Bracelets for the sponsor's wrist

Spreading the word of szponsorship is being done in Florida! Candace had the great idea of wearing the id bracelets of each of her sponsor children. She, also, sent a matching bracelet to each child. They will have a reminder of each other every time they look at their wrists!
And, now, Candace has an opening to tell others about sponsorship! This is what she said about the bracelets that arrived in the mail a couple of days ago:


"I have had several people ask me about them already and I have given out Children International's website twice so maybe my idea is working!!"

By the way, while I am only charging 50 cents for each bracelet, every cent makes a big difference! Jonathan just got a donation from Dana who puchased 5 bracelets and 5 necklaces. Barbara will have a donation coming soon as well for the many bracelets, necklaces, books, & workbooks she is purchasing, and Candace's paypal payment for her bracelets and necklaces will post in a couple of weeks as well. I am so happy that while I don't have funds to provide for dear Jonathan's fundraiser, I can provide my time to a project that is providing him with funds.

I can't say thank you enough to all of those who are helping!! THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!

The prices can be found on earlier posts. Shipping is very cheap because the beads aren't heavy, but shipping to the CUS school in Uganda is FREE!!! I am fronting the cost for the shipping because I will put everyone's together in one package and ship it out this Saturday. For those of you who have ordered bracelets & necklaces for the Ugandan children, please let me know both of their names, so that I can write it on the outside of the plastic jewelry holder.

The paypal address to send payment, if you can't donate to Jonathan's fundraiser is:
hhamilton2002@hotmail.com

Spending Halloween with friends

Isn't it amazing how just 2 years ago the google groupers didn't know each other? Then, slowly, as the google group was formed, friendships formed as well. Bound by something that others can not understand (not even our closest friends and family), we have turned to each other to share our sponsorship stories. Some, like Mack, can share sponsorship stories with their parents and relatives. Others, like myself, have to keep all of my great stories shut inside until I get around this great group. To say that my husband, parents, all of my relatives, and even closest friends, don't support me in sponsorship would be the understatement of the year!!!

Thank God (and Google) for our Google Group friends!!! We get to meet up and travel together, exchange e-mails and stories... And become a different kind of family.

For those of you who don't know Mack, she lives in the state of Washington, which is a hop, skip and a jump from Canada.

Barbara lives in British Colombia Canada. Logisitics have allowed Mack & Barbara to meet on a couple of occasions. Today was one such occasion-

Mack & Barbara met in Vancouver for lunch! It looks like a scarey scarecrow joined them at the table, too!

Making the World a Better Place...

...only takes a magic wand and pixie dust! Poof! Morgan, Jaden & I wish everyone a very Happy Halloween! Since the pixie dust didn't work, we will just go about making the world a better place the old fashioned way- with tons of love and lots of elbow grease!

(If you would like to submit your sponsor child's story, pictures, letters, or whatever, shoot me an e-mail with everything included to: hhamilton2002@hotmail.com )

Mack & Victor's Trip to Honduras Part 11

CI Day, Part 11 – More Shopping:

The only kid who had not yet received any gifts (except the ones I brought her) was Carlos' 14-year-old sister. Victor very kindly took her to a large department store to pick something out as a "thank-you" because she writes all Carlos' letters for him.
Whether you're a Honduran boy, or one of any other nationality, it is always totally boring to wait around while a teenage girl tries on shoes! First, we messed around some with my camera, taking photos into a mirror … but then the kids discovered the escalator! Up and down and around and around they went, following Connor's bad example and trying to run up the down escalator, and vice-versa.
Next, I contributed to the boys' delinquency by encouraging them to take the wigs off the mannequins and where them on their own heads. One of the sales ladies yelled at us to "stop it", but I just shrugged and told her, "Sorry, I don't speak Spanish. I have no idea what you are saying." We weren't hurting anything!
FINALLY, the women were done with their shopping and we could all move on.
Victor's thoughts:
In fact, this is where I got something for Carlos’ brother. I knew that all the boys would be playing with the toys so there was no need to get something specific for him. I hadn’t know about Carlos ‘surprise’ brother as Mack put it; the one who was a year younger than him, but also figured that he’d be getting to wear Carlos’ clothes in short order as he grew out of them.
We went to this store – sort of a Honduran Macy’s – because I asked Carlos’ sister what she would want. She wanted shoes – nice ones with heels – what is it with women and shoes, anyway? She picked out a pair, but then we went upstairs because I wanted to buy an outfit for Carlos’ 12 year old brother. That took a bit of time; I had sister, mom and the translator with me and the boys’ department wasn’t easy to find. Once that was out of the way, our shopping was done!
Mack again:
I just have to add that even as a woman I really don't understand the shoe obsession, either. I only own two pairs of shoes: beat-up sandals for when it's not raining + water-proof army boots for when it's wet out. If I have to dress up nice, I borrow flats from my mom. I got married bare-footed

Eclipse and Sharon's Departure

Eclipse and Sharon both children on the far right with their mother who is on the far left

Hello Everyone,
I want to tell you about my two children that I was sponsoring through Children International. Eclipse was my second sponsored child. I started sponsoring him in August 2006. He was only 5 years old. He is from Lusaka, Zambia. He was such a cutie I fell in love with him as soon as I saw his picture. He lived with his mother, 2 brothers and a little sister named Sharon. In August 2008 I wanted to help out his family even more so I contacted CI and asked them if I could sponsor the rest of the kids in Eclipse's family. CI contacted me and told me that Eclipse's sister was able to be sponsored. The older brother was to old and the other brother was already sponsored. So I started sponsoring Sharon. When I started sponsoring Sharon she was also 5 years old. She had such a beautiful smile. It just lit up your heart to see these to darling children. Just in the past couple of months I found out that Eclipse and Sharon's mom passed away. Their father had already passed when I started sponsoring them. Now that their mother passed they have no one to care for them. Relatives stepped up and took them in. I was so happy to hear that they were not alone to fend for themselves. Today, I received a letter from CI and this is what they had to say.
Dear Ms. Robb,
I know your sponsored children, Eclipse and Sharon, mean a great deal to you, and that you want to be informed about their well-being. So, today I'm writing you about some important changes happening in their lives.
Our field office staff reported that since Eclipse and Sharon's mother passed away the kids were left without a caretaker. They recently moved in with relatives who live in a community that is outside of our project area.
Unfortunately, this means they can no longer be a part of the program. I know how upsetting this news must be, but I know to assure you that this move was in the best interest of the children at this sad time in their lives.

It breaks my heart that they have lost both of their parents and then losing their sponsorship. It must be devastating to them right now. I wish I could just hug them and assure them that things will work out for the best. I will miss them deeply. I will miss their beaming smiles the most. As of right now I am not going to sponsor any more children other then what I have now. I have seven more sponsored children and I am going to put my energy into making their lives more productive and happy. Thank you for listening to my goodbye story. Good Bye Eclipse and Sharon, You will be in my prayers. I loved you both. Sincerely, Alice

What Have You Been Up To?

I have been slow on posts- I am so sorry to disappoint! I do not have my internet connection at home right now, so I have just spots of time at the cafe. It makes it hard. I mostly try to get my "work" done while I have access to the internet. I have thousands of books to sell, so I am getting them put into lots and placing them on Ebay. It is a long process. If you are looking for books, you can check out what I have with the link in the top right hand corner. I will be adding adult fiction soon, but I want to get as many children's books listed as I can first.

When I'm not at the cafe doing that, I am spending time with my sweet fairy princesses Jaden & Morgan.

I have pictures of my sponsor kids, and letters to share. Since my time is limited here, I have to plug it in as I can. I do want to tell all of you who have been following Diego's story & helping with his fundraiser, he is SO GRATEFUL!!! It is hard to tell by his pictures. Don't let his pictures deceive you... He may look unhappy, but he is VERY happy! He doesn't feel well all of the time, and this can make him appear sad. I got the letter that goes with the pictures of his bed, and let me assure you that his gratitude is beyond what can be expressed in words. He is just such a sweet child! Thank you, EVERY ONE who has donated anything to help him!!!

The rest of his fundraiser will go to help his aunt in her business. She is older, and needs all the help she can get to take care of the debt before she is unable to work. The faster she gets the debt paid off, the faster she will get Diego's health needs taken care of (i.e. daily Pediasure, since he only has enough to last him a few months, foods that may be more expensive but will help him gain weight keep his immune system up).

I will be posting his letter soon, I promise!

The Boys' Bracelets

Barbara had me make these bracelets for her boys. She suggested that the Ugandan school colors be used for her Ugandan boy. After I finished his, I decided it would be cute if there were a lot of kids there with the same bracelet with their name. So, I made 12 more- 1 for each of my children there. They turned out really cute! I think the kids will like them. If you would like me to include a bracelet for your child in the package to the school that I will be sending next week, it only requires a 50 cent donation to my Jonathan's fundraiser per bracelet you want for Uganda! I have put them all in a jewelry display bag, and will be writing their names on the outside of their bag. I will, also, include a letter to Hellen to let her know who all of the bracelets are for. The necklaces are $1 each.

To order 50 cent bracelets and/or $1 necklaces, send payment to:
http://www.firstgiving.com/igp4jonathan
Then, drop me a line to let me know how you would like your Ugandan child's jewelry to read.

Diego Gets His Bed!

I just received word from Vickie at CI that Diego has received his bed, mattress, pillow, sheets, and a fan!!! Thank you to everyone who has helped make this child's life happier and healthier!!

Here is the e-mail from Vickie:

Hello, Friends!

I hope all is well with everyone. I'm happy to attach three photos of Diego from Cartagena -- who, thanks to you all, just received a new bed and mattress, a pillow, set of sheets and an electric fan.

Given Diego's condition, I'm sure that the new bed and linens, as well as the fan, will help to keep him very comfortable. And, I know that he and his family are grateful to you all for what you have done for him! Our appreciation is sincere as well -- thank you again for helping this young boy with your gifts and your heartfelt wishes for his good health and well-being.

All the best to you!

Vickie

And to that, I would like to say "ditto" on my part. Thank you is not a big enough sentiment to express just how grateful I am that he is being taken care of by these great donors!!

To watch the progress of his fundraiser, or to donate, please go to Aura's House:

http://aurashouse.com/2009/06/emergency-project-for-diego-of-columbia/

Name Bracelets & Necklaces Fundraiser

These were made for Candace. She ordered a bracelet for the child & an adult bracelet with each child's name for herself. So, she will have 3 bracelets on her wrist. She said that she hopes it will strike up converasation that will allow her to tell others about sponsorship.

These are 2 of the necklaces made for Barbara's kids. Like Candace, she ordered a necklace for each child to go with the bracelet.

In an effort to keep the fundraisers moving, I am selling the above items. This is how it works, you can pick the colors of beads, and what you want the bracelet/necklace to say. The money that you pay to "buy" these items gets paid directly to Jonathan's fundraiser. This is what you would need to tell me to place your order (I will use an example with my own children):

I would like a bracelet and necklace for the following children with their name on it:

Leydi with colors purple and pink

Dulce with colors blue and red

Then, I would like bracelets only for the following:

Henry with colors blue and green

Jonathan with colors red and black

Diego with colors green and yellow

Mwanza with colors red and black

Etc...

Now, these are the prices:

bracelets= 50 cents each

necklace= $1 each

shipping for 10 bracelets is $1.50

shipping for 5 bracelets and 5 necklaces is $1.75

shipping for 20 bracelets is $2.25

Then, when you know what you want to order, e-mail me your order. If you are ordering something that I haven't listed the shipping for, I will let you know the total at that time. Then, you send that amount as a donation to Jonathan's fundraiser. I will complete your order & ship it to the address that you request. The total cost for 20 bracelets would be $12.25!!! Is that a good deal or not!?!?! You don't have to have the child's name on the bracelet either. We can make a plain bracelet, or even something that you would like to tell your child. My mom's idea (she asked me to make one) was to say "Child of God". It could be whatever you want. I even have animal beads to add, heart charms, photo frame charms, and soon I should have some "Hello Kitty" charms.

Thank you for helping Jonathan!

A Petition for Help for Paola, Tomasa & Family

Some of you have asked how you can help Paola and her family... We did a group donation petition to buy some small things for the family about 2 months ago or so. Some in the group did not get a chance to participate in that round of donations, but now you can help!!! There are only 2 things left on the special needs request from the family - a drain connection and a bathroom. The family is in great need of a place to store their clothes and keep them clean as well. Here is the petition for this new fundraiser:

drain connection $175

chest of drawers/storage for the clothes $100

Total needed: $275

Those of you who were not able to donate before, or those who would like to help again, I will be starting a firstgiving page just for this project. This FirstGiving page is just being set up to help up see how much money has been donated and how much money is still needed. Last time, we just donated directly through Paola's account/PayPal, but it was so much harder to manage. This will make it simpler. Those of you who sponsor Paola/Tomasa and want to help, here is the page:

http://www.firstgiving.com/groupchild

Mack & Victor's Trip to Honduras Part 10

CI Day, Part 10 – Toy Store Fun:

We had seen a toy store on the way in through the mall, and we wanted to take the boys there to pick out something frivolous. The CI staff and the mothers seemed to be against the idea, claiming that the kids didn't need any toys … but we ignored their protests.
It didn't take long for all four boys to decide that they wanted remote control trucks. Meanwhile, my mother did some shopping for Wendy's three daughters back home. She felt bad that we had not known about the youngest girl, who'd been left out when I gave gifts to her older sisters (but was also too young to know it had happened).
I think, at this point, Victor also bought something for Carlos' surprise brother. I really never got that family straight, so I'll let him explain.
Victor's thoughts:
We had gotten the boys shoes, but I did want them to be able to buy something ‘fun’ for themselves as well. Of course, all the women said that they didn’t need anything more, but as King Lear said “Oh, question not the need!” They all picked out some decent sized remote controlled cars. I wondered about batteries, but apparently they had internal, rechargeable ones, so no problem there.
Again, prices were not that great in the mall store; cheaper than in the US but not considerably so. The advantage was that those were big toys which would have taken up a lot of space in my suitcase but buying them there meant that the kids could enjoy a big toy as well as all the little ones we have brought them as well.

Meet Mack's Ugandan Sponsor Child Brian!

Kasumba Brian is the one with the pink sandals

Message from Mack:

Back in July, I sponsored a 9-year-old boy named Okello Jeremiah from one of the group photos on the CUS website. I never heard anything back about him, but figured that correspondance takes a long, long time from Uganda.

A couple weeks ago, I contacted Kate to inquire about Okello Jeremiah. She did some research and reported back that he had dropped out of school and his whereabouts were unknown. Sad! If he ever returns, at least he will have a sponsor.

Kate told me about another little boy who was in need of a friend, so I am now sponsoring Kasumba Brian. In the photo of the family, he is on the right wearing pink sandals.

Here's what Kate has to say about Kasumba Brian:"I met Kasumba Brian this past June, and he is an absolute sweetheart! He has one older brother, and two younger sisters. His sister Prossy is in nursery class at CUS and she is 4 years old. Brian is in P.1 and he is 6 1/2 years old. He is working hard on learning how to read and write basic english, and is doing well in his local language studies. His favorite activity is to play soccer, and he also likes to draw. His mother works in the stone quarry, where she breaks rocks all day for around 0.50-1.00$. She is hardworking and honest, but is extremely poor and it is difficult to meet her children's needs. All of her children benefit from our Saturday feeding program, when it is running. We hope in the future to set the mother up with an income generating project."

Brayan, Brandon & Mom Visit Steve

Brayan, Brandon and their mom visited with Steve last week at their local community center. I am anxious to see the video that Steve took, but these made me happy in the meantime. I am so glad they were able to get to the center to see him. Since it will be awhile since I have a chance to go, it has been great traveling through Steve's photos and videos!! I really want to go to Mexico in 2010. However, I have to buy plane tickets for 3 people, so it will take me longer... And, I guess it doesn't help that I am now unemployed... But, I will see him one day soon!

Mack & Victor's Trip to Honduras Part 9

CI Day, Part 9 – Arcade Fun:

The food court area had a group of kiddie ride things that the younger boys had their eyes on - what do you call them? The little vehicles that you stick a quarter into (unless you are in quarter-less Honduras) and they shake you up a bit. If you don't know what I'm talking about, take a look at the photos.
While Axel and Carlos were thus occupied, I ducked into a nearby arcade, hoping to find some entertainment for my older boys. I was trying to work fast so they wouldn't get bored, but, of course, the workers and I were having trouble communicating, so I couldn't figure out how to pay for the games. They finally beat it into my skull that I would have to purchase a card to insert into each machine, then load the card with money. I figured the second part out after the pass card I'd purchased failed to make the games turn on!
Once my card was loaded and operational, I summoned Jon inside (Wilson was occupied elsewhere, I think), and we got started playing a violent game of air hockey together. That's when Jonathan really started to loosen up and act less self-conscious. He was overcome by that good-natured male competitive spirit that inspired him to laugh and punch the air whenever he scored a point against me. How does one say "In your face, loser!" in espanol?
After Jon kicked my behind at air hockey, I set him up to play with Connor (who he also beat by one point), and I got Wilson going on a racing car video game. By this time, the whole gang had arrived on the scene, so I was running back and forth shoving the card into game slot after game slot. The boys all had a great time playing against each other, and it was really fun for us adults to watch. I think I reloaded the card at least twice before it was time to move on.

Victors Thoughts: Probably because I never encountered one of them when I was small enough to want to ride it, I’ve always considered those vibrating rides to be the height of cheesiness. However, when the boys wanted to ride them, I wasn’t about to say ‘no’. At least the mall was empty and it’s not like I was going to bump into anyone I knew while I was clowning around with the boys. Of course, now Mack will probably show some of the pics to anyone who wants to read this blog. J
When we got inside the arcade, I relaxed as the games were a lot ‘cooler’ and I just let the boys have fun; picking out whatever games they wanted to play. I used the time to take pictures and chat a bit more with one of the translators. This was the sort of thing I’d hoped to be able to do for the boys – let them have as much fun as they could. What I learned for the next trip is to make sure and plan for more of that sort of thing.

Exciting News for Paola and her Family!

You may remember the google group child, Paola from previous posts. When Mack visited the family in Mexico a few months ago, it was clear to all of us that the family was living in some of the worst conditions imaginable!!! We decided that we needed to take action, and a request was sent to the field to ask how we could help the family.

A list was given to us of several things that the family was in need of. We started with the stove because the family was using an open fire, which is not safe with small children running around. Several group members gathered our money together, and came up with the funds to buy a stove and gas cylinder.

That still left several items on their list, and with all of the fundraisers going on... Let's just say it can get overwhelming. Then, we received notification that two very generous and anonymous donors had sent $1007.00 to be used on the family!!! This donation will be used to provide them with a floor in their home, which they clearly need. The dirt floor they have now causes everything to be dusty, including their feet, hair, clothes, bed, etc. The rest of the donation will be used to repair the roof, so that the rain does not get into the home.

I don't know who that donor was, but I would like to thank them on behalf of myself, the group, and Paola's family! We are very grateful for your generosity!!!

Mack's Greeting Card Fundraiser

Greetings fellow sponsors!

Don't forget to use the link on the right side of this page to order customized greeting cards to send to your kids! Christmas is coming up quick - click on the link then search for holiday cards in your child's language. Remember that 50 cents from every card sale goes toward our current fundraisers!

Right now, a promotion is running where if you buy 10 cards you can get them all at 50 cents off. The promo code is CHRISTMAS229.

Also, the first card you order after creating an account is 100% free!

Cookies, anyone?

I am amazed at how easy and convenient the magazine fundraiser is. As I put the check in the bank & distributed the money to the 4 fundraisers, I thought "WOW... How fast could we complete these fundraisers is everyone bought one thing or spread the word to their friends and family?!"
This cookie fundraiser is AWESOME. This is the cookie dough in a tub that schools and other organizations sell to raise funds. It comes in a 2.7 lb tub, and our fundraising group receives $6.80 for every tub bought!
Even if your fundraiser isn't up yet, if you buy the cookies or have your friends and family buy them, you can allocate where you want the funds to go!!! Dee bought a magazine from the magazine fundraiser, and the profit went into her fundraising page (even though it has not yet been launched to the group). Alice sent e-mails to family and friends about the magazines. One of her friends bought 4 magazines, and Alice decided to donate the money to two of Barbara's children (as a way of showing Barbara her support without haveing to come up with funds out of pocket).
Pass around the word and get these tubs of cookies sold. Then, after you have sold some cookies or magazines, let me know where you want the money to go. These are the flavors of cookies available, and the can be found by clicking on the magazine fundraiser button on the right hand side of this page, or you can click on these links below:
WHITE CHOCOLATE MACADAMIA NUT
TRIPLE CHOCOLATE CHUNK
SUGAR
SNICKERDOODLE
OATMEAL RAISIN
CHOCOLATE CHUNK

$$$$$ Money, Money all around!! $$$$$

Jonathan received $13.60

Yamileisy and Jose Manuel received $15.60

Eloina received $24.60

Nsenzeni received $15

The magazine fundraiser check arrived today!!! For those of you expecting $$$, check your fundraisers for the donations! They have all been made. Maybe our next check will make an even bigger dent in these fundraisers!

For Jonathan's Fundraiser

In an attempt to help Jonathan's fundraiser, I have come up something. I was getting my supplies ready for the class I teach on Fridays, and I came across some beads that I never used (but had intended to). It gave me an idea, and Jaden, Morgan & I worked on putting 4 of them together tonight. The top two bracelets are bracelets that I made, and the middle picture is Morgan's bracelet that she made. Jaden made hers, and it is the bottom picture. If you look at the top picture, the bracelets look small, but they actually fit a child up to about 10 years old. I made another bracelet, but my husband is wearing it and he is unavailable for a picture :0) However, the bracelets can be made for the range of baby size on up to adult. I have to purchase some more letter beads because I am already out of the letter "E".

So, here is my idea... As soon as I know the proper spelling of my Ugandan girls names, I will send them each a bracelet. The top two bracelets I have made for my two CI girls (Leydi & Dulce). My idea is this, it won't be anything extra for me to put some more bracelets in the Ugandan box to ship, and if I am already sending a box to some of the CI places, I can fit the bracelets in those packages, too. If you would like me or the girls to make one for your kids, they are 50 cents each, and the money can be donated directly to Jonathan's fundraiser. There are no shipping costs, unless you want me to ship them to a place that I am not already shipping to (your house for example). However, the bracelets don't weigh much, so the cost of shipping won't be much. So, if we can sell 100 of these bracelets, Jonathan's fundraiser will be $50 closer to completion!

http://www.firstgiving.com/igp4jonathan

Some small surprises for my girls

I just put together the first package headed for Uganda. I used a flat rate envelope, so it only cost a little over $12, and all 5 girls will get something! So, it cost me $2.40 per child, which is not bad at all. They each got a fairy sticker book (I labeled everything so Hellen souldn't be confused when she got the package). The fairy sticker book has stickers that are reusable, so they can make several different scenes with the pages in the book. Then, each girl got a book. You can see the titles I picked above. In case you did not know I have thousands of books at home, so I picked from my thousands. The fairy books were, also, something that I had on hand from items I was selling last year on Ebay. They each got a handmade necklace from Jaden as well. They will each have 3 gifts, and hopefully, they will enjoy them even though they are small things. Here are the girls we are sponsoring in Uganda:

The three 5 year olds are Nakiya Gloria, Adongo Mary Gloria and Iga Marrine. Kansime Agness is 6 and Jaden's penpal (and now our sponsor child) Nakaiza Vanesa is 7.

By the way, if you want to send a book to your child in Uganda, I have plenty of books. I plan to send my 7 boys a package in a couple of weeks, so it wouldn't be such a big deal to add some books to the bunch. Just let me know what you are looking for. If you want a new book, I have about 100 or so to choose from for $6 a piece shipped (total for book and shipping). If you want to send a gently used book it would be $3 shipped. Of course, these are only for books shipped to the school in Uganda~ The reason being is if I have to ship them somewhere else, I can't put them in bulk shipping. Let me know if you are interested, and I can send you pics of the books you might be interested in. Just tell me the age & sex of the child and whether you want new or used.