Sigh - this blog is entirely responsible for me picking up a third child, which I did on Friday. In the course of writing about one of my previous children, I referenced the search I had made to find him. I didn't remember if the search field said 'Boy/Girl' or 'Male/Female' and, wanting to be accurate, I went to the CI site to find out (It's Male, btw). Once there, and having a search cued up (Honduras/Male) I decided to run it just to see what popped up. I do this every so often - it's always dangerous - sort of like going into a pet store where you might get seduced by puppy eyes. I saw a couple of kids that I clicked on 'just for fun' - read the bio of the first but then moved on. Much as I'd like to, I can't help them all. But then I looked at the bio of the second one, a boy of five. I saw something that I had not seen before with any of the kids I'd ever looked at - he (and his one sibling) was being cared for by a single father. Right away, I felt God speaking to me and saying that this was a kid who I should be sponsoring - it wasn't a question of affording it - I knew I could - and in less than two minutes I made the final decision to take him on.
Obviously, I don't know anything about him other than what's in the family info sheet. His other sibling is a sister, a year younger than he is. I did learn something new - one of my other kid's father was named 'Desconocido' but when I noticed Wilmer's mother had the same 'name', I realized that it probably wasn't, in fact, a name. I looked it up and now I know that it's simply Spanish for unknown. I don't think that means the other parent doesn't know the name of the missing one (possible with a father, not at all possible with a mother) just that they didn't provide that information to CI.
Wilmer's father is young (28) and seems to have a job as a day laborer. I suspect a single man in his position with two small kids has a lot better prospects than a single woman would so my guess is that he won't be a single father for too long. I try to send each of my kids a special gift of $250 three to four times a year and I've just sent the first one to Wilmer. His write-up says they sleep on hammocks, so I suspect that a bed might be one of the first things they get. I never put conditions on my gifts - I let the family select whatever they need the most, so if they select choose other things than a bed, I won't be the least bit bothered.
I seem to have gotten lucky in at least one area, here. I had said that if I sponsored any more kids, I wanted them to be in the same town as one of my other boys. I couldn't tell from the backdrop used in Wilmer's photo if he was or not, but decided that it wasn't that important. But checking the fact sheets, one of my kids is in sub-project #6104 and he is in sub-project #6106 so they are probably very close to each other.
Of course, this gives me another reason to make a return visit to Honduras! Not that I mind, and fortunately I'm in South Florida so often and it's inexpensive to get down to Honduras from Miami.
1. Child's Full Name: Wilmer
Age: 5
Gender: M
Date of Birth: 11/14/2003
Height: 3 Feet 6 Inches
Weight: 47 Pounds
Hair Color: Brown Eye Color: Brown
2. Health problems, if any: None
3. Attends School: No - Too young
Favorite Pastimes or Sports: Playing soccer
Chores at Home: Running errands
Talents or Hobbies: Singing
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: Wilmer Gabriel Age: 28 Occupation: Daily Worker
7. Name of Mother: Desconocida Age: Occupation: (If not present, why?) Abandoned family
8. Brothers and Sisters:
Name Wendy Yamileth Age 4 Gender F
9. Child now living with: Father
INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR CHILD'S HOME:
10. Description of Home: One multi-use room Cooking Facilities: Earthen stove
Sleeping Accommodations: Hammock
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
Obviously, I don't know anything about him other than what's in the family info sheet. His other sibling is a sister, a year younger than he is. I did learn something new - one of my other kid's father was named 'Desconocido' but when I noticed Wilmer's mother had the same 'name', I realized that it probably wasn't, in fact, a name. I looked it up and now I know that it's simply Spanish for unknown. I don't think that means the other parent doesn't know the name of the missing one (possible with a father, not at all possible with a mother) just that they didn't provide that information to CI.
Wilmer's father is young (28) and seems to have a job as a day laborer. I suspect a single man in his position with two small kids has a lot better prospects than a single woman would so my guess is that he won't be a single father for too long. I try to send each of my kids a special gift of $250 three to four times a year and I've just sent the first one to Wilmer. His write-up says they sleep on hammocks, so I suspect that a bed might be one of the first things they get. I never put conditions on my gifts - I let the family select whatever they need the most, so if they select choose other things than a bed, I won't be the least bit bothered.
I seem to have gotten lucky in at least one area, here. I had said that if I sponsored any more kids, I wanted them to be in the same town as one of my other boys. I couldn't tell from the backdrop used in Wilmer's photo if he was or not, but decided that it wasn't that important. But checking the fact sheets, one of my kids is in sub-project #6104 and he is in sub-project #6106 so they are probably very close to each other.
Of course, this gives me another reason to make a return visit to Honduras! Not that I mind, and fortunately I'm in South Florida so often and it's inexpensive to get down to Honduras from Miami.
1. Child's Full Name: Wilmer
Age: 5
Gender: M
Date of Birth: 11/14/2003
Height: 3 Feet 6 Inches
Weight: 47 Pounds
Hair Color: Brown Eye Color: Brown
2. Health problems, if any: None
3. Attends School: No - Too young
Favorite Pastimes or Sports: Playing soccer
Chores at Home: Running errands
Talents or Hobbies: Singing
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: Wilmer Gabriel Age: 28 Occupation: Daily Worker
7. Name of Mother: Desconocida Age: Occupation: (If not present, why?) Abandoned family
8. Brothers and Sisters:
Name Wendy Yamileth Age 4 Gender F
9. Child now living with: Father
INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR CHILD'S HOME:
10. Description of Home: One multi-use room Cooking Facilities: Earthen stove
Sleeping Accommodations: Hammock
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
2 comments:
I'll bet you get a smile out of him in the next picture you see. (PS _ there must be something going around - spring fever? - I just sponsored my 18th child today!)
I saw Victor on CI international, and I was tempted to sponsor him, but I already have 5 children from Honduras. I'm so happy he found a sponsor. I had the same reaction that you when I saw he was living with his father. I speak Spanish if you need any help with the language.
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