We had a fantastic mail week....on Thursday I checked the mail and there were 4 letters waiting for us and on Friday there were 3 more!
Here are some highlights....
Two letters were from Portia, my personal birthday buddy who turned 12 this week. A couple months we read a book called Throw Your Tooth on the Roof: Tooth Traditions From Around the World by Selby B Beeler. I posted about this book and how when we wrote letters to our Compassion children that month, we asked them how they celebrate loosing teeth.
Portia answered our question....
"I threw my tooth on the roofing sheet of my house. That is what we do in Ghana. Does the tooth fairy really come?"
Her prayer for us was "for God's protection on your life and your family." This humbles me.
Her prayer request was "Please pray for all compassion workers in the country." How often do we remember to pray for the staff in each country? God put this on my heart when I was in Peru, but I don't remember to do it very often. Will you take a moment right now to lift up the staff who minister to the children where your sponsored child lives and attends church?
Suresh, from India, sent us a thank you for the birthday gift we sent. He used the money to buy a "ready made shirt and jeans pant. It is good quality, well designed, new fashion and fit well for me. I showed this dress to my parents. They felt so happy. When I go to special occasions I will wear this dress."
Another letter was from Orm in Thailand. The two sentences that stuck out to me were at the beginning and end of the letter.
"She and her family thank you very much for choosing to sponsor her continually.....She thanks you very much for your love and giving her importance all the time."
Speaking of Orm, we recently got an updated photo....
She has grown up so much! I can hardly believe it's the same girl. Last month, in our letter from Orm, she told us she bought a mosquito net with the birthday money we sent her!
Rubi, from India, also wrote to us and we received an updated photo. In a previous letter I had asked Rubi how Compassion has affected her family. She wrote....
"I am my family are really blessed by Compassion's ministry. It is through Compassion I started my schooling. I am not alone in my family. I have 1 brother and 2 sisters. I am eldest. Since we are four, my parents were not able to support all for schooling. Compassion save me from dropping my schooling. By your support, I have reached this far. I passed my inter exam in good grade. I am the only girl from my project center to study in college. I am the only child in my family sponsored by Compassion."
Another letter came from Preeti, also from India. She told us about her daily schedule...
"I attend the project daily through your support. I get up early morning at 6 am and go to the Compassion project at 6:30 am. I will be there up to 9:30 am. I am also learning Bible teaching, mathematics, English and science there. After having my food, I go back to the home and then school at 10:00 am. I attend the classes and in the day time there will be lunch for us. I leave my school after 4 pm and go back home. In the afternoons I go for playing games with friends. Sometimes I carry the water from the well. In the evening time I also do my homework for school and project and after dinner, go to bed."
What a joy it is to learn more about how our children spend their days. It's fun to be able to talk about this with my own children and compare it to our daily routines.
The final letter came from David, LDP student in Peru. Among other things, David told us about his mother's upcoming mission trip and his own upcoming LDP camp-workshop.
This month, July 26-Aug 2, my mom will go on a mission trip to a province in Peru called Cajamarca and she will preach the word of God. She will go with a group of Christians who, for about 4 months, have been preparing in Latin American fold music (panpipes, drum, reed flute, charango - a small 5-stringed guitar - guitar, etc) and they will carry the Message through the lyrics of each song. Each song has a precious message. Since my mom was a child, she liked music and singing to God, so she formed this small group to praise God.Also this month (July) on the days 28-31, I will have an LDP camp-workshop. It will be a precious time to learn more from God and about life itself through the workshops. This camp is called "Called to be a generation of holy leaders." And this summarizes what the LDP Program intends to teach and encourage in each student. This is the starting point for our success as professionals and servants of God. I am looking forward to these four days.
How cool is that? His mom is a missionary!! I also look the closer look at the LDP program and how it works.
We also got an updated photo of Joseph in Tanzania....
We've only been sponsoring Joseph since the beginning of 2011 and it's so neat to see him growing up already. He's changing from a cutie to a very handsome little boy.
Did YOU get any letters this week?
