New experiences

I sent an email to Daichela and Jose and their family through the sponsorship organization a few months ago and told them I might be visiting this summer. It’s been a while since I’ve received any letters from them but I’m sure they’re as excited as I am for the visit.

I’m really looking forward to seeing them for the first time and getting to know them better.

I’ve learned that while visiting I may get to take them on an outing to a museum with the agency staff and even possibly take them on a small shopping trip.

Though going to a museum and shopping is something I have done with my children, I’m almost certain this will be new experiences for these two.

A hopeful plan

The small group I’ll be traveling with to the DR includes a leader from the child sponsorship organization, a few members from my church and one of our pastors.

While our group's there we’re planning to visit a few community centers in the DR that are run by the child sponsorship organization. They’re located in the small villages where most of our church’s sponsored children reside. The sponsored children go to the centers to receive some of their schooling as well as their immunizations and some their provided supplies.

We’re hoping we’ll be able to have lunch at one of the community centers with the staff and possibly a few of the children too. We may even be able to visit a few of the homes of sponsored children.

If time allows we may be able to meet with village leaders to gain a better understanding of their people’s needs and how our church might be able to help them in the future with a mission trip back to the area.

I know that what you physically and mentally plan to accomplish on a trip and what actually comes to fruition hardly ever match up, but I’m hopeful all will work out. :)

There are only a few more weeks before we leave!!

Letters of appreciation for needed items

Hello Wendy,

I hope you and your family are doing well. Thank you for the gifts that I received from you. The gifts will be very useful for my school year and my personal use. I received many things like milk, mosquito net, potatoes, chocolate, hair gel, hair grease, underwear, socks, cookies, dental paste, malt, hair accessories, deodorants, backpack, shoes cereal and protein. I thank you for everything. I hope to see you soon. God bless you.

Say bye with lots of love,

-Daichela

I love this letter from her because she wrote it herself and I can tell she put quite a lot of thought into it.

Dear Wendy,

Thank you for sending a bed to my child, a milk and oat meal. Thank you for thinking about him. Thank you. Thank you for being a good sponsor for my child. He loved the bed. He is happy because he will sleep alone and more comfortable.

Say bye,

- Felipa, his aunt, and Jose Rene

This letter was so heartwarming, it made me very happy. I could feel her sincere appreciation in her writing.

Recent Progress Reports

A Progress Report arrived this week and I compared them to the report from last year and the kids have grown some since last year…


Daichela’s report last year (Feb. 2010) said she was 3’, 11” tall and weighed 52 lbs. Now she is 4’, 1” tall and weighs 57 lbs.  Jose’s report last year (Sept. 2010) said he was 3’, 4” and weighed 44 lbs. and now he is 3’, 8” and weighs 59 lbs.


The changes, from one year to the next, in their monthly average household incomes are worth noting too.


Daichela lives with her aunt and a number of other small cousins and may also have other adults contributing to the monthly income and it went from averaging $111 per month to $131.


Jose lives with his grandmother, who may be on a fixed income and changed only a few dollars per month in the last year with an average monthly income going from $129 to $134.


It does say that their mother’s monthly average income of $57 has not changed in a year.

An amazing adventure

On July 13^th (one month from today) I will be getting on a plane with a leader from the children’s sponsorship organization and few others to see the two children my family sponsors in the Dominican Republic.

I am struck by how quickly time has flown by since I asked if there were any possible way to go see the children we’re sponsoring. I am so very glad I asked.

What an amazing adventure it has been thus far… and it’s really just beginning.

The cart before the horse

I’ve gotten so and passionate about this trip and emotionally attached to these children and about child sponsorship in general, that if given the opportunity I think I could talk for hours to friends and family about it. At times I worry that I’ll talk too much and I have to hold myself back… I wish I could insert here ‘just kidding’ but to be honest and fair… I’m really not kidding… J

Getting to go to another country to see for my own eyes what my sponsorship has done for this family, and will continue to do for them in the future will be a real treasure.

I’m sure it will be hard for me to leave when it’s time to go and I’m sure I’ll feel like I’ve left something undone or unsaid; or that there may be more I could do if given just a few more days. I’m sure I’ll be emotional, that’s a given.

The mother of these two small children wouldn’t be able to afford to keep them in school on her own and for me to be able to help her in the smallest way is very comforting for me. Being able to go see her and her children is going to be so overwhelming that I’m sure the time I spend there will go by way too quickly. I haven’t even gone yet and I already know I will want to return to the DR in the future.

Maybe I’m putting the cart before the horse.