This past weekend my husband spent 5 days in Nicaragua and got to meet one of our Compassion kids that we've been sponsoring for 8 (almost 9) years.
Josseling is 14 and was very, very shy around Kevin. Maybe it was nerves, maybe it's her age, maybe it's the fact that her father no longer lives with them....whatever the reason, Kevin could hardly get her to talk to him.
Compassion works with over 40,000 kids in Nicaragua and there are approximately 42 projects in Managua alone. They have been here for 9 years.
This is the local church that Compassion works through
And this is the Compassion project.....Mirra Olor Fragante ~ NI 111
The pastor of the church, sitting in the project's office
Kevin got to see Josseling's file - a complete record of her participation in the Compassion program.
"They showed me her original letters to us, her grades, her medical reports, etc. It was neat to see the original letters from her notebook and all the records of gifts we have given her. It's weird to see our names on a file in another country. We now have proof for all the skeptics out there who doubt that the gifts really get to the kids. They even had receipts of what was bought with the monetary gifts."
Josseling's file
Original copies of the letters written to us
Record of letters received from us
Record of gifts (monetary) we have sent
Spiritual record ~ she accepted Christ November 2, 2008
This report, which is 3 years old, says her mother and father have not accepted Christ.
As he walked around the Compassion project, he saw all the different rooms and types of classes they teach there. There was a cosmetology class going on and they were learning to cut hair and give manicures.
I thought it was neat that I could see Josseling's reflection in the mirror....here's a closer look.
There were two kitchens at this project ~ one where the students learn to cook (above) and another where the staff prepare food for the kids who come to the project (below).
There was also music class going on. The teacher was pointing to notes and the kids were singing solfege (do-re-mi). As a musician and music teacher myself, I LOVE this!
They have a computer lab, but as you can see the computers are quite dated. There is internet here sometimes, when the kids are learning how to use it.
And this is the library. The kids are able to come in here and use the books. The bright binders you see are the files of each child enrolled in the project.
After walking around the Compassion project, they walked 2 blocks to her house.
"It was very humble. I learned that Josseling's father and mother are now divorced and he doesn't support them at all. I met her mother and younger sister, but her brothers were not there. Everyone was so shy and quiet. I tried getting them to talk, asked a bunch of questions, even spoke in Spanish as much as I could. Since Josseling wants to be a beautician I said she could practice on gringo hair, but she declined. Before I left I prayed for the family and then asked if they had a Spanish Bible. They didn't, so I put mine on their shelf."
Their house in on the left ~ the red door is one of the doors to the house. The cinder block building that sticks out in the center of the picture is their bathroom.
Josseling's mother, Josseling, Mercedes (younger sister) and Kevin
Beautiful Josseling standing in her very narrow bedroom.
the backyard
And that's it my friends. Even though I'm not the one who met her, I feel like I know her so much better. Kevin learned a lot about her family and her situation during the short time he was there. We are excited to be able to pray for her more specifically and offer her words of encouragement through our future letters.
Kevin already wrote her a letter on his way back.
