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!

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!

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

Always Room for Another - Shakira

“And now, my Compassion Family is finally complete… until God says otherwise!”

I wrote these words on my blog a little over a month ago. I had just introduced handsome Mbula to my correspondence family, and I figured that three was enough. However, there’s one thing that I have learned over the years. Actually two things. The first is, when God says yes, don’t say no. And the second is something that Heidi Baker has proven many times… There is always enough. Always room for one more.

As most of you know, I do a lot of advocating for Shelter Them, a ministry in Rwanda that cares for orphaned and abandoned children, among other things. I recently had a brainwave that turned into the first of what will be a series of posts entitled “Sponsorship Sunday.” Each week, I’ll feature one of our kids who needs a sponsor. But as I was getting yesterdays post ready, I ran into a snag while choosing my “featured child.”

You see, I had a post all planned out, with pictures and everything, all ready to go. Sweet, smiling fifteen-year-old Shakira would be the first child. The only problem was… I fell in love with this beautiful girl’s smile and wanted to sponsor her myself!

Can you blame me?! Unfortunately, I knew it wasn’t going to happen. I’ve been pinching pennies a lot lately, and I certainly didn’t want to take a child on for a few months and then have to drop her. It wouldn’t be fair. But, there was that pull… I couldn’t help gushing to my parents about this wonderful girl. My Dad looked at me and said with blunt honesty, “Why don’t you sponsor her?” For a second, my hopes rose, but I tamped down my rising excitement and answered, “Dad, I don’t know… I’m not sure if I can afford it.” And my wonderful father, (who faithfully puts up with my rants about the three correspondent kiddos I already have), pulled out his wallet, handed me some bills, and said two words.

“Sponsor her.”

And so, a partnership began. Imagine my shock when I realized what Shakira’s full name is… Uwimana Shakira! The same as mine (Uwimana Hannah)! It had to be a God-thing… I think His smile was even bigger than Shakira’s when He pulled THIS together!

And Shakira is always smiling. Jules, who works in the Rwanda office and knows Shakira quite well, told me this morning, "This child is so special. Her mother died when Shakira was very young (five). Her father, according to the stories she had from her mom when she tries to recall her past, is in Kigali prison for his role in the genocide. But what amazed me this child has always a shining face, always smiling and her smile is real, it comes from the bottom of her heart."

Of course, I have to show you some more pictures of my precious Uwimana Shakira! You'll notice in every picture, how that sweet smile of hers just lights up her face!


Shakira, age 13. I cropped this picture to focus on her beautiful face.

Shakira is in the black-and-white blouse, second from the back. She lives in a home with the other three girls shown here.

Shakira and David, a good friend of mine. It was face-painting day. Isn't Shakira a beautiful (smiley) butterfly?

Shakira is holding the green gift bag. From left to right: Kevine Uwumuhoza, Kevine Uwimbabazi, Sherry, Shakira, Kevine Ikirezi, and David. The four girls live in a home together, and Sherry and David run the Newfoundland branch of the Shelter Them office. (Yes, there are three Kevine's and Shakira!)

Shakira was provided with a new mattress through Shelter Them, along with the other girls.

I love this picture of the kids in traditional clothing. Shakira is holding little Joshua in her arms. From the looks of things, I'd say that Shakira is a well-loved member of the Shelter Them family!

So, Shakira ended up not being my featured child (I chose Kevine Ikirezi, pictured above in a couple of photos) but God had it planned all along! I’m not even going to say that my family is complete this time… who knows what tomorrow holds! But one thing is for sure…

There will ALWAYS be enough!

Above video is of Shakira and my featured child, Kevine Ikirezi, doing a traditional Rwandan dance. Aren't they both beautiful?