Project Letter: CO-384

Here's a letter from the project director of CO-384, which is where our little Michel and handsome Geison attend! 


We greet you in the precious name of our Lord Jesus Christ! My name is Libia G. I am the center director of the child development center (CO-384.) We are located in the Orinoquia region, which is located  in Colombia where your sponsored child attends. Thank you for sponsoring Michel. 

  

I thank God for sponsorship, friendship and affection for our children. It is a great blessing to hear a child say that it is very good that someone from a distance cares about them who is far but their heart is close to them. The community has several problems such as parents abandoning children, extreme poverty, both economically and mentally. Through the center there is more contact with the community to present Christ as our savior. Most of the children lack affection. They also lack spiritual and cognitive orientation.

The sponsored children have begun to discover that they have talents and ministries that we are beginning to uncover. The center has caused and continues to cause a great impact on the neighborhood. Many testify about the positive changes in their children and others long to enroll their children. It is also being recognized by the Christian work of its social activities such as lunches for children, community kitchens, and evangelist marches. All who are part of this beautiful work tutors, insurers and cooks, have shared very valuable and beautiful experiences working with children. Children feel the change in their lives; they express this with words and others only with facts. We also see the fruit because children come to Bible classes on Sundays.

Campaigns have been conducted with children where God continues to support each activity carried out with the kids. We have had the privilege of having the visit of sponsors to our center where the experience was very beautiful. Eighty children receiving the group of sponsors dressed as soldiers and singing and sharing with them very happily. The center has a great sponsorship which has been a great blessing.

During the year the children have approximately received four deliveries of letters. For each child their letter is of great importance amid the lack of time with their parents. Children who do not receive letters are very sad. For this reason we encourage sponsors to write to their sponsored child. Sponsors are always in our prayers. We pray that God will continue working in their lives and bless them abundantly. Again, thank you for sponsoring Michel!


If you are interested in sponsoring a little girl from Colombia, please consider Ingrid! This little cutie is just 3 years old. She will have her birthday on September 29 and she likes art! Read more about Ingrid here.

Project Letter: CO-383

Here's a letter from Julian's project in Colombia! All the photos come from Compassion's website.

We greet you in the precious name of our Lord Jesus Christ! My name is Marisela O. I am the center director of (CO-383.) We are located in the region of Llanos Orientales, region of Colombia, where your sponsored child attends. Thank you for sponsoring Julian. We are very grateful for sponsorship support. We are observing positive changes in their socio-emotional, physical, cognitive, and spiritual life. With sponsors support we can remind children the love of God and the possibility to change the way they see the world. Likewise, the center is blessed because it leads us to make dreams come true.

We are a center with three years of operation; we work with entire families who have arrived in this poor neighborhood of the city. They are displaced from many regions because of the conflict in our country. Many years ago with the church we are doing the work with the children in need, looking for ways to teach them the great love of our Lord Jesus Christ. In our center we work with children from 3 to 12 years old.

With the help of our God we implement activities that lead to improving the skills of our children. We see the need to implement sports like soccer and organize tournament with other centers and thus contribute to their development. Other events conducted in the center are: children's worship, where they are the exponents; they show us through plays Christ-centered teachings. likewise in the month of April we celebrate Children's Day, we also share with them their birthdays on a quarterly basis.

Our children during this working time have understood that it is through prayer that they can benefit from God. The families want to support us in recreational activities and accompaniments in educational outing. To see families with the desire to work hand in hand with the center is very impactful.

We are a close team where we support each other, and we care about each other. What drives us to continue with this vision vision is a latent change of several children attending the center. We teach and transmit values to children for them to recognize that Christ has the power to change the way they live. We support low-income families with prayer groups. We support these families in need to provide opportunities for them to improve their quality of life.

We have received two visits from sponsors where most of the children were present and it has been for us a blessing to see our children's faces light up with joy. For sponsors to visit to the homes and to know the community and the environment surrounding our children of the center is a huge blessing. Also one of our girls with her mother had the opportunity to travel to another city to meet her sponsor. They shared happy moments and visited the sea. It was such a blessing.

We have groups of children that in a year have received three letters and there is another group who have constant communication with their sponsor. They receive large packages of letters and the joy of our children has been greater. The letters create hope in the hearts of the children. For this reason we encourage the sponsors to write their sponsored child.

We ask your prayers for the children's ministry, especially the child who today is also a part of your family. We thank God first of all because sponsors believe in the work we do. May the God of Heaven reward you greatly and grand every day the requests of your heart.


If you are interested in sponsoring a little boy in Colombia, please consider little Cristian! I love his sweet smile! He is 7 years old and just had his birthday in March. He lives with his mom, and he loves playing soccer! Read more about Cristian here.

Sweet Greetings from Burkina Faso, Colombia, and Thailand

Happy Mail Call Monday!!

We got a few more letters this week- what a blessing!

Our first letter of the week was from Reine in Burkina Faso!

Reine wrote a short letter about what's going on where she lives. She says she's doing well and her country has been getting a lot of rain, so the crops are doing really well! She also says that Burkina Faso celebrates their independence day on December 11. Reine responded to my letter about libraries by saying that there is a library in a nearby Cultural French Center, which I think might be in a college. And she also said that there are hippos in her country! She asked how much rain we get, and asked us to pray for her family.

Next we got a letter from Michel in Colombia!

Michel's letter arrived a week or two later than Julian's, which was a bit unusual. I'm glad we heard from her! She wrote a form letter about her last doctor's visit, but she said she doesn't remember when it was. Michel said that at the center, she likes jumping rope, running, playing potato sack races and freeze tag! She has also learned to brush her teeth thoroughly and take a shower every day. :) Michel said she was happy to write to us and asked "has your hamster ever felt ill?" Which is funny because I don't have any hamsters! She asked that we pray for her father, who had an accident recently and was injured. I will be asking her what happened in my next letter!

Lastly, we heard from Thanakan in Thailand!

Thanakan's letter was about her friends. Her best friend is a girl named Nanchatapa, and they are best friends because they go to school together! Her friend also goes to the same project! She said she likes to play "bungee string" with her because it's fun! One of the volunteers from Thanakan's project helped her write the letter, and said that she loves getting my letters and she thanks God for letting her join the project! Thanakan drew a gorgeous picture of multicolored trees- they look like they're from a Dr Seuss book. The project volunteer said Thanakan wanted to know if I liked her drawing! She asked that we pray for her studies and said she is praying for Brandon's grandmother.

Sweet Greetings from Thailand, Mexico, Ethiopia and Colombia

Happy Mail Call Monday!

We *almost* went another week without letters, but the mailman came around late on Saturday and dropped off four envelopes!

The first letter was from Yekersew in Ethiopia!

Little Yekersew filled out a form letter about his family. He has two sisters, and spends most of his time with them and his mom. He lives in a town, and his favorite family activity is playing together! He said that his favorite way of helping his family is by obeying them! He also shared that his family is Protestant, and he asked that we pray for his schooling. He drew a donkey for us!

Next was a letter from Julian in Colombia!

Julian shared that his last medical checkup was August 2014, and he learned that he should take vitamins, shower, eat healthy, and brush his teeth after every meal. He said that he likes running and playing soccer at the project, and he was very happy to get our letters and read more about us! Julian wrote that he does like pizza, and he enjoys drinking Coke! He said that he went on a vacation to Bogota with his dad, and they played soccer and practiced target shooting. He shared Psalm 46:7 and sent lots of hugs and kisses! :)

We also got a letter from Brenda in Mexico!

Brenda sent a letter about her favorites! Her favorite activity is watching TV, her favorite animal is a dog, she likes soccer and Superman! She asked that we pray for her siblings, asked about our pets, and said thank you for all the gifts! She told me that she went to the park near her house and her whole family played together and had a lot of fun. She also likes to eat quesadillas! Me too! She drew a happy picture of a park with butterflies!

Lastly, we heard from Pitchaya in Thailand!

I love getting letters from Thai kids- they write such great responses! Pitchaya listed the number of letters and all the gifts and extras he has received since the last time he wrote to us. He said he enjoyed the letter about Malala and he also liked all the pictures we've sent. He especially liked the letter and pictures of the farm, and said he thinks the farm must have a lot of interesting things to do. :) He was also happy that Stephen graduated high school! Pitchaya said he has started university and they had an orientation day to welcome new students, and it was a lot of fun (and he liked the food.) He asked us to pray for his health and his family,and he sent these pictures! The group photo is him with his friends from university!

Sweet Greetings from Bolivia, Colombia, and India

Happy Mail Call Monday!

We had another good letter week, with five letters coming in from the kiddos! The first was from Julian in Colombia. 

Julian shared that his favorite Bible story is the story of Jonah, and his best skill is playing! He also likes soccer, and said his favorite shows are Animal Planet and Grimm's Fairy Tales. Julian said he has enjoyed my letters, as they are "so lovely" and he's glad that I am happy at work. He also said he has never met a missionary, but he would like to go on a mission trip to Portugal! 

We also received a letter from Michel in Colombia! 

Michel's helper at the project wrote in big letters at the top of her letter that she greets me with love! She said her favorite Bible story is "Jesus' birthday," and she likes watching Peppa Pig and Discovery Kids! Her favorite month is May because that's when Mother's Day is. She added that she is really happy to write to me, her family is doing fine, and it's been raining a lot in Colombia and she really likes that. She asked that we pray that her family is able to be together every day. She also said "I have never heard that an elephant never forgets. What nice thing!" This was in response to the letter I wrote about the Compassion graduate who works for the elephant sanctuary in Kenya, which you can find here on Hannah's blog! She added again that she really liked my letters, and her favorite part was the pictures. She said goodbye with "lots of fondness."

We also got a letter from Juan in Bolivia! 

Juan said that his family is doing great, and he liked all the cards and pictures I've been sending. He also said that his family sends me a huge hug, and that he's glad I work at a library and he loves books. He also got the little book about the three little pigs that I sent him. He said to tell Jess congratulations on her beautiful daughter, and he really liked reading about my trip to Africa and seeing the picture of the elephant. He got to visit Santa Cruz recently, and his dad bought him a little crocodile! 

I was also really happy to get our first letter from Rayza in Bolivia! 

I have really been looking forward to Rayza's first letter! Her letter was written to her financial sponsors, but it was really warm and informative. I think this is a great sign- if she writes such loving letters into the void (since she was not receiving letters for a few years before we got her as a correspondent) I can't wait to see what her response letters are like! Rayza said that on her school break, her family and her uncles went to Cliza province, where her dad is from. It was really rainy and a little chilly when they got there. She saw factories and "train ruts" and finally went to see her grandparents. She also said that they ate and played soccer. Now her school has started again, and the first two weeks were spent getting to know each other. She said "I thank you very much for being my sponsors! I thank so much God for the support you offer me! I pray for you a lot that you are always well of health! Don't go away out of God's way! Now I say goodbye with many hugs and kisses. May God bless and look after you a lot!" So sweet! 

Finally, we got our first letter from our new sponsored child Vandana in India! 

Vandana's letter was pre-written to send out when she got a sponsor, and it was really informative! It said that her mom's name is Dulazi and her dad's name is Natayan. She has two older sisters named Divya and Rinky, and two younger sisters named Kajal and Manisha! Her favorite color is red, she likes running, and her favorite foods are rice, dal, beans and curry (which I would like to eat right now.) Her best friend's name is Dhanashree, and her house is made of mud. On the back of the letter, the project worker wrote a little about the community and her family. They said that Vandana attends the project regularly, and that she is "sincere and hard-working." They said that the community is an "illiterate tribal community" and that Vandana lives in the slum area, which makes me sad. They said that most of the adults in the community are daily workers (they don't have regular jobs) and they usually work as rickshaw pullers, vegetable sellers, or manual laborers. Vandana's dad is a laborer and her mom is a housewife. At the end, the project worker expressed gratitude to Vandana's new sponsor because of the needs of the kids in the community, including getting regular meals, school supplies, and clean water. I already knew a little about the area where Vandana lives, because my mom's sponsor girl Amisha goes there. But I didn't realize just how severe some of the problems were. It's good to know how to pray for Vandana and her family, and the other kids in the community. 

Sweet Greetings from Honduras, Haiti, Burkina Faso, Colombia, and Peru

I was so wrapped up in finishing my Compassion Joys post that I forgot it's Mail Call Monday!

If I had posted this earlier in the day, as I usually do, I would have just had two letters to share. But after I got home from work tonight, there were three more letters in the mailbox! 

First, we heard from Eduardo in Honduras. 

Eduardo says that he is doing really well after his sinus surgery, and he feels pretty great. He also said that his church's name is Christian Brigade of Love, and wants to know more about my church. He attends the project on Saturdays and goes to church on Sundays after playing soccer with his brother. 

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

Marc wrote a really sweet letter. He explained that in Haiti, it's hot during the day, but it gets quite a bit cooler at night (which is why it feels so "cold" to him!) He also shared a little bit about Haitian weddings, saying that "if the bride is not pregnant" at the ceremony, they read some verses and meditate on them. I don't know why this was so funny to me- do pregnant brides not get to hear Bible verses? Haha. I'm sure that if I read Haitian Creole it would make a little more sense in what he originally wrote! He said that his family spends time together on Christmas eating and praying. 

Today, we heard from Julian in Colombia. 

Julian's letter was a form letter about his house, which is the same letter we got from our other Colombian, Michel, about a week ago. Julian lives in a black house with his mom and aunt, and he likes the common room best. He also likes eating and playing with his family when they get together. Julian says that his prayer request is that he never gets the Chikungunya virus, which is something that I am always praying for my kids. 

We also got a letter from Reine in Burkina Faso today.

Reine's letters are usually pretty predictable- she tells me about the weather and a little about school, and asks about the weather in my country. Today, she wrote some new stuff, which was exciting. She says that recently she had a "sore eye" and with Compassion's intervention she was able to see a doctor and get glasses. I'm so glad that she was able to get this help! I wish I could see her in her glasses! She also asked me if I have ever been to Burkina Faso, and if any singers from Burkina Faso are famous in America. What a neat question! I will have to do a little research on that one. 

Finally, we got a letter from Carlos in Peru! 

As usual, Carlos had a lot to say in his letter! He told me that he's seen pumpkins on a farm, and that he lives close to the ocean, where there are plenty of fish. He said that he has seen several weddings at his church, and that after the ceremony, people play games. He also shared that he was working on entrance exams to a vocational school to learn about auto mechanics! And he said that he loves music, likes to play guitar, and also likes to sing, but "only in the shower," which made me crack up. :) 

Getting to Know You: Julian & Michel

Life has been really crazy lately, and it has been really hard for me to prepare these posts to completion in time for them to be posted. To help me catch up (still a day late) I am sharing the story of both Julian and Michel, who joined our Far-Away Family at the same time!

Names: Julian and Michel
Ages: Julian and Michel are both 7 right now, but Julian is older
Birthdays: Julian's birthday is July 10 and Michel's is May 13
Country: Colombia
Sponsored since: May 2014

How we got them: Around the time that we were waiting for Anahi to show up on our account, a Compassion staffer posted a need on facebook- 100 little ones in Colombia had recently been sponsored and needed correspondents. I requested a boy and a girl, and Julian and Anahi showed up on my account within 24 hours of each other- Julian was late in the day and Michel the next morning. I kind of think of them as twins in my head. :) And it's pretty neat because all of those kids were from the same two centers, so a bunch of sponsors were able to connect in a facebook group and share when we got our first letters, or any pertinent information on the centers!

About their families: Michel's profile says that her parents are together, but she has only mentioned her mom in letters. And Julian just lives with his mom. Although we've had them for a year now, we've only received three letters from each of them, because it took a loooooong time to get first letters. I'm looking forward to learning more about their families!

Hobbies and interests: Both kids are pretty great at drawing- they're little artists! And they are both friendly, cheerful and affectionate. And both of them are above average in school, which is so awesome! Michel loves playing and swimming, and going fishing with her mom, too.

Here are some excerpts from their letters!

"Jesus is my friend because: he never leaves me alone." - Julian

"For me, the meaning of friendship is: sharing and enjoying." - Julian

"I hope you always have beautiful moments. God bless you." - Julian

Our first and only picture of Julian

"Jesus is my friend because: he watches over her and her mom." - Michel

"Michel says that she loves you very much, and she feels very excited because of your letter. She says that your photos are precious, and she is going to show them to her family." - Michel

"She wants to express her gratitude to you for the stickers and the books that you sent her, and she says she's going to color them, with her mom's help." - Michel

Michel's first photo. I love that pout! 

"I would like to have a rabbit as a pet. I would name it Bebe." - Julian

"Julian gives you a hug and a kiss, he says that he loves you very much." - Julian

"I thank you for your precious letters! I love them greatly!" - Julian

"I want you to know that I am doing well at school because I passed my school year." - Michel

"I want to express my gratitude to you for your friendship, your letters, the book of animals and the Christmas greeting card you sent me as well." - Michel

We got an updated photo of Michel later in the year. She's grown so much! 

"I want you to please continue to pray for me and I will do the same for you. I want to dedicate the following Bible verse to you: Psalms 31:24. Will you send me a Bible verse? I say goodbye for now with a hug and a kiss. I love you very much." - Michel

Sweet Greetings from Peru, Colombia, and Kenya

Happy Mail Call Monday- the first of April! :)

What a blessing to receive five letters this week- and if things continue the way they usually do, there should be many more on the way soon!

First, we heard from Mishel in Peru.

Mishel is really good about answering my questions, but she doesn't always tell me which questions she's answering! So sometimes I get phrases like "no, I have not." :) But in this letter, Mishel said that she knows how to make a craft- she makes flowers from egg cartons! How fun! She also reports that she has seen pumpkins before, and asked if Halloween is celebrated in my country. And she said she is praying for Brandon's uncle Dennis every day. I saw Dennis and his lovely wife Anne yesterday for Easter- and Dennis looks great! And he was happy to hear that the kiddos write that they are praying for him. :) 

Then we heard from Julian and Michel in Colombia!

Both of their letters were form letters about Christmas holidays. Julian said he likes to play and go to the river, and he got a big toy truck from the project, where they ate chicken and drank soda for Christmas! He reports that he has never seen a pumpkin before. He also said "I thank you for your precious letters! I love them greatly!

Michel's project had chicken stew and rice for Christmas, and she got a new bag and a ball for her gift. Her tutor Paola also said they took all the kids to a swimming pool, and they had a lot of fun! Michel said her mom likes to go fishing in the summertime, and she catches a fish called bocachico. She said she has seen pumpkins before, but they look different than my pumpkins. And for Christmas, they decorate Christmas trees and nativity scenes. Paola wrote "We close with a kiss and a hug."

Then we got letters from Victor and Mary in Kenya! 

Mary opened her letter with "I greet you in the name of our provider, my sister. May the Lord our God continue blessing you abundantly." Mary reports she has finished her O levels and she is going to computer classes while she waits for the results. She also says it's "too hot" in Kenya. 

She congratulated us on our wedding anniversary, and said that her favorite part of weddings is when the couple exchanges rings. "Weddings are for the couples who want to get married and make up a family and then have a certificate." She was glad to read about my grandparents- I sent a letter telling the kids about Mimi and Pappaw, after they gave my mom a copy of their super cute anniversary photos! She also said her family gets together at Christmas after not seeing each other for a long time, and they have food together. 

Mary always says really sweet things about our friendship in her letters. "You are far away but your letters make me feel like you are too close to me." She asked that we pray for her family and her country. 

As for Victor, he said "I want to take this opportunity to write this letter thanking and appreciating your love for me. I received the letters you sent to me and I also saw the pictures you took during your wedding day and am praying that God may bring love and peace to your family."

"I want to send my greetings to Brandon, he has been like a father to me and I hope one day I will meet even your cousins." I thought this was just impossibly sweet, and I hope it encourages Brandon to write to Victor someday. 

Victor says that he wants to work extra hard in academics this year, and he asks that we all pray for him. He believes he will succeed in part because he received the gifts we sent through Shelley, including a backpack, some school supplies, and a Bible.

Victor seems to agree with Mary in that it's "too hot" in Kenya, and very dry. "I believe and hope soon that there will be rain, even if some farmers have not yet prepared their farms." He also shared Psalm 56:13 with us, and signed his letter "Your beloved son, Victor."

We have lots of outstanding first letters (including one that is coming up on five months waiting), two kids that haven't written in five and six months, plus expected letters from Peru and the rest of our Kenya kids, which usually arrive around the same time. I also know that pastor letters have been mailed out recently to a lot of the sponsors, so I am keeping my fingers crossed that we will have lots of fun mail this week- especially since the mailman never bothered to show up on Saturday! 

Sweet Greetings from Kenya, Indonesia, Colombia, and Brazil

Happy Mail Call Monday, everyone!

We got quite a few letters this week- and are expecting even more to be on the way! Here's what we'e received since last Monday.

First, we started getting letters from our new Kenyan girls! The first one is from Rose, who is 11 years old.

Rose's letter, along with the other first letters, was a form letter describing some basics about her family and her favorite things. Rose lives with her mom and dad and SEVEN siblings. She listed them all and shared their ages! She also said her best friends are Mercy and Zawadi (Gift) who share a family name with her. I asked if they are cousins! Rose shared that she really likes drawing and playing in her free time, and she helps her family by washing utensils. She shared 139: 14a and asked that we pray for her studies.

Next, we got a letter from Christine in Kenya!

Christine lives with her mom and dad and four siblings- and she shared all their names and ages! She also really likes math and her favorite color is green. She said she likes going to church, and her favorite Bible story is the story of Daniel. She also said " I am very happy to have a best friend like you. My family members are also happy to have you as a new member of our family, which just melted my heart! Christine shared that she wants to be a doctor when she grows up so she can save people's lives, and asked that we pray for her parents to get good jobs, and that she will do well in school so she can become a doctor!

Then came a letter from Gloria in Kenya, on the same day!

If I had to guess which three Kenyan letters would arrive at the same time, Gloria's might be in there- but we also got two older girls at the same center, and it was so funny that their letters haven't arrived yet! Maybe the big kids write on a different day- Gloria is just 8 years old! She just has one brother, and lives with him and their parents. She shared that her best friend is named Yvonne, and Gloria wants to be a lawyer when she grows up. What a wonderful aspiration! And for her prayer request, she asked that we pray for Yvonne, who wants to be an engineer!!

Then, on the same day, we got a letter from Tasya in Indonesia!!

Tasya's letters have been few and far between over the past year, so I was extremely surprised to get another letter from her 5 or 6 weeks after the last one. She told us that in September they traveled to another area of Sulawesi for three days, and participated in competitions with kids from other Compassion centers! They have done many things like this in the past, which I think is really neat! Tasya took part in the choir competition and the tambourine dance competition, and she spent time with lots of friends!

Next up, we got a letter from Victor in Kenya!

I knew a letter from Victor would be arriving soon, since it was a little over two months since his last letter! Victor's letter was a little discouraging. It was the first time that he didn't fill both sides of the page, and his letter was full of concern for his country. Lately he has mentioned the terrorist attacks and other security issues more frequently in his letters, and this is basically all he wrote about in this one. It's so sad. He said that many schools have been closed but even though he's at home, he's still reading and going over his old tests and homework so he can get smarter.

We finished out the week with three letters in one day! The first was from Michel in Colombia.

Michel wrote that her favorite animals are cats, dogs, chickens, and rabbits. She would like to have a pet rabbit and she would name it Chiquitin. She also said she wants to learn to skate someday, and she likes going to the park and playing with her mom. She sent me a Bible verse (Psalms 31:24) and asked that I send her one. She said goodbye with a kiss and a hug!

Then we got a short letter from Patricia in Brazil!

Patricia's letter was special because it actually arrived on her birthday! As usual, it didn't say much, but it was very sweet. She said it's "too hot" in Brazil, and that she and her brothers were excited about Christmas coming up. She asked what we do for Christmas and shared that she has a dog named Baby. She signed her letter with kisses, and drew lots of big hearts!

Finally, we got a very special letter from Mary in Kenya!!

Mary's letters are always wonderful and long. This one was no exception! She shared her usual inspirational quotes with me, and told me that she is waiting on her citizenship card to arrive! She also shared the names of her favorite worship songs, and told me the different ways she is praying for us- for God to bless us, for healing for my brother, for my mom's eyesight to get better, and for my friend Pat, whom I mentioned as a random prayer request in one of my letters. :) She said that she doesn't do any crafts, but it's "great" that I've learned to crochet and am making scarves and blankets.

Then there was a second page! The first part of Mary's letter was written just a few days before my friend Shelley arrived in Kenya, carrying gifts for Victor and Mary. Mary must have received the gifts really quickly and written a quick thank you note to be attached with the other letter! I could tell she did it a little bit hurriedly because her handwriting wasn't quite as meticulous- and that's just fine by me! I'm hoping that she is able to send an extra photo with her next letter. I'd love to see her wearing the scarf or the necklace we sent! She listed each item by name, saying things like "the sweets were very sweet," "I am very happy for the scarf made by your own hands," "Thanks a lot for the Bible with even my name," and she said the "notebook" (photo album) was "just wow!) I'm so glad she liked everything, and I am abundantly thankful that I was able to send her this gift!!