Manna 4 Lempira: Dia Del Niño

It was another eventful day in rural Honduras! On this past Sunday, September 10th, in Honduras, the country celebrated Dia Del Niño, which translates to Children's Day. How great of a holiday is that?! I wish we celebrated this holiday in the United States. From what I understand, it's just a holiday to celebrate kids, to remind them that they are amazing, and to let them have fun!

Well, the Manna 4 Lempira churches threw some pretty rocking parties to celebrate this day. There was candy bags, dancing, singing, worshiping, balloons, relay races, cake, pinatas, and just all around joy!

Letters to My Kids: July & August 2017

As you can see, I'm a little bit behind on sharing the letters I've been writing to my kids. I'm still on the one letter per month rate, as I have been lately. I keep hoping to get back up to two letters a month again, but it hasn't happened yet. I figure one is better than none, right?

In July, life happenings were pretty slow for me, so I made up another list of questions to ask my kids. I have had great success with asking lists of questions. I really get kids to answer them and it's great! I think it helps that I also answers the questions I ask, to tell the kids more about me.

In August, I, like many other people around the country, viewed the solar eclipse. Where I live in the country, we had about 90% cover, so I wasn't able to take any great photos of it myself, but the internet is a wonderful thing! I found some pretty cool photos and even one with a Bible verse on it. It was fun to share my experience of viewing the eclipse with my kids! And photos with those viewing glasses sure were fun to take! 

_______________________________________________________________________________

More Letters with Pretty Artwork

There is just something extra special about a drawing created by the work of my sponsored children's hands. I just love them so much.

First up, a letter from Ayling, who is 11 years old and lives in Nicaragua. She always writes letters with such great details about her life. She also always asks questions, which makes replying to her letters, and carrying on a conversation, very easy.

I am really in love with this letter, especially the drawing. There are studies done among young children and they have been done all over the world. There is a common among children, regardless of gender, socio-economic status, language, or country. Children that are healthy and well-adjusted commonly draw the same thing when given free space to draw. The draw a basic house, a tree, and a sun in the sky. Children that have been displaced or come from war-torn nations don't draw these things. 

Seriously. Look it up! It's amazing. 

Her letter is dated August 7th, 2017.

________________________________________________________________________________

Hello Dear Sponsor Kayla, 

I am happy to be in the project, and for having you as a sponsor, and also for your letters. My family and I are doing well. I also do well at school, In the afternoons, when I do not have classes at the project, I play with my friends and cousins. I enjoy learning Bible stories and I share them with my friends. I went to Salvador Allende Park with my mother in Managua. That place has changed a lot. How is your health? How are you? I wish you the best. I always pray for God to pour his blessings on you. Please pray for me and send more pictures. I say goodbye with love, hugs, and kisses. 

Fondly,

Ayling

________________________________________________________________________________

As others have sent me recently, I have received a My Typical Week letter template from another one of my Kenyan cuties. This time, from Baraka. He is 8 years old.

His letter is dated August 10th, 2017.

________________________________________________________________________________

1. I usually wake up at: 7:00 a.m

2. In the morning, I normally: Pray 

3. The days I attend school are: Monday-Friday

4. The name of my school is: Ndungumi Primary School

5. In the afternoon, I usually: Do my homework 

6. In the evening, I normally: Help my Parents  

7. I go to the project on: Saturday 

8. I typically go to sleep at: 7:00 p.m 

9. My favorite day of the week is: Saturday because I attend the project program.

10. The day I go to church is: Sunday 

11. The name of my church is: Presbyterian Church of East Africa (PCEA)

Baraka greets you in the name of Jesus. He says he is doing well and appreciates your letter. He thanks you for your support. He wishes you God's blessing. 

________________________________________________________________________________

Remember when I talked about drawings of happy children (sure you do, it just happened)? Well, here is another one. :) 

It absolutely warms my heart to see my Daniel draw such a happy drawing. He even included a rainbow! Combined with his description of life, my heart is melting. 

Daniel is 7 years old and lives in Ecuador. His letter is dated June 22nd, 2017. 

________________________________________________________________________________

Dear Kayla, 

The weather currently where I live is sunny. My favorite weather is rainy because it's a happy day. On my birthday, the weather usually gets hot. I want to thank you for everything you do for me. At Christmas time, the weather is usually sunny. I also want to say that life is beautiful and there is love. I love you. Please pray for me, my siblings, and my mom and dad. 

Written By,

Daniel

_________________________________________________________________________________

To end, a wonderfully long letter from Celeste. Since I first sponsored her, she has drawn me butterflies in every letter. Even though she has grown into a young lady now, it's good to see some things stay consistent. 

Celeste is 15 years old and is from Honduras. She wrote her letter on August 10th, 2017.

________________________________________________________________________________

Hello Dear and Beautiful Sponsor Kayla, 

I hope you and your family are doing well. It is a pleasure that your children have finished their school year and they are on vacation. They can learn many new things. Your children look very beautiful in the photos. They are very cute. I thank God that Chloe can celebrate another year of life. I wish her to have many more years filled with blessings. I hope you have good weather for them to play. I tell you that I am in 8th grade and the educational system in my country works like this: 3 years of preschool, elementary is from 1st-9th grade, and then high school is three years, 10th-12th. After that is University. I will pray the Lord that you can move to a new and better place. I haven't had the habit of saving money yet, but I will do it when I can work. One of my goals is to have success in the school year. My older sister graduated from University and is now working. My brother is studying for a Bachelor's. Your verse is very pretty. One of the greatest surprises I have is to have all of my family gathered together. I say goodbye with many hugs and kisses, though distance, with much love. 

Celeste 

________________________________________________________________________________

From the Field Friday: Honduras

Happy Friday! Today we hear from the wonderful woman running the show in Honduras. Sounds like Compassion is making quite a difference in both rural and urban settings in the country!

I have three fabulous teenagers in Honduras: Celeste, Erick, and Carlos.

________________________________________________________________________________

Dear Kayla, 

My name is Yolanda Rodas. I have been the country director of Compassion Honduras for six years and I have been a part of Compassion for 13 years. By the grace of God, I have been able to see different stages of Compassion's ministry as I took different roles in the office. This has been very useful in my current position, since I can understand at a closer level what happens in the field with the children and the churches. 

Yolanda Rodas 

Our office in Honduras began in 1999, although work had begun in some regions in 1974, with the support of the Guatemala and El Salvador offices. Currently, we are working with about 200 child development centers and more than 57,000 children. 

Children Registered in Compassion Honduras 

During these years, I have been able to see many lives transformed through the dynamic that exists among sponsors, children, churches, and Compassion. I want to thank you for all the support that you bring daily to Erick, Celeste, and Carlos, expressed through your sponsorship and prayers. I am convinced that the sponsorship you provide really does work, for I have seen it throughout all these years. 

I have seen home being transformed as the cycle of poverty has been broken, thanks to the work of the child development centers and the support sponsors offer. Many of our youth have been the first in their families to complete high school or university education or have the opportunity to learn a trade to sustain themselves and their families. Many children have been diagnosed quickly with an illness that could have taken their lives, but instead they received adequate treatment. Most importantly, I have seen entire households changed with the transforming power of Jesus. Each church that ministers in the lives of children is giving hope to families through the gospel. 

Boys Enjoying a Healthy Snack at their Project 

In our country, we fight each day against poverty, violence and corruption, which are the main challenges for us. Many of our children live in the most violent and poverty-stricken regions of our country. Each day, these young people and children suffer pressures to join a gang, for there they are offered money or a semblance of a family. Some of them live in constant fear of having a family member murdered or losing their own life. 

A Typical Home in Poverty-Ridden Areas in Honduras

Access to the public health system is also a challenge. Even though there are hospitals and community health centers available, they lack qualified personnel and supplies. Education has improved during the last years, but there are still obstacles to overcome, for the system has not yet reached an adequate educational level for our students. 

Children Learning Computer Lessons

In each of these challenge areas, centers are making their best efforts in counterattacking the effects of such overwhelming poverty. They have become an oasis in the desert for these children and youth. 

Children Playing Safely at Their Project

My vision is that we, as Compassion Honduras, can support the churches even more, so they can effectively implement ministry for children and youth. If each church is well equipped, the impact will be even greater on each child and family. We are also working to improve communications between sponsors and children so these can be more effective and help strengthen their relationships. 

Children Doing Crafts at Their Project 

Please write to your children as much as you can. I wish you could see children's smiling and radiant faces when they receive a sponsor letter. Even though most of them do not know their sponsors personally, it is so important to them to know that someone loves the selflessly and demonstrates a genuine interest in their well-being through letters. 

A Girl Holds Up a Letter from Her Sponsor 

Thank you for being part of this movement that is changing generations in our beloved Honduras. You are sowing in a good land by sponsoring Erick, Carlos, and Celeste and we appreciate all your prayers. 

Yours Truly, 

Yolanda Rodas 

________________________________________________________________________________

School News from Jule

It's always so great to hear about how things are going at school for my kids. I feel happy that my kids feel comfortable in sharing their school lives with me, even when things aren't going extremely well. I will definitely be praying for Jule to work hard and improve his grades. He's passing, but it appears, just barely.

_________________________________________________________________________________

Dear Kayla, 

My beloved sponsor, I am greeting you in the name of Christ. We are having rainfall and it is increasing day by day. It recently destroyed some houses, but me and my family are fine and no one is sick. At school I got the 23rd position and passed with 41% (Letter grade equivalent in the U.S is a D. Considered a basic "pass")  marks. I want you to pray for me to pass well in 3rd term. I wish for a photo of you with your family. May God bless you. Thanks a lot for the letter you wrote to me, telling me that you have four seasons. We also have four seasons: rainy, sunny, windy, and a mix of rainy and windy. May God's blessings be with you. 

________________________________________________________________________________

Letter Writing Marathon?

To my surprise, I received three letters all at the same time from my lovely, almost-teenager Kwizera Yves. When I looked at them, I noticed that they were all written on August 7th. He must have either received several of my letters on that day or he just felt like having a letter writing marathon. :) Either way, I am so glad to receive all of these!

This first letter seems to be responding to letters I sent my kids in the winter. I a snow themed letter with some photos of the kids I nanny for playing in the snow. One of them showed the boy I take care of laying in the snow, about to make a snow angel. Kwizera Yves seems to have been a little confused. 

________________________________________________________________________________

Dear Kayla, 

I first of all greet you in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord. I am glad for the letter that you sent me. The pictures of the children playing in the snow; the girl throwing snow and the boy sleeping in the snow, were  nice. My favorite game is football in the sunny season and riding a bike with my friends. I am very happy for the pictures of the children you care for. I love them so much. I thank you so much. May God bless you for helping children. I am glad to see them playing. 

Yours, 

Kwizera Yves

_________________________________________________________________________________

This next letter is giving me more information about the weather conditions in his country. Seems like things are pretty bad, crop wise. 

_________________________________________________________________________________

Dear Kayla, My Beloved Parent, 

Warm greetings to you in the name of Jesus Christ! I was glad to receive the letter you sent to me, asking how my country is structured. In Rwanda, we are in the dry season. The sun shines from morning to evening. We are not growing crops well because of too much sunshine. We have to water our crops to avoid them drying out. I was happy for the pictures you sent to me. I was very happy to hear about your country. In Rwanda, we do not have such cold weather. Much love. 

Kwizera Yves

_________________________________________________________________________________

In this letter, it seems that Kwizera Yves has started in secondary school. Big 7th grader now! He also seems to have improved his grades significantly. Good for him! 

_________________________________________________________________________________

Dear Kayla, 

Greetings to you, my beloved parent, in the name of Jesus Christ. How are you doing there in your country? I am happy because I was promoted from primary school to secondary school and I am getting good grades. In the first term, I have 56% marks (U.S equivalent is a C. He went up a whole letter grade!). I am working hard to get good grades again. My family and I love you. I was very happy to receive your letters. I thank you with my parents. 

The One Who Loves You,

Kwizera Yves

________________________________________________________________________________

First Sunday Advocate: September 2017

Hi everyone! I have another list of kids that are waiting for sponsors. This month, I chose to advocate for my most beloved kid group: Teen Boys! All of these boys attend projects that my kids do. If you're able to, sponsor one. If you're not able to sponsor, choose a child and pray for them. I would love to see a few (of all!) of these boys find sponsors this month.

You can click on the first line of text under each phone to be taken to the child's page. Here you can learn more about them and choose to sponsor them.

18 Year Old Ghany from BF-129 

Ghany lives with a relative and his sister

14 Year Old Robert from BR-322

He loves activities like soccer, swimming, and ping pong!

15 Year Old Junior from DR-484

He is into sports, especially baseball, basketball, and volleyball!

16 Year Old Edison from EC-271

He lives with his grandmother and has above average grades in school!

14 Year Old Abdi from ET-555

One of his favorite activities is participating in service projects!

16 Year Old Kevin from ES-823

He lives with his single mother and he loves music! 

18 Year Old Souvenson from HA-800

He is finishing his last year of high school and has above average grades!

16 Year Old Elivs from KE-500

He enjoys soccer and swimming!

18 Year Old William from KE-631

He is completing his last year of high school!

15 Year Old Haedotoo from TH-810

He works his family farm with his parents!

14 Year Old Elisha from TZ-241

He lives with his parents and 3 siblings! 

From the Field Family: Haiti

To start off September, we get to read a very special letter. This letter is written by the man who runs the programs in Haiti. Haiti just happens to be the longest-running current program in Compassion. The very first country that Compassion worked in is Korea, which has long since graduated and is now a partner country! There are also other countries have have opened and closed since then. However, Haiti's program started in 1968 and is still running today. Sometimes, progress is slow, but consistent. Positive change is being made!

I currently have three children in Haiti: Emanise, Sevenson, & Veronika,

_________________________________________________________________________________

Dear Kayla, 

My name is Guilbaud Saint-Cyr and I have been serving as the Compassion Haiti country director for 13 years now. The ministry of Compassion began in Haiti in 1968. The Lord has currently blessed us with more than 100,000 registered children in partnership with about 300 local churches. 

Guilbaud Saint-Cyr

We are so grateful for the enthusiastic and generous contribution you have provided to your sponsored children. Our committed sponsors enable children to have hope and a future and to participate in effective programs designed to shape their lives so they can become responsible and fulfilled Christian adults. 

One vivid is a young man who lived in the poverty of Solino, one of the largest and most dangerous slums in Haiti. One of five children in a family that struggled to meet their basic needs, he became a Compassion-sponsored child at an early age. Through the programs, he had access to quality education, Bible training, medical and food support, and income-generating training. Eventually he attained a bachelor's degree in administration in a prestigious university in Haiti and a master's degree in discipleship from the Moody Bible Institute in Chicago. Today, he is ministering to children in the community where he grew up, reaching out to gang members by modeling the way. He not only meets the needs of his nuclear family and extended family, but he also chose to sponsor two little boys through Compassion - one from his former child development center and another from Colombia. 

A Slum Neighborhood in Haiti

We have several priorities for the coming year. As a strong and growing ministry in Haiti, we plan to reinforce our partnerships by equipping our church partners with new technology for timely processing and delivery of child information to sponsors, and by helping them serve more children. We are also considering partnerships with new denominations in the regions we already operate in to serve the high volume of new children we foresee in the future. 

Children in Their Compassion Classroom 

We will continue to implement our WaSH (water, sanitation, and hygiene), started a year ago, consisting of providing water, sanitation and hygiene supplies, coupled with education and awareness training. We can save lives and enhance child development through WaSH initiatives. We are completing our pilot phase with 12 centers and can already see the great impact of the strategy. Our vision is to implement WaSH in all our centers throughout the country. 

Children Learning in Their Compassion Classroom 

We are developing a new youth-development strategy to enable all our eligible high-finishing students to fulfill their inner calling and potential through higher education, and transition the current Leadership Development Program model to a broader, integrated approach under the responsibility of churches. 

We are fighting tirelessly to eradicate poverty, this evil that takes away our precious children's hope, dignity, and joy of living. We firmly believe that what happens in the life of a child ripples throughout their environment now and in the future. Each sponsor letter and word of encouragement has untold impact on a child and gives that child back hope, dignity, and joy. Please write your children as often as you can. 

A Girl Writing a Letter to Her Sponsor 

Please pray that God's wisdom will lead us to be more effective in carrying out this ministry of releasing one child at a time from poverty in Jesus' name. Changed environments may help children, but transformed children will inevitably change their environments. Let us continue to band together to make this happen for the glory of God. 

Children Playing on the Playground at Their Compassion Project 

All these great accomplishments and initiatives have been made possible because of wonderful sponsors like you. Thank you again for your partnership and for your commitment to your sponsored children; this is a battle we can't win without you. 

In Jesus,

Guilbaud Saint-Cyr

_________________________________________________________________________________