Lesly's Home Repair Project - Completed!!

I just received word from Aura's House that Lesly's Roof Project is complete!

Lesly is my daughter's sponsor child in Guatemala. They are nearly the same age and thick as thieves. :) Lesly's project was the first of my sponsor kids projects to be funded through Aura's House. My daughter helped out by donating her allowance and making and selling candies to raise extra money. But of course the support Lesly received from the donors at Aura's House was key to making this project possible. I can never thank them enough!!

Now the photos!!


Lesly with the supplies for her home repair.

Lesly's family received gravel and concrete to lay down a slab in the courtyard of their home. This will be a great help in keeping the home clean and dry since the courtyard got very muddy and stayed damp all through the rainy season. In the background of the photo you can see the tin sheets which were used to repair their leaky roof.


The new roof for Lelsy's house - keeping them dry!

Ta da! The new roof! Now the roof won't leak all through the rainy season. The family will be able to stay healthy and dry under their new roof.


Lesly stands on the new concrete floor which will help keep the dirt out of her home.

I love this photo of Lesly, proudly showing off the new floor. Lesly's father Hugo was able to do the repair work on his home since he works as a bricklayer. It must have been satisfying for him to finally be able to work to improve his own home! And I'm sure that Lesly's mother Aura especially appreciates the new floor since it will help keep the mud out of her home during the rainy season.


Lesly showing off her new propane stove.

How cute is Lesly in this photo?! I'm constantly amazed at what a sourpuss Lesly looked like in her first Children International photo. Despite that my daughter insisted that Lesly was the one for her. I guess my daughter knows that you can't judge a book by it's cover - Lesly hasn't stopped smiling since we sponsored her! Lesly's smile is so charming.

Aura probably really loves this new propane stove. I hope it has made cooking for the family easier for her. Previously the family cooked over an open fire. Anyone who has been camping and tried this knows how tough that can be. Try cooking like that everyday! So I'm sure this new stove is a huge blessing for Aura. The family also received some water containers to help keep their water fresh and clean. Their water comes from a community faucet so storage is always an issue in that situation.


Lesly with her new bed!

I love this photo too. It makes me think of Alice in Wonderland after she drank the bottle labeled "Drink Me" that made her shrink to "very small". Lesly looks like a little miniature person on that big bed! It's so nice to think of Lesly sleeping in a new bed and not getting dripped on by a leaky roof!


Lesly with her new bedding.

Lesly also got some new bedding. My daughter was really pleased with this because she thought it was "so beautiful".

My daughter wanted to pass her message along to all of the people at Aura's House who helped launch the project and all of the donors who helped make everything possible. She said:

"I felt very good seeing the photos of Lesly. Lesly is a very nice girl to know. I'm proud that I was able to help her. I feel really good about Lesly having a new bed. It means so much to me that you helped Lesly to get all of her new stuff. Thank you so much."

And on behalf of Lesly and her family I thank you too!

Sponsoring Siblings

My Hubby and I recently made the decision to sponsor some siblings of some of our sponsor children. This was something I had been thinking about doing for awhile, but it was a hard decision for me to make.

On the one hand there are several families that I am very close to and I would like to offer them more help by sponsoring an additional child. Siblings are not necessarily automatically enrolled in the Children International program. I think each family is allowed either four or five children to be in the program at any one time but once two or three children from one family are enrolled and sponsored CI tends to concentrate on getting assistance to new families. So these siblings might never get the benefits of the CI program if I didn't request to sponsor them. Also, how crappy must it feel to be the only non-sponsored kid in a family where all of your other siblings are sponsored? Being left out while watching your siblings getting all the benefits from CI and letters and perhaps even gifts from their sponsors must really suck.

On the other hand I was very worried that if I shared my attention between two siblings I would make my original sponsor child feel less special to me. That's not something I want to do at all! I also thought it might create sibling rivalry (although I fully intend to do everything equally for each child - and actually there is probably more jealousy if one child is left out rather than if they share).

After thinking about it for a long time, and discussing it with my Hubby (he was for it) and with other sponsors (some mixed opinions), I finally made the decision to stop worrying about it and just do it.

So this feels like a grand experiment - we will see how it goes...

I don't have the children on my account yet because CI has to get the field office staff to go out and sign the kids up. It will probably be a month before all the paperwork is done, the first medical visit completed, pictures taken etc...And I guess there is always a chance that for some reason or another the families don't want to sign up another child. (Although I seriously doubt that.) So barring something going wrong, I will soon be sponsoring these three new kids:


Jerica Mae in 2008

Jerica Mae is Harry's youngest sibling. I think she turned five this year. She was the only eligible child left in Harry's family that wasn't sponsored. I don't think sponsoring her will upset Harry. He will probably be just fine with sharing. I think the fact that there is such a difference in their ages and they aren't the same gender will lessen any chance of there being a rivalry between them. Also, by sponsoring Jerica I will be able to keep in touch with Harry for a long time after he graduates from the CI program. So I think (I hope!) it will be a win/win for everybody. Plus, Jerica = Adorable!


Adriana in 2008

The second child I am adding is Ana's youngest sister Adriana. I think she is eight years old. She was also the only child who was not sponsored in the familiy. I am already in the process of setting up the family with an Income Generating Project through Aura's House. So until Ana graduates high school and is ready for further education, sponsoring her sister is the only other major way I could help the family right now. Adriana looked somewhat sad in the family photos I have. I hope she will feel happier now that she has sponsor too.


Dulce in 2009

Dulce is Hermelinda's younger sister. I think she is four years old. Since I am unable to do anything major to help the family with their houseing situation and they are unable to do an IGP at this time I think that sponsoring Dulce is the best way to releive some of their burdens. Besides - as if I could resist that little smiley face! From what I know of the sisters they seem to be almost opposites in personality. It will be interesting to get to know Dulce. I wrote to Hermelinda last week and told her that she was very special to me and that because I loved her so much I would like to help her family even more by sponsoring Dulce. I told her that maybe when she is old enough, she will help Dulce write her letters just like Hermelinda's brother helps her now.

So - I hope this is a decision that will work out for everyone. I'll be a little trepedatious until I hear from Ana, Harry and Hermelinda and hear what they have to say about it!

Alison's Blanket

I think we've all caught on to the fact that I like to make blankets. It's just about the most mindless, yarn eating but useful knitting or crocheting a crafter can do. Making a blanket isn't rocket science but it is relaxing and it's fulfilling to see my crafting being used and loved by everyone who ends up with a blanket I've made.

Perhaps my readers will recognize this one. I think I posted about it before...


Alison with mother Carina and her blankie.

I sent this one to Alison as a sort of way of saying hello and that I was happy to have become her sponsor.



I also sent a card and bunches of photos of my family. The sponsor kids are usually as eager to get photos of me as i am to get photos of them. I try to send a few batches a year. I'm not sure Alison was too impressed though. :) I don't think she is really old enough to understand the concept of having a sponsor yet.



So I made sure to include some pretty, colorful stickers and some Hello Kitty crayons. What little girl can resist stickers and Hello Kitty? (Not me. I love Hello Kitty.) I'm not above bribery to get on my sponsor kid's good side. :)



I haven't really seen a smile from Alison yet but I don't think it is because she is shy or sad. I think she just isn't used to the camera yet. I sent her a special needs gift for her birthday last month so maybe when I get the photos back from that I will see a little smile. I hope she will be able to get something super girly because I get the impression she is a girly girl. And I respect that. :) I was thinking that, since I know she loves to dress up, I might hit all the after Halloween sales this year and get her a bunch of princess costumes. I think she would like that.

Sharing a Family

My sister and I share a family. I mean in addition to the one we were born into. :)

We share a sponsorship family!

I started sponsoring through Children International in November 2007. It was something that I had thought of doing for a long time but had never found the right organization for me. Once I started sponsoring I discovered how great it made me feel to be getting to know my sponsor kids and making a difference in their lives. But I also discovered how skeptical and uninterested many people were in hearing about my sponsorship. The one person I could really talk to about it was my sister. I remembered she had sponsored a child for a few years through another organzation when we were teenagers.

My sister is a big softie just like me. She really liked hearing the letters I was getting from my sponsor children. I started encouraging her to sponsor a child of her own. I even sent her links to kids I knew she would think were cute. (My sister has a thing for kids with funny hair. I have a thing for kids with big pudgey cheeks.) She eventually sponsored five kids - two of them were ones that I "found" for her. :)

One of the kids she sponsored was Jhonathan:


My sister's sponsor child Jhonathan

Jhonathan is from Ecuador which is not one of the countries I initially sponsored in. But late last year the lady who babysat my daughter from the time she was born, died after a bout with cancer. She was a lovely person and was from Ecuador. I had heard all about how sweet Jhonathan was from my sister. In fact she really liked both of her Ecuadorian kids. They are very affectionate and their families are very nice.


Jhonathan with a backpack full of goodies my sister sent in 2008

I decided that I would sponsor some kids from Ecuador as a tribute to my good friend who had died. I initially sponsored Ana and Jhonny. A few months later my sister and I had a talk and we agreed that it would be great if we could team up to help out one of our sponsor families, so that is how I sponsored Alison, Jhonathan's little sister.


Alison in 2009 - the most adorable pokey little pigtails!

Alison is the youngest of all my sponsor children. She just turned three. She loves to dress up and her Auntie recently told me that Alison changes her dress many times a day and is very conceited. Lol! She plays with her little cousin, they fight, make up and play together again. She is lucky in that she is attending early childhood stimulation classes where she gets to color and is learning to use scissors. Alison's favorite color is red which is entirely appropriate for a little imp like her!


Alison and her mother Carina and brother Jhonathan in front of their home in 2008

When I started sponsoring Alison her mother Carina was a single mother. But shortly thereafter she married her boyfriend (who I think is Alison's father but not Jhonathan's father). At least I'm pretty sure they are married - it's sort of hard to tell exactly what is going on some times, that's the impression I got anyway. Carina recently had another baby - a boy, but frustratingly they didn't tell us his name!


Alison, Carina and Jhonathan in 2008

One of the immediate benefits of sponsoring Alison was that I get to hear about her in Jhonathan's letters to my sister. I also get double the photos of her since she is often included in photos of Jhonathan that my sister gets. She got these photos of their home in late 2008.


Alison, Carina and Jhonathan inside the kitchen area of their home in 2008

I hope the home isn't as dark and depressing as it seems from these photos but it probably is. From what I have been seeing from Steve's videos of his sponsor children this is a fairly typical home.


Alison, Carina and Jhonathan in the bedroom

The children share this bedroom with their parents. My sister bought the bunkbed that you can see in the corner. I thought that was a great idea. It greatly increased the sleeping space in the room and now at least each child has their own bed.


Carina, Alison and Jhonathan with the new bunkbed

I love the new bunkbed - and so does Jhonathan. He loves to make silly faces.



In addition to the bunkbeds, my sister bought the family some really nice furniture. (She had done the same for family in India - sadly all was destroyed in the recent flooding there.) :(



I love these pictures of the family. Little Alison is so cute standing on the chair.


Jhonathan, Carina and Alison with their new furniture

Jhonathan is really getting big fast. It's almost like you can actually see him grow up in these photos. My sister bought him the bicycle in the photo below. I think this is a great gift that the sponsor kids really love.


Jhonathan with a new bicycle and other special needs gifts.

What a nice family! Jhonathan's step-father Julio is a policeman. That's a great sign for the future of the family because it's considered a professional position. I hope that Carina and Julio will encourage the children to also aspire to a profession - it's the dream of many of the kids who live in poverty. The only problem is that Julio has to work in the city and can only get back home two days a month! My sister and I explored the idea of finding better housing for the family that would allow them to be together more but found that it was cost prohibitive. Unfortunately the same is true for the IGP plan that the family would like to do. Children International reccommended instead that we help with Jhonathan's schooling expenses so that he can go to a better school which is closer to home. I think that's a great idea and we intend to do that.

Sharing a sponsor family with my sister has been really great. We talk alot more in general and it has brought us even closer together. We really support eachother in our efforts as sponsors and it's great to have someone else who really understands how I feel about being a sponsor. I think it's going to be a rewarding journey watching "our" two kids grow up together and hopefully prosper in life. Taking that journey with my sister just makes it all the more rewarding.

More Photos of Harry

Here's another set of pictures of Harry from around late October of last year. We sent him photos from our summer vacation as well as some little books about animals that we got on our trip. The Filipino kids can read English so it makes it easy to find books for them.


Harry with his summer package 2008

Harry specifically mentioned that he likes to read and some of his favorite subjects are animals, sea life, and the planets and stars. I'm always keeping an eye out for books for him. I specifically want to find him a good one about astronomy - easy to read but informative at an appropriate learning level for a fourteen year old and with good illustrations - and not too heavy! :) Anybody know a boy Harry's age who likes to study the stars and can give me advice on a good book to buy for him?


Harry 2008

Harry's Birthday Gifts

This is another set of photos I've had for months and never got around to posting..

My dear precious friend Harry turned 14 (!!!) in December. As usual I sent him a special needs gift as a birthday present. I have about five sponsor children that have December birthdays so I've had to make sure not to choose any new children with December birthdays. December is a spendy month what with Christmas and gifts for the sponsor kids birthdays!


Harry got some Hot Wheels

I was pleased to see that Harry was able to spend a good bit of his money on clothing and even a new toy. As I said in my last post, my families in the Philippines have trouble even meeting their basic needs with their small monthly income. Harry's family gets by on only $30 a month! So, naturally when they get the chance they stock up on non-perishable food items.


Harry's new shirt

I'm thinking I might see that yellow shirt again in Harry's new yearly photo. My last yearly photo of Harry was in July 2008 so he's due for a new one here soon.... When I wrote back to him after I got these photos I told him I liked his hair longer like it is in these photos. It looks really cute on him. And doesn't he have the nicest smile? It really transforms his face. Harry is one of those people that really smile from the heart. I simply can not believe how much Harry has grown up in just the year that I have sponsored him.


Harry and birthday gifts 2008

And here we have the ubiquitous massive bag of rice! I don't think a special needs gift in the Philippines ever goes by without the purchase of a big bag of rice. It's such a staple for their diet.

The last letter I got from Harry was in May. He said he was spending his summer vacation with his Aunt and had been on a trip to go swimming in the ocean with some friends. He also described the Good Friday procession in his village/town that he had been to see. In general the kids in the Philippines are quite religious. They often mention such processions or other religious celebrations and holidays. Harry often ends his letters with God Bless! - which I think is so sweet. Even though I'm not religious I do appreciate the sincerity of Harry's belief and that he includes me in his prayers.

Flor's Birthday Gift

The search for my camera charger is "in progress", so who knows when I will get any photos of my knitting & other crafting...

So in the meantime I'll post - you guessed it! - more about my sponsor kids. :) I've actually got a back log of photos waiting for me to get a round to post them. That's one of the coolest things about Children International - you get tons of photos. I've got over 350 photos! That's a crazy good number when you consider you probably get one photo a year with other children's sponsorship organizations.

One of my little Honduran girls, Flor, turned eight this past December. That is such a cute age! And Flor wears it well. I love her clumpy, curly pigtails.


Flor with her birthday gifts - December 2008

With her birthday money Flor bought a set of drawers and some clothing. I think the drawers look like a good choice. They look sturdy and easy to clean. Flor's mother Marta told me the drawers are going to be used to keep their clothes in and will help to keep their clothing clean.

Often my sponsor kids and their families choose to buy a bed with the first special needs gift I send them (except for in the Philippines where they almost always have to spend most of the money on groceries). Flor's family information sheet says that there are four wooden beds in the home. So Flor probably shares a bed with her two sisters. There may not be room in the home for another bed - that's often a factor in their buying decisions as well.


Flor and her mother Marta in December 2008

When I was writing up this post I took a second look at the yellow shirt Flor's Mom is holding and I thought I recognized it from somewhere...


Flor - January 2009

Oh yes - Flor wore it for her yearly photo that I got in January! It's so sweet how the sponsor kids are so thoughtful like that. They almost always try to wear something that I sent them or something that they were able to buy with their special needs money. It's their way of saying thank you and showing that they are thinking of me. I really appreciate the gesture! Plus Flor looks really pretty in yellow. :)

I enjoy getting Flor's letters, which her mother usually writes for her. For her part, Flor often draws - appropriately enough - flowers for me. One of her last letters featured a drawing of a bunch tall reddish flowers with little clumpy leaves in a flower pot. Little birds were on either side holding more flowers in their beaks. I thought it was quite artistic.

Marta often tells me about the seasons in Honduras and what the landscape is like where they live. (Despite having sponsor children in countries all over the world I am always impressed with the concept that it is summer time for me and winter time for some of them. What can I say? I'm simple.) :) In the letter I received about a month ago, Honduras was entering winter time. Marta said the weather was cool and that there were many pretty flowers and trees where they live. I often think it is "easier" to be poor in a more rural setting like Flor has. At least Flor can enjoy the beauty of nature which I know she does because she often mentions such things. I feel sorry for my sponsor kids who are poor in a big city. At least in the countryside there is less crowding and some fresh air!

I hope that the recent political unrest that Honduras is experiencing has not affected my two girls there. I have no reason to think that it has but I do keep my eye on the news. It's sobering to think that poverty is sometimes not the biggest problem my kids face. Natural disasters and unstable governments contribute more than their fair share of difficulties to their lives - much much more so than anyone in the USA ever has to go through. Imagine things like Hurricane Katrina happening pretty much every year and that's closer to what it is like for my sponsor kids.

More photos of Carla

I've got some still photos to share of Steve's visit with Carla in Chile.


This is the first group of children Steve met in Chile - Kevin (sponsored by Jo I think) and Jo's other sponsor kids three year old twins Martina and Monserrat (which is which I do not know) and of course my Carla and her mother Margarita.


Steve with Carla and Margarita and me in a "Flat Stephanie" version. :)


A beautiful candid shot of Carla. She looks exactly like an angel. Probably one of my favorite photos ever of any of my sponsor kids.


Carla and "Flat Stephanie". Carla has the most beautiful almond shaped eyes and eyebrows a super model can only pray for. Seriously, how can I get eyebrows like that??


Carla and Margarita. Carla is the only person I know with hair longer than mine. :)

Robyn asked about my plans for Carla's IGP. I do hope to make Carla's IGP my next Firstgiving project. I probably won't receive the info from Children International for another month but it will work out alright because my next project is scheduled for the #20 slot and we are still raising funds for #11 & #12. I only hope that the project comes in under the $500 mark. If not I will probably try to pay the extra amount myself.

Video of Carla in Chile #5

I love this video - Carla is with the other children and their mothers in the room that the field office workers had set up as a little party for the children. They had balloons and cookies and a drink that I think was milky coffee. I love how Carla is on her best behavior, sitting so properly and sipping her drink like a perfect little lady. So precious!!

Here's what Steve had to say about Carla:

What a doll! Too cute for words. She certainly recognized Stephanie from her photos and her Mom read her the letter she got. She could audition for a child acting part and steal the show.

I have to admit that Carla is the one sponsor child that I chose because I instantly loved her little face. I was looking for a child to sponsor in Chile and Carla was "the one". :)



I hope to have an updated estimate from Children International in a few weeks for an Income Generating Project for Carla and her family. Their original idea was to fix up a room in their home and run a small general store selling household items and personal hygiene products. I think it's a great idea, especially since it would allow Carla's mother to earn an income while staying at home and taking care of the house and children. I think many mothers would jump at that opportunity. :) Apparently there is no such store in their area so it would be convenient for the people of the community and hopefully therefore a success. So, we will soon see if that is still the plan and how much money I will need to raise.

Video of Carla in Chile #4

In this video Steve gets the whole group of children and their mothers to say "Hello!" to their sponsors. This was the "first wave" of kids that Steve met - another bunch came to the sponsor center a little later.



Yesterday my father said that every time he mentions my sponsorship he gets the response that essentially it must be a scam. There aren't really any kids and even if there are they aren't really getting any money/help. Sigh. I'm getting pretty sick of that response from people. I've got literally hundreds of photos and hundreds of letters from my sponsor children. Every single one is an individual that I am privileged to have gotten to know. They are all different, some are silly and happy, some more serious, some write funny letters, some put alot of effort into making drawings for me and every single one of them is getting medical and dental care, food, clothing and help with education that they would not otherwise be able to have at all. Every single one of them is a treasured friend of mine. From little Alison who just turned three all the way up to Glenn who is a grown up of fourteen, they all teach me so much about life and compassion and love and just how to be a human being. I only hope they get as much out of their relationship with me! :)

So I'll get down off my soapbox now and end by saying that I feel sorry for people who maintain that kind of attitude. I don't blame them for some initial suspicion - believe me I did my homework before choosing to support Children International. I'm not parting with my money lightly! But if you live your life hiding your head in the sand and not getting out there and seeing what can be done, what you can do to contribute...well, to me that seems like a real waste. It's not living up to your potential as a human being...

Video of Carla in Chile #3

Oh yes she can! In this video Carla's mother reads her the letter I sent. Afterwards she asks Carla what she would like to say back to me. Carla takes a deep breath, prepares to speak and .... her mind goes blank. LOL! At the end Carla makes a kissy face and sends me a "beso y abrazo" - a kiss and a hug! Her little voice saying "ciao" - too sweet.



I'm slowly learning some Spanish from reading my letters from my sponsor children. I always read the original letter in Spanish before I read the translation. I am now able to go to Chile, Ecuador, Honduras and Guatemala and ask anyone for hugs and kisses and thank them for writing me a letter. :) Fortunately several paople in my family actually are fluent in Spanish so if/when I visit my sponosr kids I will drag one of them along.

Video of Carla in Chile #2

In this video, Steve gives Carla the photos I sent as well as a letter to Carla that I had my sister translate into Spanish for me. The smile on her face when she sees the photos is super precious. Margarita says, "look, look who is that?" and Carla says. "Stephanie!"



Carla says I'm pretty (blush!) and then she holds my picture up to her face and says "Beso!" (Kiss!) Can she be more adorable??

Video of Carla in Chile

Steve has posted his videos of our group's sponsor children in Chile. I think he ended up meeting about 8 or so of them. Of my two Chilean children, Javiera didn't show up (I rather expected that). However, Carla did show up and she was totally adorable!

In this video Carla says Hello! to her Madrina (Godmother/Sponsor) and tells me that she likes to get my letters which her mother Margarita reads to her. She says she is going to school to learn to read and write and that she will write a letter to me soon. Steve asks when she thinks she might be able to write to me herself and Carla's mother answers that it's been going slow but Carla is learning to write and hopes to be able to write in a few months. Right now Margarita writes Carla's letters for her.



I think it's so funny how the sponsor kids all seem to lose their minds the minute they are expected to "deliver a message" on camera. I think their minds just go completely blank and then the moms step in and prompt them on what to say. Carla doesn't have any trouble once she gets started though. At one point, Margarita suggests that Carla say "Don't forget me!" and Carla gives her a totally skeptical look. Carla knows darn good and well I'd never forget her! :)

It's a Miracle!

Many of my fellow sponsors have expressed their concern for my little Guatemalan sponsor child Hermelinda. After seeing her living conditions in the video that Steve shot for me on his visit I contacted Children International to inquire about the possibility of getting the family into better housing. I didn't hold out much hope for a positive out come but I thought it was worth a try. Unfortunately I recently received a letter from CI informing me that it would cost around $14,000 to purchase a plot of land and build a suitable house. The family, quite understandably wishes to remain in the same village where they have family support and friends. There is a lack of adequate housing in general so it's not feasible to simply move them to another house. It's a complex situation and sadly the solution is just beyond me financially. :(

So I spent several days feeling very bummed out. I only wish I could solve every problem for my sponsor kids and it's so frustrating to not be able to do so.

Then I received these photos of Hermelinda and a report on the first special needs gift I had sent them. Look closely - what do you see??


A smile from Hermelinda!

I opened the envelope and took a look at the photos and instantly burst into tears. The very first thing I saw was that smile on Hermelinda's face! My Hubby was standing right next to me and of course was curious as to what was causing my emotion. I handed him the photo and could only say, "Look!"

Hubby took a look and said, "Oh that's so great! She got her gifts."

I said, "Yes - but who is that."

He took another look, "It's Hermelinda."

"Yes, and what is she doing?!"


Hermelinda's new shoes.

"She's holding up her new little shoes and...oh!...she's smiling!!"

I'm not going to say that Hubby got tears in his eyes too or anything because I wouldn't want to out him on the blog but I will say that he is just as big of a softie as I am. :)

It's taken about a year and a half but I finally got a smile out of Hermelinda. It really feels like a small miracle. It perked me up out of my unable-to-buy-a-house-for-my-sponsor-kid doldrums and reminded me that I may not be able to do everything - but I can certainly do something.

Last night I made a list of the approximate dates for when my sponsor kids will graduate from the CI program. Aside from the fact that I am just sort of a compulsive list maker, I actually do need to start to think about this sort of thing so that I make sure to keep the graduation dates evenly spread out. I will be able to help with further educational needs better if all my kids don't graduate at once. Not to mention the "sponsor panic" I will go into if I lose too many kids all at the same time! I figured out that my first couple of kids will graduate in about 2012. (Doesn't that just sound like a futuristic, fictional date? I still can't believe we are in the 2000's.) One of the first to go will be my precious friend Harry - which I am not going to think about.....! Hermelinda will graduate sometime around 2020. I'm so grateful and excited to have so many years to watch her grow up and be a part of her life. Getting a sweet little smile from Hermelinda feels like the first step in a long and exciting journey. Is it weird that I miss her grumpy face just a little bit? :)

I'm so happy to see all the things they were able to get. That wardrobe is pretty impressive and the new metal bed with complete with mattress, blanket and sheets made me happy. I hope Hermelinda now has a comfy place to sleep.

I'm also expecting another report soon for a second special needs gift I sent that will buy the fan that Steve suggested as well as new cookware and some other household supplies. I will update everyone about that as soon as I hear anything.

And I'm waiting and holding my breath to see the photos from Steve of his visit to Chile where he got to meet with my sponsor child Carla!! I will share those photos as soon as I can.

New Photo of Nyslin

Nyslin in 2008


Nyslin's new photo 2009

Here's Nyslin's new yearly photo! I just love her sunshiney face. She's such a sweet little girl. I smile every time I think about her. I can see that she has grown up a little in this photo but she will always be a tiny little thing. She looks so pretty in pink.

I'm hoping that the timing of this photo means that she went to the CI office to get her funds for her Income Generating Project and they took her yearly photo at the same time. I'm hoping at least! I can't wait to see those chickens. Did she get the supplies? Was she surprised? Was her family happy? Or maybe she received the little package I sent her with the earrings. I don't know - but I have a feeling more photos can't be far behind!

Make a Change

Heather, from the sponsor group I belong to, has created a website for our fund raising activities called Make a Change. The website is in rough form right now but will be added to over the coming days. You can find links to all of our current fund raising projects as well as updates (when they come in!) that will follow the progress of the projects we have funded.

Right now we are funding our 11th project - split into two parts! These are for two children that will soon be graduating from the Children International program. We are hoping to give the children Angelito and Jhonalyn a graduation gift that will cover some of their special needs.

Heather also has a large project running on Aura's House for her sponsor child Diego in Columbia. He has some special medical needs and has lost both of his parents to disease. He is currently being raised by his grandmother. Heather is trying to raise funds for Diego's medical care and also to provide household and educational needs. She also hopes to set up Diego's grandmother in an Income Generating Project. Heather is offering a Zune as a raffle prize to people who donate to the project - so go check it out!

One of the other sponsors from our group, Su also has a project up for her child Gema in Guatemala. Su is raising funds to give Gema some much needed household furniture.

Last but not least - my dear Ana and Zoila still have their projects going at Aura's House. Ana's project is over halfway at $1599/$2770 needed. Don't forget the Hexagon Blanket I'm offering to one lucky donor when the project is funded. Ana's family desperately needs the second income which her father Luis could earn by being able to uses his skills as an electrician. Ana's project will buy Luis the tools he needs to have a home workshop. He is unable to work outside the home due to his disability.

Zoila's project has hit the halfway mark as well - $425/$824. Hooray!! The Honduras is undergoing some political upheaval right now that makes it even more urgent to help Zoila's family have their own business raising chickens. The more self sufficient Zoila's family can be, the less they will be effected by the governmental turmoil.

So there you have it. We're working everyday to Make a Change!

Javiera: My 2nd Chilean Sponsor Child

When Steve goes to Chile he will also hopefully be meeting my other sponsor child Javiera. I haven't mentioned Javiera on the blog much because, frankly I don't know that much about her.

What I do know doesn't seem very positive.



This is Javiera's home. She does have a bed, running water, a portable gas stove for cooking and toilet facilities.



Javiera's family situation is hard to figure out. She shares her home with her mother Valeska (I'm not sure which one she is - I assume the one in white), her Aunt and Grandmother. Javiera is six years old and has a brother Osvaldo, who is one year younger than her. Again, I'm not sure which one he is - I assume the one in the striped sweater? The other two children are Javiera's cousins that also live in the home. Javiera's father has abandoned the family.



I was very dismayed when I got these pictures. Javiera shares the general problems of poverty that my other sponsor children have as well as the lack of any adult males in the picture (again a common denominator in many of my sponsor children's lives). But in many respects Javiera seems to be by far the worst off of all of my children. Her home seems more unkempt than any of the others and Javiera herself seems neglected.



In this picture it looks like Javiera has not had a bath in some time and her hair looks like it hasn't been brushed. Her clothes don't seem very clean and the other children seem to be in the same state.



I was very depressed by seeing these photos. I've had these photos for over six months and haven't shared them before now because I don't really know what to say about how I feel. I don't wish to judge anyone with how they cope with such a situation of poverty. I don't know how my sponsor children and their families cope at all! But in every other situation I at least think that I see love, hope and a close family that is doing their best to survive. With Javiera I just don't know what I see.



The field worker form CI who took the pictures and talked to the family shares my frustration and also seems a bit baffled as to what to do. The family showed no interest in starting an IGP. Javiera's mother Valeska is a street vendor (as are the Aunt and Grandmother). The family has $200 a month currently - although it was closer to $100 until just recently. Maybe one of them has a new job? I don't know... The field worker in fact went back to the home on a second occasion to try to talk the family into an IGP but still with no luck. Children International is certainly trying to do it's best for this family. But the situation remains very frustrating. I'm pretty much at a loss as to how to help other than with sponsorship and special needs gifts for Javiera's birthday. Anyone have any suggestions?



Javiera's most recent photo is slightly more encouraging. But then again they obviously knew that she would be having her picture taken that day... I've never seen Javiera smile. I sometimes wonder if I ever will. I should be getting a more recent photo any time now as this one is almost a year old.

This case is a hard nut to crack. The letters I get from the family are very short and pretty much the same every time. "Javiera is fine, thanks for your help." The only other info I have learned about her is that she is very active, and mischievous and fights with her cousins. :) Hopefully when she gets old enough and she can write her own letters I can help her more and give her some encouragement. Thankfully she is in school as of the last report...

As for now I can only speculate about Javiera and hope...

Carla's Birthday Gifts

How cute is Carla? The high ponytails are so sweet. :) Her birthday was in March and I recently received these photos from CI.


Carla's birthday gifts.

Carla seems like she is a girly-girl. The kind that would be a Hello Kitty fan. So I kind of chuckled when I saw the pattern on the package. It looks like Hello Kitty to me - or at least the Chilean version! I think the package contains her new sheets for her bed.



This is the first year that I sent a special needs gift for Carla's birthday. I think last year I had just barely started to sponsor her and had not yet caught on to the idea of sending a special needs gift for birthdays. I was still thinking I would be sending packages and small gifts of money. Since then I have figured out that a special needs gift works out so much better all around. The larger chunk of money all at once helps the family out more and goes farther and I get photos. Win-win!


Carla's new coat!

Carla was especially happy to get a new winter coat. It must be windy and cold in Chile because all the kids always seem to be bundled up. Maybe it's the elevation...


Carla and her mama Margarita writing a letter to me. Margarita has beautiful handwriting.

I think that the special needs gift and the fact that I remembered Carla's birthday have helped to convince Carla that I am really going to be there for her. That I'm not going to just disappear. She seems to have opened up more and started becoming more interested in me as a person. In her last letter she drew a picture of my daughter. It was cute to see what she thinks my daughter must look like because she hasn't seen photos yet. In Carla's mind my daughter is something of a fairy Princess. It must seem that way to her when she thinks about this other little girl that lives so far away.

I hope that Steve's visit will help reinforce to Carla that her sponsor is thinking about her! I'm so jealous that he gets to meet her. I hope I will also someday.