Compassion Joys: October

It's time for my favorite post of the month! I'm linking up with Jill at Compassion Family...click the button below to read about other sponsors' Compassion Joys!

We have so much to be thankful for this month!

Letters!

This month we got two letters from Anahi (who is sometimes called Katherine), first letters from Amisha and Angelina, and letters from Reine, Patricia, Elisha, Jayid, Caleb and Prayer! We also got a letter from Compassion saying that Kajal's center is no longer on probation!


New Kids!

We got two new correspondents this month- 17 year old Marc in Haiti, and 11 year old Merlyn in the Philippines!

Photo Updates! 

Right after we got Marc as a correspondent, his photo got updated! He looks so sharp!

Birthdays!

Brendita in Mexico and Prayer in Indonesia both had birthdays on the 22nd! Prayer turned 12 and Brenda turned 7!

Compassion Events!

On the 18th, Lifeway stores around the country had special days with Compassion representatives on site to talk about the program. Lifeway and Compassion are embarking on a new adventure as ministry partners! My mom has worked there since I was a tiny baby (six weeks old!) so as soon as we heard this was going to be a thing, I started checking the events page on my advocate profile so I could sign up to work. We didn't get any new sponsors that day, but we were able to encourage a sponsor who recently lost her 13 year old sponsor child in India, who was sold into slavery by her parents and became pregnant. It was so sad. I think that this event was a good introduction, but the sponsorships will really come in when people get used to seeing Compassion materials at the stores, and talk to the employees who are sponsors. We were just kind of visitors that day. I had my mom go through the advocate resource catalog and pick out some stuff for her store, and that all arrived today!

Presents!

I'm so excited that this month I was able to send THREE gifts to my sponsor kids! Shelley offered to take gifts to Victor and Mary in Kenya, and the day I got Merlyn, my friend Katie (we did a baggie exchange for Tanzania and Peru earlier this year) messaged me to say she is going to the Philippines next month, and I was welcome to send a little bag for Merlyn! Here are their gifts below.

Merlyn is getting a mini beach ball, a jump rope, crayons rainbow socks, a manicure set, a Hello Kitty watch, barrettes, a journal, and Hello Kitty pencils! 

Mary is getting a photo album, a bookmark, colorful pens and pencils, a pretty necklace that says "hope", candy, an eraser, an ornament to share with her family, a nail file and a beautiful Bible with her name imprinted on it! I also made her a purple and pink scarf, as those are her favorite colors! 

Victor is getting a photo album, soccer pencils, candy, an ornament to share with his family, bookmarks, a bracelet and necklace, a Bible imprinted with his name, and a drawstring University of Kentucky backpack.

I also was able to arrange to send a gift to Erick in Ecuador when a friend goes there next year, and my mom will be able to send something to her girl Jessika there, which she has wanted to do for a long time. We're able to send gallon-sized bags to the Ecuadorean kids, so it will be lots of fun to pick stuff out for them over the next few months!