Sweet Greetings from Bolivia, Kenya, Rwanda, the Philippines, Ecuador, Ghana, Tanzania, India, and Honduras!

Happy Mail Call Monday- the first of November! Wow!

What a tremendous blessing to receive so many letters this week!!!

Steph and I got our first letter from Maribel in Bolivia!

She said she was so happy that we sponsored her, and that she likes to talk! :) She listed her best friends, said that she likes to eat watermelon and pique macho, which is like, ground beef, beans, hard boiled eggs, tomatoes, and all this random stuff. Bolivians must like it because Juan has written about it, too! She also drew a really pretty picture of a house in the hills.

We got a letter from little Purity in Kenya!

Purity's letter was a form letter about her favorites. Her favorite food is pilau, her favorite sport is skipping, she likes playing, her favorite color is orange, Ann is her best friend, and she likes dogs. And she says her favorite toy is a doll, and her favorite hero is her mum! She filled in all these blanks herself! On the back her project helper wrote that she said “jambo, rafiki” which means hello, friend! She and her family are doing well and she is always praying for us!

We also got a letter from Emmanuel in Kenya!

Emmanuel sent the same letter, since he goes to the same project. He likes chips, football, dancing, white, cats, dolls, and his best friend is Joyce. And he said his mummy is his favorite hero, too! Emmanuel is praying that God always blesses us!

We also heard from Fatuma in Kenya!

Fatuma opened her letter with “hello, my dear dear friend!” She said her family is doing well and she would like to thank me warmly for her letters, and that they really make her feel good! She says “Jessi Jones, I really think of you every day and I do pray for you too.” She asked how my stomach is doing and said she is doing well in school and at the project, and her mom recently had a baby named Abdalla! She also said she enjoyed reading the story of Fanny Crosby and especially liked the song lyrics that were included. :)


Next was a letter from Celestine in Kenya!

She said that her family is fine and she hopes mine is, too. She is learning new skills in the project like bead making and tailoring! She wants to know if I know how to do these things, too. She also is very excited that they started their games. She likes football and volleyball, and wants to know which games I like. She also told me to ask my friends Brandon and Stephanie which games they enjoy, as well. :) Celestine shared a little about Independence Day in her country, and she asked that we pray for her grandma, who has high blood pressure.


Then there’s a letter from Motempa in Kenya.

Motempa said “first of all, receive much greeting from your child.” She says she is doing well in school and she hopes that we are praying for her, and her family members are very happy. She asked about the weather and said they were experiencing a drought. She said she was thankful for our letters and support and she wants me to read Jeremiah 29:11.


We also heard from Nkoyio, who attends the same center.

Nkoyio also talked about the drought and asked how we are doing. She said “thank you so much for your continuous support that you have been sending to me. I lack words to express my happiness to you. I thank God for giving me a wonderful friend like you. Have a good stay up there- we shall meet soon!” How sweet!


And then there was a letter from Gloria, also at the same center!

Gloria’s letter was written by a helper at the project, and she also talked about the drought. She asks that we pray for her to do well in school and that we pray her parents have a peaceful time when she is at school.


We also got our second letter from Jeannette in Rwanda in three weeks!

She says her whole family sends greetings and they are thankful that we care about them! She wished us the peace of Christ and said the story of Malala touched their hearts and they are praying for her!


And then there was a letter from Merlyn in the Philippines!

She addressed her letter to “sister Jessi”, which I love. She and her mom are doing well, and she asked if I like planting flowers. She said “There are lots of things you are busy with. That’s why you get sick. It’s good for you to be in farm to get your body and mind relaxed.” How cute! Merlyn asked about my favorite flower and asked what games I played with my cousins when I was growing up. Merlyn asked that we pray that her mom stays healthy so she can do her work, and she is praying to Jesus to make my tummy better so I can eat my favorite foods. :) She is so cute! She also said that she bought a blouse and groceries with her birthday gift!

We also had a letter from little Erick in Ecuador.

He wrote a form letter about his project, and said that he gets there in 2 minutes by walking. He goes there on Mondays and Sundays! He said his favorite parts of going to the project are singing and playing soccer.


There was also a letter from Angelina in Ghana.

She said that she is learning how to pray at the project, and she is happy about that! She wrote that she would like to learn more about my country, and she drew a very detailed picture of a flower with all the parts labeled- like the stamen and pistil and everything! It looks like something straight out of a biology textbook! I was very impressed!

Later in the week, we got a letter from Said in Tanzania!

Said said that he and his family are doing well, and that his auntie was expecting a baby! The baby would have been born in August. She was going to name it after Said's dad, who passed away 10 years ago. This is the most Said has ever said about his father in his letters- even when I met with him in Tanzania, he just said that he was deceased. Said said that every year,  they have a memorial in honor of his father. He also said that he is praying for me every day, when he goes to sleep and when he wakes up!


We also heard from Kajal in India!

Kajal sent a form letter about her dental checkup! She went to the dentist six months ago, and both her parents were able to go with her! She learned that she should brush her teeth twice a day, and she has 30 teeth- meaning she is missing two! How cute! Kajal's helper at the project said that Kajal is doing really well. Her auntie got married recently and she went to the wedding and had fun dancing there. She also talked about her dolly named Munny! She said that it has been raining so there are lots of green plants and saplings growing, and she and her family were happy about my wedding anniversary! She also asked that we pray for her dad, who has tuberculosis. This recurring illness keeps him from working sometimes. 

We also had a much-awaited letter from Anahi!

Anahi's letter was a form letter about her house. She lives in a brick home with cement floors, and sleeps in a bed. They use a well to get their water and they wash their clothes in a basin. I am glad that she has a sturdy house, but I am praying that they get running water soon! Anahi's mom wrote that they were so glad to get the gifts I was able to send this summer! I was so thankful to hear that they arrived safely. I like imagining Anahi's face, opening the baggie with the dress, candies, and toys! And I hope her mama liked the necklace we picked out for her, too. Anahi's mom said "We also want to thank you for the beautiful dress, the chains and the toys, they are spectacular. May God almighty continue to spill blessings over you Jessi, blessing after blessing. God is wonderful and we ask God to keep you and send angels around your life, your house and all of your family. Anahi says she would like to give you many hugs." How very, very sweet! I just can't wait to meet Anahi next year!!

Our last letter of the week came from Elisha in Tanzania!

Elisha wrote a form letter about his friends! His best friends are Ezekia and John, and he knows them from the project! They read and play together, and go to the same school. Elisha said his closest friend is Ezekia, and when asked what makes him special, he said "I love him!" How sweet!