Project Letter: GH-755

Here's a letter from the project our Mary A. in Ghana attends! All the photos come from Compassion's website.

My name is Rev. Canon M of (the church) in the eastern region of Ghana. We run (GH-755) attended by Mary A. Our cool and peaceful town, famous for its botanic gardens, is home to the 195 registered children of the center.

I appreciate you for sponsoring our needy children and would like to thank you on behalf of the center for your love, gifts, and words of encouragement for Mary. We thank you for helping to be a blessing to these children and for giving them hope in life.

Aburi is the capital of Akuapem with an estimated population of 18,701 inhabitants. The primary occupation of the people is subsistence farming while others are employed as wood carvers and petty traders. It is the home to the famous Aburi Botanical Gardens, the Presbyterian women's college of education, Aburi girls senior high school, Adonten senior high school and three public missionary basic schools built by the Presbyterian, Wesleyan, and Anglicans. Despite the availability of educational institutions, most people in this community are not able to complete a basic education because of their low level of income.

The impact of the center cannot be underestimated. The children begin the day with morning worship service. After that, the children take their breakfast. Teaching of the curriculum usually begins at 9:45 where teachers go through lessons from the four thematic areas of cognitive, spiritual, physical, and socio-emotional curriculum. Classes for children 6-8 years are interspersed with various activities such as singing, painting and memory verse recitals which makes the curriculum interesting and fun.

At 1:00 pm the children break for lunch and extracurricular activities. This includes sewing, piano lessons, academics, drama, and cultural dance for those between 9 and 14 years. The children are also allowed some play time where they build their social interaction with others.
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The center has not only had a great impact on the lives of the children but also on their families and the community as a whole. Education meetings held each month teach caregivers how to properly care for their children. Caregivers receive education on prevention of diseases such as malaria, hepatitis B and cholera. They also receive education on child rights and protection and this has helped improve the lives of families and the community. Caregivers sometimes meet to pray for the center, their children and sponsors. The children are also educated on their health and on the prevention of certain diseases that are prevalent in the community.

The children, who used to roam on the dangerous streets of the town on Saturdays while their parents worked now have a safe place to gather, meet other children, learn about the love of Christ, learn some good health practices and enjoy balanced meals. Children also have access to good health care as their parents no longer have to worry about their hospital bills.

Letters play a role in bonding children and their sponsors. Children who receive letters from their sponsors are happy and share the letters with family. They wish to write back immediately. Children who do not receive letters are often sad. Letters tell the children they are loved and valued. This is significant. Please write to Mary as much as you can.

It is my fervent prayer that this center will grow from strength to strength, that God will bless all our sponsors and that the children will grow in the spirit and likeness of Christ. We are indeed grateful for your continuous love and support for Mary.


If you are interested in sponsoring a child from Mary's center, please consider sweet little Francisca! She has been waiting much too long for a sponsor. Read more about her here.

Sweet Greetings from India, Honduras, Ghana, Kenya, and Burkina Faso

Happy Mail Call Monday!

We received quite a few letters this week, which was very exciting! The first was from my little Anahi in Honduras!

Anahi sent a form letter about herself. Her eyes are brown, her hair is black, she is the first of two children, she is really good at making up stories, and she loves to play! As usual, her mom Celina wrote the letter. Celina says that Anahi is about to finish the second grade, and she is very excited about it! She also said "she says thank you for the letters that you've sent her where she hears many funny things about your life and also your family." I'm glad she thinks we are funny! Anahi also recently went to the dentist and will have to have surgery to take out one of her baby teeth. Celina says that she was scared at first until they explained that a grown up tooth would grow in its place! We were sent long distance hugs and kisses and they said "we love you a lot and wish you the biggest and most delicious blesings for you and your family. God keeps you and covers you with his precious blood." I love this family so much!

Next, we heard from Angelina in Ghana!

Angelina said that her family is doing well, and she has been learning about how to help people at the project! She asked that we pray for her family to become Christians, and she shared one of my favorite Bible verses, 1 John 4:19. Angelina also drew a really impressive diagram of a human heart, labeling all the atria and ventricles and everything! She's so talented!

We also received another letter from Bijay this week, which was very surprising!

Bijay seems like such a sweet young man! He said that he and his aunty are doing well and he is so happy and proud that I am in his life! How very kind! He recently had a health checkup at his project, and everything was fine with that. His project also had some kind of Bible school event in October, and he learned new songs and verses and received good teaching! He asked that we pray for his studies, and he signed the letter "yours lovely!"

Later in the week, we also heard from little Emmanuel in Kenya!

Emmanuel's letter was written on big kid paper by a project worker. He greeted us with "jambo" and responded to some of my questions. He told us that he has been baptized when he was a baby, and the "pastor poured some water on his head!" He has never heard of an alpaca but he liked seeing the picture, and he is happy that I am writing to lots of kids! He asked that we pray for his family and friends.

We also got our first letter from Eyo in Burkina Faso this week!

I recently took over letter writing responsibilities for some of my mom's kids, and Eyo was one of them. I got a "getting to know you" letter, since she was transferred to my account. Eyo is so cute and sweet. We learned from her letter that she is now living with her aunt, and she lives close enough to the project that she can walk there very easily! Her favorite color is green, her favorite subject is handwriting, and her favorite animal is the donkey!

One of the other letters we received this week was from Fatuma in Kenya!

I can tell that Fatuma has been practicing her handwriting, because she was trying to make it look fancy (making it a little bit harder to read! How cute!) Fatuma is really good about responding to my letters. She said she has not been baptized but wants to be someday. And she had heard of alpacas before and liked seeing the picture of me with one! She also said that her mom recently gave birth to a new baby named John. She was looking forward to the Christmas holidays and told me to "stay blessed!"

A letter from our Festus in Kenya arrived the same day that we got a photo update of him!

Festus shared that he placed in the top half of his class, and is studying hard to do better next time. He and his family plan ground nuts and maize, and he goes to church every Sunday to worship God! He also told us that he has three sisters and five brothers, and they all live at home! Wow!


Next up was a letter from Purity in Kenya!

Purity shared that she was very happy that I am interested in the Swahili language, she also liked seeing the alpaca picture that I sent, and she was really excited about Christmas!


We also heard from Rose in Kenya this week!

It was good to hear from Rose because we hadn't received a letter from her since this summer! Rose is so sweet and I really like her letters. She loves to learn, so I have been sending her some paperback nonfiction books. She really likes reading them! Rose said that her schools didn't open on time in August because there was a teacher's strike, and she asked us to pray about that. She also took the time to say hello to my friend Hannah and she is happy that Hannah prays for her- and she is praying for Hannah! Rose finished her letter by writing down lots o fher favorites. She likes to eat rice with beans, she loves playing legball, she likes cooking for her family, and she interacts with lots of friends, but her favorite friend is Mary Karisa! Cows are her favorite animal because they give milk, and she likes green because "it is the best color." She also likes the story of David in the Bible because he showed a lot of courage by fighting Goliath!

Lastly, we got our second letter from Rubby in Ghana!

Rubby said her family is doing great, and she is very thankful for my letters! She also said that she recently started sharing Bible stories with other kids at the project! She said that she would really like to hear about the weather in my country, and under her prayer requests, she wrote "It is my dearest prayer that Elohim will empower me to be a partaker of his glorious kingdom!" Wow! She also drew a picture of a dog! :)

Sweet Greetings from Honduras, Ghana, and Burkina Faso

Happy Mail Call Monday!

First, we got a letter from Eduardo in Honduras!

Eduardo's letter was short, but it is always nice to hear from him! He said that his family is doing well and reminded me that he likes his brother Victor. :) He asked about my siblings and my work at the library!

We also got our first letter from Rubby in Ghana!

Rubby's letter was very sweet! She expressed gratitude to be receiving letters (Rubby's financial sponsor never wrote to her, for years and years) and shared that she is now able to watch her little sister while her mom is busy. She asked what I like to do in my leisure time, When prompted to share her prayer for me, she said she is praying to God that I will always be there for her. I take this to mean that she really appreciates the letters that she has been receiving from us, and I am so glad that we were matched together! Rubby also shared a Bible verse with me that was very meaningful, about not arguing with people who are not really where they claim to be in their relationship with God. She has no idea, but that verse arrived at such a pertinent time! Social media has been a minefield lately with aggravating posts about current events, and it has been a real struggle for me, knowing when I should open my mouth and when I should just let things go. I shared a very abstract explanation of that with Rubby and thanked her for sharing such timely wisdom from the Bible!

At the end of the week, we got a letter from Barry in Burkina Faso!

Barry's letter was written by a project worker on big kid stationery- he usually sends us form letters. Barry's family and neighborhood was apparently affected by the recent political upheaval in Burkina Faso, and he said that school was delayed but peace has returned to the area. He shared that his father is not a Christian and would like us to pray that he comes to know Jesus. He did tell me that he and his mom go to church together every Sunday! He asked that we pray for his studies so he can move up to the next grade, and shared that he would like to be head of the class all year long!

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!

Sweet Greetings from Ghana, Uganda, India, Honduras, Indonesia, Burkina Faso, Haiti and Mexico

Happy Mail Call Monday, two days late!

It was a crazy weekend! We went out of town, and then there was the holiday, and then I started a new job this week! So here are the letters we received last week. :)

We heard from Angelina in Ghana!

Angelina shared that at the project, they've been learning about who to trust, and making wise friendships. She asked about my favorite game to play at home, and said that she prays God gives us good health! 

Next, we heard from Caleb in Uganda! 

This was the first letter I've received from Caleb that didn't mention his family's crops of maize and beans! Caleb said he's glad that we like to visit the zoo, and asked about my favorite animal there. He said that his favorite animal is the lion, as it has a big head and a small tail- and he said that this was good planning on God's part, because the lion uses its big head to slay people! Wow! He also said thank you for loving him and writing him letters, and his prayer is that God will give me the wisdom to always write to him, and that he will always write to me! 

Then we heard from Benji in Haiti!

Benji said that his family enjoys celebrating Easter because it is a time of grace! He thanked us for the letters and asked that we pray for his health, and then wished us "good night." :) 

Next, we got a letter from Jayid in India! 

As usual, Jayid's letter was written by a project worker! Jayid's helper at the project said that he's been learning lots of new action songs at the project, and he likes to listen to the guitar! They also said that the kids have been taking self defense classes! What a fun skill to develop. Jayid asked that we continue to pray for his dad's health (he has TB.) 

Then we got a letter from Anahi in Honduras!

I love the fact that Anahi's letters are always written by her mom! Anahi's letter was a form letter about her medical check-up (she's doing well and is quite tall!) and she also said that she is getting really good at reading and writing. Her mom, Celina, wrote that they were so happy to write to me "on this hot afternoon," and that their family prays for prosperity for my family! She said "I greet you on behalf of my daughter. We thank you for your sponsoring; those are the most sincerely wishes from our heart. I wish that you are well. We thank God for your life. I write you this letter, on this hot afternoon, with love and affection." I really hope that Anahi's mom can come along on our visit day when I go to Honduras next year!!! 

Next was a letter from Reine in Burkina Faso! 

Reine shared that she passed her exams, and she was happy to learn about the new babies in the lives of our friends and family! She asked if we want to be parents someday, too! She also shared that she liked seeing the pictures we've been sending, and said that her name means "princess," but she doesn't know the reason why her parents chose it for her! What a pretty meaning for her name! 

Then we got a letter from Tasya in Indonesia! 

Tasya said that her family is doing really well! She said that her group didn't win their singing competition, but they had fun. And she also watched the drama competition and enjoyed that as well! Tasya responded to some of my questions about animals, saying she has never seen a tapir before, and her favorite animal is the dog, because they are the cutest! She listed several specific family members and friends of ours that she is praying for, and asked that we pray for her exams!

Finally, we heard from Brendita in Mexico!

Brendita sent a form letter about her family! She said she spends most of her time with her parents and grandmother, and she helps her family by watching after her little sibling. She asked that we pray for her brother and thanked us again for the toys we were able to send her over a year ago! I'm so glad that she enjoys playing with them!!