Each day when I pick up the mail, or when I see Walt walking
in with it, I scan the stack for the familiar cream colored envelope from
Compassion, with a letter from one of my kids (there is a business we hear
from regularly that uses the same color envelope and it drives me nuts when
I get all excited about the envelope and then discover it's not from
Compassion at all.
I
couldn't believe it when Walt tossed the mail into my lap yesterday.
SIX LETTERS from kids!
I am lucky if I get six in a month, but yesterday I got six
in one day. all from kids in Kenya, which has now become officially my
favorite letter-writing country.
Erik (age 16), to whom I have been writing the longest was
happy to report that his school was able to proceed to the county levels in
soccer "which was not easy to attain." (He's a real soccer fan.) He
also tells me that it has started to rain now (this was written in May) and
that there will be more rain. I wish he could send some this way!
Samuel, whom I took on because he looked so un-well in his
photo, with a distended belly and oversized head, tells me that they
normally celebrate their birthdays by going to church and singing together
and that he participates in communal work by sweeping and cleaning the
nearby market.
Mwongela is one of the newest kids ("The Kenya 7," I called
them) I took on, not to sponsor, but to write to because his financial
sponsor, a corporation, decided to sponsor 1,000 kids but was not going to
write to them all, so many of us took several kids to write to. He's
only 5, so he doesn't write a letter per se, but fills out a form telling me
about his family. His favorite thing to do with his family is tell
stories and his favorite way to help his family is to be sent to the shop.
He wants to "grow stronger in Christ and have good health."
Michael, another of the Kenya 7, is 6 so he, too, filled out
a form about his family. He has 2 sisters, he tells me, and he likes
watching Tom and Jerry cartoons. His mother does the cooking in his
house, but he is learning to cook from her.
Brightone (Yes, that really is his name) is 9 and he writes
his own letters, in English. He always writes long letters (at least a
full page). I had asked the kids where they sleep and he tells me he
sleeps wit his siblings "we always prepare our bedroom before the evening,
so after doing home work we go to sleep." His favorite subject is
science "because we are taught interesting things in the natural world."
He adds "It is so amazing how God loves us and has good plans for us.
I am being transformed holistically at Compassion's project every Saturday.
Thanks to your support." and signs it "God bless you from your sponsored son
in Kenya."
James is 10 and also writes his own letters in English.
It is always amusing to me that NONE of the 30 kids I get letters from ever
mention all of our kids, but pick out one, often it's Ned. I'm not
sure why, but this time I had sent him a photo of Ned with Bri and Lacie.
James says "I was impressed to see Ned and the two little girls. Ned
is looking good with his short hair and let him just maintain his hair like
that." He ends by saying "be blessed so much, dear."
So I have my work cut out for me today, answering these
letters. I also have one from Venkanna, in India, which arrived over
the weekend. His letter was mostly about Peach. I had asked each
of the kids to pray for her when I was in Iowa. He says "Mostly I feel
bad about your cousin. How is her health now? I am praying for
you and your cousin. He also told me that their Independence Day is
August 15 and they raise the flag and distribute chocolates.
Anyway, it was a wonderful day for me yesterday and it will
be a happy day today, responding to each of these letters.
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