Meet Samuel

Now that my mother has moved into Independent Living, I was able to cancel her LifeLine, since the place where she lives has its own system, which is included with her rent.  So that gave me $50 more a month and I decided to sponsor another child.

It took about 2 seconds for me to choose Samuel.  With his oversized head and distended stomach, he looked like a little Yoda and I could not resist him.  I want to see what a difference Compassion can make in his life.

Samuel lives with his father and mother.  He is responsible for gardening.  His father is sometimes employed as a laborer and his mother is sometimes employed as a farmer.  There are 5 children in the family. 

Soccer is Samuel's favorite activity.  In kindergarten his performance is average and he also regularly attends church activities.

He lives on the plains of Kasyalani, home to approximately 3,000 residents.  Typical houses are constructed of dirt floors, mud walls and thatched rofs.  The regional diet consists of maize, millet and cow peas.

Common health problems in this area include malaria and typhoid.  Most adults in Kasayalani are unemployed but some work as subsistence farmers and earn the equivalent of $25 per month.  This community needs polytechnic institutions and improved agriculture methods training.

Letter & Photo from Emmanuella

I received this beautiful photo from Emmanuella today.

 

This is a thank you for the backpack she got for Christmas, I think, though the letter does not include a thank you. But my God is this a beautiful photo.  With her head shaved and the hint of a smile, I think it brings out how beautiful her eyes are.

Here is the letter (dated 5/5/13) that accompanies this photo:

Dear Beverly,

Thank you for the letters, pictures and words of encouragement you gave me.  I am very glad to have you.  I wish you happy birthday, Beverly!  Yes, I can identify you in the picture.  You are in the black t-shirt.  My mother prepare sweet pastries, e.g., cake, meat pie and rough barns. (I'm not sure what "rough barns" are!  I had asked how her family celebrates birthdays)

I was 6th in my class exams this term.

How old is your father now?

I pray that God will give you everlasting life.

Pray that God will give my parent wisdom to take care of me.

Romans 6:23:  For the wages of sin is death but the gifts of God is eternal in Christ Jesus, Our Lofd.

Letter from Henrique

Finally a Letter from Miche!

I say "finally" and add an "!" because I sponsored this kid about eight months ago, but his first letter, which came in January, was supposed to be in an envelope I received, but the envelope only had a form for me to answer his letter, no letter was included.  They couldn't find the letter and it has taken this long to get another letter from him.  It is dated 4/12/13.  But it was worth waiting for.

Dear Beverly Sykes,

Today I'm really glad to write you and greet you as my dear sponsor.  How are you?  And your activities?  All is well with me and my family, thanks to Jesus.  I'm so glad to write you this letter.  I like to study my lessons and I like to go to school.  My favorite subject is maths.  My favorite animal is a goat.  I was so glad to receive your letter.  I'll pray for you a lot.  I live in Baineti, n the southeast part of my country [Haiti].

I always come to the club.  I attend Wesleyan church and I go there every Sunday morning.  I like to play football with my 3 brothers and 4 sisters.  I pray that God will bless you.

Letter(s) from Esther

I last heard from Esther in February, letters dated December.  Then I received two nearly identical letters in one envelope.  This letter is dated 4/4/13.

Dear Beverly Sykes,

I was so glad to receive the letters and photos you sent me.  Beverly, I am so glad to hear about your family's activities over there.  Beverly, soon or about 1 week after I write this letter, I will face my national exams.  Actually, being 17, I have so many things to do, such as learning to cook, learning to take care of my nephew/niece, etc.  It seems that I like to be photographed lately.  Some day I will send you my photo.  Beverly, there are many new things which I learn with my friends.

I thank you for the letter and photo you sent me, Beverly.

In March during the Easter celebration there were many programs held by my school, such as competitions interclasses and a service.There was also a drama about the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus.  How was Easter celebration in your country, Beverly?  I like to sing Easter and Christmas songs.  My favorite Christmas carol is "Joy to the World" because  once sang it during a singing competition at school to represent my class and my class won the 1st place.  My family and I wish you a happy Easter!

May God bless you and your family over there, Beverly.

Love, Esther.

Letter from Fred

Dear Auntie Sykes,

Christian Greetings!

Thank you for the letter you sent me.  Thank you also for sponsoring me.  If I have no sponsor maybe I will be sad but I am happy that I have you.  Thank you very much.  I am so glad that we have rest from our classes.  I hope that you will be far from accidents.  I am also glad that I have a younger brother and I love him.  When will be your vacation?  Please pray that I will be more godly.  God bless you!

Love,
Fred C.

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 Theresa

This letter is dated 11/23/2012 and is another fill in the blanks note.

My favorite food is:  rice and stew, Banku (a fermented corn/casava mixed and cooked in hot water to a paste and served with soup, stew, or a pepper sauce with fish), and Okra stew.

My favorite color is red.

My favorite sport is Ampe (most of my young girls in African countries play this game)

My favorite animal is cat

Things happening in the family:  a new birth

My favorite friend is Martha Gijamah.  A note is added that the two girls play ampe in front of her house every day after school.

Theresa says pray for her to get strength.

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

Letter from Henrique

This isn't so much a letter from Henrique as a status report from someone at the center he attends:

Dear sponsor Ms. Beverly Sykes,

Is everything fine with you?

I am Iolanda and I'm writing in Luiz Henrique's name.  He is a happy boy who has grown up strong and healthily, he has already weighed 19 kilograms and he measures 1.07 meters tall.

He lives with his mom and with his siblings and he attends the church.  Here at the project he is a friend of his friends and he likes to play ball (soccer).  He is on school vacation now and on vacation from the project as well and he will return to the regular activities in February.  Pray for him and for his family.

Thank you because you love him and believe in the life of children like Luiz Henrique.

On Luiz Henrique's behalf (monitor Iolanda)

New Kiva Loan

This woman is in Georgia and I love the idea of helping her buy "wine trees"!

Megi is a 33-year-old woman living in the Bolnisi district with her 42-year-old husband Besik. The family has one milk cow and a plot of agricultural land where they have a vineyard. Megi is milking the cow to make dairy products and Besik is harvesting grapes to make wine. All products are sold locally at the markets and the family gets a small monthly income. They both are very experienced in their fields as they are working at them for 15 years. Megi requested a loan to expand her agricultural business. As she has a plot of unused land she will purchase samples of wine trees, Basik will plant them and grow grapes to make more wine. This will increase the family income and family will be able to have better living conditions.

Letter from Wainaina

 This is dated January 19, 2013

Dear Beverly Sykes,

First of all, receive much greetings from me.  I thank God who gives me strength every day.  I also praise Him because when I was in primary, my studies were good.  I did my Kenya Certificate of Primary Education well.  That's why I prase Him.

My holiday was good and even my Merry Christmas.  I also received your message.  I was grateful to hear the message.  My family and me we are praying for you.  Do you really pray for me, as I d for you?

May God be with you for the rest of your life and I hope you live always trust in him.

Letter from Josphat

This is dated January 5, 2013

Dear Beverly Sykes,

I was named after my grandfather.
I am the 5th child in my family.  I am 250 cm tall.
The color of my hair is black. 
One thing I do really well is drawing.
The thing I enjoy doing is playing.
When I grow up I want to be a teacher.

Receive much greetings from your sponsored child, Josphat.  He received your letter with your picture.  It was just waooh!  Very beautiful.  He says he can draw more because he spends his time with his friend Leo in drawing.  He enjoyed his Christmas holiday and now is preparing himself for another new academic year.

He requests you to pray for our country as we proceed to the general election this year.

Bye.  May our heavenly father bless you.

Love you all.

New Photo of Henrique

Letter from Anjali

Dear Beverly Sykes

Greetings to you.  Hai!  I am fine.  How are you?  I am also like cherries.  I got 'A' grade in quarterly examination.  Our project conducted singing competition.  We have Bible quiz.  My project photos are very nice.  I like Telugu subject.  My favourite colour is pink.  I prayed for those who were suffered from Sandy.  I have one dog, name is Tommy.  Tommy is male.  How are Walt and Toms?  I am praying for you.  I thank you for your sponsorship.  I purchased two dresses with sending your gift.  I feel very happy.  My family also happy once again.  Thank you for your gift.

Yours loving child
M.Anjali