Letter from Josphat

Dear Beverly Sykes,

Receive much greetings from your sponsored child, Josphat.  He says he is fine together with his family.  "How are you doing together with your family?" he asks.

Josphat appreciates you so much for sponsoring him and for the support that he receives through you.  He also thanks you for the letters that you have been sending to him.

Josphat appreciates you for the photos of Tom and his wife and the others, including that of Tom's cake.  He tells you that there are no sunflowers where he lives.  He says that he is glad to know of Malala Yousafsai and says that her story is very touching.

He informs you that he is progressing well with his studies and kindly requests you to pray for his family and his education.  He tells you that his family passed their regards to you all and ends by saying goodbye.

Letter from Brayan

Blessings, Beverly Sykes,

How are you?  I hope that you are well and i good health next to your family at the time this letter arrives.  I thank you for the five letters that you have sent to me and all the pictures that you sent to me from your family.  Also I t hank you for the notepad that you gave with such love and dedication with the description that your family did.  I am very happy to know you and in the name of Jesus we will continue to be good friends.

My grandmother is in good health.  Let me tell you I live with my mother and my stepdad and my younger brother, named Franklin.  We are only two brothers.

I am playing with a soccer team called Real Zambrano.  I ask you to pray for me so I can do well at the CDC and go more often.  I will pray for your mom, who is 95 years old for sometimes I stay some weeks with my grandmother to take care of her.  Now that I am bigger i do not live with my grandmother but with my mom.

I like burgers and everything it has and I like spicy.  Let me tell you that my countries there are no earthquakes, but only small shakes.  I have felt some shakes, feel a little bit weird because I get dizzy.  In my country, Honduras, it is a little bit concerning because there are bad people and I ask you to pray for my country so it an improve that situation.

At the time i am writing this letter I am well with my family.  Your son Ned, how many children does he have?  Does your mother like flowers?  We will continue praying for you so I an rotect you.  Blessings.  Happy New Year.  Until next time.

Brayan

Letters from Wainaina and Samuel

Two from Kenya today.  First, from Wainaina (age 17)

Hello, Beverly,

How are you, together with your family.  I hope you are goig on well with life.  I hope you still pray for me.  I do pray for you before I go to sleep.  I'm very happy today and I'm writing these letters today because we are waiting for the day our Christ Jesus was born and we are preparing ourselves for the celebration which will be held at the church. 

I do believe you are doing/having a good time and great time as you are preparing yourselves for the Christmas day, which is nearly here.  Have a good time as you are enjoying yourselves.  May God bless you.

Next from Samuel (age 9).  Samuel's letter was written for him by someone at his project.

 Dear Beverly Sykes,

Samuel greets you in Jesus' name.  He says that he is fine and he thanks you sincerely for the Christmas greetings and wishes you sent him.  He says that the photos you sent him are very nice and that he likes them.  He also thanks you for the letters you sent him.  He appreciates you for that.  "Thank you, my sponsor" he concludes  He also adds that he wishes and prays that God is going to shower you with blessings so that your family prospers both spiritually and economically.  He thanks you dearly for being his sponsor.

Letter from Lovson

Dear Beverly Sykes:

It is with great happiness that I take my pen to write to you this letter. How are you and your family? My family and I are doing very well. How is the weather in your country? It is cold in my country. I let you know that the earthquake didn't make great damage in my locality even if I felt it. Thanks for the pictures that you have sent to me. I let you know that there are flowers where I am living and they are very nice. There is somebody in my family who I love so much. It is my mother because it is thanks to her that I am living. I let you know that there are not wild flowers where I am living. How do you prepare to celebrate the Christmas? I let you know that I celebrated my birthday on the last July 8th. I played so much with my family. I let you know that I did the 2nd term exams and they don't give the results yet. I ask you to help me to pray that I can get success in the 2nd term. Help me to pray that I can spend a good Christmas holiday. Thanks!

God bless you richly.

Letter from Briana

11/22/14

Dear Beverly Sykes,

It's a real pleasure for me to write you this letter just to greet you and to answer your questions.  How are you?  Your activities?  and your family?  All of them are well, as for me, all is quie well.  I and my family are very well, thanks to God.  People in my house will all that is possible for me. Yes, I used to play with them [I don't have a clue what she is talking abut here!]

Please pray for me to have more patience and intelligence in all I do.  It is the same way I help you pray God to bless you much more.  Always encouraged to read this verse:  Exodus 14:14.  I leave with it and I wish you a Merry Christmas.

Letter from Miche

 19/11/14

Dear Beverly Sykes,

It's a pleasure for me to write you this letter.  How are you and your family doing? I, my familh and friends a re doing well.  I had success at school for the first period.  We will soon be in Christmas time.  I'll celebrate it at the project with my friends.

Please pray for my school and church activities.  I'll pray for you too.

May God bless you and your family.  Happy New Year.

Letter from Banesa

Dear Beverly,

I hope you're fine.  I'm fine.  I'm happy to write you about my free time.  I like to trip with my family.  You asked me if I know a person of 100 years old and I know Antonio.  He likes to ride a horse.  I'm happy with the school, I pray the lord to give me wisdom, and I always pray to God to help me.

In my country there are beautiful beaches and some time ago I went with my family and had fun. 

I pray for you and your family to be fine always.

Kisses, Banesa

The Kenya 7

Some corporation decided to sponsor 1,000 kids in Kenya and Compassion was looking for correspondents for them.  People could have as many (or as few) as they wanted.  I said I would take whatever they needed me take and I will be writing more about them as I have information, but for now, here are the Kenya 7:

Letter from Emmanuella

Dear Beverly Sykes,

I thank you for your letters and the care you have been giving to me.

I and my family are fine, by the grace of God.,  Things are fine in Ghana.  Yes, at times earthquakes do happen in my country.

I have now joined the Life Protection club.

How are you and your family doing?  I pray that God will give you all your needs

I want you to pray that God should let y father's business prosper

Luke 1:37:  For with God nothing is impossible.  Amen.

Letter from Lovson

Dear Beverly Sykes,

It's a great day for me to write you this letter.  How are you and your whole family?  Everything is doing well in Haiti in Jesus' name.  Thank you for the beautiful pictures that you sent me.  My family and I are doing well.  I'd like to let you know that my school is doing well.  What is the weather like in your country?  It's very hot in my country.  Do you like the hot weather? I like it.  I'd like to let you know that I had a good summer break with my family.  I went to the garden with my dad and I ate a lot of good avocados.  I had a good summer vacation with Jesus.  I'd like to let you know that I tell people about Jesus who will come soon. I like you to always pray for me to keep on praying and that God will always help my family in all they do.  May God bless you abundantlhy.

Love,
Lovson

13 letters

13 letters came for me from 13 kids while I was spending time with my cousin in Iowa.  I decided not to reprint them all here, but to start where they began again after I returned home.

New Kiva Loan

Kellen, from Uganda

Kellen is a hard working lady, age 40, hailing from the village of Biharwe in Kashari Mbarara district. She is a widow and has a kiosk selling juice and water.

She has been an ardent customer of UGAFODE since 2003. She is so appreciative of the services because it has brought her a long way. She has managed to grow her business, pay tuition as well complete a residential house for her fatherless children. Because of her trustworthiness and the loan of 3,000,000 UGX, which she previously received from Ugafode, her business grew to a bigger retail shop. This enabled her to construct some houses which will help her get income to pay tuition for her growing children. She is therefore applying for this loan to complete her houses.

New Photo of Theresa

This is the latest updated photo from Theresa/Kukuwah, from Ghana, the saddest of my Compassion kids.  I originally chose her because she was I think 4 or 5 and she looked so sad I wanted to take her in my arms and make her feel better.

But the continued sad pictures arrive.  Other sponsors tell me that children from West African countries tend not to smile in photos because of a cultural taboo against smiling.

I hope that is the reason she continues to look sad.  She has grown tremendously since I first sponsored her.

Letter from Shallon

My mother, Beverly Sykes,

Let me take this opportunity to thank God for giving me another golden chance to talk to you.  How are you, my mother?  My family members are sending warm greetings to you.  My family members and I are all okay and healthy.  Every time I receive letters from you I feel so happy.  Thank you very much for loving me and sparing some time to write to me.  I am happy to hear that you celebrated 49 years in marriage.  That is very good.  The photos of your wedding are very nice and you all even had a smile.  I am glad t hear that Dick and Gerry have been married for 50 years.

Jeri at the age of four, Lacie, Brianna with Mickey Mouse.  They looked so happy.  Is it still hot there?

Yes, at school we use chalk and draw pictures while discussing.  The drawings on the letter are so nice.  Yes, I have ever sneezed when I had flu.

How was Tom's birthday?  Thank you very much for selecting a nice cake for Tom in form of a football field. 

We have sunflowers where I live and they are good to watch as they grow.  In our area we have an old man who is 101 years old, but he cannot move long distances.  No, I have never met a pirate and I am not aware of a pirate bible.  How old is Friday now?  Congratulations to Abbie for giving birth.

(Friday is a colt whose birth I watched on "barn cam" some months ago.  Abbie is his mother.)

You have really done a good job at the book store.  I love cooking 

My mother, I am happy to inform you that I am at school studying very well.  We are now in third term and I am reading hard to be promoted to another class.  In my area we receive both rain and sunshine.  I have planted cabbages in my garden.  I liked the Easter song you wrote to me.  My sister is now okay.

Thank you for the photos that you sent to me.

I wish you a merry Christmas and happy New Year.

Letter from Lovson

Dear Beverly Sykes,

Today, it is with much joy that I take advantage of this opportunity to
write to you.  How are you doing?  And your family?  As for me, everything
is doing very good.  Recently I had a cold which made me cough a lot, but
now I am OK thanks to the medicines I took.

I was glad to get your letters.  Thank you for the picture.  I am glad to
see how much beautiful you are.

(These are in answer to questions I asked)

I like to help my mother to cook.

I knew an old person who was 100 years old.  Her name was ZaZa.

I always see fog when it is raining.

I am asking you to always pray for me that God makes me succeed in school.

There was something that I liked very much on the occasion of my birthday.
It was thanksgiving service that we had in my family.

I love you very much

Lovson

Two letters today

From Theresa

This form letter is about Theresa's hope for the future.

I hope to learn about science

I hope to visit my home town

When I grow up I want to be a nurse

I hope to help my parents

In the future I hope to meet my sponsor

Than you for your words of encouragement, pictures and prayers.  She says God should bless her family and her schooling.

She said she would like to be a nurse in the future.

She said she is doing well.  She said she likes going to church and farm with the family and chat with them to have fun also.

From Briana

Dear Beverly Sykes,

It's a real pleasure for me to write you this letter in order to greet you and answer your questions.  How are you, your activities and your family?  As for me, everything is doing well.  My family and I are doing very welll, thanks to God.  Yes, I know someone who is 100 years old.  Her name is Luma Maryanne.  She is my great grandmother, the mother of my grandfather.  No, I am not used to seeing pirates, except in books and movies.  Please pray for me to have more intelligence and patience in all I do.  I am also praying to God to bless you more.  I leave you with psalms 1and I encourage you to read it.

Letter from Divine

Compassion told me that this girl's name was Mushimiyimana Divine and so I have been writing "Dear Mushimiyimana," which I seem to be unable to memorize.  However, her lovely letter came today and it refers to her throughout as Divine...so I am happy to now call her "Divine," which I can spell!

Dear Beverly Sykes,

Your daughter Divine greets you in the name of Jesus Christ.  She is doing well with her family and they are blessing God.  She is doing well at school and currently in her 3rd and final academic term of this year 2014.  We are still experiencing a long dry season, but it is sooin starting to rain.  We are preparing to start planting crops.  In which season are you?  Please keep praying for us to stay healthy and the Divine may maintain good school grades.  May God's peace and blessing keep being with you.

Divine is thankful to you for the letter which you sent her of recent.  She was happy to receive it and hear from you.  Thank you for having updated her on how you were doing.

New Kiva Loan

Continuing to build my world-wide cattle herd!

From the district of Korca in Albania, Aferdita is a 41-year-old mother of two children, a 21-year-old and a 15-year-old. She currently has four dairy cows. She also grows lucerne (alfalfa) barley and corn.

Aferdita has found dairy cows profitable, and the farm that she sells the raw milk to is not far from her home, therefore minimizing her transportation costs. She has requested this loan to add two more cows to the herd.

Says Aferdita: “I love animals and many times I find myself talking to them non-stop and it is funny. I love looking after them and their babies when they’re born. I have been doing this for a long time now and never get bored.”

New Photo from Anjali

Anjali is my very first compassion child.  I took her in 2009 and she has grown from a chubby little girl to the beautiful young woman whose photo I received today.

I always love getting photos of her because I think every single photo I have received shows her smiling, which doesn't happen with many of the other children.

This is Anjali, from 2009 to today (blue is definitely her color!)

Letter from Annie Rose

Dear Beverly Sykes,

Good day to you, sponsor!  Can I call you Auntie?  Auntie, how are you there?  I hope God will give you a healthy body and safe always.

Well, for me, I'm very much fine with my family.  I'm so glad and thankful to God that he give me a sponsor like you. I study hard my lessons to fulfill my goal and ambitions in life.  I'm doing my assignments every night. 

We done a lot of activities in our school.  We make a sentences in our English class.  We draw different types of animals and I draw a butterfly this time.

My house tasks are feeding of piglets, washing plates and others.  I want to work as a teacher when I grow up.  I want to help and teach children to learn more knowledge.  I'm not yet experienced to use chalk for drawing.

Rainy season starting in our place.  In fact, last July 16,2014 there is a typhoon here in the Philippines.  Now Henry typhoon is past by in our place.  I keep on praying to God that he will always protect us from typhoon and he will stay beside us always.

Thank you for supporting me and guiding me through all the way.  How nice you place to go because you have snow season.  Psalm 23:1.  The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.

Love,
Annie Rose