Los Dibujos de Isaac

I love Isaac's drawings.  Even though he's been writing his own letters since I started sponsoring him when he was 7, he always draws.  I have fun trying to figure out what each item is, and his drawings have become more detailed.  I share them here for your enjoyment.

Parachuting off a tree house?

Clearly, a volcano

A Blessing from Mexico

This is Isaac and his mom.  Esta es Isaac y su mamá.

I sent Isaac a family gift a few months.  I feel a special desire to help him since I learned that his family is part of an indigenous Mexican tribe that is discriminated against.  His father has to work in another place because he cannot find work locally.  Isaac always asks me to pray for his father; I thought it was just because he didn't like for his father to be gone.  But I've learned that those from the indigenous tribes who seek work elsewhere are treated badly, so Isaac is actually concerned for his father's safety.  (I guess I feel a special desire to help each child for a reason unique to that child.)

I've also learned that children are not valued in Isaac's culture, so I would like to give Isaac a big, fat hug.  I try to do that through my letters and gifts.

When I received the letter with this picture, I cried.  I have been sponsoring Isaac for two years (he was my first), but it still amazes me to think that my support can help a child and his family so far away from me.  I am astounded to think that I actually purchased those items for them.  And I'm quite impressed that they obviously have electricity in their home.  That makes me happy.

The amount of money I sent would not have purchased all those items, or even half, in this country.  So think about sending family gifts and see how much it blesses you.  It will do so much for the children and their families.
  

I can imagine the women of the village gathering at Isaac's house for coffee.  :)

What I Learned about Isaac

Isaac is the first Compassion child I sponsored.  Well, I actually began sponsoring him and Francis on the exact same day.
Even though he was only 8 when I began sponsoring him, he has always written his own letters.  (That's a bit unusual.)  The good thing about that is that now that I've learned un poco español, Isaac and I are on about the same level, so I like reading his letters without the translation.  (I can almost do that with the others, but not as completely as with his.)
At first, Isaac hardly wrote much.  I contributed that to his age and the fact that he was writing on his own.
Recently, I received this country newsletter.  If you are a Compassion sponsor, you have received similar newsletters about your children.  I find them very helpful in understanding the children and their lives.
In Isaac's case, I learned that he is a part of the indigenous tribes of Mexico and that the people of those tribes face discrimination from other Mexicans.
Isaac always asks me to pray for his father because he has to work in another place.  I know that many of my children live in areas where there is not much work to be found, and that their parents have to go elsewhere to find work, so I didn't consider that unusual.  I just thought Isaac understandably missed his father.
From this newsletter, I learned that when people from Isaac's culture have to go to other towns for work, they are often treated very badly, so it's not just that Isaac misses his papá, but he is concerned for his safety.
I also learned from this newsletter that children in Isaac's culture are not valued.  How heartbreaking!  For his birthday, he was given a pot, while my other children bought shoes, clothes, toys, and so on.  I couldn't understand why until I read this newsletter.  It also explains why Isaac didn't write much--he probably didn't think what he had to say was important to me.
Since I've gained all this information about him and his culture, I have tried to be even more loving and encouraging in my letters to Isaac.  I want him to understand that he's special.  I hope I can make a difference in his life and his self-esteem.  Most importantly, I hope I can help him to realize how special he is to Jesus.
I am very thankful for these country letters.  They have certainly made a difference for me.

Letter from Isaac :)

I got a letter from Isaac today.  I love his letters because he’s always so straightforward.  (Clearly, we will be great friends if we ever meet in person.)  

He has always written his own letters (and I think it’s cool that no one corrects his spelling errors), even though he just turned 9, but he still draws a picture.  His pictures crack me up.  I’m not exactly sure what everything is since he’s young (and you know how you to have to make generic comments about what kids draw just in case you have “interpreted” the drawing incorrectly), and because I have to try to apply it to his culture.   It’s pretty cool, though.

He says that he’s learning to divide by 4 in school, and that in church he is learning to respect others.  He writes about several other things, and at the end he asks me to pray for his father because he is working in another place.  That saddens me, but I know that happens often with these children.

He asks me how old I am.  That really cracked me up.  Should I be honest?  LOL.

I’m pretty excited that I was able to read his entire letter without looking at the translation.  I mean, he’s only 9, so it’s not too complex, but when I first started sponsoring him, I had to go directly to the translation.   I guess the mucho dinero I shelled out for Spanish 101 was worth it.