Basomingera Turns 10!

My beautiful Basomingera Ada hits the double digits today! Ada is my correspondent child through Compassion International. I call her my “Miracle Girl” because God brought her to me in a very special way.

On January 8, 2013, I emailed Compassion and asked to be placed on the list for a child of any age or gender from Rwanda. I knew that when you ask for specific criteria, it can take a long time for the request to be fulfilled. But when I still hadn’t received a child by March, I was getting discouraged. By that time, I had already been asked to become correspondent to my youth group’s child, Isimbi, but I wanted a child that was all “mine.”

I happened to mention my dilemma on OurCompassion, which is the official Compassion forum for sponsors. Everyone seemed to be getting new correspondent children, and I felt a little left out. Then, to my surprise, another Compassion sponsor replied to me. This is what she said: “Hi Hannah, I just recently got assigned a correspondent from Rwanda. I just wrote an email introduction letter on Saturday so if it hasn't been processed yet, I would be willing to give you this girl to write to. Her name is Basomingera Ada. She is 9 years old and lives with her mother. The father is deceased. Let me know, if you want her.”

I was flabbergasted, that someone would offer to give up their newly assigned child for me. I was so thankful, I cried. I hadn’t even seen a picture of this child yet, but I loved her already. Basomingera Ada. My girl. Did she have brothers or sisters or was she an only child? Was she special needs? Where in Rwanda did she live? I had a hundred questions, but all I could do was wait as it took a few days for Compassion to switch her to my account and get me her information. Finally, I saw her sweet face for the first time. It was only a thumbnail sized picture, but I fell head-over-heels in love.

This is the picture that I first saw of Ada. My first thought was that she had the biggest, most beautiful brown eyes in the world. I immediately emailed Compassion headquarters and asked them to email me any full-sized pictures of my new “sponsor daughter.”

This is the first picture they sent me. Ada was seven years old in this picture. My heart broke to see how thin and sad and hopeless she looked, with her arms held close to her sides and her head lowered, and those enormous brown eyes looking like they were searching for someone to love her.

This is the second and most recent picture they sent me. She’s nine in this picture. Notice how her head is up, the shoulders squared, and best of all, an almost-smile on her face and a sparkle in those beautiful eyes. If anyone wonders if child sponsorship makes a difference, I challenge them to look at my Ada.

So, for Ada’s birthday, I sent her some paper goodies to help her celebrate along with this letter.

“To my beautiful Basomingera Ada,

I want to start this letter by saying how excited I am that you will soon be 10 years old! I hope this letter gets to you in time for your birthday and does not arrive too early or too late!

My beautiful girl, I am praying that God would give you a wonderful day on your birthday, and that you would know how special and loved you are. You are special because God made you and there is no one else just like you in the world! I want to share a couple of Bible verses with you. The first one is Jeremiah chapter 1, and verse 5. It says that before God formed us, He knew us, and before we were born, He set us apart. Also, Psalm 139, verse 16, says that God knew all the days of our lives before He even made us! This means that even before the world was made, God knew that someday there would be a little girl named Basomingera Ada, who would live in Rwanda. He knew where you would live, and had your family all picked out. God even knew that I would be writing you letters! Isn’t that amazing?! God has so many good plans for you.

You know, I remember when I turned 10 years old. On that day, I spent a lot of time playing with my best friend, who spent the day with me. We had a lot of fun. My birthday is on December 28, just three days after Christmas.

When I was ten, I wanted to be a singer when I grew up. My favorite thing to do was reading and going for walks. My favorite subject in school when I was 10 was science, and the subject I disliked was math. I always struggled in math. But I worked hard, and I was able to do well in all my other subjects.

What do you want to become when you grow up? I would love to know what your dreams for the future are. It’s good to start thinking about what we want to be, even though our dreams may change many times before we discover what God wants us to do.

Basomingera, would you like to play a game with me? Here’s how we’ll play: On your birthday, close your eyes and pretend I am sitting next to you. I will also close my eyes over here in Newfoundland and pretend that you are sitting next to me! That way, we will both be thinking about each other on the same day! I can pretend I am celebrating your birthday with you, and I can pretend that I am giving you a big hug! What would you pretend? Do you like to play make-believe and use your imagination?

I will close this letter now, but I will write you again soon! I love you SO much!”

I want to dedicate a song to my beautiful girl on her birthday. This is the song that was playing over and over in my head the night I found out that I was to be her correspondent. I hadn’t even seen her yet, but these words describe perfectly how I felt as I was waiting impatiently for a child.

Lastly, in honor of Ada, I want to show you another special girl from Compassion International who needs a sponsor.

This is Irumva Esther. She lives in Rwanda, like Ada; she is ten years old, like Ada; and today is also her birthday! I didn’t think I would be able to find another ten-year-old girl from Rwanda with a birthday today, but here she is. And look at the sad expression on her face, just like Ada’s in her first picture. She's also been waiting 405 days for a sponsor... more than a year! She’s just waiting for a sponsor to tell her how beautiful and precious she is… could it be you? Click here to sponsor Esther.

A Wing and a Prayer

Last week, I was sitting at my computer when I was startled by a thud. It almost sounded as if someone had thrown something at my window. I got up and looked; and at first, I saw nothing. Then I noticed a tiny figure huddled on the ground beneath my window. With a sinking heart, I realized that a tiny yellow bird had flown into my window. I peered anxiously at him through the glass, hoping that he’d fly away; instead, he trembled a little and closed his eyes as if he were too weak to move. My heart broke.

Quickly, I called out to my parents, who were in another part of the house. “Oh, a little bird just hit my window and I think he’s got himself killed!” Both my parents hurried into my room and joined me in looking at our little accident victim. He was so tiny that at first I had thought he was one of those artificial birds that you glue onto wreaths and such. He sat barely moving, except for one wing which, I now noticed, stuck out a little from his side as if it were broken. My heart sank a little further. Despite all the stories you read about people taking in injured birds and caring for them, the reality is, it very seldom happens in real life.

After we watched for a minute or two, my father decided to go outside and take a closer look. My mother and I watched breathlessly from the window as he crept closer, and closer still. I called out through the window, “Don’t frighten him!” I was worried that the little bird would try to flee away and ultimately hurt himself more badly.

Amazingly, our little visitor never even flinched as my father gently lifted and cradled the tiny form in his hands and lifted him up to the window for us to see. In that instant, I sat literally eyeball-to-eyeball with a minute piece of nature, sitting still and sheltered in my father’s hands.

Careful not to frighten him more, I raised my camera and started snapping pictures, knowing that this story would be unbelievable otherwise. A minute or two later, my father attempted to put the little bird down at the base of a sheltering tree. Imagine our surprise when the tiny waif clung to his hand with his miniscule feet, refusing to be put down. After a few seconds, he succeeded in dislodging his “passenger” and setting him down in the deep grass.

I then decided to make my way outdoors and see if I too could have a close encounter with our little friend. I crept outside and rounded the corner of the house, dropping down to crawl on my hands and knees towards the bird, determined not to scare him into attempting what could be a disastrous flight. At last, I lay down full length in the damp grass and watched my little friend watch me.

Finally, after a minute or two had passed, I slowly, slowly reached out my hand, and just for one second frozen in time, I touched the downy softness and felt a tiny, warm body beneath my hand. His heart beat wildly beneath my fingertips, but he didn’t attempt to pull away, just looking at me calmly.

I removed my hand and stared at him. As I did, my eyes filled with tears; and if I ever prayed before, I prayed then. “God, if this bird dies from crashing into my window, I will feel guilty the rest of my life. The Bible says that you see the sparrows when they fall, so I know You are watching now. Please Lord, don’t let this bird die.”

Mere seconds after my prayer, I was startled when the bird blinked his shiny boot-button eyes at me and opened his beak wide, as if he wanted to speak. Then he looked at the sky, gave his head a little shake, ruffled his feathers, and darted away into the sky! As his tiny form disappeared from sight, my eyes filled with tears again; this time, tears of thankfulness. I am convinced that my Heavenly Father heard my prayer and somehow sent a healing touch to this little winged visitor.

Later, as I studied the incredible images on my camera that showcase my encounter, I shivered with amazement. The pictures, to me, symbolize God’s love and care for us. When life knocks you down and you feel like your wings are broken, unable to lift you above the storm, there’s no need to fear. All you have to do is rest safe and secure in your Father’s Hands.

 

"Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father's knowledge.
 So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows." Matthew 10:29,31

 

*All Photos are my property, please do not use them without permission.

A First Letter from Basomingera!

Today, after almost six months of being Basomingera Ada’s correspondent, and after having to put in a letter inquiry after four months, I finally got a first letter from her! I call Ada my “Miracle girl” because her original Compassion Correspondent offered to give her to me after she heard that I was waiting and praying for a Rwandan correspondent.

Here’s a picture of my sweet girl. Doesn’t she have the most beautiful eyes? She is nine years old (and will be turning ten just four days from now!)

Ada’s letter was written by someone at her project, since she is not able to write by herself yet. It’s dated 24 July, 2013, which means it got here from Rwanda in six weeks. Here is the letter:

“Hannah, your child greets you in Jesus’ Name and she wishes you God’s peace. Thank you so much for the monthly support that you offer, your love and prayers. We also love you so much and always pray for God’s peace and blessings upon you. We miss you! She is now in Primary 3 (P.3) in second term. She is getting ready for her examinations so pray for her to pass them. In our family we are all fine, we wish you a nice time. Read Hebrews 6:10.”

I was so glad to hear that Ada has moved up to Primary 3. In her information packet it said she was still in Primary 2, which would explain why she is unable to write her own letter yet. (In comparison, my Isimbi is one month older and is in Primary 4 already! I’m guessing Ada’s family must not have been able to send her to school.) It’s so sweet that they say “We miss you” when I’ve never met them! (Hopefully that will change next year!)

Hebrews 6:10, the verse that they asked me to read, says, “God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.” I love this verse! Even though sometimes it seems we get no results for our labour (for instance, writing to kids who never write back or don’t respond well) God remembers everything that we do to help His people!

I love my sweet girl so much!

The Blessings of Real Life

"And all of my todays seem like they're rushing by so fast

And every time I look around, I pray that it will last." ~Lincoln Brewster

As I was driving home tonight from band practice, I was listening to a song called “Real Life”, by Lincoln Brewster. I’ve loved this song ever since I heard it almost three years ago; but tonight, maybe because I had just spent an hour and a half hanging out with some of my best friends, it put me in a nostalgic mood. Have a listen and see what I mean.

So as I was driving home, with my high beams cutting through the darkness and raindrops pecking at my windshield, I thought about my life so far. I’m not old, although sometimes I feel like I’ve seen more than my share of both joys and sorrows, and had experiences that some people twice my age haven’t had. I’ve had my share of ups and downs, good times and bad. I’ve known sickness, health, friendship, betrayal, doubt, comfort, insecurity, and confidence. Maybe I’m an ordinary person; somehow, though, I wonder what I did for God to give me an awesome life like this. I’m living in a province that I never wanted to move to in the first place, attending a church that I ran from almost two years ago and that God brought me back to after the worst eight months of my life (maybe someday I will feel free enough to share about some of those valleys), and I’m loving every minute of it. I’m not that great of a singer (at least, in my opinion) and yet, I have the privilege of being in Driftwood Cross. I’m not a great speaker; but yet, I’ve been invited to speak as a guest in my church. I’m not a great leader; and yet, leadership opportunities are opening to me daily (I’m not free to share about some of them yet; that will come in the future).

The weird thing about me is, I’m not a “fitting in” kind of person. I’m not like anybody I know. But yet, I “fit in” better at Open Door than I do anywhere else. Maybe because we’re a church of “misfits.” Maybe, being different is how we fit; all of us. Maybe we’re like puzzle pieces; each of us has one particular place that we fit in, and nowhere else. Maybe.

Tonight, I sat in a living room with three men who are about as different from each other as different can be. We played music and sang, laughed and shared. Even just four short months ago, I never would have dreamed of this. I have a wild imagination, and anyone that knows me well will tell you so. But I never could have imagined this: listening to Bob solo on his guitar, watching Jim shuffle through a stack of papers and say, “How about if we play it like this?”, laughing at Larry making up song lyrics on the spot or rolling my eyes at his teasing, and feeling so overwhelmingly blessed. Maybe, to someone on the outside looking in, we would look like just any ordinary worship band holding a practice. But they would be wrong. This, is an ordinary miracle. The simple kind of ones that God randomly drops from heaven just because He loves His kids.

And, to someone like me, it’s the biggest privilege of my life. Being involved. Being a part of something. “Fitting.” Belonging.  Somehow. Someway. In a place that I thought I had left behind me forever, with people I thought I would never see again. But God moved mountains (and one very reluctant 21-year-old) and brought me home again. And now I sit back and sigh with contentment, and let these lyrics by Lincoln Brewster drift through my mind:

"This is Real Life, and it’s real good; it’s a place I took for granted, ‘cause I just never understood. And there is real pain, and there are real tears. But the way my Father loves me, is the reason I am here. This is real life.”

And every time I walk into Open Door, I’m reminded once again; life is short. We never know what twists and turns it’s going to make. We need to appreciate what we have before us, because tomorrow it could be gone. I’ve experienced that very thing too many times to ever forget it.

But that’s real life.

And it’s pretty good.

15 Signs That You Might Be a Crazy Sponsor Parent

So you think you might have the makings of a crazy sponsor Mom or Dad? Here are some sure-fire signs!

1.       You have pictures of your sponsored child(ren) hanging on your wall or displayed on your desk at work, and their artwork is on your fridge.

2.       You find yourself looking at stickers, postcards, etc. and exclaiming, “Oh, my kids would love this!”

3.       You visit places for the express purpose of taking photos for your kids.

4.       The postal workers recognize you on sight.

5.       You have a panic attack if a regularly writing child suddenly stops writing.

6.       When someone asks you to name a place you’d love to visit, your sponsored child(ren)’s country/countries are the first thing you list.

7.       You are seriously considering visiting or have visited your child(ren).

8.       You dream about your child(ren) on a regular basis.

9.       You wish you could adopt your child(ren) if ever given the chance.

10.   When you get a new child, you run around screaming for joy.

11.   You brag about your kids and show their pictures to people at home, at work, at church, at school, and to random strangers.

12.   You constantly re-think your budget to justify fitting in another child.

13.   When your child mentions losing a parent or family member or being hurt in some way, you are ready to buy a plane ticket and head out there to find your child.

14.   You keep all of your children’s letters in a special place so you don’t lose them.

15.   You never stop praying for and looking for your child, even after they’ve been gone for years.

 

Have I left out something important? Comment below and tell me... I might create a "Part 2"! And feel free to share with anyone you think fits the label "crazy sponsor parent"!

 

Fur-ever and Ever

"Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand." ~The Velveteen Rabbit

As I type up this blog post, the most curious figure is sitting on my bed. A small, worn, almost threadbare toy. Or perhaps I should say friend. This shabby once-playmate of mine hardly resembles a cat anymore, having been so mauled and loved over the years that she’s nearly entirely lost her shape. But perhaps I shouldn’t be so harsh. She’s looking at me rather accusingly at the moment, as if to say, “And whose fault is it that I look this way?” I always did say she had the saddest expression of any stuffed toy I’ve ever seen. It’s as easy as anything to imagine her stalking to the end of the bed, curling her tail around her haunches, and purring; perhaps because I’ve been doing it for over eighteen years.

Fur-Ears (please remember I was only four at the time) has a couple of interesting features. She has what I think is a ball-bearing inside her head, so whenever you move her, she makes a realistic purring sound. He body was filled with water or gel at one time, so she was squishy and cuddly, although she’s rather limp after all these years.

I remember the first time I saw her, fluffy and new with a pink ribbon around her neck, on a store shelf. “Oh, Mommy, Mommy! I want that!” Mom looked at the kitty on the shelf, looked at me, and questioned, “Are you really going to play with it?” “Oh yes, Mommy! I promise I’ll play with it every day!” I begged. I kept my promise, too, right up until I deemed myself too old for stuffed playthings. Fur-Ears went everywhere with me. She slept in my bed, where I would make little burrows for her under the covers until I fell asleep. She traveled from Newfoundland to British Colombia with me, alternately sitting in my lap, “sleeping” on top of the luggage, or sitting in the rear window of the car so she could “see” the view. I never would have subjected her to the indignity of traveling in a suitcase; besides, she might have smothered!

Fur-Ears was also my schoolmate in my younger years and my mascot in later ones. Since I was homeschooled, my treasured pet sat right beside me as I wrestled with math problems, memorized verb endings, and studied science. My mother, who doubled as my homeschool teacher, managed to creatively work Fur Ears into almost every lesson. I believe it helped me learn; or at least, it made learning more fun, which meant I was more receptive to it. (I hated school.) I received many a handmade card or note signed, “Love, Fur-Ears”.

The first time I read the book The Velveteen Rabbit, I identified with it immediately. During the most poignant scene in the book, the little Rabbit asks, “What is ‘Real’? Does it mean having things that buzz inside you and a stick-out handle?” The old, worn-out Skin Horse replies, “Real isn’t how you are made. It’s a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but really loves you, then you become Real… but once you are Real you can’t become unreal again. It lasts for always.”

I think that’s why I keep Fur-Ears around, even after all these years. Even with her faded pink ribbon, pink paw-pads that have turned gray over the years, thread coming out of her ears and tail, plastic whiskers long gone (clipped off by Mom because they poked my face in the night when I cuddled with her), and floppy brown ears, there’s a certain wisdom in those green eyes that still shine despite the nicks and scratches. When I was a child, Fur-Ears was as real as any real-life playmate. And everyone knows, you don’t discard your friends just because they’re old and lose their beauty.

 
I think there’s a lesson to be learned here as well, and perhaps two: An old, familiar friend is a wonderful thing to have, and we must always remember that no matter how shabby or worn-out or forgotten we may feel, there is Someone Who makes us Real, and who loves us despite the ugly and tattered parts of our lives.

“When you are Real, shabbiness doesn’t matter.” ~The Velveteen Rabbit.

 

Isimbi Turns 10!

Today is a really special day! Our youth group’s sponsored child, Isimbi Divine A., hits the double digits today! We’ve sponsored Isimbi since November 2011, when she was eight years old.

This is the first glimpse we had of our precious girl. She was seven years old here. Such a beautiful, serious little face!

This is our most recent picture of Isimbi from Compassion Canada. She almost appears to be standing at attention here. Notice how everything she has on is orange? Even her flip-flops! But let me assure you, this girl can smile, even though it doesn’t show in her official pictures.

See? This is our girl with her little brother, Dilani, and her grandmother, Felicite. This was taken when my friends visited her last November.

Isimbi gave our team a special gift that she picked out herself: a picture of a woman holding a peace basket (also known as a friendship basket). The picture is made of banana leaves. Look at the hearts on the gift bag and the hearts on Isimbi’s dress… this girl is all heart! Isimbi is sitting with my friend Sherry here.

For her birthday, I sent Isimbi some paper goodies to help her celebrate. I also wrote her this letter:

 To our special Isimbi,

I wanted to tell you how excited I am that you will soon be turning 10 years old! I hope this letter arrives in time for your birthday and does not arrive too early or too late! Since it is almost your birthday, I want to tell you a very special story. It is the story of how you became our sponsored child.

Myself, and my two best friends Sherry and he husband David , lead a weekly meeting for young people. Every week, we gather together to learn about the Bible, sing, pray, and play games. The young people that come are from ages 12 to ages 19. We call ourselves, “Open Door youth group.”

One day, we prayed and decided that we wanted to sponsor a child. We knew God would lead us to one very special child. After a while, David and Sherry brought a picture to our meeting, and said that God had led them to a little girl in Rwanda, whose name was “Isimbi.” That little girl was you! Even though we didn’t know you, we loved you already.

After a long time, David and Sherry decided to go to Rwanda to visit you and your family. I was sad because I wanted to go as well, but I was happy for my friends who did go. Sherry and David were so happy to meet you, and your brother Dilani, and your grandma. They enjoyed it so much, and they also liked the gift you gave us, of the picture made with banana leaves. Thank you so much for choosing such a beautiful gift! When David and Sherry came back to Canada, where we live, they told us all about you and brought back some pictures of your family. We were so happy to see the pictures!

So that is the story of how you became our sponsored child. We love you so much! All of the young people from Open Door youth group think of you as their little sister, and me and my friends David and Sherry, we think of you as our daughter. So we are all praying that you have a very happy birthday, and that you know how special you are to us. We pray that God blesses you and your family, and keeps you all safe and healthy. We all wanted to send you a card for your birthday, and all of us wrote our names. I am also sending you some little things and stickers for your birthday. I hope you like them. May Jesus Christ be with you every day! We love you so much.

I want to dedicate a song to my precious girl on her birthday. So here’s “1,000 Miles” by Mark Schultz.

Lastly, in honor of Isimbi, I want to show you two children from Compassion International who need sponsors.

The first picture is Cheni Paulo John. He is a six-year-old boy in Tanzania, and he shares Isimbi’s birthday, August 8. Click here to Sponsor Cheni

The second picture is Nyirahabinshuti Goletti, a 10 year old girl living in Rwanda, just like Isimbi. Click here to sponsor Nyirahabinshuti 

Will you consider sponsoring a needy child today? Isimbi would tell you, “It’s worth it!”