Pleased To Meet You: Isimbi

Welcome to the fourth installment of my series, "Pleased To Meet You!" I haven't done one for a while, but I am so excited to introduce a very special young lady to you all!

Name: Isimbi

Age: 14

Birthday: August 8

Country: Rwanda

Isimbi's very first Compassion photo at age 7!

OUR RELATIONSHIP: Isimbi will always be special to me, since she was my very first Compassion child! At the time, the leaders of the youth group I was attending had traveled several times to Rwanda. Since they had a heart for that country, they suggested that we, as a group, sponsor a child there. They called Compassion Canada and requested a child from Rwanda. The packet arrived, and on it, the sweetest, shyest-looking little 7-year-old girl. The youth group has since dissolved, but the former leaders continue to sponsor Isimbi, and they have given her over to me as a correspondent. What a blessing it has been to know this sweet girl in the five years she's been a part of my life!

Isimbi's second Compassion photo; 9 years old

ABOUT ISIMBI: Isimbi lives in the southern part of Rwanda with her grandmother, mother, and younger brother. Her mother often works away from home, and often Isimbi and her brother stay with just their grandmother. Isimbi is a very studious girl who enjoys school and really focuses on her grades. She is a very quiet, polite , and thoughtful girl, always careful to express appreciation for each and every item and letter that is sent. She has a sense of humour and enjoys funny things and spending time with her friends.

EXTRA PHOTOS: I am blessed to have several extra photos of Isimbi! When she was nine years old, a church team visited Rwanda and sent back some lovely photos! In the photo below, Isimbi (far left in the pink dress) and her brother (beside her in the white shirt) pose with some of their neighborhood friends.

In 2015, a good friend of mine also traveled to Rwanda and was able to meet Isimbi. In the photo below, Isimbi displays her beautiful smile and excitement at having a guest come to see her and her project!

LETTER EXCERPTS:

"I thank God you choosed me among all the other people."

"Thank you so much for the letter you sent me and the birthday card. Thank you for caring."

"Thank you for being a good parent to me and may God bless you."

"Send our best regards to your complete family and we love you all so much!"

"I like funny things."

"When will you come to visit me?"

"My brother and my grandmother love you so much, and so do I!"

"I sat for my National Exams that end the Primary classes, please pray for me so that I may pass and go to high school."

"Are you doing well? I believe that you are also doing fine and the family. We are in holidays and planting sorghum and beans."

Isimbi's third Compassion photo, age 10

"I thank you for the letter you sent to me and Bible Verses. They inspired me so much. I was happy because God knows my name."

"I would like to thank you for having sent your friend to see me, I was indeed very touched and happy."

"I am helping my parent with some work at home like sweeping, fetching water, and different activities. In Rwanda, we are now experiencing a dry season. For you, which weather are you experiencing?"

"I thank you for the letters you sent to me, they pleased me very much, they contain beautiful photos and nice stickers."

"We are preparing for commemoration period for our fellows who died in genocide in 1994.I wish you a happy Easter. I love you so much."

"I loved the calendar you sent me."

"It is rainy here in Rwanda, it is so cold, how is weather over there? I'm doing well in school and I hope to pass well this term. I know you pray for me. I always pray for you to be protected by God with your whole family."

"I know a bit English which I learned from school. My best friend is M. and we attend together at the project Compassion. My role model is my grandmother and in the Bible my role model is Hannah because she endured the temptation."

"We had happy holidays and we will celebrate Christmas in the month of 12 and we have Christmas tree, I was glad to hear that you are volunteering by helping some children and may God continue to help you."

"I thank you for the way you take care of me and may God bless you."

"Thank you for the lovely letter you sent to me, I was so happy because of the questions you asked me. I love you and my parents love you too. Thank you so much.

Isimbi's most recent photo, age 12

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?

June Joys

June was a CRAZY letter month for me… I heard from five of my six kids! (Which means that July is going to be very boring letter-wise, unless I get an unexpected surprise or two!)

First up was a letter from my dear brother Mbula in Kenya! 

He greets me with “Hi! my sister.” (I love it when he calls me sister, which happens in every letter. I feel so close to this guy you wouldn’t believe.)

Mbula received the soccer card, world map, and other items I sent for his birthday and “greatly appreciated” them. He says he’s doing well with his studies and is getting good scores. He hopes I am praying for him to do well. He then shared, “I also wish to give thanks from my relatives who have really appreciated your support very much. I hope that you will appreciate them.” Mbula also said they are doing well in church, and he hopes I will keep on praying for them as they continue serving the Lord. He is also praying for me as I continue my activities.

Next up was my first letter from Papi in Indonesia! Papi also celebrated his 20th birthday this month!

It was written before I sponsored him, so it wasn’t really personal, but I did learn some interesting information about him. He lives with his mother since his father is deceased, and he has two older siblings. (I wasn’t sure from the names whether boys or girls.) His favorite food is fried rice, his favorite color is green, his favorite Bible story is Daniel, his hobby is reading, he lives in a city (My first urban child! Yay!), and he seems to have several best friends! He thanked me for sponsoring him and said he prays for God to be with me in everything. He also asks for prayer for his studies, family and friends.

My third letter was from my “chatterbox” Ada in Rwanda! She always has something interesting to say in her letters.

She begins her letter with “Your child Basomingera Ada, I am greeting you and I wish you peace of Jesus Christ.” She thanks me for being a good parent and says, “I was happy for the good things you always do to me.” (heart melt!) Then she adds, “I believe to have a better future.” (THIS is why I sponsor!) She shared her school grades with me and said she had a happy Easter with friends and family. They had food and drinks. She then tells me she likes to study mathematics (good girl!) and she is happy to receive my letters supporting her life. She thanked me for sharing Philippians 1:3-4 with her and said, “We pray for you to be blessed and to drive well the lorry.” (A reference to a truck-driving job I told her I was hoping to get.)

Just two days later, I got a very special letter; my first from my cute 3-year-old Miriam in Kenya! It was written by a project worker on the “My School” template.

I’ll just share the whole letter with you, since it’s pretty adorable! “I am in nursery school. My school is one kilometer from my house. The name of my school is E------ Primary school. I go to school by foot. The color of my school uniform is green and yellow. My teachers name is Miss Ndumu. My best friend in school is Matheka K------. The games we play in school are netball and volleyball. The other activities in school this term are ball games. What I like best about my school is playing football. My favorite subject in school is numberwork. After school I like to take care of baby.

Miriam salutes you with love. She was happy to meet you and hear from you. Miriam says you are a special friend in her family. She says she likes rice and beef as her favorite food. She has not seen ocean and has not eaten fish any day. Miriam informs you that her favorite Bible verse is Proverbs 3:5. She says it is not so much windy in Kenya and especially where she lives. She thanks you for encouraging her through Psalms 145:9, 'God is good always.' She wishes you a wonderful Easter and blessings."

She also colored me this adorable picture:

And drew me these pencil scribbles!

My last letter of the month was from Isimbi in Rwanda.

Isimbi began her letter by greeting me in the Name of Jesus and asking me if I’m doing well. Her mother, grandmother, and brother are doing well “and they love you.” She told me how her studies are going and what position she got in school, and asked, “Are you getting rain over there in your country?” She then asked me to continue praying for her to pass well.

It’s unusual for me to hear from all of my Compassion kids in one month! Have any of you ever had that happen?

May Memories

Okay, so this post is late… way late. However, here it is… finally!

I received just one letter in the month of May, from my precious Isimbi in Rwanda.

She sent her warm greetings to me in Jesus’ Name and asked how I was doing. Her family is all doing fine, and she hopes that we’re all well too. She’s in the middle of end of term one exams, and she says, “I hope to pass them well because I read hard, and I know that you always pray for me.”

She then wishes me the best, and said, “Happy Easter.” She also thanked me for my letters and said she was so happy to hear from me, adding, “The letter was so encouraging.” She then thanked me and ended by saying, “May God bless you!”

I’m so glad that she finds my letters encouraging; that’s the whole reason I write to my kiddos! 

Isimbi will be turning 12 in August, and I can’t believe how fast time flies!

On another note, I have letters on the way from Miriam (first letter), Ada, Papi (first letter), and Isimbi (again)! So June should be a good month for letters… if they ever get here! (Not impatient at all, haha)

What letters have you received lately?

March Memories

I received a couple of awesome letters this month!

First up, a letter from 11-year-old Isimbi in Rwanda. She referred to a letter I sent a while back on the subject about names. She’s my third kid to mention it… apparently it was a really popular letter!

She says, “I firstly greet you in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Are you doing well? I believe that you are doing fine and the family. We are in holidays and planting sorghum and beans. I do home activities at home. I love you so much and your family and I pray for you to have a good healthy. I thank you for the letter you gave to me and Bible verses. They inspired me so much. I am happy because God knows my name. Thank you!”

Then I got a very exciting letter from 16-year-old Shakira, also in Rwanda! I don’t hear from her very often, so it was a real treat! It was the second letter she’s ever written in English, and she did so well with it!!

She asked several questions about how I am, how my family is, how I feel, how my life is, how I celebrated Christmas and New Years’, etc. Then she said her and her family are “cool,” which made me chuckle a bit. I had to wonder where she picked up that expression! Then she added, “I thank God because I have a beautiful sponsor, thank you for choosing me.” She then shared the results of her National Exam with me, which was awesome! She was really hoping to get promoted to the next level, and she made it! She told me that her purpose in going to school is to study hard. She also told me that she celebrated her birthday on January 19. (I shared pictures in an earlier blog post.)  Then she shared some song lyrics with me, which was pretty neat! I shared a song with her in my reply letter.

I also have a letter on the way from Mbula, and I was hoping it would arrive in time to be included in this blog post, but oh well! Next post!

Have you heard from your kids lately? 

January Joys

January of 2015 was a great month letter-wise! I started out by getting a letter from Ada, which was wonderful since I usually hear from her the least of all my kids.

                                             

She began by greeting me and wishing me peace from God. Then she thanked me for my monthly support and telling her my news. She told me she studies in Primary 4 and got good marks, and she will be entering Primary 5 this year! She also let me know that her family is doing fine. She added, “I pray for you to be with God all the time.” She wished me a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, and thanked me for the photos I always send her and the “good letter” I sent her.  I had sent a letter about names and their meanings to all my kids, and asked them what each of their names meant. Ada told me the meaning of her Rwandan name: “Basomingera means to go deep in water.” She also told me that she prays “on seventh day.” Leave it to Ada to give me some interesting tidbits of information!

On January 19, Shakira celebrated her sixteenth birthday! Her sisters and friends planned a surprise birthday party for her, and I was blessed with several pictures of the event!

Then, I got a letter from Isimbi!

She began by greeting me in the name of Jesus Christ. Then she asked me how I and my family are doing, and told me that she and her family are all doing well. She says, “My brother and grandmother love you so much, and so do I.” She then shared some exciting news: She sat for her National Exams that end the Primary classes, and asked me to pray that she would pass them so she can continue on to high school! Wow, my girl is growing up so fast and I am so proud of her! She also said that they have grown beans. She also wished me a Merry Christmas and a “happy prosperous New Year.” And she thanked me for the letter and photos I sent her.

Overall, it was a great month for letters and news from my kids!

Questions and Answers with Isimbi!

I’ve been a little concerned about my Isimbi lately… her letters seemed kind of repetitive and she didn’t seem to be putting much effort into them. Several months ago, I had sent her a letter that was strictly “questions” in hopes of getting her to open up. I also answered every question I sent her, so she would learn a little bit more about me. I had almost given up hopes of ever getting a detailed letter from her; until today!! I got a bubbly letter with answers to EVERY ONE of the EIGHT questions I had asked her!!

She began her letter by greeting me in the Name of Jesus Christ, as she does in every letter. She asked me how I was, and told me that her family was doing well. She then shared her school marks (A bit low) and that she hoped to get more marks next term. (May I add that her marks were still a significant improvement from what she’s shown in the past.)

Now on to the answers! In case her answers are a bit confusing, I’ll print the original questions I had asked in bold type and Isimbi’s answers in Italic type.

1.       Some things I am afraid of are insects and water, because I don’t know how to swim. What things are you afraid of? I fear water (lake) and wild animals.

2.       When I am sad, I like to talk with my friends and listen to music. What cheers you up when you are sad? I like funny things.

3.       When I was a student, my favorite subject was English. What is your favorite subject in school? I like Elementary Science.

4.       My best friends are named (here I listed four friends). Who are your best friends? My friends are Celine, Aline, Diane, and Hannah. (I wonder does she mean me or does she have another friend named Hannah?)

5.       I have known my friend R-------- for almost 15 years. How long have you known your best friend? I have been with Diane for 7 years.

6.       My favorite memory is of when I got to ride a horse for the first time. What is your favorite memory? When you came to visit me. (Actually referring to my friends’ visit, but still…awwwwwwwwww!)

7.       If I could go anywhere in the world, I would go to Israel, Kenya, and Rwanda. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you like to go? In America and England. (And Canada? Haha)

8.       What are some questions you would like to ask me? When will you come back to visit me?

Her last question broke my heart… especially in light of my last post, which talked about how I won’t be traveling to Rwanda this year. But at the same time, it touches my heart in a deep way that her favorite memory was of my friends’ visit. To a child growing up in rural Rwanda, it must have been very like having the king and queen visit… a sponsor visit is that important to a child. I only wish I could write back and tell her that I’m on my way… I pray the next two years go by quickly, and that the time will come for me to see her and hold her in person.

Isimbi showing some love to my friend David.

 Isimbi closed her letter with, “Thank you for the letter you sent to me. I got it and I liked it. Thank you so much Hannah!”

You’re so very welcome my sweet child!

Joy Comes In Letters

 I’ve received NINE letters from my children since my last update! It sounds like a jackpot, and it is; a letter from my precious Isimbi, two from handsome Mbula, and SIX from my sweet Shakira! The only one missing is Ada… I’m a little concerned that I haven’t heard from her in almost four months, but I’m afraid I may be guilty in her case… I’ve neglected writing to my children in the past couple of months, because my life has been so busy. I’m making it up for it now though, and there have been many bundles of love delivered to the post office lately!

First up, the letter from Isimbi. (Who, by the way, is going to be turning eleven in less than two months. Where does the time go?!)

Isimbi began her letter by greeting me in Jesus’ name and telling me that her family is fine. She shared that it is rainy season in Rwanda and asked how the weather is here? She then told me that she is studying well and she knows she will pass. (That’s my always-confident girl!) She told me to keep praying for her and added, “And I know you do pray for me.” (Of course I do, I tell her that in every letter!) She then told me that her mother, grandmother, and brother are greeting me (the first time she’s specifically mentioned her family members) and told me thank you for the last two letters I sent. “I was so glad,” she added.

Next are the two letters I received from my brother Mbula, who almost always begins his letters with “Hallo my friend?” which makes me chuckle because I imagine a British accent. The one deviation from his tradition was his second-to-last letter, which began, “First I would like to say “Hi” to you.” Isn’t that sweet?

 Mbula is fine and doing well in his “daily activities.” He’s also keeping busy at school and has been promoted to Form 2 (The equivalent of our grade 10.) His school had an athletics competition and they “participated very well although the game was tough.” They are preparing for football games in the next term and he requested that I pray for their team to win. He then asked about my favorite game and why I like it. Mbula and his family recently harvested their crops and have already replanted in preparation for the next harvest season. He also shared some interesting Bible verses with me.

Some of you might remember  me mentioning that there was a mix-up with the post office in Rwanda and Shakira wasn’t getting my letters. Thankfully the problem was resolved, and she received every letter that I’d sent her, about six or seven in total! I was worried that she might be overwhelmed, but I guess she wasn’t… since she wrote six separate letters back! She commented on all of my letters, shared details of her life with me, and asked some great questions! Her letters are too long to share in full, but here are my favorite quotes. What a personality this girl has!

“I was so happy for the photos you sent me, which are a souvenir to my friend Hannah.”

“Now the sun is shining, but in a few minutes is sunset.”

“I like dancing Rwandan dance type, I wish you could come and I teach you how to dance this kind of dance!”

“Rwanda is beautiful because so many people like to worship God.”

“They call me at home, Uwimana. I like your names Hannah --------- (She used my full name here.)”

“Now the sun is shining, it’s neither hot nor cold, if you hang your clothes outside they will dry.”

“I am writing this letter at 8h in the evening. Tell me, what time is it in Canada when in Rwanda we are at 8h in evening?”

She also shared news and greetings from her sisters and her mum, told me about her church and the youth choir she sings in (They have six choirs at her church!), told me her school results (She was second in her whole class… I am SO proud of her!), told me about the holidays they celebrate in Rwanda, shared some great Bible verses with me, and told me some more about the children in the “Shelter Them family.” (I’m so glad she sees all the other children as her family!)

But it was her next words that melted my heart and brought me to tears right in the middle of a lecture hall at the university where I was sitting with friends and reading her letters while waiting for the speaker.

She said, “My sisters expressed love to you that you have much love. The love you showed me I will also give to others because your love to me really amazed me. I am going to sleep and I hope to see you in my dreams. When I think about you, I rush to do my activities so that I can get time to write you a letter. I love you so much.”

If I had any doubts whatsoever about whether letters make a difference, these letters from Shakira cleared them right up. Through the power of a pen and paper, a fifteen-year-old girl halfway around the word has gone from being a face and a name to being a sister… a real, living, loving friend whom I love and value… and whom I also hope to see in my dreams as she hopes to see me in hers.

Before I end this blog post, I want to share a lovely song with you… This is a song called “Uri Umwami” (You are King) sung by the one of the choirs at Shakira’s church. It’s a beautiful worship song that turns into a joyous celebration of praise; I know you will enjoy it as much as I did!

New Photo of Isimbi!

I was delighted to see that Isimbi’s photo had updated, a lot earlier than I was expecting! I’ll share her two previous photos and then her new one so you can watch her grow up.

Here’s her first one, age seven:

And here’s her second one, age nine:

 And finally, here is her gorgeous new photo! Ten years old!

I love her stylin’ sandals! She looks more grown up, but you can definitely tell she’s the same sweet Isimbi. Her name means “shining” and she does that in so many ways. I was especially excited to see her pretty pink dress… it’s the same one she was wearing when my friends visited her in 2012! Perhaps she’ll still be wearing the same dress when I see her in just seven months from now!

Here’s a photo collage of her new profile picture and her with my friends, her grandmother and her little brother (photos taken November 2012).

Have I mentioned lately how much I love my precious Isimbi Divine?

Monday Mail Call: Catch-up Edition

I’m embarrassed to say that I’ve been a slacker when it comes to blogging lately! I’ll blame it on the winter blahs. Anyway, I’ve received three beautiful letters from my kids since the start of this year, and today is a good day to get caught up and share them with you!

My first letter of the year was a card from Shakira, which arrived (hand-delivered by Mama Jo I should say!) on January the 11^th. It was my first time hearing from sixteen-year-old Shakira, and she made me a beautiful card! Here it is:

She also drew me a colorful flower inside, adding that she hoped it made me happy because it made her happy!

Shakira wrote that she was happy to have known that I chose her. She told me she loved me so much and added, “God continue to give you many blessings and protect you from temptations.” Then she told me that she wished to have my picture, and she closed by wishing me a Merry Christmas and happy New Year.

I love how she is not shy at all about asking for my picture! (There was a mix-up with the Rwandan post, and I recently found out that she just now received all the letters that I’ve written to her – five at one time! She must have been excited!) Of course, I immediately wrote again and sent her even more pictures.

Then, on January the 15^th, I received a quick note from Isimbi. She shared that her family and her are alright, and that she is going to pass in primary 5 soon. She then tells me that she’s happy to write to me and shared her exam results with me. She asked if I was doing all right, and told me her family was preparing for Christmas, and asked if I was as well. She then wished me a Merry Christmas and a happy New Year as well, and thanked me for the coloring pages (“pages of Jesus”) and stickers I had sent her.

I was thankful to hear from Isimbi again; as my youth group’s sponsored child and my first correspondent child, she will always have a special place in my heart. We also celebrated our “1-year anniversary” on January 21^st… I have been writing to Isimbi for one full year! Time sure does fly!

My most recent letter was from my Kenyan brother Mbula, and it arrived on February 4^th. And speaking of Mbula, I just realized that I never shared his second letter with you all… whoops! Anyway, this was his third letter; and like the others, it was brimming with information and answers to my questions. I love the relationship I am developing with this Godly young man.

In his letter, he told me that he hoped I was going on well with my family. He then told me that he was happy to hear about my grandmother and that he is praying that she will live longer. He also thanked God for being with her all over since she was born. (She is 92 now.) He told me that his family is praying for me and that they are remembering me every time. Then he told me, “My brothers were very much interested with the letter that you send me. Actually, it was very interesting and they appreciated very much.” (I have the feeling this is in response to a letter about a historical community I sent him, with pictures and a flyer with lots of details.)

Mbula then told me his siblings’ names (He has one sister and three brothers!) and he thanked me for my appreciation of the Kenyan athlete Wilson Kipsang. (He broke a world record in running recently) Then he thanked me for the Christmas gift I sent him, and asked what I do and what my favorite game is as well as requesting further prayer for his studies. Finally, he closed by wishing me a merry Christmas and a prosperous happy new year.

I love the fact that since Mbula is 18 (well, soon to be 19) and he writes in English, we’ve been able to develop a great friendship so quickly. He seems to be a very mature, conscientious young man. In only his second letter to me, he told me that his hope was that I was praying for him to continue being saved by God the Father, and that I should remember that God is my portion so I must keep his words and commandments. He also told me that he was praying for me to continue being God’s servant. I have said this before and I’ll say it again… I am so blessed to have Mbula as my correspondent “brother”!

Have you heard from any of your sponsored children lately? Feel free to let me know; I love your comments! J

Isimbi Got My Package!

I got a letter from Isimbi a few days ago, but I’ve been so busy I haven’t had a chance to blog about it until now! It’s a bit of an odd letter as it was written by project staff instead of by her, which is unusual. Perhaps she wasn’t feeling well on that day, or she might have just been absent on letter-writing day for some reason. The good news, though, is that it confirms that she received the baggie I sent to her by another OC’er! I’m so glad it got to her safely. Anyway, here’s the letter:

Dear Hannah,

Your child greets you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. She is doing so well and healthy. How are you doing over there with your family? She already started school in the third term of the final year. And she is studying hard to get good grades. She also prays for you always to have God’s peace, blessings. Thank you so much. May you stay healthy.Your child appreciates you for the letter with spects (I think they meant specs, as in sunglasses) pen, notebook, a bangle. (must be referring to the beaded necklace and bracelet. The Kinyarwanda also mentions a headband, which the translator must have missed.) May you be blessed.

Isimbi

Here’s a picture of the package I sent her!

Mini Sharpie marker, necklace/bracelet set, mini notebook, pen, headband, sunglasses,
and smiley ball.

And I also squeezed in a giraffe Beanie-Boo! He’s so cute! Isimbi really treasured the stuffed lion one of our youth group members sent to her, so I hope she enjoys this toy as well!

ALSO: I found out that Basomingera’s photo updated today! I’ll share the high-resolution photo as soon as I get it from Compassion!

An Amazing Letter From Isimbi!

I don’t usually post twice in one day, but I received an incredible letter from our youth group’s sponsored child, Isimbi, that I just couldn’t wait to share! It’s in response to the birthday letter I sent her, which you can read about here. The last letter I got from her was a little generic, so this one absolutely blew me away with her detailed responses to things I had said in my last two letters!

Isimbi with her little brother (Dilani), grandmother (Felicite) Compassion Rwanda workers, and youth leaders David and Sherry (left) and Scott (right.) (Photo taken November 2012)

Here’s the letter, dated July 25^th, 2013 (two weeks before her birthday, so I’m glad everything got there in time!):

“Dear Hannah, first of all I greet you in the name of Jesus Christ. Back to me and my family, we are all fine and we thank God for his protection. I hope you are also fine with your family. Thank you so much for the letter you sent me and the birthday card. Thank you for caring. I am now studying and I know I will pass all my studies. (I had told her we were praying for her studies) Thank you for being a good parent to me. (I had told her that I think of her as my daughter. Cue the tears.) May God bless you abundantly! Send my greetings to all and tell them that I love them so much! Thank you! 1^st John 4:8.

Thank you so much for the letter you sent me and for the birthday wishes you sent me. I was so happy and the nice flowers. (Her birthday card had flowers on it and so did the coloring page I sent with her name on it) I was so happy about this group Open Door Youth Group picture you sent me wishing me a happy birthday. I love you so much!

Isimbi A. Divine.

Needless to say, this is the best letter I’ve ever gotten from a child! I’m so glad that everything arrived safely in time for her birthday, and from the sounds of it she enjoyed everything a lot! I was so glad to see “Open Door Youth Group” written in plain English in among her Kinyarwanda writing. It shows that she actually did remember the full name of our youth group enough to write it in English, which is pretty impressive! (Can you tell I am just SO proud of this girl?)

Oh, and the Bible verse she included, 1^st John 4:8, says: “He that does not love does not know God, for God is Love.”

Al I can say in conclusion is “Wow!”