Project Letter: EI-623

Here's a letter from the director of Jayid's project in East India! The photos came from Compassion's website.

Greetings to you! I am L. and I serve as project manager of the Compassion child development center in Madhya Pradesh region of India, attended by your sponsored child. We are very thankful to you for your support towards Jayid. Your partnership is helping us to meet needs and usher hope for the future. Thank you for understanding the needs of children and supporting them. We are here to create holistic awareness among children and their parents about education, hygiene, and health; but nothing of that would be possible if you are not by our side. So thank you.

One of our girls is particularly grateful for being enrolled in the center. She belongs to a poor family. Her father is a tailor who doesn't get work at times. She is an intelligent girl. She has learned computer and English at the center. She says that she is grateful to her sponsor whose support has enabled her to study in an English speaking school as she studied in a public school before joining the center.

Another child's father works as a day laborer and cannot provide for the needs of his two children. After joining the center, this boy's life is changing as he is able to enjoy the opportunities that his parents cannot afford. Our center is helping him to progress in life and have a better understanding about life and his purpose. He loves music and so he has been given training in guitar lessons at the center.

We are grateful to Compassion for the complementary intervention support through which we have been able to set up clean water facility at the center. When we started this center we struggled a lot for water. Many times the government taps are not given to the public. The center workers would bring water for cooking food and washing the utensils from so far or we had to purchase water from the private tankers which was expensive. Now we have sufficient drinking water and our children and cooks are all happy. We have also constructed a children's park with the complementary intervention funds we received. Children are happy that they can play without restraint and so they come to the center much ahead of their activity time so that they can spend some time in the park with their friends. This is a new experience for the children.

We are happy to know how much you desire to learn about your child so that you can better pray for needs and development. The sponsor and child correspondence is very important in establishing a strong relationship. We are thankful for each letter, photograph, and gift. The children really look forward to them. Children wait eagerly to receive their letters from sponsors. Encouraging words mean a lot to the children as they are filled with the love and care expressed toward their needs. I hope you can write often.

I am inspired to work at this center because I can see the visible change in their lives through the activities of the center. Please pray for our staff members so that they continue to serve the children with the same passion they had when they first started out. We request you to pray for the children, their parents, siblings, and the community at large. We heartily thank God for your love for children, your commitment to them and concern for their lives. I would like to thank you so much for your prayerful support and encouragement to Jayid. May God bless you!

Pastor Letter: IN-984

Here's a letter from Kajal's project in India! The photos are from Compassion's website. 

Greetings to you in the name of our God! It is an honor for me to write this letter to you. May these lines find you healthy and hearty in God. I am A., the project director of the Child Development Center in Uttar Pradesh, India, where your sponsored child attends. Thank you for sponsoring Kajal. We started our center in November 2012 to provide holistic development to the children of the economically weak section of our society.

Currently we have over 200 children in this center. The main challenge we face is opposition in our community. Many people do not understand the Scriptures. Our church is working among the people who are very poor. They are working as factory workers, daily laborers, tailors, and some are running small shops of vegetables and groceries to earn their money. However, their basic requirement of living for themselves and for their children are not fulfilled by their income.

Part of the center's vision is to provide education to the weak section of the community, and also to give them opportunity to grow in all faculties of life to be good human beings. For this we have different activities to nurture them in every phase of need, and therefore we give them academic and spiritual teachings. And last but not least, we give them sufficient time to play so they could grow physically as well.

The center has laid a very positive influence on the children who come.  They have learned a lot of good things. I have seen a big change in their lives. For instance, they have learned how to live hygienically, how to behave in a proper manner, and how to pray to God. Their faith in God is also growing. Our church reaches out to the community. By our church's and center's activities people are learning to understand the human, moral, and spiritual values.

We are really very thankful to our sponsors, that they sponsor children and write letters to them. This really fills them with a great joy and encourages them to come to the center regularly and to learn the things enthusiastically. But if they do not receive a letter from their sponsors, the children become sad and discouraged because others receive letters. A personal letter builds a personal relationship between a child and his or her sponsor.

Please remember all our children in your daily prayers. Pray that they will be a blessing to whomever they encounter. Once again, I would like to extend my thankfulness to you. Through your support we are not only providing Kajal with spiritual or cognitive education, but we are able to give her clothing, uniforms, gifts, and nutritious food also. May our God fulfill all your desires, bless you and your family richly, and use you to glorify his name.


There aren't currently any Indian kids waiting for sponsors on Compassion's website, but this little cutie is from Sri Lanka, so they are neighbors! Dehansa's dress reminds me of a cupcake. Read more about her here!

Sweet Greetings from Bangladesh, India, Honduras and Indonesia

Happy Mail Call Monday!!

We didn't receive any letters until Saturday this week, and I was so thankful that some finally showed up!! The first one was our last letter from Sharifa in Bangladesh. 

I say this was our last letter because about a week ago, we found out that Sharifa and her family had moved away to a new city which did not have a Compassion center. I'm sad to lose this sweet girl, even though we hadn't had the chance to get to know her very well. We've had Sharifa for almost two years, but for the past year haven't heard from her because of some program issues in the country. Now that everything is back on track and the children are returning to activities at the project, it stings a little to lose Sharifa after not hearing from her for so long! Sharifa did tell us that her family is well and that she got all the letters, stickers, and cards that we sent while the projects in Bangladesh were closed. She said "Because of your support I am doing my study nicely." She said that she is always praying for us. 

Next was a letter from Jayid in India! 

I am looking forward to the day when Jayid starts writing his own letters again, as he did before some letter-writing changes took place a few years ago. As things are now, his project workers feel compelled to write his letters for him because of his age, and because of that, we kind of hear the same thing from him in each letter! He's studying well, he's a good child, and he's learned new action songs and Bible verses at the project. :) I am glad to learn that he and his family are well. His dad struggles with TB and since there was no mention of that in his letter (they usually tell me when he is sick and unable to work) I assume he is doing ok with it right now!

We also got a surprise non-Compassion letter from our Manna 4 Lempira child, Zoila!

Zoila's letter was a short form letter. She lives with her mom and dad and has one brother, and she said that she is happy we sponsored her and she loves us very much! She also drew some pretty flowers! I can't wait to see what her next letter has to say! :) 

Finally, we got a super awesome letter from Tasya in Indonesia!

I say Tasya's letter was super awesome because it was enormous, and she included a lovely papercraft!! Tasya said that she got nine letters from me at once, dated May through August (she wrote the letter in November) and she reads them over and over again. She said "thanks, mom- among your busy days you always find time to write to me!" She also asked Brandon if it was ok if she calls him Dad, even though she has been doing this for several years now. :) She's so cute. Tasya shared that it is finally raining where she lives, which is good because when there is drought, nutmeg doesn't grow (it's apparently a primary source of income for people in her area) and there aren't many coconuts, either. She also said at night, when the ocean is calm, her family goes to catch fish to eat. She shared a lot about the income-generating activities of people in her neighborhood! Tasya said she really liked reading about our trips to the farm this summer, and she is sure she'd have fun if she could see it. She asked about our cousins and wondered if there are any cousins her age that she could play with. Tasya said there isn't a public library near her, but she borrows books from the school library and project library all the time- she loves to read! She also wrote quite a bit about a fun experience she had recently- the kids from her project had a camping trip over a weekend. They set up tents right after school, and got up at 4 am the next morning (she didn't get much sleep.) There were lots of fun activities on the camping trip, and on the last night they had a lovely devotional and prayer session. She wrote "In the evening we followed the worship where we were lead to put our plan, dream, and everything in God's hands. We sat around the campfire. One tutor was standing in the middle directing the activities and the other tutors were standing behind us and kept praying for us. We were relieved when we finished the worship. No more things burdened our minds and hearts." She also said that the preacher at the campout was very funny and they laughed a lot when he spoke. Near the end, she said "I'll always pray for you, and dad Brandon. I hope you get a baby soon so I'll have a little brother or sister." She is so precious to us and I love her so much!! 

Sweet Greetings from India, Peru, and Kenya

Happy Mail Call Monday- and Happy New Year! After some technical difficulties, I'm finally getting this posted! :)

As the holidays came to a close, three more letters trickled in. The first was our first letter from Bijay in India! 

Unlike Sukumar's letter, Bijay's was written in Hindi. I'm glad to know which language these boys know, so I know what sorts of gifts I should send them! Bijay's letter was short but very sweet and affectionate. He also seems really excited to finally have someone writing to him, and said he is praying for us and asks that we pray for him, too. Based on the language he used, I am guessing that Bijay is a Christian, which is wonderful!! 

On Saturday, we got two letters. The first was from Carlos in Peru! 

Carlos also wrote a short letter this time, but he said that his sister celebrated her Quinceañera recently!! How neat! Carlos hasn't written about his sister before- and in this letter, he said that she's the only girl in the family, so she's very spoiled, but he loves her a lot. :) Carlos asked that we pray for his studies!

Lastly, we heard from dear Victor in Kenya!

Victor shared that his end of term grades were C's, average. I think this is great, but Victor is so hard on himself- he is always saying that his grades aren't good enough and he's going to try harder! My encouragement and praise for him is always tempered with reminders that trying his best is what's most important, and I am very proud of him and love him no matter what his grades are. Victor said that he has enjoyed reading more about my country from my letters, and he asked that we pray for Kenya because of the bad weather they have been experiencing recently. Mary's last letter mentioned the impending El Nino, and Victor said that some areas have had flooding and some people lost their houses. We are definitely praying for their recovery efforts!! 

Sweet Greetings from India

Happy Mail Call Monday- the last of 2015!!!

This week we just got one letter, but it was a first letter, so that was nice! We heard from Bijay in India! 

Bijay seems to really appreciate our letters- I know that he went a long, long time without them before he was assigned as our correspondent. I'm so glad that we get to write to him! He says that his aunty sends his greetings and he wants to say hello to everyone in our family. He has never been to a zoo, and he was glad to read that I work at a library. Bijay asked that we pray for his brother's family, that they will come to know Jesus. He also said that he is thankful that he is able to go to the center! Bijay drew a beautiful picture of his center for us- little yellow and pink buildings, and some birds in the sky. :) He did a great job! 

Sweet Greetings from Kenya, Uganda, India, Ecuador, and Honduras

Happy Mail Call Monday! And Merry Christmas!

We got a few more letters this week! The first was our first letter from Sukumar in India!

Sukumar's letter was written in English! It's so exciting to know that this young man speaks and writes English- now I know more of what I can send him in the way of little paper presents! I'm very excited. Sukumar wrote that he and his family are fine, and he is studying well in school. His family does agricultural work and he enjoys reading my letters and greeting cards! He said he is praying for me in his devotion time and personal prayer- this sounds like he has a relationship with Jesus, which is such an encouragement! And he said that he is very happy because I am encouraging him and writing to him. What a sweetheart!

We also heard from Sandier in Honduras!

Sandier's letter was about his house. It's orange and pretty and has a sheet metal roof. We also learned a little more about his family situation in this letter- Sandier's grandmother lives with them, because she has health problems, and takes care of the kids. She has a bed of her own, and the other bed is shared by Sandier's mom, Sandier, and his sister Haki. This week I took some money out of my special savings account for my Honduras trip and sent it to Sandier's family so they can buy another bed. I can't wait to see pictures of him (and hopefully the rest of his family!) and I have faith that God will "reimburse" these funds in time.

And another lovely letter from Mary in Kenya came this week!

Mary's letters are always so special- this time she wrote two pages!! She responded directly to many of my stories and prayer requests, including saying that she loved the story of Fanny Crosby and found the lyrics to her hymn to be very inspirational! She always encourages me so much, and I love having her as a member of my family. Mary also shared that recently she was able to take a "police training course" but she is still planning on pursuing her dream of being a party planner and singer. She also shared that her grandfather was able to go to the doctor and they learned that he has fluid surrounding his heart, so we are definitely praying for his medical care and his doctors.

We also got a letter from Caleb in Uganda!

Caleb is so sweet. His family must be farmers because he always writes about what they're planting or harvesting. He said he personally planted cassava and maize this time around, and his family is also planting soybeans. After finishing his school exams, they are now on holiday for three months (the letter was written in November, so I guess he will go back in January or so.) During his break, he helps his parents with domestic work and he plays football with his friends! He wished us a happy Christmas and a good new year.

We heard from Christine in Kenya this week, too!

Christine is so cute! I hadn't heard from her in several months, so it was good to get her letter. Christine said "I feel loved by you when I receive a letter. Thank you for loving me like your child. May God of Heaven always pay back in goodness all that you do for me. My family also thanks and prays for you all the time." She said she was glad that my stomach is feeling better and is very happy that I got a new job! :)

Lastly, we got a special letter from Erick in Ecuador!

Erick's letter didn't say much, other than he received the gift we were able to send him back in April! :) We got a super cute picture of Erick holding some of his gifts! I was especially excited to see that he was wearing the scarf that I made for him!!

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 Ecuador, Honduras, India, Thailand and the Philippines

Happy Mail Call Monday!

A few more letters rolled in this week! The first we received was our first letter from Mary Paola in Ecuador! 

Mary P says it's an "honor" for her to send me letters, and she says she's doing very well with her family. She is also very happy in school. She wants to know if there are lots of trees where we live, and told me there are lots of trees and "rich flora" where she lives. She asks that we pray for her studies so she can continue to do a good job, and she wishes us success and she will always be praying for us. On the back page, she drew a really nice scene with trees, mountains, and birds! I am looking forward to hearing more about Mary P's jungle home. I also noticed that she has really nice handwriting, that looks a bit like my own! 

Next up, a letter from Thanakan in Thailand!

Thanakan is such a sweetheart. I was so happy to hear from her! She wrote a form letter about her family. She doesn't list any siblings in the space provided and says she lives in the mountainous region. She likes to help her family by cooking and cleaning, and her family has a Christian background! Thanakan had help writing her letter, because she's still pretty small. Her helper said she wants to hear from me often! She asked how our family is doing and said that she is living with her older sister right now because her dad had an accident and lost his leg. :( So her dad and mom are staying in another village. I hope that they are reunited soon. I am thinking about doing an inquiry as to why exactly she can't be with her parents right now, but I am assuming that they are just staying closer to the hospital or a rehabilitation center. Regardless, I am going to try to send a small family gift to Thanakan soon, so she can maybe use it to buy food for her family while her parents are away. The project helper was sure to tell me that Thanakan is a very good girl, and she is always thinking of me! She also drew a very pretty picture of a river with some flowers.

Next was a letter from Amisha in India!

It was so good to see a letter from Amisha- we haven't heard from her often and her first two letters were written by project staff, in English. This one appeared to be written by Amisha herself, in her native language! Amisha's letter was a form letter about the future. She said that in the future, she wants to learn about computers, and she wants to dance or sing or act. She wants to be a teacher when she grows up, and she wants her community to be alcohol-free. And she called me Aunty!!! Yay!!! I have been waiting forever for an Indian sponsor daughter to call me Aunty. :) I love it. It's so cute. She said that she and her family are fine, and she hopes that uncle Brandon and I are fine, too. She sends her love regards to my whole family, and the people in her village recently celebrated Ramadan. She wanted me to know that her favorite pet is  cat, and there are lots of kinds of people who live in her community and she will tell me more about them in her next letter- but in this letter she did say that when Christian couples get betrothed they exchange rings and a "wedding string." Which sounds fun. She says she is praying for us every day! :) 

We also heard from Eduardo in Honduras! 

Eduardo says that he and his family are doing really well. He shared that his favorite months are May and December because those are "very beautiful days for me and for my family." He asked about my favorite month, and said baby Lilly is "so beautiful" and he is praying for her and wants to know how she is doing now. He also said that where he lives, it is so hot they can barely stand it, and he remembered from one of my letters that it is cold where I live. Not anymore, buddy! :) He said goodbye with much love. 

Lastly, we got a very exciting letter from Merlyn in the Philippines! 

Merlyn's letter addressed the family gift we crowd-funded for her back in February, because her family lost many belongings in Typhoon Ruby. Merlyn shared that with the gift, she and her mom got rice, groceries, shoes, new clothes, a backpack for school school uniforms, a grooming kit, school supplies- and ice cream! She said they were so happy! Merlyn also asked how Brother Brandon is and what he is up to now, and she said "Thank you very much for not getting tired in writing me. I'm happy every tie I received a letter from you." She also agrees that baby Lilly is so cute, and she is praying for her health! Merlyn said "sister Jessi, my prayer for you is may God keep you and may you have peace. Please also pray me to Jesus to keep me and guide me in going to school and going back home." She also promised to take care of all the new stuff she got. And I got pictures of her and her mom with their gifts! :) :) :)