Letter from Anjali

This is a nice long letter from Anjalli, but it's very difficult to read because of her handwriting.  Nevertheless, I shall try. I know I have some of it wrong. But first, here is a sample of her handwriting:

Dear Beverly Sykes,

I received your letters.  We you happy my family members also happy. Thanky for you prayers. My family also fine. How is Tom and his daughters.  I pray for your volunteer job.  Photos very beautiful.  Belated happy birthday to you Lacie.  I pray for you.  Month good health.  How [agreast?] God proted you mother (my C.D.M.) lord one story and she sound currice lay lesson.  In the projeect we are in wenter new days. After comminy summer.  I have "A" grade in both yearly exams.  Alsways happy when the season changes.

Our church gives cloths for poor people every Christmas.  You one very beautiful in cooking uniform.  Your grandchildren Brianna, Lacie and Jeri, Tom, Ned, I pray from all you family members.

Thank you for your information.  I went to church every month in the project every Sunday gatteneeded the Bible quiz and children in prayer.

I have one brother, one sister, all members. happy we celebrated Christmas and New Year. 

How is your Christmas and celebration? Once again thank you for your prayers, letters, photos, I remember you in my daily prayers.  Thank you for your family.  Thank you for your love and support.

Your loving child,
M.Anjali

Letter from Josphat

Here is another of those fill in the blank form letters, with an additional passage from the translator.  This one is about festivals and holidays.  This is dated March 3, 2013.

Dear Beverly Sykes,

Some of our holidays are    Christmas   .  My favorite national holiday is   Labour Day .  My family celebrates my favorite national holiday by     Visiting Friends   .

My favorite foods to eat during celebrations are   rice and goats meat  ,  

My family celebrates Christmas by    slaughtering a goat.

Last December I received  clothes and shoes   from my project as my Christmas gift.


My family celebrates the New Year by   going to church   .

During   Christmas   holiday I enjoyed   a lot   .


Message to my sponsor:  Beverly

Receive much greetings from Josphat.  He says he is doing good in the Lord and also hopes your year started well, too.  He thanks you for the letter that you sent him more so the pictures were lovely (especially the Christmas tree).  The child appreciates Brianna so much.  He says he enjoyed his Christmas with his family and they are all okay.  He adds "bye bye."

Letter from Wainaina

I had a letter from Wainaina today.  He is from Kenya and is 16 years old.  I went back and looked over the letters I wrote to him last year.  I always make sure I ask him a lot of questions, yet I have never had one single question answered and he seems to write the same letter over and over again, or variations on the same theme.  Here is this month's letter

Dear Beverly Sykes,

Hello.  I greet you in the name of the Lord.  How is your family?  How are you doing?  I hope you are doing well.  I and the rest of my family are doing quite well.  I still pray to God because I am now a form one student and I hope you will always pray to God to bless me.  In Compassion we are doing well.  Im very happy to be in Compassion.  God has blessed me with great teachers.  I hope we will have a peaceful election.  I'm very grateful for the gift I received.  May all the blessings be with you.

I wrote to him about the recent election in Kenya and asked about voting in that country, and gave him a brief history of the voting rights of women in this country.  I am betting I will never had those questions answered!

From Theresa

This is Theresa with the gifts she received from her Christmas gift.  I"m going to write to her about how now that she has Charlie toothpaste, I would sure like to see her beautiful smile!  I'll get a smiling photo of this girl some day or die trying!

Along with the photo came one of those form letters, this one about her latest medical checkup.

Dear Beverly Sykes,

My last medical checkup was on 2nd June 2012.  For my medical checkup, I went to the project.
I got to my medical checkup by foot. The following people went to my medical checkup with me: Volunteer, Project Worker, Grandmother

I feel happy/good about going for my medical checkup.

At my medical checkup the Doctor/Nurse advise that I.... The nurse advise her that she should eat well every day.

Thank you for your words of encouragement, pictures, prayers and letters

Child's prayer request:  Theresa's prayer request is that may the Good Lord protect her all the days of her life.

I would like you to know more about my medical checkup.
It was her first time of seeing a nurse and a doctor working together.

A New Kiva Loan

 

We are going to Ukraine in August, so I chose Vera, who is from Ukraine for my next Kiva Loan.

Vera is from Novaya Kahovka, where she sells in one of the local markets. She sells women's clothing from space rented from the market administrators. She has been in this business for 17 years.

Vera has come to KIVA for financial help in the form of a 21,000 hryvnia loan for buying spring clothing, particularly blouses and plants, and also fake flowers to sell alongside the clothing. In Ukraine market sellers often mix different good together for sale to support their business, especially when business at the market is slow. Vera is also taking this approach for her business. 

Letter from Shallon

This is a red-letter week:  letters from my two favorite kids.  Today it is Shallon:

My dear mother in Christ, Beverly Sykes,

How are you and how is your life over there?  Back to me, I am fine.  I am very happy and proud of you.  I was happy when I received your gift.  My beloved mother, the gift you sent to me I bought the following things:

piglet   30,000
piglet house  40,000
deworming tablets  55,000
dress  20,000
sweets  200
Total:   95,200

I thank you very much.  I wish you well in all your daily activities.  It is Easter time.  I wish  that you celebrate the death of Jesus well. I thank you for your reply.  I always sing special Christmas songs.  The song I love is "Once in David's Loyal City."

I want to send the verse in the bible.  It is in Ephesians, Chapter 1:17.  It says that God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the father of glory may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him.

We are also in dry season.  The trees are losing their beautiful leaves.  But we are planting beans such that we may not have famine.

I send my warmly greetings to Ned, Lacie, Brianna and the whole of your family members.

My goat was sick so on the gift you sent to me I used some money to buy de-worming tablets such that it can get better.  It is now doing well.

I send my prayers to you and your family.  Tell your friends that I love them.  Keep with that spirit of love you have.

May God bless you abundantly.

All from your daughter, Katusiime Shallon

Wonderful Letter from Fred!

It was such a wonderful surprise to open my mail today and find this photo of Fred and his family.  His father is holding little newborn Direk and his sisters are Danice and Diana.  It came with this letter:

Dear Auntie Sykes,

Christian Greetings!

Thank you for the gift I received.  I received a family gift worth 1,027.75 pesos (about $25)  We spent the money for the hospital bill when my mother gave birth.  My new sibling is a boy.  His name is Direk.

I like durian.  Thank you for the Peter Pan book.  I like the song "Pasko na Naman" means "It's Christmas again."  Thank you for praying for my mother.  Please ray that I will be a good brother. Do you like babies?  I really like that we have a baby.

Thank you for everything.  God bless you!

Love,
Fred