I bought a GOAT!! Well, sorta.

I LOVE mail days like this!! Here's a letter that came today. Written by Vestine, our 19 year old 'daughter' who lives in Rwanda.

01/20/12

My beloved sponsor, I am greeting you in the name of Jesus Christ that how are you? I am also well fine with all my family.  We would like to know alla bout you but we hope that you are well fine. In Rwanda we have rainfall with little sunshine. What climate do you have nowadays?

Thank you so much, the gift of Christmas ($) ?4.96F.  I bought a goat from it. I am now in Senior 2 and I am performing well, continue to pray for me.

I like to pray so much and I am in choir called “the friend of Jesus.” Greet for me- Dan, Hunter, Caleb that praise Jesus. Even my mum is also greeting you. I thank you so much for the gift of Christmas which is equivalent to 8.977F. We bought:

Meat for = 3000F

Cassana flour = 2400F

Irish Potatoes=2400F

Onions- 1000F

Packet of cakes= 500F

And I gave 775F into the house of God (church)

I dedicate to you a song number 224 in the book of songs of praising God. I wish you all God’s blessings and happy new year of 2012.

M. Vestine

(Soo.. who has this Rwandan book so that I can hear this song?)

-Julie

Questions

Each of our sponsored kids have asked us many questions. They truly don't know what it is like to live in America, just as I don't know what it's like to live in a 3rd world country. I can get a glimpse of their live through the Internet and television. They only know what I tell them, and I don't tell them that we have clean water that runs in our home. I don't tell them that we have so much food that it often spoils and gets thrown away. They don't know that we have 2 nice cars or the size of the house that the four of us live in. Today I just wanted to write down a few things that have left me speechless over the last years of writing to these kids.

The one question that sticks out the most is when Ashenafi asked me if my children were students, or if they are workers. How sad is that? Child workers are so common that he had to ask if my children worked.

Nanese has asked me if we have a lot of food in our country and if we grow corn here. I can't tell her that not only can we buy corn from farmers nearby, but we can cook it on our gas stove and add butter & seasoning to make it taste so good.

Tamasmen-Love asked if my parents were still alive. I don't know her family situation but I am lead to believe that her parents are not living.

Tadesse wanted to know what school was like here. Another question that is hard to answer as I don't want to tell him my kids ride a bus, have clean water and food at school, and every other thing that is provided for them. Vestine asked "does it rain in your country?"

So many simple questions that have weighted answers that I cannot share. I hope all of our blessings will someday be available to them!

Letter Day - Tamasmen-Love

10/7/11

Dan & Julie,
Tamasmen-Love is very glad to write this to you today. How are you? She hopes your family and you are well. Her family and she are very well thanks to our Saviour. Her church is going very well thanks to God. Pray for her because she is promoted to grade 4. The wather is very nice because God sent the rain. It usually very hot. No, she has no pet. Tamasmen-love tells you she still likes running with her younger sister and her little mates. She will soon go back to school. She wants to be as smart as her mother. She says her mother is the only one who is working.

She always does the dishes. Tamasmen-love thanks you for the photo and the stickers, and your blessings. She likes eating rice and vegetables. She likes Easter break the most. Are your mother and father still alive? Would you not like to visit her church? Pray for her to grow up in the gospel. Tamasmen-Love asks you to pray for her to grow up in the gospel. She has a verse for you; 1 Thessalonians 4:7. Pray God bless you and keep you in his love!

Written by Waldo / uncle

She drew me a very elaborate flower. Very talented little girl! :)

Letter Day & Report Card - Tadesse

10/13/11

Tadesse is our littlest sponsored child, he's only 5. With help he filled out a questionnaire.

1. Siblings: Tepest G
2. In my family I spend most time with: My mother
3. My family lives in: Town
4. My food is prepared by: my mother
5. My favorite thing to do with my family is: praying with my mother
6. My favorite way to help in my family is: Help my mother
7. My families faith background is: protestant

Prayer request/ Answers to questions/Special thing to share: Pray for his school and his health. He has one sister who is 8 years old. He attends school well. His parents are daily workers. He is so thankful for your g? letters and picture and toys and arts.

He drew me a picture of 2 round mud huts and an Ethiopian flag.


I also received his report card! He got A's and B's in Phys Ed, Play, Work, Music, and Art. He seems to be struggling in Math and English. He's doing "very good" in his local language.

What a difference 2 years makes.

Letter & updated photo from Efrata!!

On the left Efrata was waiting for a sponsor in a new Compassion project. On the right is our 2 year update! I LOVE THIS GIRL! She has my heart and I hope that I'll be able to visit her someday! If only Ethiopia was just a little bit closer!


9/1/11
Dan & Julie
How are you doing my beloved sponsor? I and my mother are fin. Thank you for supporting me and for writing to me. God bless you. I attend school and Sunday school. Merry Christmas and happy new year. I wish you peace, joy, and love. I am eagerly waiting for Ethiopian New Year celebration.

Please pray for understanding from God.

Bye!

(Her letters are written with her, by staff. They are always very similar. I hope to see one written by her someday. Maybe they will be more personal.)

Letter Day- Tadesse

I love getting letters from our kids. Even more, I love getting PICTURES from our kids!! This is a picture from Tedesse. He's the cute little 5 year old in the picture below. Next to him I venture to guess is his sister Tigist. I believe mom's name is Chalifel.  (Speaking of names, Compassion sent me a letter many months ago that his name was incorrect on my papers and it was Tadele not Tadesse, however the translator again wrote Tadesse. I'm so lost! LOL.)

For Christmas this past year I asked my parents to donate our gift money to our Compassion kids. I think that either the translation is a bit messed up, or his financial sponsor sent him money as well because they talk about 2 gifts of money that he recieved. (Letter below)

Dear Dan & Julie,

Your sponsored child Tadesse G. is greeting you with love. He said how are you all doing? He wishes you a happy Easter holiday! (Written May 20th/ Easter was April 24th.) He recieved a birthday gift of 416.11 birr and other gift of 414.81 birr that you sent him and he bought tshirt with 70 birr, cloth with 350 birr, he paid 41.45 birr for church (I plan to ask Compassion about that), he deposited 300 birr, candle and picture 24.55, the remaining 44.81 birr is on (in?) his hand. He said may God bless you all and thank you so much for everything. The project has given him food supplies, cloth detergent, educational materials, is paying his school fee, etc, because of your help.He recieved a letter that you sent him last time. He thank you so much for everything. He is learning the word of God and praying in Sunday school. He is a KG-1 student now. (Last year he wasn't in school because mom & dad couldn't afford it. This is great!) It was very hot here recently but it starts to rain now. (They have a rainy season. I hope they are getting rain as Ethiopia is in the worst drought in history. I've been worried about him.) He said how about in your country? Please pray for his family and schooling. He loves you all. Until then, he said good bye.

Letter Day! Vestine

Anyone want to help me figure out this translation? (click the photo to enlarge)

This is the first page of Vestine's letter. It's not easy to follow. The first letter I recieved from her was great, this one wasn't translated well I don't think.

Beloved parent, I greet you in the name of Jesus. I write to you in order to ask your views, at home we are doing well. With my family we don’t have a ??????. Courses are going well, and I pray God? good?? I use to small works at home, and I review courses.


I appreciated a letter you have sent to me, it was interesting, I am in a choir, and at home it rains. Does it rain in your country?

Give my regards



And the best part, A PHOTO!!!! She says that this is a photo taken when the family (?) was baptised. AWESOME!!!