Tag Archives: missions

Colors of Life

Fredeline, Haiti, , ,

The depth of my sponsored children never ceases to amaze me. In Fredeline’s recent letter to me, she let me know that her favorite colors are red and yellow. Following are her translated words –

“I like the red because it is the color of blood. The blood is a vital element to man. As for me, it is life. I like yellow because it is the sun’s color. It shines and is life to man. We need it to stay in good health.”

Fredeline then asked me what my favorite color(s) were and why.

Her color choices and the reasons behind them stretched me to really think hard about my choices and why I chose them.  This fifteen-year-old in Haiti did not tell me that red and yellow were her favorite colors because they were the fashion colors of the season or give me some other flippant reason. She had no shallow words  — she has a wisdom about her that touches my soul.

So here was my response to her –

“I love a rainbow of colors. If I have to pick a favorite right now, I think my favorites would be green and blue. Most trees are green and I love to look up into the sky and see the tall trees we have here. It is like the trees are reaching toward Heaven and when they are set against the blue sky, they are beautiful. I love to take pictures of trees.

This reminds me of a favorite poem of mine. It probably won’t rhyme when it is translated, but it is a beautiful meaning.”

Trees

by Joyce Kilmer

I think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree.

A tree whose hungry mouth is prest
Against the earth’s sweet flowing breast;

A tree that looks at God all day,
And lifts her leafy arms to pray;

A tree that may in summer wear
A nest of robins in her hair;

Upon whose bosom snow has lain;
Who intimately lives with rain.

Poems are made by fools like me,
But only God can make a tree.

***

I also attached one of my tree photographs.

IMG_8108

What are your favorite colors?

© 2014 MYCOMPASSIONCHILDREN

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Something to Think About

Rosine, Togo, , , ,

What do you do when you are bored? For most people, myself included, my guess is that reading our Bibles would not be the first way we’d think to spend that time. In Rosine‘s letter to me today, she let me know that reading the Bible is the very thing she chooses to do when she is bored.

Rosine‘s response –

2014 Reine Letter 3-1A-1

English translation –

2014 Reine Letter 3-2

Rosine will be eight years old in September. Is she wise beyond her years? Just something to thing about …

© 2014 MYCOMPASSIONCHILDREN

Letters Matter

Fredeline, Haiti, , ,

Today I received a special handwritten letter from Fredeline. What she said in her letter was a reminder of how important the letters I write to the children are. Her letter to me was so long that she actually had to staple an additional page to the form normally used. It warmed my heart to read her words. I am sharing a portion of her own writing and the English translation below.

Fredeline‘s Letter Excerpts

2014 Francista Letter 2-A

2014 Francista Letter 2-B

English Translation –

“Today I feel so happy to be able to answer your letter finally. Above all, how are you and your family? I want to tell you that I am happy to be your sponsored child. I am glad to receive your letter and any other things because my first sponsors did not make so much effort to write me so often like you do. I want to tell you that I love you for that. I hope this feeling is strengthening throughout the coming years. It never snows in Haiti because it is a tropical country. For this reason it is almost warm during the whole year. I would like to see some snow, to feel how it is exactly. What do you do on snowing season? In my country Valentine Day is generally the celebrating with chocolate. But as for me, flowers and heart are more important to me. I really loved the song you wrote me on my birthday. It is funny!” …

© 2014 MYCOMPASSIONCHILDREN

Watching Them Grow

Akoete, Anne, Haiti, Togo, , , , , ,

Each time that I receive a letter in the mail from Compassion International, I always get excited, especially when the outside of the envelope contains these words — MESSAGE FROM YOUR SPONSORED CHILD. Many times there are notes from the children prepared with the assistance of a church worker, family member, etc. Recently I received updated pictures from two of the children — Anne in Haiti and Akoete in Togo.

I am so thankful to get to watch them grow!

Anne – Old and New

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Akoete – Old and New

TG1150108-Fullshot-200w2014-TG1150108-Fullshot-200w

© 2014 MYCOMPASSIONCHILDREN

Unexpected Blessings

Akoete, All My (Sponsored) Children, , ,

I had expected from the start to write these children many letters and hoped to give to them in many ways by my prayers for them, and monetary gifts to support them. It didn’t take me long to realize that my relationship with the children was really going to be a two-way relationship.

I had expected to teach them, but they are also teaching me. In Akoete‘s first letter to me, he asked if I liked gboma sauce. I had never heard of it. His question caused me to do research and I now know that gboma sauce is a sauce made with gboma which is a green leafy vegetable, also known as the African eggplant.

I had expected to send notes to the children and tell them I love them, but they are already sending me notes telling me they love me.

I had expected to pray for the children, but the children and the children’s church family are also praying for me.

Teaching each other … loving each other … praying for each other … what blessings!

© 2014 MYCOMPASSIONCHILDREN

 

1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 3 + 2

Akoete, All My (Sponsored) Children, Anne, Anold, Chalanda, Emeliya, Ethiopia, Fredeline, Haiti, Hasimat, Kigongo, Rosine, Togo, Uganda, , , ,

And now there are nine! Nine children – that’s how many I support with a monetary commitment each month. But just as important as the monetary commitment is the commitment to communicate with these children on a regular basis – to remember them by keeping a regular correspondence to them going, to remember them on special occasions, and to continue to pray for them daily.

After deciding to sponsor Fredeline in December 2013, when the new year arrived I was so excited about sponsoring her that I wanted to do more. During the January timeframe, I chose three additional children from Haiti – first Chalanda, then Anne, then Anold. After choosing the four in Haiti, I must have been making up for lost time because the next month I decided to begin considering children in Africa. I started questioning myself as to how many children I felt I could comfortably sponsor now. I say ‘comfortably’ because a commitment to these children is a big responsibility. These children get so excited when they are chosen by a sponsor, and it is up to each sponsor to live up to his/her end of the deal. I knew I could do more. So in February I chose Rosine and Akoete, both from Togo, and Emeliya from Ethiopia. Then in March, I chose the final two – for now – Hasimat and Kigongo, both from Uganda.

These are the nine precious children I have chosen to support in my role as sponsor. I am happy with my decision to do this, and I only wish I had done it sooner!

© 2014 MYCOMPASSIONCHILDREN

My Sponsoring Decision

Fredeline, Haiti, , , ,

It all started last December. It was almost Christmas Day. After learning there would be no additional family members to join my husband and me on this holiday, I was feeling a little empty inside. I had recently joined a couple of friends for lunch, and one of them had mentioned  that she was supporting a nursing student in one of the African countries.  A lady in Sunday School had also recently mentioned that she and her daughter were supporting a girl named Brunhilda who lived in one of the Eastern European countries. Learning about their experiences, combined with my own inner urge to put more focus on others during the holiday season, helped spur me to start reviewing organizations which support children worldwide. After doing much research, I chose Compassion International. Getting on their website and viewing all the children’s faces and backgrounds was almost overwhelming — so many precious faces with so much need in so many countries. I decided to focus on the Haitian children. One by one I viewed their profiles … and then I stopped at Fredeline‘s profile. There was something about her smile that pulled me to her, and once I had seen her, I knew I wanted to sponsor her. That’s how my child sponsorships began.

© 2014 MYCOMPASSIONCHILDREN