Letter from Shallon

Isn't this a beautiful photo of Shallon?  I have been so concerned about her because she has not written in a long time and in her last letter she complained about some health problems, but yesterday I received an explanation of the health problems from Compassion, and then this great letter, thanking me for the money I sent for her birthday (we have the same birthday).

My mother in Christ, Beverly Sykes,

Let me first thank God who has given me this chance to write to you and greet you.  Hey, my friend.  I am very glad to hear that you have a newly born baby, Lacie.  How is Brianna?  I hope that God is amazing that he can do everything.

Thank you for the gift you have sent to me.  In this gift I bought the following items:

Shirt and Blouse
shoes
sweater
sandles
Thanksgiving

Thanks be to God.  I like puzzles.

My dear, this is bad news!  Our banana plantation has got banana wilt and we have famine in our home, so, my dear, I need your prayers.

I want to celebrate my birthday party on 17-02-2012.

My mother, I like to watch birds.

Your mother celebrated 92 years. Really this is a great thing.

I want to send you some verses because God has done something in myself.  It is in:

1 Timothy 4:6 and Psalm 37:3:6.

My dear, how was Christmas?  Back to me, Christmas was colourful.  I hope you have a good week.  May the Almighty God bless you too.

Your loving, faithful Katsuiime Shallon

Comments

I've just discovered that people are leaving comments on these entries!  For some reason I have not received notification of them.  I'm so sorry!  I promise to do better in responding after this.  Thank you for all the comments, suggestions, etc.  I get notification on my other blogs when people leave messages.  Anybody know how to make that setting on Blogger?  I've looked and can't find a setting!

Letter(s) from Henrique

Well, it sometimes happens that the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing.  After no mail in awhile, I received TWO letters about Henrique in Brasil, written by two different center monitors, a week apart.  They say essentially the same thing, but I will print them both...

Dear sponsor Beverly Sykes -- how are you doing?  I am Clara, the Projector's monitor, and I write on behalf of Henrique. He is a happy child who likes very much to play.  He doesn't know to read and to write (he's 5), but soon he will be writing a letter to you with his own handwriting.  Right now, he is on school vacation and he will be back to school in February.  He is attending our vacation Bible School and he said he enjoyed everything -- the games, puppet theater, and activities.  He thanks you for the gift you sent him -- he got a police car, a tractor and a ball and on recreation days he brings his ball to play with his friends.

Thank you for loving him and for believing in his future.

Love, Clara on behalf of Luiz Henrique

Hello, dear sponsor Beverly Sykes -- how are you doing?  I am Iolanda and I write on behalf of Luiz Henrique.  He is a happy child who likes to come to the Project and to attend the activities, especially recreational ones.  He is learning to copy things from the board and he is very interested in his studies.  Our vacation Bible school happened this month of January and he attended it and its theme was "we must spread love, peace and respect."  He and his mom are thankful for the gift you sent them -- he got a police car, a tractor and a ball.  Thank you for loving Luiz.

Iolanda, on behalf of Luiz.

New Picture of Emmanuella

Compassion sesnt me a new photo of Emmanuella (after I requested it several times!)

As it turns out, I like the picture that came with her thank you letter better, so I am printing this one here, but using the one in the orange dress (with the hint of smile on her face) as the one that identifies her here on this site.

Thank You from Emmanuella

I received a thank you letter from Emmanuella in Ghana for her Christmas gifts.  Each year, all the children received gifts, whether their sponsor has sent money or not.  I send one check and it gets divided among all of my sponsored children.  I love this picture because I chose Emmanuella because she was dressed in raggedy jeans and looked like a sullen little boy.  To see her dressed in a new dress, with a hint of a smile is wonderful...and her letter (which she wrote herself, in English) was more personal than letters I get from many of my other children.

Dear Beverly.

Thank you very much.  May you receive everything you have spend on me in many folds.

My siblings are Felix, 2 years, and RoseMarie, 17 years.  Yes, I see butterflies in Ghana and Ilike its colours. Mavis' house (her friend) is far from my house, so we only meet at school.

Say hello to Brianna and Lacie and a big well done to your son and his wife.

I had a terrible experience two weeks ago when our house got flooded by heavy fain fall.  I had all my learning materials spoiled.

What are the names of your siblings and son?

I pray that God will protect Lacie from every sickness.

I want you to pray for me to be a good girl for God and my parents.

Emmanuella.

She also included a drawing of a computer.

 

A Letter from Fred

Dear Auntie Sykes,

We are so happy for your new grandchild.  We are so excited for the time to be allowed by God that Fred could sit on that empty chair. (I'm not sure what that refers to, but probably something I said in a letter)  We wish to ride on that balloon someday. (I told him about my experience riding in a hot air balloon)

We like trees too.  They are very beautiful.  Here we hate windy season because many worms are eating those leaves but we have very many fruit trees here.  Do you have a lot of butterflies there now about worms?

I asked him what happens to his baby teeth when they fall out and told him about the practice of putting a tooth under the child's pillow.  We have also a practice here for tooth replacement.  The tooth just pulled must be put into the hole of the post of our house, then wait until a happy small mouse can see it.  As a reward she will give an exchange of brand new, strong tooth and she will let that appear on the exact location where the tooth had been pulled.  This will ease our fear for tooth extraction.

Please pray that Fred will pass his second grade.  Thank you for your goodness.

Love,
Fred's mother

As usual, there was a drawing by Fred of his house.

Somai from India

Compassion put out a call for more correspondence sponsors, to write to children whose sponsors don't write to them.  I decided to take on another child. 

Somai is a 6 year old boy, living with his mother and father in the Northeast section of Ranchi, which is in the northeast corner of India. 

He is responsible for gathering firewood, buying or selling in the market and  cleaning.  Both of his parents are farmers.

Walking and running are Somai's favorite activities.  In pre-school, his performance is below average.  He regularly attends church activities.

He shares a birthday with Peggy, February 18.

Letter from Anjali

Dear Beverly Sykes,

Warm greetings to you in the sweet name of Lord Jesus Christ.  Ireceived three letters from you.  Iam fine here.  I hope same with you there.  How is your husband's sister?  How is your grandchildren?  She is looking very nice.  Brianna also very cute.  I don't know about Friendship day.

We celebrated Independence day and Thanksgiving day very grand.

How is your daughter Jeri?  Iam very happy about your children.  How is Tom?  How is little Lacie?

We had retreat on (can't read the date).  That day we enjoyed a lot.  That day Ilearnt new action songs, played Bible games.  Every day I am remembering you in my prayer.  Thank you for your loving sponsorship.

Yours lovings child
Anjali.

TWO MORE LETTERS

Compassion seems to finally be getting letters out.  It is so good to start hearing from the children again, today from Fred (my favorite) in the Phiippines, and from Murugi in Kenya

Letter from Fred

I haven't heard from Fred in almost 2 months, which is VERY unusual for him, so I was pleased to get such a positive letter from his mother today.

Dear Auntie Sykes,

Christian Greeting!!!  We are so happy to receive your letters.  Fred is having his school vacation now.  We just had a good service during our anniversary and we had a good dinner.  How about your church, how do you celebrate your anniversary?  Thank you also for the pictures and the toy that you sent.Please pray that his cough will get well soon.  He is improving in mathematics.  Our family is okay also.  We are always in our house and we will spend our new year celebrating here.

His siblings are okay.  He is obedient to us especially in running errands.  He love teaching his siblings.  Thank you for your prayers.  They had a good party in school.

God bless you all until here.

Love,
Fred's mother

Letter from Murugi

This letter is dated December 19.  Murugi is 19 years old and writes letters in English herself.

Dear Beverly Sykes,

I salute you in the name of Jesus Christ.  Hope you are fine together with your family and friends.  Here I am fine and our family is well.  I am thanking you for the letters and photos that you have sent for me and I'm saying sorry for losing your beloved cousin.  May  find comfort, you and her family members.

I wish you a marvelous Christmas.  May God continue to bless you and grant you a long life.  Have a happy new year and it is my hope that God will continue doing wonderful things.  May God bless you with your family.

Your loving friend
Dorvin Murugi

Another Letter from Theresa

Maybe this explains why there have been so few mail deliveries--the letters are being written, but not sent.  The letter I received from Theresa in Ghana yesterday was dated January 10 and the one I received today was dated January 25. 

For Child's prayer request it is written:
Theresa says God should give her long life and strength.

I would like you to know more about my house
Theresa would like to tell you they have mango, banana, plaintain and flowers around their home.

Child's response to sponsor's question(s)
Theresa plays ampe, which is played with two or more people and also sings and drums with friends.  She becomes happy on that day.

TWO LETTERS

Two letters today, from Theresa in Ghana and Anjali in India.

Letter from Theresa

It has been 3 months since I received a letter from Theresa, in Ghana.  Since she is only 4, the length of time between letters is really determined by the staff of the center where she goes to school.  But it was lovely to hear from/about her finally.  According to this letter, she has I guess 3 siblings (4 are listed, but as one is 30, I suspect it is a parent!).  She is the youngest, with siblings 6, 8, and 10.  (no indication of whether they are brothers or sisters).  
Her letter thanks me for words of encouragement, pictures, stickers, and a Christmas gift and then goes on to talk about her life.

Theresa would like to tell you she is in her second term at school and family are happy.

Hey, Theresa says she enjoyed your story (I told her about my son Ned losing his two front teeth and I asked what the custom is in Ghana when a child loses his/her baby teeth).  It really made her laugh out loud.  In Theresa's culture, children throw their lost teeth on the roof of their house.  They believe when this is done it would make the permanent teeth come out early.

And then there is a picture of "Theresa's backyard flower."  Looks like a cactus.  It also looks like it has swallowed Teresa!

Letter from Anjali

There was also a letter from Anjali (India) today too.  It is on thank you stationery, so it is primarily a thank you for her Christmas gift, though it is a little difficult to decipher:

Dear Beverly Sykes,

Greetings to you in the name of Jesus Christ.  How are you?  I am fine.  Your Christmas gift so beautiful.  Thanks for your Christmas gift.  I am studying very well.  My 4th unit is over.  I prepared half yearly exams.  I wrote well.  My project given Christmas dress and traveling bag.  Next month I am writing half yearly examinations.

Pray for me.  I am also.  Pray for my family and my friends and also [here is where it gets strange] kept Christmas tree and we celebrate they tho tree with greetings comes December ros hunt new dress and went to  see ??dry school I played with my friends on Christmas.  My family are fine.  How are your family members?  Pray for my studies.   Again thanks for your sponsorship!

We wish you a Merry Christmas and happy new year.

Yours loving child, M. Anjali.

A New Kiva Loan

Yolanda, who lives in the United States is my next Kiva Loan. Heck--she makes pesto, for heaven's sake...how could I not?


Yolanda has been making her own, unique pesto sauce since 1993 and has been selling it from her small home business. She currently offers three different flavors that are made from her all natural, garden-fresh ingredients. Yolanda goes further in insuring a quality product by packaging it in light-weight PET jars that are easily recycled or reused, rather than bulky and breakable glass jars. For some time she has used her own kitchen to produce her sauce, however, recently she has been given the opportunity to use a commercial kitchen through a local business incubator.

Currently, Yolanda operates without any employees and still maintains a full-time job at EmblemHealth. In the near future, she hopes to grow her business to the point where she can bring on new employees and become self-reliant. The purpose of this loan will be to buy bulk inventory and move into a commercial kitchen. She would also like to use it to patent her sauces and participate in food craft shows and farmers markets.

Two letters

It's been a very long, dry spell, but I finally received two letters from two of my Compassion Kids, Briana in Haiti and Henrique in Brasil. Oddly, I always get thank you letters after Christmas but of the 11 children. the only one who has sent a thank you is Briana. Something is going on with Compassion letters and I don't understand what.

Letter from Henrique

I agreed to sponsor Henrique in Brasil in June and this is only the second time I've had word of him. He's only 5, so someone has to write for him.

Dear Sponsor Beverly Sykes,

Hello! Is all well with you? I am Marineide, monitor of the project, and I write you on behalf of Luiz Henrique. He is a healthy and happy child, who likes to draw, aint. He is a child who interacts well with his classmates in theclassroom. One of the activities he enjoys most is the recreation.

On October 12th we had the Children's Day party and it was very cool. There were games, tramp0line, music and gifts. He loved this day.

I ask prayer for his life and for his parents.

We thank you for loving and believing in a child as Luiz Henrique.

-Marineide, on behalf of Luiz Henrique.

They also included this drawing...do you get the idea he likes cars?

Letter f rom Briana

Briana's letters (she's 9) are written by her father.

Dear Beverly Sykes,

How are you with Jesus? How are your children, your mother and your grandparents (I think he means grandchildren!)? Briana is going well with her family, thanks to God. She took the first term exam and she got an average of 7. Briana went to church, she sang a beautiful song. Everybody was happy to see her singing. She thanks you for the gift and she bought clothes with it. She wishes you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2012.

Thank! Be with God!

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!