Long Post Ahead! Six Letters to Share!

Read if you want to. No pressure. I've been receiving a ton of letters and I've just decided that I want them all in one post together. I'll post from youngest to oldest, like usual.

First, a letter from Mulwa. He wrote on the template called My Project. Mulwa is 8 years old and lives in Kenya. His letter is dated September 19th, 2015.

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My project is KE-783. The number of children in my project is 300. I go to my project 1 day a week. My project is 3 km from my home. I get to my project on foot. Typical activities I do at my project are playing football. My favorite activity to do at my project is playing games. My favorite thing about my project workers is they are loving and caring. When I am at my project, I typically eat rice and stew. 

Mulwa is sending much greetings to you, Kayla. He says that he is fine and working hard in school to achieve his goals. He participates in singing to others at the project. He wishes you God's blessings to you and your family. 

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Onto another letter from Ernest. He's been a pretty chatty little guy lately! He still has a tutor writing his letters for him. Ernest is 9 years old, from Ghana. His letter is dated October 29th, 2015. 

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Dear Kayla, 

Ernest says he wants to thank you for all the letters, supports, and prayers. He says that he is studying hard at school and he plays soccer with his friends. He says it has been raining heavily in his community. He asks: Has it been raining in your community too? He says may God protect you from all danger. He says to pray to God to grant him wisdom in his studies. He shares John 10:30 "I and my father are one". 

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This next letter is pretty special. It's another first letter from Fongwin. I've been writing to Fongwin to a few years, as a correspondent, but I just recently took him on as a sponsored child. He went for about two months without a sponsor and I'm sure, when he wrote this introduction letter, he didn't know that I would be the one continuing to write to him. Still, I enjoy getting this letter again, getting updates since his very first "first letter." He even included a lovely self-portrait with this letter. 

Fongwin is 13 years old and lives in Thailand. 

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My Favorite Toy: Cards

I Live In: The North

My Favorite Fruit Is: Durian

My Favorite Food Is: Fried Rice

My Favorite Season: Winter

My Favorite Colors: Green & Brown

My Favorite Animal: Dog

Dear Sponsor, 

My name is Thawatchai. I'm glad to know you. I'm thankful to you for your sponsorship. I'm in 6th grade. I have 4 persons in my family; my father, my mother, my older brother, and me. I participate in the project activities regularly. How many people are in your family? Please pray for my studies. May God bless you always. 

Love in Christ, 

Thawatchai 

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Next up, a letter from Brian. He is 14 years old and lives in Kenya. He wrote this letter on October 6th, 2015. 

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Dear Kayla,

How are you? I hope you are fine, together with your family. My family is fine too. Thank you for the letter that you wrote for me. I normally go to church on Sunday and we usually praise God with singing and music. Our school is very good. It is going on well. In fact, in our school, we have new teachers who come from the United States of America and they are teaching very well. My favorite subject is CRE because it teaches about how God created the Earth in five days and on the sixth day he created human beings. My difficult subject is social studies but I still try to perform it well. I have a memory verse which I would like to share with you. It comes from the book of Philippians 4:13. "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Thank you for your support and may God bless you. 

Brian

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Now I'll share a letter from Jhon. He certainly has been a wonderful writer this year. Every 2 months on the dot. Jhon is 16 years old and lives in Bolivia. His letter is dated October 20th, 2015. 

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Dear Sponsor Kayla, 

I greet you with the holy peace of our Lord Jesus Christ. I tell you that I am very happy to be able to write you again through this letter. I thank God for this big opportunity he gives me through your help. My family thanks you with all of their hearts. I tell you, in the student center we are doing many activities in which we learn a lot and we also have fun and the camp is getting close for us. I want to go there. I am praying to God that he gives me the opportunity to go and learn more about our God. I am looking forward and wishing you success in the work you do and I'm praying to God for your health. I say goodbye with much love and affection. I ask you to pray for my family and for my studies. 

Sincerely,

Jhon

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Lastly, a letter from Wendjy. He is 20 years old and lives in Haiti. He wrote this letter on October 9th, 2015. 

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Dear Kayla,

As always, it's a great joy to me to talk to you through a letter. How are all your activities going? How about your family? By God's grace, all goes well with me and my family, even though there are little difficulties. I would thank you for the letter and the photo. I am answering your questions now. I celebrated a nice Easter party this year. The day today is going well because I do all that I have to do. I would let you know that I'm done with my classical studies by now and I came to enroll myself in University, where I chose to study Superior Tourism. In the meantime, I may have the possibility to study another thing, which I desire, Gynecology. I hope God will make my dreams real. Thanks for your prayers. My God bless you. 

Wendjy

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Step Into My World: Urban Rwanda

This posts seem to be getting later and later as the year comes to an end, don't they? Only a few weeks left now. I may or may not be posting them on Saturdays anymore, but I will certainly get them all done. It's too late to quit now. I want all of my children's regions represented.

Today, I will tell you more about the urban region in Rwanda. I have one child who lives in this area:

Kwizera

He lives outside the big city of Butare, which is located in the Southern portion of the country

Only 19% of people in Rwanda live in and around the big cities. 

Unfortunately, for the desperately poor, life in the urban settings is extremely difficult. Most of these families migrated to the cities from the countryside because of poor farming conditions and/or lack of water. Sadly, life in the city proved to be just as difficult. People live in slums outside of the city walls, in small shacks made of mud and wood. Here, living conditions are cramped; large families sharing 1-2 rooms and each home virtually on top of the next. 

These slum homes are owned by landowners or by the city and rent is very high for families living in poverty. 2/3 of adults in this area do not work. Those that do work only earn a few dollars a day. Sometimes, it is just enough to pay rent for the month, but not enough to provide adequate food or proper education. Other times, it isn't even enough to pay rent. Families fall into debt and are often kicked out of their home. This causes families to move from home to home often, leading to very unstable lives, especially for the children. 

Most of the adults that have jobs work as vendors, selling fruits, vegetables, clothes, furniture, etc. However, they cannot sell their goods in the market. In order to sell in the city market, vendors must own a private stall, which is too expensive for families living in poverty. Instead, these families sell on the side of the road which, as you can imagine, isn't quite as successful as selling in the market in the city center. 

Compassion is doing amazing work here (of course they are!) for the children living in poverty. One of the biggest problems in urban Rwanda is instability. Compassion strives to give the children a stable place to just be kids. To play, to learn, to enjoy life. 

Each time the children come to the project, they are split into age groups and taught an important lesson. These lessons typically revolve around the bible, music, hygiene, and health. 

After lessons, children gather together for a delicious (and nutritious) meal! 

On letter days, children with sponsors take time to write a letter to their sponsors, updating them about their lives and responding to any letters they may have received from their sponsors. 

Before time at the project ends, children and staff gather to pray. Compassion urban Rwanda has the following prayer requests: 

- Pray that micro-businesses of parents will prosper so that they can better provide for their children. 

- Pray that children will stay focused on their education and resist the temptation to drop out. 

- Pray for children's protection from the many illnesses and safety hazards in the city slums. 

- Pray that marriages and families will be strengthened and withstand pressures to break apart. 

More Brilliant Artwork from Swapna

I received two letters from Swapna. These letters were written just one day apart. I sometimes wish I could be in the middle of the project life of my children, just to see what's going on. Why did Swapna write two days in a row? Does she attend the project that often in a week? Did she receive a letter from me each day and decided/had to respond? I just would love to get in on the action! :)

Both of these letters are written in beautiful, English handwriting. Of course, per usual, both of these letters included beautiful drawings. With the vibrant colors and shading, it's always just very obvious that she spends a lot of time on these drawings. I think I'm going to ask her how long it takes her to draw a picture for me.

Swapna is 18 years old and live in India.

This first letter was written on September 29th, 2015.

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Dear Kayla, 

Greetings to you in the name of Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Thank you so much for your love and care. Also, special thanks for your beautiful letter. I have completed my 1st year final exam. We started our 2nd year classes. Along with my college education, I am preparing for the job entrance exam. I got many new friends in our college. We made a plan for a family trip in the month of November. Do you make any plans for a family trip and get together? My 1st elder sister's name is Aparna and she has a son who is four years old. My 2nd eldest sister's name is Suparna and she has a daughter named Sneha, three years old. They are all keeping well. My parents are keeping well. But my maternal grandfather is not keeping well, he had a brain stroke in the month of August. Please pray for his soon recovery. I celebrated my nephew's birthday in the month of August. I enjoyed a lot on that day. We invited many relatives. We celebrated Independence Day on the 15th of August in our center. "Ha-da-da" is our national game. We also like to play cricket, football, and badminton. We find unity in diversity in our country. Some of our biggest cities are Kolkata, Mumbai, Delhi, etc. New Delhi is our capital. Our national fruit is mango. Here we grow rice, wheat, and jute. Our national animal is the tiger and bird is the peacock. I attended VBS in the month of May and learned a new song "Sing Gloria. I pray for you regularly. Please pray for me and write to me. 

With Thanks, Your Sponsored Child,

Swapna

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This next letter was written on September 30th, 2015. Like so many other of my children, Swapna is regarding the child that I paired her up with the be friends and prayer partners. Over and over, I feel like this was such a wonderful decision, to pair up the kids. They really seem to enjoy it! 

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Dear Sponsor Kayla, 

Greetings to you in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Thank you so much for your love and care. I'm glad to receive your letter. I am very happy to get Lina in my life. She is two years younger than me. A special thanks to you for your beautiful birthday card. The cakes are so beautiful. We also celebrated Easter in our center. We had a short prayer service and cultural program. Do you celebrate Teacher's Day in your country? We celebrated Teacher's Day on September 5th. We had a beautiful program. Our teachers cut a cake and shared among them. We gave them some gifts, also. 

Lina, I learnt a beautician course from our center. Are you learning any special things or skills? Now here, it is autumn, but the climate is very hot. I wrote my B.A 1st year exam. I am waiting for the results. Please pray for me. I also pray for you, Lina. Please write to me. 

With Thanks,

Lina

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Sponsor a Christmas Child!

I've done posts like this in the past and I always have so much fun putting them together. It's fun to see how many children I can find with specific names.

Is your family considering adding a sponsored child to your family this month? Maybe you would consider one of these sweet children with a Christmas related name:

3 year old Angel Gabriel

Nicaragua

Sweet Nazareth has a sponsor! 

4 year old Mary

Kenya

5 year old Blessing

Uganda

6 year old Gloria

Uganda

6 year old Joseph

Togo

6 year old Shepherd

Ghana

7 year old Jesus

Colombia

8 year old Gifty

Ghana

Noel has been sponsored! 

Wouldn't sponsoring a child be a wonderful Christmas present for everyone involved? 

A Ugandan Trifecta

Earlier this week, I received three letters from Uganda. I'll share each of them with you today, in age order, of course. :)

First up, the letter from Derrick. He is 12 years old. He wrote this letter on October 21st, 2015.

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Dear Kayla,

I am Derrick, greeting you this morning. I am happy to tell you that I have received all your letters. Thank you for all the encouraging words, the pictures, and the greetings. The Father's Love Letter was so good. I have to keep reading it. The fruits of the spirit letter was also good. Thank you also for the birthday wishes. I also received the gift money. God bless you! Greetings to G and C. Tell them have grown. Greetings to the Sunday school children in your church. I loved seeing them. Let me share with you my God sightings. For me, I see God in church and also in nature.

These are the things I bought with the money I received: Two hens, a pair of shoes, rice. Be blessed. I thank you again. Have a good time! 

Derrick

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Now a letter from the ever-lovely Brenda. She is 16 years old. She wrote this letter on September 29th, 2015. 

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Dear Kayla,

I am greeting you in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. How are you and how is your family? Back to me, I am okay. 

The reason why I have written this letter is to thank you for sending letters to me. I have received them and they are six in number. 

Now we are in our in third term at school and I am doing well. The books are going well and I am reading very hard. In our area we are receiving both rainfall and sunshine and our crops are growing very well, like beans. We are also harvesting Irish potatoes. My parents and my grandparents are fine and they are greeting you in the name of Jesus Christ, so receive their greetings. 

You asked me to tell you about my country. My country's Independence Day is celebrated on October 9th. The colors of our flag are black, yellow, and red. I love my country. Another question you asked me is: Where do I see God in my community? I see God in the way he is transforming my friends when they receive Jesus, the change in their characters. I like playing volleyball and football. What about you? What is your favorite color? 

Here, I have a verse which I want to share with you and it is from the book of Ecclesiastes 7:1. It says, "A good name is better than fine perfume, and the day of death better than the day of birth." It teaches me how I can live in society with others when you have a good name. When you have a bad name, you live in a way that is not pleasing in society. 

Thank you and may God bless you. 

Your's Faithfully,

Brenda

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Now, as if that last letter wasn't long enough, this next one is even longer. But, that's a good thing, of course! 

This letter is from Eric. He is 20 years old. This letter is dated October 28th, 2015. 

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Dear Kayla,

How are you and how are your family members? Back to me, I am okay, both at home and at school. I am doing well and I am reading book very hard in order to pass the promotion exams. My family celebrated Easter well and we enjoyed it. I am very happy to hear that you have other children that you write to, especially Enatenesh from Ethiopia. She is a nice looking girl and I hope one time I will see her face to face. I will always remember her in my prayers so that God will keep her healthy always. I also send greetings to her and tell her that she is special before God. Does she have any brothers or sisters? I am very thankful before God for the great work you are doing especially through ministering to children. God is ready to reward you abundantly. I have seen God in our community shelter, clothes, food, and medical care to the needy and when I saw what God created, like mountains and valleys. I get to know that no one is like God. He can change our lives the way he wants. If he says yes, no one can say no. God has done many things in my life, especially by letting you to be my special sponsor. Really, I am always proud of you. Thank you for your letters that you always send to me. They are so encouraging and I will always read them. I would like to share Proverbs 23:18 with you. I wish you God's blessings together with your family members. I remain your son, 

Eric

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Lazarus's Updated Photo: 2015

I was so happy to receive a new photo of Lazarus. He graduates in March and I wasn't sure if I would get another one from him. It's great to see him looking grown-up and healthy. I know that he is leaving the Compassion program fully ready for a successful adult life.

Letters from Some Big Guys

Following yesterday's post, it's time to share the letters from some of my big guys. 

First up, a letter from Alexander. He is 14 years old and lives in Honduras. He wrote his letter on October 14th, 2015. 

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Hello Dear Sponsor Kayla, 

I hope that when you read this letter you're doing well and are healthy. My family and I are doing well and is healthy, thanks to God. The Independence Day in my country is September 15th and it is 194 years of independence for my country. The country was colonized by Spain and discovered by Christopher Columbus, according to history. My country has celebrated independence since 1821. Right now, I don't have a favorite book from the bible. I have a bible of my own in my house, but at the CDC, I also have a bible. I don't go to church, but I help my mother with chores at home. I have never gone to bible school during my vacations. In my house, I sleep on a mattress with my younger brother. In my house we have clean water and we buy our food in the supermarket. The house where I live is made out of concrete blocks. At night, we light our house with electricity and I was my clothes in my grandmother's house because she has a washing machine. I say goodbye to you. I am praying for you. I send you a kiss and a hug. 

Alexander

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Next, a letter from Jhonrex. He is 15 years old and lives in the Philippines. This letter is dated September 30th, 2015. 

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Dear Kayla, 

Hi, and a pleasant day to you. If you would like to know how I'm doing, I am doing okay together with my family. I was so glad when I received many letters from you and learned so much from you. Thanks for supporting me. The pictures/photos are beautiful. I enjoy looking at them. Here in our student center, I'm doing my best and in our school, we are having an activity called Language Month. We will soon have the school intermurals. Here in the center, most of our lessons are about God. We are watching a film about the bible. 

Is Alexander a sponsor child, like me? I'll pray for him, too. Thank you very much that you pray for my continually. Please pray that I won't give in to peer pressure and that I will finish school and for good health of my family. 

Respectfully Yours,

Jhonrex

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Last up, a letter from Elias. Elias is 16 years old and lives in Ethiopia. He wrote this letter on September 22nd, 2015. 

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Dear Kayla, 

How are you doing? How is your family? How is your work? 

Praise God, my family and I are very fine. I am a 5th grade student and it has been a week since I started class after break. I have got your letter and photo and I was very happy. My family and I would like to thank you. For your question, my mother is fine. She is not with me. She lives in another country. My parents are separated so pray that God may reunite them. I want to become a doctor. Bye. 

Elias

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Letters From Some Little Guys

I've heard from several of my boys and young men lately, so I decided to separate their letters into two groups: little guys and big guys. Today, let's hear from the little guys.

First, a letter from Enmanuel. He is 7 years old and lives in the Dominican Republic. His letter is dated September 8th, 2015.

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Dear Kayla, 

God bless you. How are you? My family and I are fine. I already started my school and I'm doing very well. My siblings are living with my father and I'm living with my mother now. When my brothers come to see me I feel very happy and they treat me very good. I'm in 3rd grade and my teacher's name is Ada. I thank you a lot for your letter and I would like to keep learning about you. I ask prayer for my studies, to continue doing well. 

God Bless,

Enmanuel

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Next, a letter from Kwizera. He's 10 years old and lives in Rwanda. He wrote this letter on October 3rd, 2015. 

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Dear Kayla, 

My beloved parent! Greetings to you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. How are you doing? We are doing well and are blessing God. I have had problems with my throat, but I am getting treatment and I am getting well. We did not have much harvest of crops. We are now buying food from the market. We took tests but haven't got our results yet. We study English, mathematics, social studies, science, and the local language. While at the project, we pray and sing. We also learn the word of the Lord. We have been learning from Luke 12:25. May God's protection keep being with you. With my family, I was excited to receive your and hear from you through your letter. Thank you for updating us about your family news. May God continue to bless you and intervene in your life through whatever you are doing. 

Kwizera

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Lastly, a very short letter from Ernest. He clearly wasn't in a very chatty mood on the day he wrote this letter. Ernest is 10 years old and is from Ghana. This letter was written on September 16th, 2015. 

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Dear Kayla, 

Ernest says thank you for your support and love. God bless you. He says that the project is competing in inter-cluster football games. Ernest asks how are you and your family? Ernest says God should bless you and protect your family. Please pray for God's grace upon his family. He shares Isaiah 9:6 "A child is born to us, a child is given to us, He will be our ruler, He will be called wonderful counselor, mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace." 

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Double Letters from Jose

Since I wrote all about where Jose lives yesterday, I figured it was a good time to post the last letters I received from him. I got two letters from him on the same. He wrote both of the letters on the same day, as well, which is interesting. My guess is that he was responding to two of my letters, that he received at the same time. Sometimes, letter writing can be confusing. Haha.

I love Jose's letters because he always asks deep questions. Makes me think. Also, he likes to begin and end his letters with the same words. I think it's sweet.

Jose is 17 years old and lives in Peru. His letters are dated September 28th, 2015.

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Dear Sponsor Kayla, 

Hello, dear sponsor. Greetings with a big hug and kiss, with the blessings of our Lord Jesus Christ. I hope you are healthy. I am doing very well with my father and siblings. Yes, I am praying for you and Taye. What animals does Taye's father raise? I want to tell you that it has started getting cold here. It is too cold. For the anniversary of my project, on September 11th, we had a very beautiful time because we played soccer and volleyball against other levels. We shared God's word with others. What did you feel when you accepted Jesus Christ into your heart? Pray for me and my family, that we may continue to do well. We pray for you and your family. I say goodbye with a big hug and kiss on your cheek. 

Jose

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Dear Sponsor Kayla, 

Hello dear sponsor. Greetings with a big hug and a kiss, with the blessings of our Lord Jesus Christ. I hope you are healthy. I want to tell you that the Independence Day of Peru is July 28th. All the schools participate in a parade in the main square. People put up the Peruvian flag on their roofs. I also like watching fireworks. They are very beautiful and colorful. In my country, we have 24 departments of agriculture. In my country, we plant potatoes, corn, quinoa, and kiwicha. Our native animals are vicuna, alpaca, and viscacha. What is your parents' mission in your church? Pray for me and my parents. I will pray for you and your friend Taye. I say goodbye with a big hug and a kiss on your cheek. 

Jose

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Step Into My World: Peru Andes Region

Wow! It's been a whole week since I last wrote an entry. There really has been no reason for that. I've received many letters that I need to post, but it seems I've just let blogging slip my mind. I'll get back into the swing of things with this post, then I'll catch up with writing about the letters I've received tomorrow and next week.

Today, we'll talk a short walk (haha) to Peru together. More specifically, the Andes Region of Peru. The Andes mountain range stretches across most of the country, so it is a very wide area. I have one child who lives in this area:

Jose

Jose lives in a village outside of the city of Arequipa, which is in the Southern part of Peru. 

Villages in the mountains are typically very rural and are isolated from the "outside" modern world. Travel through the mountains is very difficult and most people stay in the village their whole life. Life here remains generally unchanged from generation to generation. 

Here, adults works as either small-scale farmers or as daily laborers. 

Families, per tradition, stay together in one house: grandparents, parents, and children all live together under one roof. However, homes are usually cramped, cold, and not able to accommodate large families.  

In this area, Compassion is working wonders in the lives of children! In this region, children are often cut off from the proper education that they need. Schools are either too far away to travel to or the local schools are in need of quality teachers and supplies. In some cases, parents don't see the value of education because nobody else in their family has attended school before. Compassion works to provide children of all ages with the proper educational support that they need to succeed. 

Every time that a child attends the project, they receive a large, healthy meal that may contain important things (protein, fruits, veggies) that they aren't able to receive at home. 

Compassion recognizes the importance of long-standing traditions in these communities and honors this will special celebrations that allow for children to learn more about these traditions. Parties are held where everyone wears traditional dress and each traditional food. These parties are fun for everyone involved! 

The Compassion staff in this region have the following prayer requests: 

- Pray that families will be protected from the frequent floods that occur in this region, which can destroy crops and lead to food scarcity. 

- Pray that parents will see the value of education and encourage children to succeed academically. 

- Pray for the safety of youths whose families migrate to the cities. There are many unscrupulous people looking to exploit them.