Yesterday was a jackpot for me. I received a letter from Gethory (Haiti)--my first one besides the introductory form--and another letter from Jack (Peru)!
The drawing is from Gethory. He’s only 4, so he clearly is not able to write his own letters yet. When children are too young to write, they draw a picture to certify it’s actually their letter. Gethory’s uncle wrote his letter for him.
The letter is full of thanks from his family for my support of Gethory. They clearly view it as support for the entire family. I can’t even begin to imagine the conditions that most of these children live in, but in Haiti, I know the conditions are exceptionally bad. It must be amazing to them to have the financial support from Compassion. I really can’t comprehend it.
The letter says that Gethory and his family are happy to greet me, my whole family, and all of my friends. So anyone who is reading this has just received greetings from Gethory and his family in Haiti. That’s awesome.
Gethory says he “goes to church in order to praise the Lord.” Wow. Picture that little 4-year-old boy praising God in Haiti. Sweet. He asks how we celebrate Easter in the U.S. and if I like that holiday and why.
He will be graduating to kindergarten soon. :)
Jack writes his own letters because he’s 15, so I don’t get drawings from him. I can pretty much read his letters since they are in Spanish, except that he doesn’t have the greatest handwriting.
Jack wrote to thank me for the money I sent for his birthday, which by U.S. standards is not much. He was able to buy a pair of sneakers, a pair of sandals, and a pair of shorts. He wore his sneakers to school, and all his friends were “asombrados y maravillados”--amazed and surprised. :) I love imagining how proud Jack was to go to school with his new sneakers. Just think of how we feel when we wear something new that we really like. It must be even greater for a child in poverty to have that experience.
Jack asks how we celebrate birthdays in the U.S. (I sense a theme here. Ha.) He always ends his letters with some sort of “abrazos y besos”--hugs and kisses. This time it is a “strong hug and a beautiful kiss.” I pray that I can one day give Jack a strong hug in person.
The sermon at church on Sunday was titled, “One Little Pebble in the Big, Vast Sea,” a part of the theme, “What is your ripple effect?” I sometimes feel as helpless as a little pebble when I see the many needs in the world--earthquakes in Haiti and Japan, the flooding Mississippi, horrific tornados in the Midwest . . . what can I possibly do?
Well, I can make the family of a little boy in Haiti happy because of my sponsorshp, and I can provide a new pair of sneakers for a proud and loving teenage boy in Peru. There are a couple of ripples. I’ll keep working on more.
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