A Plethora of Letters

There's a quote that my Dad sometimes uses when things are gearing up or getting interesting. He says, "Hang on to your ears!"

That's about how I feel right now... after receiving nine (yes, you read that right, NINE) letters from my Compassion kiddos recently! After a system-wide glitch that caused letters to be "stuck" for several months, the floodgates have finally opened and the letters are pouring through! So be prepared for a long post... because there's been a LOT of happiness arriving in my mailbox!

I'm actually going to divide this post into two parts because it would be too long to read in one sitting!

Let's get right to it shall we?

First up were two letters from Papi, my oldest boy in Indonesia who will be graduating this month!

I also got a photo update of Papi... isn't he looking happy and handsome?!

A while ago, Papi had written that people were staying away from one of the beaches in his area because a crocodile had been cut loose in the area. I questioned him on this further, asking whether crocodiles were common in his area and were people afraid of them? His reply is, "There are many crocodiles here. Actually the crocodiles in our place are not disturbing, but since they are disturbed by people they turn fierce." Papi also said that he got the picture of the Cardinal I sent him and "it is very beautiful. Yes, God's creation is very beautiful." He then told me that the weather is "in transition here now. Sometimes it rains and some other times it is dry and hot." He also said, "I really hope we can meet one day." Me too Papi, me too!

In his second letter, Papi talks more about his family and said he enjoyed reading the letter I sent about my uncle who plays the saxophone. He says, "I know saxophone but I don't know how to play it." He then lists his uncle, aunt, and cousin who live in the area and how much he enjoys seeing them. He says that he most likes spending time with the children of his cousin because "they are active and smart, they are also dancing hip-hop, and I am very glad when they call me Uncle J (First letter of his real name) I feel as I am adult." (This made me chuckle for some reason, especially the part about hip-hop and feeling like an adult when he is called uncle.)

Next up are Ada's letters!

I love this girl so much.... she always squeezes as many words as possible into the writing space, and these letters were no exception!

In her first letter, she greets me in the name of Jesus and says she is doing well with her family. She says she has completed her Primary education and advanced to Senior 1! She also asked for prayers that she pass with good grades when she reaches Senior 2. Then she says, "I thank you so much for the letter you wrote to me, telling me about your news with your parents." She also says that she is praying for God to continue protecting me in the name of Jesus Christ.

In Ada's second letter, she asks how we are doing and says, "In the last semester I got good marks, 61%. I keep on praying for good marks. Please keep me in your prayers to improve on my marks." (This girl is taking her education seriously!) She also adds, "I thank you so much for the letter you wrote me with all the beautiful touching words. I also thank you for the decorations you sent me. (Stickers, coloring pages, etc.) I had a wonderful Christmas and my family was all well."

Moving on to Isimbi's letters! I am so grateful that Isimbi is sounding a little more "chatty" in her letters... I've been a bit concerned for her for a while now!

In Isimbi's first letter, she tells me that she is on her school holidays and is helping around the house by sweeping and fetching water. She also says that they are in the rainy season in Rwanda, and "we are preparing for commemoration period for our fellows who died in genocide 1994." (All of my Rwandan children take part in this commemoration and I'm so glad they do!) Isimbi also says that she is doing well in school and adds, "We are preparing for the Easter. I wish you a happy Easter. I love you so much." She then says, "I thank you for the letter you sent to me, it pleased me very much. I loved the calendar you sent me."

In her second letter, Isimbi shared that her school break went well and she has started her second term in school. She then says, "It is rainy here in Rwanda, it is so cold, how is weather over there?" She also adds, "I know you pray for me. I always pray for you to be protected by God with your whole family." She closes her letter by saying, "I thank you for the letter you sent to me, thank you for the toys you sent to me, I was happy for it, it is really good, thank you."

I am so glad that all the letters I have sent for the past six months have gotten to my kids safely, and it feels like a rainshower after a drought to finally hear from my beloved kiddos again!

Have you heard from your kids lately?