Letter from Leniel

23/5/15

Leniel is 8

Leniel sends a form letter telling me about his favorite things. (This is a duplicate form to one he sent in June, but the letter part is different.)

Favorite food:  Fried Chiken  [sic]
Favorite color:  Blue
Favorite animal:  Horse
Favorite activity:  TV

Hello how are you doing?  I'm doing well and I love pizza and pepperoni.  Do you like pizza?  I have a cousin who is a policeman.  I like flying kites.  We've had a snowstorm.

Thank you for your letter.

Leniel

Letters from Wainaina, Leniel, and Samuel

Wainaina (Erick) had a breakthrough in the last few letters, where he is starting to write actual letters that aren't just full of the same rhetoric every time.  I loved this letter.  (It helps that he writes in English)

Dear Beverly Sykes,

Hello!  I hope you are doing good  Well, I am so happy today to write  this letter to you.  You know, I like reading books of the old times because of the history and information they contain.  As I was reading a certain poem, I came across a saying that says, "Maybe God wants us to meet a wrong few people before meeting the right ones so that when we finally meet the right person we would know how to be grateful for that gift."  Though many of us find it difficult to accept the fact which is happenng in our daly life, maybe God had/has a reason for the to hapen.

I hope that you and your family are well and safe.  I am so happy today because every day in my life is always bright as a saying that says, "it always takes a smile to make a dog's day brighter."

How was your Easter?  I hope you had the best times ever because mine was fantastic.  I hope to receive more letters soon.

Love,
Erick (the first time he has signed his name Erick and not the more formal Wainaina)

Samuel is 9 and also from Kenya:

Dear Beverly Sykes,

Samuel greets you in the name of the lord.  He says he is doing well and he trusts the same applies to you.

He says he appreciates you as his sponsor and keeps on praying for you that God may keep you safe and bless you with long life.

Samuel says he recently celebrated the Easter and asks "did you also celebrate your Easter?"  He says in the project they celebrate the holiday by singing, dancing and praying and also eating some sweets.

Samuel thanks you for your letter and also for the stickers.  "God bless you, my sponsor," he concludes.

Leniel is in the Dominican Republic, and is 8.  He sends a fill in the blank form.

My favorite food is fried chicken.
My favorite color is blue
Other - my favorite animal is a horse
My favorite thing to do is watch TV

Hello Dear Beverly Sykes,

How are you?  I thank you for the letters you send me and also for the books.  I am going to the country this Easter.  I don't know anybody who has turned 100 years old.  I haven't met a pirate. 

My family and I are doig well.  There are no sunflowers.  I enjoy being with my family.  Do you have any animals at home?

Leniel

Letter from Leniel

Leniel (age 8) sends a form letter about his Christian learning:

January 23. 2015

In my project I am learning about God.

My favorite Bible story is Jesus birth.

My favorite thing I learned about Jesus is about his love.

My favorite Bible verse is John 3:16 [For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.]

Hello dear sponsor Beverly Sykes,

How are you doing in Christmas?  I went to the park and had fun and ate a lot with my family, siblings and friends.  My father took me to his home and I had a very good time. How do you spend Christmas there?  I ask you to pray for me that God may continue to help me.

Letter from Leniel

Dated 10/8/14

My Holidays/School break

1. My school break is in the months of June-August
2. During my holiday/school break I often go to the beach
3. My favorite food to eat during my holiday is pizza
4. One thing I would like to do during a holiday is know my country

Dear Beverly Sykes,

Hello!  May God bless you!  I thank you very much for sponsoring me and for praying for me and my family. . What do you do on your vacation?  I ask for prayers for my family.  Everything is well here.  Receive kisses!

Yours,
Leniel

Letter from Leniel

This letter is dated 3/11/14 and begins with a form about his typical week.

I typically get up at 7 a.m.  In the morning I typically take a bath.  In the afternoon I typically play with my plane and go to the park.  I typically go to sleep at 9 p.m.

Hello, dear Beverly,

How are you?  Thank you so much for each one of your letters, and for your gifts and your prayers for me.  On Three Kings Day, I was given a car and played with my friends.  How did you spend Christmas?  Please pray for me and for my family.  I love the Christmas carols.  My best friends are Jorder and Robert and I really like playing with them.  My family and I are well and I say goodbye with lots of kisses.

Leniel

Look at those STAIRS!!

Letter from Leniel

Dear Beverly Sykes,

Hello!  May God bless you so much!  How are you?  I am very well and thank you for every one of your letters and for being my sponsor!  I ask you to pray for my mom and my grandma.  What is your favorite bible verse?  Blessings!

Love, Leniel

Letter from Leniel

There is another check-off letter from Leniel, from the Dominican Republic.  (click on graphic to enlarge)

 

There was a note on the back from Leniel:

Hello Dear Beverly Sykes:

May God Bless you much; how are you?  I am fine and thank you for your letters.  I don't know who dark side is because I haven't seen star wars but I would love to.  I ask you to pray for me.

Leniel

Letter from Leniel

Loved this letter.  Short and to the point!

Dear Beverly Sykes,

I thank you for all of your letters and gifts.  Do you eat fried chicken?  Continue to pray for me.  I send you a hug.

Leniel

New Photo

I received a new photo of Leniel, who has grown so much since I first saw his photo!

Leniel

After the longest dry spell without any letters from anyone, I finally received a form letter from Leniel in the Dominican Republic today. It is a form for him to fill out. The first page lists four things.

1. My siblings from oldest to youngest are:
Gabrial

2. In my family I spend most of my time with
(he checks Mama)

3. My family lives in
(he checks "in the city")

4. My food is prepared by
(he writes "mi mama")

On the back is a drawing

(I assume from this his family are very tall, bow-legged people! LOL)

And there was a letter written by his tutor, Dariana:

Dear Beverly Sykes,

May God guide you. He thanks you for the letters and pictures. He likes birds and dinosaurs. It is surprising everything God has made. How are you? He asks for prayers for his mother. A kiss.

Leniel

I'm going to have to go and buy a coloring book of dinosaurs to send him, I think!

Leniel

Leniel (Dominican Republic) writes (with assistance from Dariana, his tutor)

Dear Beverly Sykes,

The child Leniel is well, and at the same time he is very grateful for the letters, the photos, for the book, and the rest of the things that you have sent him. He says his mother washes the clothes. He is older than his brother. He and his mother wash the baby bottles together. He says he likes to play ball and with toy cars, and he has good friends. He hasn't seen any panda. They sing and dance at school and his best friends are Joelvin and Carlos. They play marbles. What are your best friends' names? He asks you to pray for Gabriel, who is just a few months old. Receive kisses!

Yours,
Leniel


(the picture is of his mother washing clothes)

Leniel

After a long dry spell, I have finally received a letter from little Leniel, who is 5 years old. He sends along this family portrait...I am curious as to why his mother, father and himself are black and the baby is yellow.


His letter, written by someone else, reads:

Dear Beverly Sykes,

Hello, may God guide you. Leniel is fine and hopes you are well. He thanks you for having sponsored him and for loving him. Leniel comments, "my family loves me and takes care of me. The drawing is about my mother going to work. My relatives are Liliana (Mother), Papolo (Father), Margarita (grandmother), Gabriel (the baby). My family goes to work by bus. The people in my neighborhood go to work and church by bus. How do you travel? Pray for my mother and the baby.

Hugs,
Leniel

Leniel

I received my first letter from Lenial, my 5 year old correspondence child in the Dominican Republic. The letter reads:

May the peace of God is with you and your family. The child Leniel is well and he wishes that you and your family are well too. He thanks you for sponsoring him. I'm five years old and I like to run. In my house live my mom, the baby and me. I like to run. He asks you to pray for his mom and the baby. Do you have a baby?

The last made me chuckle a bit...but this morning I heard Zsa Zsa Gabor is trying to have a baby via a surrogate, so I guess we just believe in miracles. However, in THIS house that ship sailed long ago!

Shallon and Leniel

I returned home from Santa Barbara to find the introductory packet for Leniel (my new correspondence child) and a nice letter from Shallon, written January 1. Leniel's packet was just a repeat of what I posted earlier, but this is Shallon's letter:

Dear my mother in Christ, Beverly Sykes,

I first thank God who has given me this chance to communicate with you. How are you and how is your life? Back to me, I am okey, doing my works in these holidays. I am very proud of you and your family members of sending me another calendar, Washington and Christmas card. I think you very much because you give me a gift of Christmas. This gift I bought the following items:

Skirt
Blouse
Stockings
Thanksgiving
Photo
Sweets

I bought these items in the money you have sent to me.

How was Christmas? Back to me, Christmas was very good. I request for prayers from you because I am going in another step. I send my warmly greetings to your mother, Peach, Ned, Kathy. But how is Kathy's lungs?

I would like to ask you a question. Write in full [she has something here that looks like a Delta followed by a C--I don't know what that means].

I am very glad to hear that you and your husband attended the wedding of your cousin.

In another calendar you have sent to me I would like to ask you a question: what do you celebrate on April 19th because it is highlighted and what do you know by the word Hanukkah, 21st December.

Thank you for sending me the photo of your president. I would like to send you a verse. It is in 1 Peter Chapter 3, Verse 8. [I looked it up. It is Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble.]

I thank you for everything you have sent for me. Let me stop here.

Yours loving daughter Katsuiime Shallon

Welcome, Leniel

What a lovely surprise to discover I've been assigned Leniel, from the Dominican Republic, as a new correspondence child. I don't have any information on him yet, other than that he is 5 years old and appeared magically on my account information this afternoon.

More information will be coming, as it becomes available!