Sweet Greetings from Burkina Faso, Kenya, and Tanzania

Happy Mail Call Monday. How is it already February???

We got a few letters this week, which was lovely! The first one is another letter from Austin in Kenya!

Austin is just so sweet. He wrote a short letter, but it was very kind. He said he is "very fine" with his family, and that he reads our letters every day! He asked that we pray for his mechanics course, and he is praying for my great-great-aunt Dolly, whom I wrote about several months ago when we visited my grandfather's hometown. He also shared that he likes to go to church with his family and friends, and they encourage each other. He also said that he got to visit his great-grandmother recently, who is 82 years old! I'm so glad that Austin has one of these older family members in his life- I always thought it was really neat growing up that I still had two of my great-grandparents, and I am thankful that some of my kiddos can have that experience, too. 

Next, a letter from Barry in Burkina Faso!

Barry is so cute! He said "I wish you good healing for your tooth" because I had written to the kids asking them to pray for some dental issues I was having last summer. He also said that he was going to pray for the children who don't have sponsors, which is so awesome! He said that he liked the pictures we've been sending, and his favorite was a picture of a big butterfly I saw at my parents' house. Hew as very excited to tell me about the things he drew on the back of his letter (including a tricycle) and he wished us a happy Christmas. On the back of his letter, he asked if I knew how to dance with a djembe, which is a kind of west African drum (the answer to that is "no", but I have seen them before!) and he wanted to know if I can play the piano. He also asked us to pray for the kids in his neighborhood who can't go to school because their parents can't bring them. 

Next, a letter from our lovely Christine in Kenya! 

Christine called me "my friend" about a hundred times in her letter, which is so cute! She asked about our family and asked how my dad recovered from his surgery (it was just a quick procedure for carpal tunnel.) She also asked about my new job and the weather. Like so many of our other kids, she shared her frustration with her grades and said that she is trying harder to do better for the end of the year. She asked that we pray for her schoolwork and shared Exodus 20:4 with us. 

The next letter we received was from Motempa in Kenya! 

Motempa is lovely. She refers to herself as our child, and shared that she is working hard at school and thanks us for praying for her. She talked a bit about the weather and asked how the weather is in our country, and shared Psalm 118:24 with us. 

We also got a letter from Nkoyio, our other teen at the same center. 

Nkoyio shared her thankfulness that her region had received some rain ending a drought, and said that they are digging something for their animals (her handwriting is really tiny!) Nkoyio also said that she is praying for Dolly and asked that we pray for her mom, who is sick. She also enjoyed she liked seeing a new picture of baby Lilly, and she's praying for the kids who don't have sponsors. She then said "thank you very much for your continued support that you are giving me. I lack words to express my happiness. May God bless you so much. I thank God for giving me a wonderful friend like you. I wish to see you, Jessi Jones!" How very sweet! 

We also received a short letter from little Gloria, who attends the same center as Motempa and Nkoyio!

Gloria said that she is very fine and she hopes we are, too. She said her family sends their greetings and it is raining quite a bit where she lives. She also wished us a merry Christmas and said she is praying God will bless us. Gloria also said that she has not been baptized yet but she would like to be! 

Finally, we heard from Christina in Tanzania!

Christina was one of the kids that I recently took over for my mom. We got an intro letter from her center sharing a bit about her favorites. She has three brothers and one sister, and her best friends are named Agie, Justina and Neema. She lives in a town and she likes writing. Her favorite Bible story is the story of Adam and Eve, and she likes eating rice and beans. Her favorite holiday is children's day at her church, and she is really good at running! She wants to be a doctor when she grows up, and she asked about my favorite color.