Sweet Greetings from Haiti, Peru, Sri Lanka, Ethiopia, Burkina Faso, Thailand, the Philippines, and Kenya

Happy Mail Call Monday- the first of August!

Eleven letters showed up in the past week! Wow! :) 

The first was from Barry in Burkina Faso! 

Barry wrote a form letter about his typical week, and says he wakes up at 6 to "have a wash." He goes to the project on Thursdays and Saturdays. After school, it's his job to put the hens in the hen house! Barry shared that his favorite day of the week is Sunday, because that's church day, and he says he's never had pizza but he hopes he can try it some day to see if he likes it. 

Next was our first letter from Yekersew in Ethiopia! 

Yekersew's letter was about his hobbies and pets. He likes playing group games and soccer with his friends. He also said he has a dog named Buchi. He said that he wants to know about our family, and asked us to pray for his health. 

Next was a first letter from Benji in Haiti! 

Benji says things are going well in his "locality" and it's really warm where he lives! He also said there are lots of mangoes, avocado and grapefruits where he lives, and asked if I liked these fruits. He said there is a library near his house, and he asked that we would pray that God will give him life. 

That same day, we got a big letter from Kevenel in Haiti!

Kevenel's letter was a form letter about his last medical check up, which was in 2014. He said he liked seeing the doctor because he found out if he was healthy. He told me that his favorite animal is a goat, and he asked that we pray for his health and his family's health. He also said that soccer is very popular in Haiti, and Easter is a very important holiday there, too. He asked how we celebrate Easter and said that he loves me very much! :) 

Then there was another first letter, this time from Tinnakorn in Thailand! 

Tinnakorn covered the entire back of his letter with drawings, and included an extra sheet of paper with drawings! They were all soccer related- apparently he's a big fan of Lionel Messi! Tinnakorn says that he spent his school break at home, and he helped his parents by taking care of his sibling. He said that he and his friends went to the Songkran festival, and his dad is working. He said he thinks of us often, and he wanted to know if I am visiting Thailand this year! Tinnakorn asked that we pray for his family and his studies. 

Another first letter was from Abdias in Haiti! 

Abdias sent us a new sponsor form letter about himself. He has five older siblings, and two of them are older than I am! He said his favorite color is red, favorite food is rice, favorite game is soccer, and he likes cooking! 

Next up was a letter from Mishel in Peru! 

Mishel answered my question about her favorite animal, and said that she likes turtles! She said that she liked the letters we've been sending, and the little notebook that I found for her. She also said she is doing really well in school and is making good grades! And she said "I asked God that my sponsor would send me many letters and God made this miracle happen." I loved that so much!!!

Next up was a letter from Fatuma in Kenya. 

Fatuma sent a form letter about her school. She shared the name of her school and her teacher, and said that her favorite subject is math. She also likes to skip rope with her friends! Her helper at the project said that Fatuma greeted me with "jambo," which was neat because now I know that Fatuma speaks Swahili. Fatuma also said that it is raining every day in her country, and that she liked the "promises" I sent her. 

Another first letter we received this week was from Mjay in the Philippines!

Mjay said he's enjoying my letters and he liked the card that I sent to his whole family. He said there's a library in his school, but not one in his neighborhood. He asked that we pray for the success of his dad's fish vending business! 

Our last first letter of the week was from Sithum in Sri Lanka!

We got Sithum as a correspondent back in March, so it was good to hear from him. His form letter was a "getting to know you" letter, but it was really more about his country than about him! I'm looking forward to knowing more about him in the future! Sithum said he has a brother, and he shared his mom's name. He said he likes to ride bikes, and he wants to be in the army someday! 

The last letter I will share is my favorite letter of the week, because it made me laugh! It was from Carlos in Peru. 

I just love Carlos' letters. He always has so much to say! Carlos told me about an archaeological site in his city, which was the city of the Incan empire. He is very proud of his culture! He said he's happy about my new job, and that God put me there for a reason. :) Carlos also said that they have baby showers in Peru, and sometimes there are pinatas and clowns for the children. He told me he likes penguins and dolphins, as they are very curious. He also wrote about Brandon's birthday. Carlos said that he's glad that God gave Brandon another year of life, and that he can see from the pictures that Brandon hasn't changed much. He also commented on his height- Carlos said that in Peru, a tall person would be 5'9", which is how tall I am. He said "Brandon is like a giant to us." I cracked up when I read that! He also responded to my comment in a letter about pizza, and said he tried it once but maybe he got the wrong kind because he didn't like it. He knows that there are many kinds, though, so he's willing to try it again! Carlos also said he loved the pictures I've been sending, which included walruses (my favorite animal- he said they are beautiful) and Jess's new baby. He said the new baby's pictures are the most beautiful! I love this kid!