Meet Efrain's 8th sponsored child Carolyn Andrea!

Efrain's own words:

Carolyn is my eighth sponsored child with Children International, and my sixteenth sponsored child ever.Carolyn was a child I chose from a booklet that CI sent to me asking me to sponsor a child from their waiting list. I took the booklet and did certain choices on it. Carolyn was my second choice. When I called CI to sponsor a child from that booklet, my first choice was already sponsored. So Carolyn became my new sponsored child. Carolyn is eight years old. She lives in Honduras with her father,mother, and one brother. She writes her own letters. Carolyn has a clear and pretty handwriting. Carolyn is a very loving child. After Jose Antonio, she is the most loving of my sponsored children. She is also the one who more readily anwers my questions. It was funny that the first letter I got from her, she told me that she was pretty. Of course, I told her that I already knew that by seeing her pictures. :-)I recently made a special donation for her. Her pictures show an obviously happy girl. She wears a broad smile beside her mother while showing what they bought; mostly clothes and food. Carolyn is very sweet. I'm glad I sponsored her.

Here is her bio:

Age: 8
Gender: F
Date of Birth: 2/2/2001
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Height: 4 Feet 0 Inches
Weight: 55 Pounds
Hair Color: Brown
Eye Color: Brown
2. Health problems, if any: None
3. Attends School: Yes
4. Favorite School Subjects: Mathematics
Favorite Pastimes or Sports: Playing with dolls
Chores at Home: Running errands
Talents or Hobbies: Dancing, Singing
Languages Spoken: Spanish

INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR CHILD'S FAMILY:
5. Approximate monthly income for the family (in U.S. Dollars): $63.00
6. Name of Father: Jose Luis
Age: 30
Occupation: Unemployed
(If not present, why?)
7. Name of Mother: Sulmary Suyapa
Age: 25
Occupation: Homemaker
(If not present, why?)
8. Brothers and Sisters:
Name Hedryn Josue
Age 2
Gender M
9. Child now living with: Parents

INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR CHILD'S HOME:
10. Description of Home: One Bedroom, Living Room, Kitchen
Cooking Facilities: Electric burner
Sleeping Accommodations: Beds
Home Construction: Walls Concrete block
Roof Corrugated metal
Floor Concrete
11. Facilities and Services:
Water Source/Storage: Running water in home
Electricity: Available
Sanitary Facility: Latrine

Meet Efrain's 7th sponsored child Regine!

Efrain's own words:

Regine is my seventh sponsored child with Children International, my fifteenth sponsored child ever, and the third sponsored girl from the Philippines.The process I followed to choose her was very deliberate. I went to CI's website and browsed through the search results for girls in more or less an age range of 5 to 10 years old. I collected a number of pictures renaming them with the name of the child, formed a collage with all of them and then I showed it to various people. It was funnyto notice that various people were reluctant to see the pictures because they wrongly thought that I was asking them to sponsor a child. Once I had all the feedback, I chose Regine. Regine is nine years old. She lives with her father, mother, one brother, and one sister. As with Jinky, I just downloaded her last yearly picture the day after I downloaded Jinky's, most likely the one you see posted here. I'm still waiting for her big smile. She writes her own letters. All of my filipinas, and Regine is no exception, have a clear and pretty handwriting. Regine's handwriting is almost a work of art. I recently made a special donation for her. Her pictures show an obviously happy girl. It can be seen in her eyes. Her smile is characteristically not big, but I know her enough now to see it in her eyes.

Here is her bio:
Age: 9
Gender: F
Date of Birth: 9/24/1999
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Height: 4 Feet 1 Inches
Weight: 46 Pounds
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Brown
2. Health problems, if any: None
3. Attends School: Yes
4. Favorite School Subjects: Languages
Favorite Pastimes or Sports: Playing with friends, Playing indoor games, Playing outdoor games
Chores at Home: Running errands, Mopping
Talents or Hobbies: Dancing, Singing
Languages Spoken: Filipino

INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR CHILD'S FAMILY:
5. Approximate monthly income for the family (in U.S. Dollars): $175.00
6. Name of Father: Redentor
Age: 38
Occupation: Driver
(If not present, why?)
7. Name of Mother: Nelly Jean
Age: 34
Occupation: Homemaker
(If not present, why?)
8. Brothers and Sisters:
Name Ivan
Age 5
Gender M
Name Tiffany
Age 2
Gender F
9. Child now living with: Parents

INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR CHILD'S HOME:
10. Description of Home: One multi-use room
Cooking Facilities: Portable gas stove
Sleeping Accommodations: Metal beds
Home Construction: Walls Concrete block
Roof Corrugated metal
Floor Concrete
11. Facilities and Services:
Water Source/Storage: Community Pump
Electricity: Non-regulated usage
Sanitary Facility: Latrine

Meet Efrain's 6th sponsored child Jinky!

Efrain's own words:

Jinky is my sixth sponsored child with Children International and my fourteenth sponsored child ever. Jinky is another girl from thePhilippines. When I sponsored her, I didn't had in mind to sponsor another child. It was another impulsive sponsorship. I just went to the CI website and browsed the girls pictures. As Rovelyn did, so did Jinky. She bought my heart with her sad innocent look (in that picture).

Jinky is eleven years old. She lives with his father, mother, and four brothers.I just downloaded her last yearly picture yesterday afternoon, most likely the one you see posted here. I was wishing for a long time to see that smile. On every picture (save for the previous yearly picture), if she smiles, it is a half smile with the lips closed. She looks just adorable in this picture.When I sponsored Jinky, her records said that she slept on the floor with a mat. My inquiries on this matter revealed that there was little room left for a bed but that a sofa bed would do. So I donated for her sofa bed. Yet, her next child progress report said that she still slept on the floor with a mat. I asked about this. CI inquired on this and I got in reply four pictures of Jinky sitting on her sofa bed. It turns out that by the time they made the report, she preferred to sleep on the floor since it was the hottest season of the year.

It has been said that it's wrong to have favorites. Yet I think most people do have favorites. I confess up front that among my sponsored children, Jinky is my favorite. I have never told her so, nor I have told so to anyone of my other sponsored children; but I always tell it to anyone who wants to know about my children. She is not the most affectionate nor the prettiest among my sponsored children, yet I tend to prefer her. I don't know why, but Jinky always stands out.

Here is her bio:
Age: 11
Gender: F
Date of Birth: 8/24/1997
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Height: 4 Feet 7 Inches
Weight: 73 Pounds
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Brown
2. Health problems, if any: None
3. Attends School: Yes
4. Favorite School Subjects: Languages
Favorite Pastimes or Sports: Playing outdoor games, Playing with friends
Chores at Home: Washing dishes
Talents or Hobbies: Singing
Languages Spoken: Filipino

INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR CHILD'S FAMILY:
5. Approximate monthly income for the family (in U.S. Dollars): $197.00
6. Name of Father: Ildefonso
Age: 50
Occupation: Watchman
(If not present, why?)
7. Name of Mother: Lucille
Age: 45
Occupation: Maid
(If not present, why?)
8. Brothers and Sisters:
Name Elicille
Age 20
Gender M
Name Jason
Age 19
Gender M
Name Jayrald
Age 17
Gender M
Name Jeffrey
Age 16
Gender M
9. Child now living with: Parents

INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR CHILD'S HOME:
10. Description of Home: One multi-use room
Cooking Facilities: Gas Stove
Sleeping Accommodations: Beds
Home Construction: Walls Concrete block
Roof Corrugated metal
Floor Concrete
11. Facilities and Services:
Water Source/Storage: Running water in home
Electricity: Available
Sanitary Facility: Toilet

Meet Efrain's 5th sponsored child Rovelyn!

Efrain's own words:

Rovelyn is my fifth sponsored child with Children International and my thirteenth sponsored child ever. I sponsored her to break the"dominican-children-only" rule; she is from the Philippines. I had already broken the girls-only rule, so I decided to break this rule too. Yet I didn't enter CI's website with the express intention of sponsoring another child. I just saw her picture on CI's home page andher tender eyes bought me. You can see the picture that did this on the page located at http://www.liftoneproject.org/goto/caroe. The picture I speak about at that page is the one that did this.

Rovelyn is my first filipina ever. Previously, I had sponsored children from Haiti, Nicaragua, and The Dominican Republic; althought by the time I sponsored Rovelyn, I only had children from the Dominican Republic. Rovelyn is nine years old. She lives with his father, mother, one brother and one sister.

From all of my sponsored children, the most satisfying experience I have had came from a special donation I made to Rovelyn for a bed.When I got her pictures, picturing her sitting on her brand new bed with the broadest smile I have ever seen on my sponsored children, I just can say that it was worth way beyond each penny spent. It is the happiest memory I have of my sponsorship experiences. I might have a much better experience when I go visit one of them and he/she receives me with great excitement. If that ever happens, it will surpass this experience. But up to now, this is my best sponsorship memory, thanks to a little girl that lives far away called Rovelyn.

Here is her bio:
Age: 9
Gender: F
Date of Birth: 1/17/2000
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Height: 4 Feet 0 Inches
Weight: 47 Pounds
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Brown
2. Health problems, if any: None
3. Attends School: Yes
4. Favorite School Subjects: Languages, Reading
Favorite Pastimes or Sports: Playing with friends, Playing with dolls, Playing outdoor games
Chores at Home: Washing dishes, Sweeping
Talents or Hobbies: Singing, Drawing
Languages Spoken: Filipino

INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR CHILD'S FAMILY:
5. Approximate monthly income for the family (in U.S. Dollars): $117.00
6. Name of Father: Roderick
Age: 32
Occupation: Laborer
(If not present, why?)
7. Name of Mother: Eva
Age: 34
Occupation: Unemployed
(If not present, why?)
8. Brothers and Sisters:
Name Princess Joy
Age 6
Gender F
Name Van Harold
Age 3
Gender M
9. Child now living with: Parents

INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR CHILD'S HOME:
10. Description of Home: One multi-use room, Kitchen
Cooking Facilities: Coal stove
Sleeping Accommodations: Metal beds
Home Construction: Walls Concrete
Roof Corrugated metal
Floor Concrete
11. Facilities and Services:
Water Source/Storage: Community Pump
Electricity: Non-regulated usage
Sanitary Facility: Toilet

Meet Efrain's 4th sponsored child Jose Antonio!

Efrain's own words:

Jose Antonio is my fourth sponsored child with Children Internationaland my twelveth sponsored child ever. I sponsored him with the already set idea of breaking the "girls-only" rule. Many people had been joking about a discrimination against boys that I had been supposedly doing. I was not feeling forced to do so, but I toyed with the idea and decided to do it. I browsed Dominican boys at the CI website and chose Jose Antonio.

Jose Antonio is not my first sponsored boy ever. Previously, I sponsored one boy with the other charity. It was at a time when I just called the charity and asked to sponsor a child. They made the choice for me.

Jose Antonio is already twelve years old. He lives with his father,mother, two brothers and one sister. He tells me that his sister,Soranyi, is very loving to him.

Until recently, I have been under the impression that girls were more expressive and loving in their writing. I even didn't believe certain sponsors who told that girls were too independent to be actually very loving. Well, Jose Antonio turns out to be the most loving of my sponsored children. Or at least that's the impression I get through his letters. He openly and directly says that he loves me; maybe just one of my sponsored girls have done so and not to the extent that Jose Antonio does. He entered school relatively recently, so his handwriting is not as good as the girls that are near his age, but his handwriting is easy to read.

Here is his bio:
Age: 12
Gender: M
Date of Birth: 3/19/1997
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Height: 4 Feet 6 Inches
Weight: 70 Pounds
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Black
2. Health problems, if any: None
3. Attends School: Yes
4. Favorite School Subjects: Grammar, Mathematics
Favorite Pastimes or Sports: Playing with toys and cars, Playing baseball
Chores at Home: Running errands, Taking out the trash
Talents or Hobbies: Dancing, Singing
Languages Spoken: Spanish

INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR CHILD'S FAMILY:
5. Approximate monthly income for the family (in U.S. Dollars): $186.00
6. Name of Father: Saturnino
Age: 40
Occupation: Small Store Operator
(If not present, why?)
7. Name of Mother: Leoncia
Age: 33
Occupation: Homemaker
(If not present, why?)
8. Brothers and Sisters:
Name Luis David
Age 14
Gender M
Name Marbin Noel
Age 15
Gender M
Name Soranyi M.
Age 10
Gender F
9. Child now living with: Parents

INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR CHILD'S HOME:
10. Description of Home: One Bedroom, Living Room
Cooking Facilities: Portable gas stove
Sleeping Accommodations: Beds
Home Construction: Walls Wood
Roof Corrugated metal
Floor Concrete
11. Facilities and Services:
Water Source/Storage: Running water in home
Electricity: Available
Sanitary Facility: Toilet

Meet Efain's 3rd Sponsored child Leidy Altagracia!

Efrain's own words:
Leidy Altagracia is my third sponsored child with Children International and my eleventh sponsored child ever. I sponsored Leidyon an impulse; I entered CI's website and next time I was aware of I was sponsoring a new girl :-). Well, it's not that dramatic, but you know, I couldn't refuse to sponsor her.
Leidy is from the Dominican Republic. She lives with her father,mother and one brother. She likes to play with dolls and likes to playvolleyball. I have already heard that volleyball is a common hobby around DR. She also likes singing and dancing. I bet she would be tooshy to dance for me whether I ever visit her.
I endearingly call her "mi princesita" (my little princess). I tell her that she has a name of a princess. She is still too young to writeby herself, but she is already in school, so I expect this to change soon.
Leidy Altagracia has been my last girl I have sponsored from theDominican Republic. After her, I sponsored a boy from the DominicanRepublic also and after the boy, I sponsored a Filipina girl. I enjoywriting in my native language (Spanish), so I'm eager for Leidy to begin writing her letters by herself. I suspect they will be very affectionate.



Here's her bio:
Age: 7
Gender: F
Date of Birth: 5/10/2001
Height: 3 Feet 8 Inches
Weight: 44 Pounds
Hair Color: Brown
Eye Color: Brown
2. Health problems, if any: None
3. Attends School: Yes
4. Favorite School Subjects: Mathematics
Favorite Pastimes or Sports: Playing with dolls, Playing volleyball
Chores at Home: Washing dishes, Sweeping, Running errands
Talents or Hobbies: Singing, Dancing
Languages Spoken: Spanish

INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR CHILD'S FAMILY:
5. Approximate monthly income for the family (in U.S. Dollars): $150.00
6. Name of Father: Félix
Age: 33
Occupation: Driver
(If not present, why?)
7. Name of Mother: Enelsida
Age: 30
Occupation: Homemaker
(If not present, why?)
8. Brothers and Sisters:
Name Leo Fabio
Age 9
Gender M
9. Child now living with: Parents

INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR CHILD'S HOME:
10. Description of Home: One Bedroom, Kitchen
Cooking Facilities: Gas Stove
Sleeping Accommodations: Beds
Home Construction: Walls Concrete block
Roof Corrugated metal
Floor Concrete
11. Facilities and Services:
Water Source/Storage: Running water in home
Electricity: Available
Sanitary Facility: Toilet

Jonathan is on his way to a new BED!!!

The money for Jonathan's bed was sent this morning. I can't wait to see how it will look when he gets it!!! Thank you Robyn for your donation to the bed fund!!! The Wiggles shirts are not selling well at all, and so the sales are going in a negative direction (The Ebay fees are taking away the profit). Luckily, it was my turn the funraiser rotation, so I was able to pick up money from that to make up for the negative return on Ebay. Hopefully, the Wiggles shirts will sell better in the summer (as well as the other things that I usually sell at that time)... Now, about the bed. I sent Jonathan a note to go with the donation. It goes like this:

Querido Jonathan,
Te mando el dinero para comprarte una cama nueva. Espero que la cama que compres, te haga sentir mejor de salud. Me gustan muchisimo tus cartas y fotos. Peinso en ti y en tu abuelita cada dia. Merecen lo mejor de todo en la vida. Los quiero mucho. Por favor, darle un beso y abrazote a tu abuela para me. Besos y abrazos para ti tambien.
Con amor y carino,
Heather

(Dear Jonathan,
I am sending you the money to buy your new bed. I hope that the bed make you feel better. I love your letters and photos. I think about you and your grandmother every day. You deserve the best of everything in life. I love you both very much. Please give your grandmother a kiss and a big hug. Kisses and hugs to you, too.
With love and affection,
Heather)

Meet Efrain's 2nd Sponsored child Yokaira!

In Efrain's own words:

Yokaira is my second sponsored child with Children International and actually my tenth sponsored child ever. I have been a sponsor since1992. I have sponsored 8 children through other charity before sponsoring children from CI, and I still sponsor 3 of them. When the time came when I had to say goodbye to one of my girls, Maria Eugenia, from the other charity, I decided that I'll sponsor two new girls to replace my beloved Maria. Yokaira was one of them.

Yokaira is a beautiful brown-eyed little girl from the DominicanRepublic. It's funny, her yearly pictures have always shown a girl with a hard look, maybe the last one is the exception. Her father died and she lives with her mother and six siblings. She is still too young to write her letter by herself. I'm already encouraging her to do so. I want her to write her own letters by herself as soon as she's able to.

Here is her bio:

Age: 6	Gender: F	Date of Birth: 3/17/2002
Height: 3 Feet 10 Inches		Weight: 49 Pounds		Hair Color: Blond		Eye Color: Brown
2. Health problems, if any: None
3. Attends School: Yes
4. Favorite School Subjects: Art, Mathematics
Favorite Pastimes or Sports: Playing with dolls, Playing with friends
Chores at Home: Running errands, Taking out the trash
Talents or Hobbies: Dancing, Singing
Languages Spoken: Spanish
INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR CHILD'S FAMILY:
5. Approximate monthly income for the family (in U.S. Dollars): $137.00
6. Name of Father: Sergio Antonio			Age: 37	Occupation:
(If not present, why?) Deceased
7. Name of Mother: Digna			Age: 42	Occupation: Factory Worker
(If not present, why?)
8. Brothers and Sisters:
Name Altagracia		Age 15	Gender F	Name Fhreidin		Age 8	Gender M
Name José Ariel		Age 16	Gender M	Name Marilyn		Age 9	Gender F
Name Yaritza		Age 8	Gender F	Name Yudelissa		Age 16	Gender F
9. Child now living with: Mother
INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR CHILD'S HOME:
10. Description of Home: One Bedroom, Dining Room, Kitchen
Cooking Facilities: Gas Stove
Sleeping Accommodations: Beds
Home Construction: Walls Concrete block			Roof Concrete		Floor Concrete
11. Facilities and Services:
Water Source/Storage: Running water in home
Electricity: Available
Sanitary Facility: Toilet

Meet Mack's 3rd Sponsored Child, Mercy!‏

Mack's own words:

I had to choose my third sponsored child carefully, because I'm (currently) limiting myself to three. I had a few important things I was looking for when I sought out my this sponsorship:

1. I had two sponsored boys already, so I knew I wanted a girl.
2. I had two older kids already, so I wanted a little one.
3. I wanted to sponsor in Zambia, because it's a country I'd like to visit someday.

It just so happened that my friend, Heather, was already sponsoring an adorable 7-year-old Zambian girl named Mercy. Heather had also taken on several new children with HIV, so she did not mind the idea of me "adopting" Mercy from her. Thanks, Heather!

I don't know a lot about Mercy yet, as she is too young to write for herself. Her mother reports that her daughter is happy and enjoys showing off the pictures I've sent when she has friends over to the house … just like I show off Mercy's photos to MY friends! I hope as this little girl grows older and continues her schooling (she IS in school, despite what her report says), she will have fun writing me letters and sharing more about herself. In the meantime, people can learn more about Mercy by watching the slide show presentation featuring her that CI shot a few years ago:

( www.children.org Look for the archived slideshows. She is in the Easter slide show from 2008, I believe)
Here is her bio:

Age: 7	Gender: F	Date of Birth: 7/7/2001
Height: 3 Feet 7 Inches		Weight: 33 Pounds		Hair Color: Black		Eye Color: Brown
2. Health problems, if any: None
3. Attends School: No - Family lacks money
4. Favorite School Subjects:
Favorite Pastimes or Sports: Drawing, Playing with friends, Playing outdoor games
Chores at Home: Carrying water
Talents or Hobbies: Drawing, Singing
Languages Spoken: Nyanja
INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR CHILD'S FAMILY:
5. Approximate monthly income for the family (in U.S. Dollars): $40.00
6. Name of Father: Richard			Age:	Occupation:
(If not present, why?) Deceased
7. Name of Mother: Musano			Age: 26	Occupation: Unemployed
(If not present, why?)
8. Brothers and Sisters:
Name Catherine		Age 0	Gender F	Name Derrick		Age 5	Gender M
9. Child now living with: Mother
INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR CHILD'S HOME:
10. Description of Home: One multi-use room, One Bedroom
Cooking Facilities: Coal stove
Sleeping Accommodations: The floor with a mat
Home Construction: Walls Concrete block			Roof Corrugated metal		Floor Concrete
11. Facilities and Services:
Water Source/Storage: Community faucets
Electricity: Not available
Sanitary Facility: Community latrine

Meet Mack's 2nd Sponsored Child, Wilson!‏

Directly from Mack:

I chose to sponsor my second child, Wilson, age 12, because he is the older brother of my friend's child, Axel, and I wanted to have my own connection to the family. Wilson had never been enrolled with Children International when I offered to sponsor him, presumably because he was too old when his mother discovered the program. Still, he had attended school prior to sponsorship and is at the correct grade level for his age. In fact, Wilson is in the same grade as my first child, Jonathan, who is a 1.5 years older! The boys are in different classrooms, however, because Jonathan's math skills have placed him in an advanced program.

Wilson is a very well-mannered and confident boy, likely a result of him being the oldest of five siblings. His whole family is warm and vivacious - especially his single mother, Wendy, who quite possibly smiles more than any other person I've ever met.

Wilson's family is also very poor. He, his brother, his three sisters, and his mother live in a small house made of wooden slates and tin. Also residing in the same two-room shack are Wilson's grandmother, two aunts, and two small cousins. That's eleven people in an area about the size of my garage!

There are quite a few pets at Wilson's house. My favorite is his adorable turtle (even though it bites). His family also has a rabbit and the usual assortment of chickens and ducks. There is a dog, too, but not for much longer. I would have inquired about a veterinarian, but it looked like the poor pup was beyond that point.

Overall, I think Wilson is a very lucky kid. He has a large, fun-loving family, and people would kill for the view off the side of his mountain. There are more important things in life than money!

Here is his bio:

Age: *12* Gender: *M* Date of Birth: *6/7/1996*
Height: *4* Feet *9* Inches Weight: *86* Pounds Hair Color: *Brown*
Eye Color: *Brown*
2. Health problems, if any: *None*
3. Attends School:* Yes*
4. Favorite School Subjects:* Mathematics*
Favorite Pastimes or Sports:* Playing soccer, Listening to music*
Chores at Home: * Running errands, General housework*
Talents or Hobbies:* Drawing, Painting*
Languages Spoken:* Spanish*

*INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR CHILD'S FAMILY:*
5. Approximate monthly income for the family (in U.S. Dollars): *$105.00*
6. Name of Father: *Desconocido* Age: ** Occupation: **
(If not present, why?)* Abandoned family*
7. Name of Mother: *Wendy Yamileth* Age: *29* Occupation: *Homemaker*
(If not present, why?)* *
8. Brothers and Sisters:
Name *Axel David* Age *10* Gender *M* Name *Sayda Julissa* Age *11*
Gender *F*
Name *Soreli Nicolle* Age *7* Gender *F*
9. Child now living with: * Mother*

*INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR CHILD'S HOME:*
10. Description of Home:* One Bedroom, Living Room, Kitchen *
Cooking Facilities:* Earthen stove *
Sleeping Accommodations:* Sleeps on the floor with mattress*
Home Construction: Walls * Concrete block* Roof * Corrugated metal*
Floor * Concrete*
11. Facilities and Services:
Water Source/Storage:* Running water in home*
Electricity:* Available*
Sanitary Facility:* Latrine*

Meet Mack's 1st Sponsored Child, Jonathan!‏

(For the sake of the blog, I will refer to Mack's sponsored child as Jon, since I already have a Jonathan as well). Mack has written some sentences to tell more about Jon:

I was very fortunate to find my first child, Jonathan. When a friend encouraged me to sponsor through Children International, I knew right away that I wanted to support an older boy who spoke Spanish. My hope was that my 14-year-old godson, who takes Spanish language lessons at his high school, would be able to write letters and bond with my sponsored child.

My initial search for a teenager on the CI website led me to Jonathan, a 13-year-old Honduran boy who fit my needs perfectly! I didn't realize until later how lucky I was to find Jonathan, as teens seldom appear in the CI listings. Children his age either have sponsors already, or are considered too old to enroll in the program. I learned that Jonathan's third sponsor had suddenly "quit", and that I am his fourth.

Connor, my godson, has not yet written a letter to Jonathan (he is still in his first year of Spanish classes), but he got an even better opportunity – he was able to go with me to visit Jonathan in February of 2009! By then, the two boy's ages were 14 and 15, and they had a wonderful time together playing basketball and air hockey (which Jon won) at the mall.

A little bit about Jonathan:

* Jonathan is short for his age and a slightly shy boy who loves to have fun once he's drawn out of his shell. He has a beautiful, big smile, but sometimes needs coaxing before he will share it with the world.

* Jonathan is the youngest of three brothers. His two older siblings still live at home, and the brothers all share a love for the local San Pedro Sula futbol team, Marathon (pronounced M-are-uh-tan?).

* He lives in a very nice home, and his family (both mother and father are present) has a reasonable and stable income (by local standards) of over $250 per month. I assume that their financial situation was worse when Jonathan first enrolled in the CI program.

* He has a dog named "Stewart" and also a number of pet chickens (or future dinners?).

* Jonathan's best subject is math, and favorite activities are drawing and playing sports.

Now, here is his bio:

Age: *14* Gender: *M* Date of Birth: *1/19/1995*
Height: *4* Feet *11* Inches Weight: *80* Pounds Hair Color: *Black*
Eye Color: *Black*
2. Health problems, if any: *Child requires dental care*
3. Attends School:* Yes*
4. Favorite School Subjects:* Mathematics*
Favorite Pastimes or Sports:* Playing soccer*
Chores at Home: * General housework, Running errands*
Talents or Hobbies:* Singing, Drawing*
Languages Spoken:* Spanish*

*INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR CHILD'S FAMILY:*
5. Approximate monthly income for the family (in U.S. Dollars): *$253.00*
6. Name of Father: *Jose Angel* Age: *44* Occupation: *Tailor*
(If not present, why?)* *
7. Name of Mother: *Bessy Suyapa* Age: *42* Occupation: *Homemaker*
(If not present, why?)* *
8. Brothers and Sisters:
Name *Jimi Jose* Age *15* Gender *M* Name *Jose Angel* Age *17* Gender *M*
Name *Merlin Yamileth* Age *21* Gender *F*
9. Child now living with: * Parents*

*INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR CHILD'S HOME:*
10. Description of Home:* One multi-use room, Living Room, Kitchen *
Cooking Facilities:* Electric burner *
Sleeping Accommodations:* Beds*
Home Construction: Walls * Concrete block* Roof * Corrugated metal*
Floor * Concrete*
11. Facilities and Services:
Water Source/Storage:* Running water in home*
Electricity:* Available*
Sanitary Facility:* Toilet*

Fundraiser Frustration

Dulce~ Money already sent for her bed
Jonathan~ Next in line for a bed... Only a few dollars short
Leydi~ 3rd in line to get a bed
Diego~ 4th in line to get a bed

OK, so I found out what happened to my fundraiser. I am so angry that I am probably going to wind up giving myself a migraine or a tension headache. My teeth are clenched tight, and I can't stop thinking about it...
I found a place to buy these Wiggles shirts for a reasonable price, and began selling them on Ebay to make some extra money for Jaden's fundraiser. Everything was going well. The shirts were selling, and everything was looking up... Then, sales just STOPPED> Today I looked into it and found that there is now a "copycat" seller who is shadowing me. She is listing her items at a price below mine with a caption that says: "Best Price on Ebay @@@Look Here First@@@". So, I lowered my prices twice!!! Every time, she lowered hers as well. I just lower them again, but I know it won't take her long to figure it out. I am not sure how to win at this game. I really want to contact her & go off on her. However, I know everyone has a right to sell whatever they want on Ebay... Even if someone else started selling it first... The other bad thing is that this person knows where I get my supply from, so she is buying out my supply. What do I do? Any ideas?

Carlos & Claritza with their gifts

Letters from 3 of my sponsored kids

Katherine
Aldair
Henry
Aldair drew this picture. Above the drawn picture, I have put each of the 3 kid's pictures as a point of reference.

These are the letters that I have received in the last week:
Katherine:
I hope this letter finds you well. We are fine. Thank you for your letters and pictures. You look very nice. We celebrate Independence Day on February 27th. We dress up in costumes and have parades. We had a great Christmas because we were together. The child is very happy to receive your letter and books. We have no parks close to the house. Saying goodbye, Katy and Katherine. Thank you for everything

Aldair:
Receive many greetings along with your family. I thank you for the pretty letter. I write to tell you that my family and I are fine. I spent Christmas with my loved ones, and I took advantage by playing & going to the manger. I am so happy to have you as my sponsor. I send you many kisses and hugs. I say goodbye, your sponsored child, Aldair

Henry:
How are you? I hope you are well. My family and I are well. The weather here is hot during the day and cold at night during this season. I don't have clothing for cool weather, but I use the blanket you gave me. The nearest movie theater is 45 minutes away from my house, but we don't go because we watch movies in video at my aunt's who lives next door. I feel very well; I eat all my food. Thank you for worrying about me. I wish you lots of blessings and success in your life. I say goodbye with lots of love, Henry

Eclipse's Gifts from Alice

These are several gifts that ALice has sent to Eclipse and his family over the years. The house pictures are in here because she provided them with rent for 6 months. You should, also, see pictures of mattresses, sheets, bed frame, food, clothes, etc. I don't have details on everything, but you can see his excitement by the pictures.

Meet Efrain's first sponsored child Carolina!

Age: 7	Gender: F	Date of Birth: 2/26/2002
Height: 3 Feet 6 Inches		Weight: 35 Pounds		Hair Color: Blond		Eye Color: Green
2. Health problems, if any: None
3. Attends School: No - Too young
4. Favorite School Subjects:
Favorite Pastimes or Sports: Playing with dolls
Chores at Home: Washing clothes, Sweeping
Talents or Hobbies: Dancing, Singing
Languages Spoken: Spanish
INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR CHILD'S FAMILY:
5. Approximate monthly income for the family (in U.S. Dollars): $205.00
6. Name of Father: Rafael Antonio			Age: 37	Occupation: Watchman
(If not present, why?) Separated
7. Name of Mother: Miriam Jaquelly			Age: 25	Occupation: Homemaker
(If not present, why?)
8. Brothers and Sisters:
Name Steffany O.		Age 5	Gender F
9. Child now living with: Mother
INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR CHILD'S HOME:
10. Description of Home: One Bedroom, Dining Room, Kitchen
Cooking Facilities: Gas Stove
Sleeping Accommodations: Beds
Home Construction: Walls Wood			Roof Corrugated metal		Floor Concrete
11. Facilities and Services:
Water Source/Storage: Running water in home
Electricity: Available
Sanitary Facility: Toilet

Carolina is Efrain's first sponsored child through Children International. The reason the other kids with the other organization are not shown is because the organization does not allow them to be shown. We are very fortunate to have a great organization like Children International that allows so much flexibility, and the opportunity to share our personal sponsorship experiences with each other!!!
Here are Efrain's words:
Carolina is my first sponsored child with Children International and
actually my ninth sponsored child ever. I have been a sponsor since
1992. I have sponsored 8 children through other charity previous to
Carolina, and I still sponsor 3 of them. When the time came when I had
to say goodbye to one of my girls, Maria Eugenia, from the other
charity, I decided that I'll sponsor two new girls from CI to replace
my beloved Maria. Carolina was one of them.

Carolina is a beautiful blonde green-eyed little girl from the
Dominican Republic. Her yearly pictures have always shown a very shy
girl. She lives with her mother and a younger sister. She is still too
young to write her letter by herself. I'm already encouraging her to
do so. I want her to write her own letters by herself as soon as she's
able to. The communication is always more personal and satisfying when
the child writes her own letters.

Jonathan~ The next up to get a BED!!!

Jonathan wrote me a very sweet letter after he received his Christmas package. Now, I can't find the letter (I think the girls put it some where). Luckily, I had already scanned the pictures, or I wouldn't have those either. As soon as I figure out where they put the letter, I will come back & post it because it was VERY Sweet!!! As you can see by his smile, he is precious! He looks so excited to have the clothes and small things that I sent. I wonder what he will think when he has a nice comfy bed to lay in!!! Only $65 more to go, and he will have it!!! YAY!!!
Luckily, I did e-mail Alice two parts of Jonathan's letter that I especially liked, so here is a portion of my e-mail containing Jonathan's letter:

I am REALLY excited for the pics & letter Jonathan. You can see in the pictures that he is genuinely happy with the items & his letter is very sweet. He told me "your nice words made me feel so happy" and "thanks from the bottom of my heart for being such a wonderful sponsor." What was even more exciting is these are the first pictures with big smiles, so I know he is truly happy... That is what keeps me going.

Alice's Kids~ Family Pictures

Lilliam & her mom
Lilliam's grandparents, herself & her mother inside the grandparents' home
Lilliam's grandparents, mother & herself (left to right)
Katherine & her mom outside their home

Katherine & her mom inside their home


From left~ mother, Stanford (Eclipse's brother), Ishmael (brother), Eclipse & Sharon
Katherine & her mom in front of their home. I noticed that they have a Children International sign on their home & now wonder if all sponsored children do (or maybe just rural routes?)
Katherine and her mom inside and outside their home


Ok... I am not an expert in computer, so I have no idea how to make these pictures bigger. I am hoping to get better copies from Alice soon, and then, I will replace these with the new ones.

Now, here are some interesting updates. First of all, Katherine S, is one of the children with HIV for whom I had tried to find a sponsor. When Alice saw her pictures, she took her immediately. At the time, it seemed that Katherine (of all of the 5 children with HIV/AIDS) was better off than the others. Both of her parents still living, and she had not advanced to AIDS. As you can see in the pictures she looks weak & doesn't feel well. Also, I don't know where her father was when they took the picture. However, as for her condition, she was sick at the time of the pictures. Children International is requesting a special needs donation to buy her a blender, Pediasure & vitamins. The total cost is $110. If you would like to help Alice raise the money to help her feel better, contact myself or Alice, and a child ID number can be given so that the donation given to CI will go directly to help Katherine. Thank you to all who help!!!

Here is a letter that came from Katherine's mother:

Let me tell you that we have received your letters , picture and Christmas' postcard. We are so happy because you care about us. She already finished the school and she is on vacations. What she likes the most is to color and draw.. I would like that you come to visit to our home one day. We would be so happy to see you in person in order to talk, go out for a walk and eat fruits also go to the countryside, etc. I feel very proud to know that there is someone in the distance that care about my daughter and my family. Now, we are in winter time and it rains also is very hot. We would like to receive a blender and 2 cans of nutritional complements
(Pediasure) and vitamins (Complejo B). I thank you deeply for being a wonderful sponsor! I say good bye with a big hug

Lilliam lives with her grandparents, but there is no room for her mother in the home. Her mother has to live in a one room apartment. Alice is hoping to start a fundraiser at a later date to either improve on the grandparents current home or purchase a new home that will allow all of them to live together. I will keep you posted when that happens.