Update on Maria's Fundraiser

Only 4 1/2 hours to go in the month of March! If we can raise this money for Maria, her family will get their fish vending business set up in April!! Only a few hours left to raise an additional $144. Every penny counts! We only need 10 people to donate $15! If you can help, please donate here

Summer Reading Package Received- Peter in Chile

Post by Sara S:

This is Peter who I recently introduced in connection with an IGP. I sent
him a small summer reading package. He looks genuinely pleased with Sponge Bob :) (I’m glad Heather knew Sponge Bob was a popular character and put the
books in her MAC store. I had no idea. Thanks Heather!). Peter’s letter
reads:

“I hope this letter finds you well and beside your family. I am about to go
back to school again, summer break is over. Thank you for the book, I really
like Sponge Bob; thank you for remembering me. I always remember you and pray
God to protect you and your pets that I know you really love. Please send my
greetings to your mom and dad. By the way, my mom says sales are great [at
the shop she started with IGP funds]. We can sell many things. Thank you
very much. My family sends you a lot of love, please take care.”

Meet Chenelle's Child Daniela in Colombia

A post from Chenelle:

This is Daniela. I just began sponsoring her in January.She is 3 years old and lives in Barranquilla with her mother. There has been some confusion with her information but it was straightened out. Now in her letter, it mentions her having a brother, but she is listed in CI as being an only child. I have a feeling Daniela is going to be the child that baffles me the most. CI also sent family photos I requested. She looks like such a diva already. I cant wait to watch her grow. Her is my first letter written by her cousin.

"Dear Miss Brown:

Daniela sends a warm greeting to you. Her mother and sibling also say hello to you. She is very thankful for all the benefits. She is very happy to take part in this sponsorship program. She likes to attend the doctor. She also plays with dolls with her sibling. She likes to go to the park with her mother. She has a lot of fun. She is very loving to her mother and brother. She also attends school. Nothing else to tell you. Sofia Martinez"

Fundraiser #22 for Maria

I know these large fundraisers are hard to fund, but we have come a LONG way on this one!! We only need a little over $200, and then, we will be done with these large fundraisers for a while. If just 20 people donate $10, we will get it funded today! To help Maria, please donate to her fundraiser here AND, if we fund it today, the family will have their fish vending business up and running in April!!!

Meet Sara's Child Maynor in Honduras

A post from Sara S:
I’d like you to meet Maynor from Honduras. He turned 8 earlier this month. Maynor has been part of my sponsorship family for about 15 months. He lives with his parents and a 13-year-old sister named Adilenia. His most recent letter, written by Adilenia, says:

“Hi! How are you doing? I wish you are fine along with your dear family and I tell you that Maynor received your precious letter and it’s very special that you tell us about you and he is glad to know that you like the bicycle. [His previous letter said he liked riding his bike, so in my reply I said I liked riding bikes too. I asked him what color his bike was.] He has no bicycle since he used it too much and now it is ruined. It was purple and blue and he loves his teacher very much and soon he will write you.”

Poor guy broke his bike ... sounds like an energetic little boy. Maybe once my finances recover a bit I can help him buy a new one.

A Very Sad Day for the Srinu Girls

We received pictures of the 3 girls in India that Jaden sent drawings to. I sent 3 simple letters along with the drawings, in hopes of giving them a person to talk to. Their mother passed away just a short while ago, and now their father is not doing well. As you can tell by their faces, it is a very rough time. I inquired about the girls' HIV status because no one had mentioned it. I wondered if they had ever been tested, Well, it turns out that they hadn't. Pastor Frances took them to the hospital for their tests. One came back positive!! Strangely, it was the oldest, Hari with the positive test!! That means the parents have had it for at least 13 years!! Plus, how did the other two come out negative when the parents didn't know to do the retrovirals inutero, and not breast feed, etc. How did they come up negative? I am happy they did, but it is a strange chain of events. I, also, will never understand why people don't get their kids tested when they see themselves dying. I know it sux to know your child is sick too, but the sooner you know the sooner you can start treatment.

Ok, so now we have the treatment part. We are looking into that now to see what can be done for Hari. Most countries now have a program that provides HIV medication and checkups, but I know nothing about India.

Now is the time to wrap ourselves even closer to the children and give our support! If you would like to send cards or uplifting letters, join the group!
[Friends_of_the_Srinu_Family_and_Vardanapu_Family] on Yahoo!

Summer Reading Package Received- Catalina in Chile

Post from Sara S:
Hi everyone. I’d like to introduce 4-year-old Catalina from Chile. I sent her a summer reading package (thanks again to Heather for all of her work on those!). Her mom wrote the following thank you letter:

“We are very happy for all the things you have sent Catalina, she is very happy about coloring books, crayons, soft toy and dominos. We are very grateful. We hope you are very well with your family. This summer she played a lot with her brother and took walks with her parents.”

Meet Melinda's Child Anthony in Ecuador

A post from Melinda:
Here is Anthony from Ecuador,he is the baby of my sponsored children family. He is only 3 years old,he will be turning 4 in a just a couple of days. His birthday is April 1st. He lives with his mother and his two siblings,his father has abandoned the family. I just started sponsoring around the first of March so I haven't received a letter from him yet but I am hoping soon. :)

THANK YOU from Tamara, Jeffrey and Rosalie!

Tamara would like to tell everyone thank you. The fundraiser for Rosalie and Jeffrey is now complete, which means they will soon have a toilet! Tamara wrote "I emailed all of my friends and asked them to help with my fundraiser but no one donated. I just have to thank all those CI sponsors that helped out with my fundraiser." So, there it is:

Thank you!!

Summer Reading Package Received- Andry in Colombia

A post from Sara S:

Another summer reading package thank you appeared in my mail box today. Awesome!!

I received the pictures and thank you letter for Andry's summer reading package! Andry is 11. Her letter reads:

"I send cordial greetings to you and your family. I want to thank you for the gifts. You are so special to me. I received [she lists the items]. Everything is very nice and I liked it so much. I tell you that I have my school vacation on July, December and January and I like to share it with my family and friends. So without further ado, I fondly say goodbye, your sponsored child. Andry"

In one of the pictures it almost looks like she's trying to hug the book :) . She made my day!

My Final Plea for Rosalie

This is my final plea for Rosalie's fundriaser, I promise. She only needs $97 more! The other news to note is that if this can fund by tomorrow, she will get the funds in April (instead of having to wait until May). One of the items they desperately need is a toilet- Who can't respect that?! A toilet is not a luxury but a necessity!- The other options are unsanitary and lead to the spread of diseases. $97 when broken down between several people is really not that much. I hope you will help me get this little girl a toilet for April! To donate, click here

Meet Melinda's Child John Bert in the Philippines

A post from Melinda:

This is John and he is the oldest out of my sponsored children. He is 8 years old and will be 9 in November. Him and his four siblings live with their parents in the Philippines. I was happy when I received the new pictures of John in the mail and he was smiling in them,this is the first time I have seen a picture of him smiling. It made my day :). Here is a letter I received from him on Friday.


Dear sponsor,Hello. I wish you good day! I received the special donation you sent to me. How happy I am upon receiving it. Mom and I bought the following things I needed and some things we needed at home and I know that things will help us a lot. We got clothes keeper for our things to keep and rice and groceries. I also had some clothing to add to my things also. Mother got dish drainer for the kitchen. My sincerest thanks for sending me special donation to Children International. Your kindness and genrosity helps me a lot. I hope and pray that God will always guide you and bless you. Thank you very much. Lovingly yours, John Bert

MIC Bracelets with Charms

I had a few necklaces that were too small for anyone to wear, so I took them apart and made them into bracelets. These are a few of them. I added charms, and I think it added even more glitz to the already fabulous beads. These are being sold for $6 on World of Good. If you don't see the one you want to buy, let me know. I don't want to put too many up and have them not sell (because the fees would eat at the MIC group's profits). You can buy directly if you contact me: macandmic@gmail.com

Meet Sara's Child Jose G in Mexico

This is Jose G from Mexico (the G is a middle initial ... I sponsor two gentlemen named Jose). He is 13. Like Paola and Brayan (both also from Mexico), his shirt is inside out in his most recent annual photo. I initially thought it was teenage rebellion, or the CI rep’s response to something inappropriate on Jose’s shirt. But, now that I know he’s part of a trend I think maybe it’s Mexico’s latest fashion? (some day maybe I’ll ask the google group if anyone knows the real reason ... in the mean time it’s an interesting thing to ponder).

Even though Jose is in his teens he still has not started writing his own letters. I think this is partly due to illness and partly due to starting school late. The last couple letters have all mentioned that Jose is doing well, and I am glad to hear that.

The most recent letter, written by his mother, reads:
“Jose is very happy to receive your letter and know that you care about him and think of him and his siblings. We hope that you have a wonderful Christmas together. Jose is very happy because Christmas is very close and all the family gathers together. We’re looking forward to receiving another letter. Next time, hopefully, Jose will be able to answer the letter himself. Thanks a lot for remembering your sponsored child.”

Emergency Fundraiser for Jessica's Wheelchair

While we don't have the official report back with the thank you letter and everything, I thought you would enjoy seeing one of the pictures from the emergency fundraiser. Jessica looks so happy to be able to get around with her walker, doesn't she?! And check out those "snow tires" that grandma has. She got the wheelchair with regular wheels + additional tires for rough terrain. It makes me want to get a wheelchair for myself ,so I can ride around it style like Jessica is going to!! Thank you for helping Jessica get her wheelchair!!!

Meet Melinda's Child Jhunie in the Philippines

This is Jhunie from the Philippines. It will be a year in April that I have been sponsoring him.He is only 6 yrs old his birthday is in July so he will soon be 7. His father is deceased and his mother isn't living with the family,it doesn't say that she abandoned them on his info sheet so I am guessing that she may be away working somewhere. Jhunie and his three siblings live with some of their relatives. This is the letter I received from him a couple of weeks ago.

Dear Miss Melinda, Big smile to you! I have a happy smile when I got your letter for me. The weather here is hot and I like cold weather. I'm so happy that you liked my letters and drawings. I'm so excited for the pictures that you will send to me. Thank you very much for your help to me. Take care always. Love lots,Jhunie V.

Meet Sara's Child Sindy in Honduras

Post from Sara S:
This lovely young lady is Sindy from Honduras. She is 8 and I have been sponsoring her since December, 2008. Her letters are always super sweet and friendly. This is her most recent letter:

“I hope you are in good health along with your friends and family. First of all, I thank you for the nice letter I have received from you, it’s cute and I am so glad for it. I am grateful for the love you have for me even when we don’t know each other. I love you so much specially the sticker you sent me, they are animals and they look nice. I have a pet called Paco and he is a parrot and I have dogs, turkeys, hens and other animals. I thank you for all the letters you have sent to me. I say good bye with so much love and affection.”

Katja's Sponsor Child Ana and her Family

A post from Katja in Germany:
This is Ana and her family. They seem to be really poor, because the house looks very simple. I grew up in an old farm house and Ana's house looks to me like the houses where you used to put working materials. It's unbelievable for me that they live there.
I already told the family that I will do my best to help them with the things they need, but that it is much money for me and that I need to find friends who help me with the money. So it will take some time until I have the money. I think it is important for them to know, that it is not that easy for me to send them the money, because they might feel bad that they are needy. I don't want to be the rich person for them, but prefer being a friend who tries the best to help them.

Meet Sara's Child Brayan in Honduras

Post from Sara S:
I’d like to introduce you to Brayan from Honduras. He’s 11 years old. I have sponsored him for a bit longer than a year. I don’t know much about him yet, but he seems like a really great young man. His most recent letter was really detailed. It says:

“I hope you are doing good and may God bless you so much and I tell you that I passed my 6th grade of school and my parents will continue supporting me with my middle school and keep on going with my goals. My parents grew up on a Banana Fields community.
Thank you so much for the letter and I am very happy to keep in touch with you. I also thank you for the benefits that you provide to me through this sponsorship program. I say goodbye to you with hugs and affection.”

Package Delivered by Steve for Holly's Child Maria

Post by Holly:

I sent a gift bag to Steve to give to Maria when he visited the Philippines. Maria wasn't able to make it, so he left it at her community center. I just got the photos in the mail.

First Letter from Ana to Katja

Post by Katja:
I got my first letter from Ana! I'm so happy to hear from her!

Here is what she wrote:

"Hello dear Ms. S.!
I hope you are doing healthy along to your loved ones. I tell you that in my free time I like to play with my cousins and I also tell you that I pass to the second grade at my community school. I am very happy and I thank God and to you for sponsoring me. I thank you and may God bless you, I close with huge hugs.
Ana Gabriela"

The letter was written by her 14-year old sister Marlyn Sucely. Ana also drew something for me.

Meet Melinda's Child Antony in Guatemala

A post from Melinda:

I have been following the MAC blog for a few months now,I think Heather does an amazing job on here. Well anyways I decided that I should introduce my five boys to everyone. Antony is my first,I have been sponsoring him since August of 2006. He is 7 years old,will be 8 in December, He lives in Guatemala with his parents and siblings. This is the newest letter that I have from him

Your sponsored child Antony says hello to you with love and wishes you all the best,Antony is healthy and happy to receive 1 pair of shoes,1 pair of tennis shoes,1 backpack,3 toys,1 outfit,1 pair of pants,3 shirts,1 dinner set,9 pairs of stockings,9 underpants. Antony and his family thank you for sending this beautiful gift that is going to cover a big part of our needs,Antony is sending you many blessings and hopes you are doing well wherever you are. Antony wants me to tell you that he is in the first grade. God bless you. With hugs and kisses..Antony David and Deysi

Summer Reading Package Received- Sandra in Colombia

I am very excited! This is the 2nd Summer Reading Package post with a thank you attached!!

Here is the post from Sara S:

Here are the Summer Reading Package pictures and thank you letter I received from Sandra M (as always, the M is a middle initial ... ) in Colombia. Sandra is 14 years old. Her letter reads:

“Receive cordial greetings. This is to thank you for the package you sent me: the books and the candies. Thanks a lot for being so special to me and help me improve my quality of life. I tell you that I am very well and I like to play. My favorite subject is math. I have many friends. I have a nephew and I like to play with him. My favorite pet is rabbit. I am doing well in school. I always stand between third and fourth. I am very studious and like to share with my friends. I thank God for putting you on my path. I thank you so much for sending me this gift. I will keep it so much. I will always think of you. I fondly say goodbye with hugs and kisses.”

Meet Chenelle's Child Isaura in Colombia

A post from Chenelle:
I have been following this group for a few months now and would like to introduce my oldest child to the group. I sponsor two children. I have been sponsoring Isaura for about 6 months and I already feel that I have a special bond with her. I can honestly say that she is my favorite. She is 13 years old and lives in Cartagena,Colombia. She has 2 brothers and lives with her mother. Her father has passed. Here is the most recent letter from her in response to her SNG I sent for her birthday.

Dear Sponsor,

I hope this letter finds you well. I thank you for giving me these gifts. I had a great time when I went shopping. I received a pair of sandals, a short pants, a tight, 2 tops an electric fan and some yogurts. I was glad to receive the gift which came on my birthday. I love to dance so much. I am taking part of a dance contest at school and I hope to win. Typical dance in my country are Mapale, Cumbia, Regaeton, Danzal. I hope that when you visit me someday, you teach me the typical dances of your country, and I teach you ours. I love you so much.

Love,

Your sponsored child,

Isaura

I have attached her most recent picture taken this year. I sent a DP a month ago that she should be getting soon. I will let the group know as soon as I receive feedback on that. With her SNG she bought a pair of shorts, 1 t-shirt, 1 outfit,1 pair of shoes, an electric fan and a pack of yogurt.

Headed to our 1 Year Anniversary!!

Maria's fundraiser needs $229. To donate, click here

Rosalie's fundraiser only needs $122 to be complete!!! To donate, click here

Kevin's fundraiser needs $347. To donate, click here

On April 9th, 2009, Make a Change launched their first ever group fundraiser! We are less than 2 weeks away from our 1 year anniversary!! We have helped 28 families so far. If we can help just 2 of these current fundraisers and get them funded by then, we will be able to put down 30 families for our accomplishments in one year! Rosalie's is so close to being funded, so it's not out of reach. Thank you all for your continued support of our families and children!!

Meet Sara's Child Jemuel in the Philippines

Post from Sara S:

This is young Jemuel from the Philippines. Jemuel is 8 years old. I have been sponsoring him for a bit more than a year. His letters seem very genuine; they always make me chuckle. The most recent letter reads:

“Hello. Thank you for the letter that you have sent. Well I am ok. Me and my family are doing great. I was amused how you celebrate your Thanksgiving. It is somehow similar on how we celebrate some important days here in the Philippines. My favorite holiday is Christmas. It made me feel so excited because we have a long celebration of it here in our country you can hear some children singing different Christmas songs to different houses. There are also a lot of beautiful and colorful lights everywhere. And most especially this is the time when our family had a great bond. I will say goodbye for now. Thank you and hoping for your letter soon.”

Paola Information and Update

Post submitted by Barbara:

"For my new readers who may not know the story of little Paola and her family this is a brief review. Less than a year ago the touching photo of a 'dirty? sad looking little girl, called Paola touched the hearts of several people and 13/14? of us decided to sponsor her as a group. As outlined recently we had a quick collection to enable Macky to buy the family several useful items and food items during a very rushed visit which not only provided many interesting photos of their first visit to the zoo but also several photos showing the dreadful living conditions of the family. The photos showed a very dark, fly infested room with a dirt floor, a hole in the roof, no water connection and the worst of all the mother, Rosa, was cooking on an open fire in a hallway with three young children running about. It was immediately decided to do a group fundraiser in order to change the family's living conditions. The most urgent was to provide a safer means of cooking so once the funds were raised the family received a small table, a gas cooker and a gas canister? (the open fire is no longer used because they have an actual mini stove!)

Then, an inquiry regarding what could be done about getting the two eldest girls, Paola and her elder sister, Tomasa enrolled in school eventually led to two very generous donations, by anonymous sponsors also touched by the family's poor living conditions. More luck continued when the Mexican Government decided to provide cement floors to the small compound where Paola lives. At the same time repairs were made to the roof, a toilet and water connection was made, and a dangerous well was fenced off with a retaining wall.

Then, just before Christmas another small group fund-raiser was made to provide the family with a wardrobe in which to keep their clothes instead of being kept in boxes on the floor.

The latest photos that were posted on March 11 and can be seen here, show the new wardrobe and the socks, shoes, and flip flops bought with the remaining fund raising amount. There was also enough to start proceedings to get the children enrolled in school and provide the necessary documentation.

Soon, the two sisters will start a new adventure, that is begin school for the first time. Since Rosa is illiterate and may not have been taught any personal hygiene the children are often filthy with uncombed hair and unwashed faces. So, in order to prepare them for their new school experience four of us are doing what we can to get them ready so as not to be embarrassed when they embark on their new school life. Barbara is making up a 'preparing for school' package for practising their ABC's, exercise books and hygiene items like brushes for hair, teeth and nails, a wash cloth and towel, etc., Bernie is looking for some ABC books in Spanish and other school supplies; Mack is putting together a cartoon type 'hygiene for pre-schoolers which will be translated into Spanish by Heather. Hopefully, these items will encourage Rosa to teach her children some necessary hygiene tips so that they won't be embarrassed by other children.This will also give Paola some preschool experience so that she would be less behind than other kids who may have attended nursery or kindergarten.

So, you can see that our group has been kept busy but it is so rewarding to have been able to help this worthy family in such a short time. And, you can be sure that more will follow in due course!!

After all of this good fortune, and in less than one year's time, their family income has gone from $95 a month to $291! Wow!!

Miracles in Caring is finally part of World of Good!!

After months of work, MIC is now able to sell on World of Good!! That means that our trust provider that we linked up with, Empowerment Works, thinks that we are worthy of their support! The trust provider checks to make sure that our coop is ethical and abides by the "fair trade" rules. From now on, if you are looking for something made by the women of Uganda, check this store. I am still working on it, but I have some necklaces already posted. See what the store looks like here. And don't forget to check out the latest MIC news here

Jon Receives his Christmas Package 2010

Jon's letter in response to the package that Mack sent him:
"Greetings Dear Sponsor:

Hello! How are you? I hope you are well along with your family and may the Lord bless you today and always.

Well, I am pretty good, thanks to God, and so is my family.

Thanks for the presents you sent me, and I am happy to hear that you went to Mexico and that you enjoyed your anniversary. May the Lord bless your marriage.

Yes, my brothers are nice with me and I tell you that I am so happy to hear that you will come to visit me again and that we will celebrate my birthday together. I love surprises.

Well, take care of yourself. I love you so much and I am so excited for your visit day!

Jonathan"

Meet Sara's Child Sonia in the Dominican Republic

A blog post from Sara S:
I’d like you to meet Sonia. She is 17 years old from Dominican Republic. She is the oldest child in my sponsorship family. I’ve been sponsoring her for about six months. I feel like she and I have formed a great bond despite the short time we’ve been communicating. This is her most recent letter:

“I am writing to tell you that I am fine, and to thank you for keeping me in mind in your life. It is very important for me to be in the 11th grade. Only one year left of high school. To be a professional is one of my goals in life. I do not have any pets, but I would like to have one [this is in response to my sending a picture of my two dogs and me, and asking if she had any pets]. I like the names of your pets.* My parents are very proud to have three children like us. My sister is already in college and the other one finished this year. I hope we continue writing to each other, to learn more about us. Says goodbye with affection and much love.”

*If inquiring minds want to know, the dogs are named Lucy and Lulu. I can’t take credit for their names, they are both adopted (from different shelters) and each came with a name.

Meet a Set of Twins in Need of a Sponsor or Two

You may know their older sister who has a fundriaser coming up- Perla. She lives in Mexico, and is Susan's sponsor child. They are currently living with relatives, and Susan is not sure if their mother lives there with them or not. Once the father abandoned the family, 5 children under 7 years old may have become too much for her to handle on her own. Here is a little about the two children:

Carlos likes playing with cars and toys.
Lydia likes playing hide and seek and with dolls.

They are both two years old.
They have three oldest sisters, the oldest is 7.
They live with relatives and their mother too. (i think)the father abandoned the family.
The income of the family is only 114. a month.

If you, or someone you know, is interested in sponsoring these sweet little twins, please let me know. macandmic@gmail.com Thanks!