with a letter from Acram, which he wrote on the My Friends template.

Acram is 6 years old, from Tanzania, and he wrote this letter on April 10th, 2018.

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1. Some of my friends are: Aneth, Boaz, Stewart 

2. My friends who go to school with me are: Boaz & Stewart 

3. Activities I do with my friends are: Read, play soccer, run 

4. My best friend is: Stewart 

5. My best friend is special because: He studies at the same school and lives nearby. 

6. My best friend who goes to the same project as me: Boaz 

7. Message to sponsor: Acram is very happy to get your letter again. He and his family are doing well. He has good health. He draw for you on the back of this paper. He loves you very much. 

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Now a letter from Mulwa. He still has a tutor/project worker write for him and I can't help but wonder sometimes how much of the letter is actually his words. Sometimes the language seems so advanced that I doubt if an 11 year old boy is actually saying those things or not. Of course, he could just be super intelligent and everything on the paper actually came out of his mouth. Who am I to try to figure it out?

Mulwa is 11 years old, as I stated already, and he lives in Kenya. He wrote his letter on April 11th, 2018.

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Mulwa greets you warmly in the name of our Savior Jesus Christ. He hopes that you are fine as he is. He wishes to thank you so much for having you as his loving friend and sponsor. Mulwa informs you that he is doing well and is enjoying wonderful graces that God has showered on him. The story that he read in your letter was very interesting and relates closely to domains learnt in the project. The coloring pictures made him smile and engulfed him with unlimited joy. He shared the pictures with his best friends in the project. He wishes to be sent more and more photos. Mulwa attended the project over the Easter holiday and he learned lessons that are positively changing his life. During this season, his parents are actively involved in farming, since our land has received plenty of rain. He goes to church every Sunday and earnestly prays for you. He wishes to share with you a bible verse from 1 John 4:15. Be blessed, as well as your family and friends. Bye bye! 

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Next is a letter from the same country, but from another lovely child there. This letter is from Faith, who has been through so much in her young life, but seems to have emerged happy and healthy. Her confidence seems to build with each letter I receive from her. 

Faith is 12 years old and is from Kenya. Her letter is dated April 10th, 2018. 

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Hello My Dear Sponsor, 

How are you? How are your family members? I am fine and getting on well. I thank God for his care and protection. I am so happy to have you as my sponsor. I appreciate every part of your sponsorship to me. May the Lord bless you so much and increase your wealth. At school I am working hard. I putting forth more effort in my studies so that I can get good grades which can lead me to a good school. In the future I am hoping to become an important person in my community. At my church I attend Sunday school and participate in many activities. I also recite memory verses on different occasions. Bye bye. 

Faith 

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 Onto a letter on the Weather template from little Joshua. He is such a little guy and his tutor makes me sound like such a big boy. At the top of the page he was even listed as being in the "middle" of primary school. I'm pretty sure that isn't true, as my account says he's in preschool. He's only 4 years old, for Pete's sake! ;) 

4 year old Joshua lives in Uganda and this letter is dated March 30th, 2018. 

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1. We have a rainy/dry season 2 times per year. 

2. Right now the weather is: Sunny 

3. My favorite kind of weather is: Rainy 

4. When the weather is sunny I like to: Play with Abel 

5. On my birthday the weather is usually: Sunny 

6. Thank you for: All the support and care you extend to him through the project 

7. My prayer requests are: For my friends, for good health, for God's knowledge, for all the sick people. 

8. Answers to sponsor letter: Hello Kayla. Lovely greetings from Joshua. He says he is happy to be communicating with you. He says back at home they are fine and healthy. He says he goes to school and is working hard over there. He says he loves you and is wishing you the best. 

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Now I will share a letter from Veronika. This time, she is writing to me about her Hobbies & Pets. 

Veronika is 7 years old and is from Haiti. Her letter is dated January 31st, 2018. 

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1. Some of my hobbies are: Dancing and playing with my friends 

2. One hobby I would like to begin someday is: Writing 

3. Do you have a pet? Yes 

4. My pet is a: Sheep 

5. Does my pet have a name? No 

6. My favorite thing to do with my pet is: Running 

She is happy to write this letter to you and to greet you in the name of our Savior. How are you? How are your activities? She and her family are very good by the grace of God. She keeps praying for you that God will bless you. Pray for her so that she will have intelligence in school. How did you spend the Christmas time? She wants to share Isaiah 41:40 with you. May God bless you! 

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Last Blogged Letters of February

Three more letters to share with you for the month. Then I plan to spend the last couple of days of February responding to all of these letters. Then it's onto March. Bring it on, March!

First up, a letter from Mulwa. I long for the day that he writes on his own. I would say he's old enough to, but he must not be ready yet. I can't wait until the day he starts sharing his own details instead of the seemingly rehearsed and generic letters I get now. Gotta love that artwork, though. :)

Mulwa is 10 years and is from Kenya. His letter is dated January 27th, 2018.

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Mulwa salutes in Jesus' name. He says he is going on well with his family members. He says he is doing well at school. Mulwa hopes that you are fine. He informs you that he is working very hard at school so as to achieve his dream. He also says that he goes to the project every Saturday and participates in well in different activities. Mulwa thanks you for the support towards his life. He thanks you for the letters you've been sending him. He says he goes to Sunday school every Sunday and now he can recite different verses from the Bible. He says he likes singing and dancing to gospel songs. He wishes you all the best in your life. 

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Onto a letter from Rebecca. I love that I hear from her so often. She's such a lovely, intelligent girl and seems to always been involved in some kind of competition of some sort. I hope she genuinely enjoys competing all the time and that she's not being forced to do so. I know that in areas of the Philippines, achievement is very important and children are only accepted as good if they win. I'm not saying at all that this is the case for Rebecca, but I do want her to know that she is wonderful regardless of all these contests and results. 

Rebecca is 10 years old and lives in the Philippines. Her letter was written on January 20th, 2018. 

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Dear Ate Kayla, 

Good day! How are you and your family? We are doing well here. Thank you for your Christmas greetings. My team got 2nd place in the folk dance and choral competition. We performed by group in the contest. Last September 4th, during my birthday, we prepared some food and celebrated with my relatives. Thank you for praying for my allergy It's okay now, though. My thumbnail removed, but another one has grown. I used ointment and an antibiotic. I also prayed to God. I am continuing my studies. We recently had our third periodical exam and I passed it. Thank you for always writing letters to me so our communication continues. My memory verse is Proverbs 22:6, "Train up a child in the way he should go. Even when he is old, he will not depart from it." 

Love,

Becca

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I end up with a long, very detailed letter from my sweet girl Mariela. She is such a treasure! 

Mariela is 12 years old and lives in El Salvador. Her letter is dated January 23rd, 2018. 

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Dear Sponsor Kayla, 

How have you been? I hope that at the moment you read this letter, you are fine and enjoying many blessing from our Lord Jesus Christ. I want you to know that you are in my prayers. I ask the Lord to care for your life and for your family so that God will keep you all safe always. I want to tell you about my dreams. When I grow up I want to be a doctor. I would also like to know the snow. I would like be able to visit you one day and give you a hug. I would also like to know Jesus. What place in the world would you like to know? Let me tell you that in my project I learn something new every day. I thank you for everything that you do for me, for the letters you always send to me. I'm always happy to know more from you. I hope that God blesses you a lot. I also want to thank you and to thank God because I started a new school year. I ask you to pray for me so that God gives me wisdom and intelligence to understand the classes. Also pray that He protects me and my family and me always. I'm ending my letter saying goodbye to you and wishing to know about you again. May God keep you safe. I send you a big hug with love. 

Mariela

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End of 2017 Letters: Part 4

So...like I said, like I knew would happen, after I decided on a three part series of letters to end out the year, several more letters came in.

Not a terrible problem to have. :)

So, instead of waiting to post them, I'm adding a 4th part of my series. Whoo hoo!

If you can believe it, I've received 7 letters since my last post. My kids are writing up a storm. :)

I'm going to overload this post will every, single one of those letters. Some of these letters arrived in just 1-2 weeks!

Let's start with a letter from little Djimitri, who is writing to me about some of his favorite things.

Djimitri is 6 years old and lives in Togo. He wrote this letter on December 18th, 2017 and it arrived in less than a week!

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1. My favorite food is: Rice soup 

2. My favorite sport is: Soccer

3. My favorite activity is: Dancing

4. My favorite color is: Yellow

5. My favorite friend is: Raoul
6. My favorite animal is: Elephant
7. My favorite Bible her is: Samson 

Thank you for being my sponsor. Please pray for my studies, my project, and my family. 

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This next letter is from Sunrei, which is quite a surprise, since I have recently heard from her. She sure is a little chatterbox!

Sunrei is 10 years old and lives in Peru. Her letter is dated December 12th, 2017.

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Dear Sponsor Kayla, 

I greet you in the name of Christ. I thank you for the cute letter you sent me. We celebrate Christmas on December 25th. I am very excited to celebrate the birth of Jesus. We will eat turkey, drink hot chocolate, exchange gifts, and pray. We will have a great time. I want to tell you that I'm on my school break. I'm very happy. I go to the beach with my tutor and companions. I also go to the beach with my family. The arcade games there are very beautiful. How many pets do you have? I always read Psalm 91 because there the Lord tells me he takes care of me and that He's my caregiver. What's your favorite verse? My favorite color is purple. What's your favorite color? On what day is Christmas celebrated in you country? I ask you to pray for my family so that God will touch their hearts and for the peace of God to be in my home. May you have a merry Christmas and unity in your family. I love you so much. I say goodbye. 

Sunrei

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Up next is a very first letter from Muzuro! He has quite a large family! I always appreciate when first letters list family members. Sometimes it can be like pulling teeth to get that information later on. I also love that in his large family, Muzuro is the baby. :) 

Muzuro is 14 years old and lives in Uganda. His letter is dated December 8th, 2017. 

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Dear Kayla, 

Greetings to you in Jesus name. I would like to thank God for the protection that he has given unto us. May his name be praised! I want to tell about some of my favorite things. My favorite color is red, as you have also written. My favorite foods are beans and posho. As you have told me to mention my family members names. Firstly, we are nine members. My father's name is Isaac and my mother's name is Nema. Now I will write first born up to last born. Our first born is Joyce, then Samuel, Moses, Gloria, Beatrice, Godwill, and lastly, me, Muzuro Michael. I am the last born in the family. 

I want to thank God for the letter you sent me. You must tell Anju that I will pray for him. And he must not forget prayers. Prayer is the only way to heaven and he must love one another. He must return to Christ so that Christ can forgive him. 

Now let me introduce myself to my friend Anju. My name is Muzuro Michael. My country is Uganda. I am 14. My favorite subject is science. I like dancing, riding a bike, and soccer. 

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How about a letter from Mulwa now? This cutie just steals my heart. His letters and his drawings are too sweet. 

Mulwa is 10 years old and lives in Kenya. He wrote this letter, with help from his tutor, on November 29th, 2017. 

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Mulwa greets salutes you in Jesus' name. He wishes you are fine with your family members. He is writing this letter to inform you that in his country it is the rainy season. His parents are busy cultivating and planting crops. He is telling you that we have closed our schools for the December holiday. He was in position nine and had 327 points. He is also asking you to continue praying for his country and family members. He is happy for the gifts he received last time. He says thanks. He tells you that he is busy and happy waiting for Christmas day, when our Savior was born. He is telling you that day is really good because our Christ is born. He is continuing praying for you, for your support and sponsorship. May the Lord bless you. Happy Christmas and New Year. Bye bye. 

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Now a letter from Yohannis who is introducing me to some facts about his community. These things are so much fun to learn about! 

Yohannis is 8 years old and from Ethiopia. His letter is dated November 10th, 2017. 

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1. My community/village is called: Glema Aba Gedasefer 

2. My community is located in the: Oromiya Region

3. The population of my village is: 300

4. A common job is my community is: Farming 

5. A common type of transportation in my community is: Cart & Motorcycle

6. People in my community speak: Oromifa & Amharic 

7. In my community, the weather is typically: Sunny 

I want to be an outstanding student. Please end me pictures and letters. Thank you for being my sponsor. 

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Two letters to go! 

This next one is from Kwizera Yves. He's never been a big chatterbox, but after all these years, he seems to be opening up about details more and more. I definitely appreciate that. 

Kwizera Yves is 12 years old and from Rwanda. This letter is dated December 2nd, 2017. 

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To My Parent Whom I Love A Lot, 

I greet you first in the name of Jesus Christ. We have rain in Rwanda. We had a bicycle competition in Rwanda and it's called The Tour du Rwanda. We are remaining with a few days before celebrating Christmas on the 25th. I was pleased by your good photos. I thank you for your good letter. It pleased me so much. I feel happy with my family. 

Kwizera Yves

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And we end this post (and this series, for real this time) with a letter from Rodrigo. It'd be over four months since I last heard from him, which is totally unusual for Compassion letters these days. He must have missed a letter writing day at his project. His letter is on the How I Have Fun template. 

Rodrigo is 7 years old, from Bolivia. His letter was written on November 18th, 2017. 

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1. I like to play with: Little cars

2. My favorite activity is: Jump rope 

3. I usually play with: My siblings 

4. At the park, I like to play: Up and down on the seesaw

Dear Sponsor, 

I greet you with the peace of the Lord Jesus Christ. I am the tutor. My name is Paul. Rodrigo wants to tell you that his dad gave him a bicycle recently. Pray for his whole family. 

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From the Field Friday: Kenya

I have shared many of these letters over the past few months and I still have tons to send, but something about today's letter really struck me. In all letters, we are forced to see some of the worst things in our world; lack of clean water, abuse, gangs recruiting children, lack of education, etc. Then we get to see how Compassion is tackling these issues head on. I guess it has taken me three months to realize it, but it is Satan who is spreading so much hate and lies in these developing nations and their poorest communities. Compassion is standing against Satan and taking on these lies. They are changing these countries, from the inside out, through the children. The children are carrying God into and through their countries. Change is happening!

Today we hear from the man heading up the program in Kenya.

I have a whole slew of children in Kenya; Baraka, Brian, Lemayian, Faith, Hillary, Mulwa, Muuo, and Tumbu.

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Dear Kayla, 

My name is Joel Macharia, country director of Compassion International in Kenya. Compassion has been in Kenya since 1980. We partner with about 375 local churches, serving 108,000 babies, children, and youth. 

Joel Macharia with some Compassion Children

Thank you for your support and care for your sponsored children. Though sponsors' support, children attend school, learn to make good health choices, receive medical attention, find a safe place to play, build healthy relationships, gain essential life skills, discover and build their talents, and encounter the life-transforming message of the Bible. Compassion children receive learning materials, desks, school uniforms, and remedial tutoring. At child development centers in their communities, they find caring adults who encourage, support, and guide them. We invest to provide access to safe drinking water, sanitation, solar lighting, and treated bed nets, among other initiatives. 

Teenagers Studying at Their Compassion Project 

Children are often at risk of emotional, physical, and other forms of abuse or neglect, including early marriages. We work to prevent and deal with abuse through training and establishing robust processes. 

Terrible Living Conditions Often Lead to Abuse Situations

About 70 percent of our children live in rural communities that largely depend on small-scale subsistence farming and keeping animals, about 30 percent live in urban slums. In rural areas, families struggle to find enough food and water when rains fail. In impoverished urban areas, people live with poor or nonexistent sanitation, bad housing, high unemployment, predatory pricing, and violent. Often families are dysfunctional, and many people are too absorbed in their own struggles to notice or care for others. Public schools tend to have fewer teachers than needed, inadequate learning materials, inadequate or poorly maintained infrastructure, and high teacher absenteeism. 

An Urban Slum in Kenya

We continue to work at changing families' mindset from victims to thinking like empowered Christians. Discipleship is at the heart of forming this worldview. We want people to envision a better future and take the necessary action to overcome the odds and hold them. 

Children Sing Worship Songs in Their Compassion Classroom

Recently, we encountered a single mom who had lost both hands in a past abusive marriage. She and her child were in great distress. When the child was registered in the center, she was malnourished and sick. She received needed nutrition and medical support and now shows remarkable improvement. The mom was connected to a local women's group, where she has received needed support, including free legal services. 

Our church partners are an important center of community life. They run discipleship programs for different group and teach people how to improve their economic prospects. Some churches run their own school, health clinics, and vocational training. We empower church leaders to collaborate to address issues affecting their communities. 

Children Learn in Project-Run School

When a child gets a sponsor, it is a very special cause for celebration. It deeply affirms the child as unique and valued. Children long to connect with the sponsor to express gratitude and build the relationship. Receiving a letter, photo, or car from the sponsor encourages them and reinforces their feeling of being loved. While it's delightful to receive sponsor letters, some don't get them, and they wonder why. We encourage them to keep communicating, but they find it hard when the sponsor is quiet. Please write your children as often as possible. 

A Child Reads a Letter from Her Sponsor 

Thank you again for your friendship and support for your sponsored children. We say in Africa that it takes a village to raise a child. Our child-raising village is incomplete without you. Please pray that all our children will live to fulfill their God-given potential. 

Warm Regards and Every Blessing,

Joel Macharia

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