And the Winner for Day 8 is...

(We are still waiting for the results of raffle #8. They will be posted as soon as they are received.)

Barbara writes:

Without a scanner or knowledge to work a complicated computer programme the draw was done old fashioned and done on the honour system. Each person who participated in the raffled was given a raffle ticket for each dollar donated and their names deposited in a bowl. Then, my elderly neighbour, Jack, without looking picked a name out of the bowl and the name drawn was........John. So, many thanks to him and others who also participated in helping Miguel's family to open their own small business. I know they will be delighted. John please let me know what you would prefer either the $20.00 donation to a fund-raiser of your choice or the leather cushion covers.

Many thanks

Cheers

Barbara

On the 9th Day of Christmas...

Today's raffle is for a $20 donation to any fundraiser of your choosing (this could mean that you would be able to put $20 into another raffle for another chance to win as well!).

OR

Two small or one large soft real leather cushion covers from Morocco. The larger one is a light brown colour - about 17 inches across and when stuffed 2 inches high hand tooled with squares and gold stars. The two smaller covers are about eleven inches across and one inch high. One is dark green with similar tooling to the larger one and the other is a cream colour with a central gold tooled star and square and eight extensions ending in a decorative square. These would make an exotic gift for the person who has everything but loves decorating their house with eclectic items.

The raffle will benefit Miguel in Mexico. His family would like to start a business selling milk, soda, and tortillas. Every $1 gets you one raffle ticket. To enter the raffle, click here to donate by December 10th at 10PM CST:

http://www.firstgiving.com/generalstoreigp

Good luck!

A Mexican Puzzle

Miguel received the electronic toy that Barbara ordered for him during the Summer Reading Program. However, do you see how he is looking puzzled? Strangest thing happened- the field staff said there was, also, a pocket lamp in his package but they would not give it to him. Anyone have any idea what they could be talking about? What is a pocket lamp? The reason they couldn't give it to him is because it had a phone number on it... Which takes us from weird to weirder... What is a pocket lamp, why does it have a phone number on it, and where did it come from? If any one can solve this puzzle, I will have a nice prize for you :o)

MIGUEL WITH HIS 10TH BIRTHDAY PACKAGE

Letter from Miguel:

Dear Barbara Rogers

Thank you for everything you sent me. I also want to thank you for congratulating me on my birthday. I'm very excited about turning 10 years old. I want to tell you that I am working very hard in school because I really like Maths, adding and I like books. My teacher is very nice and she teaches me a lot. Thank you for your photos, they're really lovely. It's nice that you have a lot of friends and I bet it's fun to travel a lot. Thank you for everything, My Mom and my sister say hi. Thank you for everything. I love you very much. Miguel.

Here is what the package contained.

A lego building toy of a batboat - hunt for killers.
Blue and white checked shirt
A 2010 Olympic T shirt.
Navy sports shorts
A green stunt car
A Batman activity book
A book in Spanish
Red knitted Teddy bear for his young niece

I was also pleased to see that he was wearing the Vancouver Olympic's hoody that I sent in an earlier package as it good to know that it fits and that he wears what I send.


Cheers

Barbara

A Letter from Miguel in Mexico

Dear Barbara Rogers

I want to thank you for the visit from your friend [Steve], he was very nice. I am doing very well and I am getting very good grades at school. It made me very happy to hear from you. I also hope that you are in good health. I really liked the gifts you sent me, especially the [Halloween] gloves and the singing card and the turtle. Thank you very much - with affection. Miguel.

A Look Back 2009 Part 1

#1 Janet was the first child ever to receive our group's donations! Janet is Robyn's sponsor child. She lives in Zambia. She was in great need of the items in order to start school. Luckily, we were able to provide them just in time! She even received a bed and food items!

We raised: $215 by 4/19/09

Janet received:

1 –Bag of rice,
1- Bag of Mealie Meal,
1- Container of cooking Oil
1 - Bag of Sugar
1 - Blanket
1 – Bed
1 – Uniform
1 - School Bag
1 - Pair of shoes
1 – Miscellaneous bags of Beans, Flour, Groundnuts
1 – Kapenta (sardines)

#2 Miguel is Barbara sponsor child in Mexico. He was sharing a bed with his parents, and desperately needed a bed of his own.

We raised: $215 by 4/30/09

Miguel received:

1 Bed

1 Chest of drawers

1 Bedspread

1 Set of bedsheets

1 Pair of shoes

#3 Katherine is Jim's sponsor child who lives in Ecuador. She was in need of nutritional supplies and a bed to keep her healthy.

We raised: $200 by 5/2/09

Katherine received:

1 Blender
3 Pediasure bottles
1 Portable gas stove
1 Full size mattress
1 Bed sheets

Miguel Angel's Package From Barbara

Dear Barbara

Thank you for the gifts that you sent me. I really liked the Halloween lamp and towel, the spider that glows in the dark, the frog, the shirt and baby's T-shirt. Also, the stickers, the brochure and I liked your photos a lot. What I like the most is the Batman blanket [for his new bed]. Thank you for always thinking about me.

Miguel Angel.

Miguel gets a special package during Mack's trip

When Mack went to visit Paola in July, she, also, took care of a few other sponsor children. Miguel, who is Barbara's sponsor child, was one of the children she left gifts for. Here is the thank you that Mack received from him:

Dear Mckenzie and Michael,
My name is Miguel Angel and I am very happy for the soccer ball. I love the pictures and the can of stream, the pendant (crucifix) is very nice and the letter too. I want to thank you for everything you sent me, I like it very much. I have fun with the soccer ball, I play a lot and I am the goalkeeper. I want to tell you that I passed to the third grade of elementary school and I am very happy and will study very hard. Thank you for everything.
Sincerely, Miguel

Thank You Letters from Miguel Angel~ Project #2

Miguel sent 2 thank you letters for the items that were purchased with his fundraiser. Debbie at CI was kind enough to send me the letters as attachments, so here they are (before Barbara even got a chance to receive them in the mail):

Dear Sponsor Barbara,
Thank you for always thinking about me. I loved the bed, the mattress, and the chest of drawers for my clothes. I wanted to tell you that I will be out of school for vacations soon. My teacher says that I am doing well and I am studying very hard in school. I want to thank you for everything, and I hope you are in good health. I love you very much.
Sincerely,
Miguel Angel

Dear Barbara,
Thank you for the bed sheets you sent me. I loved them. They will look very nice on my bed, sponsor. Me and my family are doing fine. We hope you're fine, too. We send you lots of hugs and kisses. I love you very much.
Sincerely,
Miguel Angel

Special thanks to the following contributors:

4/19/2009
Victor Patterson
$35.00
Happy to help the lad have a good night's sleep

4/30/2009
Jennifer Hasson Karaya
$25.00

4/30/2009
Robin Melon
$5.00

4/30/2009
Tamara Schilling
$15.00
Sweet Dream Miguel

4/30/2009
Heather McLaughlin
$5.00
Here is my additional $5... Can anyone match me?

4/29/2009
Albert Chong
$10.00
Chloe Wishes Miguel Good Luck

4/25/2009
Alice Robb
$10.00
Good Luck

4/24/2009
Heather McLaughlin
$20.00
Good luck!

4/23/2009
Mckenzie Fritch
$20.00
Goodnight, Miguel!

4/22/2009
Holly Griffin
$5.00
Good Luck!

4/21/2009
Efrain Caro
$20.00

4/21/2009
Susana Boavida
$25.00

I wish you the best for the project!
4/20/2009
Robin Melon
$20.00

Photos from Project #2

I wrote a nice little post & then it didn't save. I am too tired to type it again, but I still want to share these photos with you. Miguel Angel in Mexico received his items from fundraiser project #2!!! I don't have his thank you letter yet, but these pictures speak a thousand words all by themselves!!! Stay tuned for the thank you letter- whenever it comes from CI, it will be posted here.

Swine Flu Outbreak in Mexico

Brayan age 6

Miguel Angel's fundraiser is still going on. Hopefully, by the time the funds are raised and processed, the swine flu chaos will be over. As of today, Mexico is in a panic. Mexico City was the first hit. Stores, museums, restaurants, and businesses are closed. The few people that are venturing outside are wearing masks to protect themsleves from the deadly strain. While swine flu has not been reported in Jalisco, where the CI field office is, schools nationwide have been shut down. Classes are expected to resume on May 6th. While it is spreading through the capital, it can, also, affect those in the rural parts of Mexico. One way it is being spread is through contact with infected pigs. Many rural farmers raise pigs and other animals as a source of food. These pigs (as well as other livestock) are allowed to roam freely into and out of the home. Especially in the rural areas where news travels slowly, it may catch the inhabitants unaware. Please keep these children and their families in your prayers. If any of you have been meaning to donate to Miguel Angel's fundraiser, we are in need of $50. Project #3 will start up in a week or so. http://www.firstgiving.com/abed4miguel

On another note, the swine flu has been found close to home. On Saturday, I went by to visit my aunt & uncle. Today, I saw the elementary school behind their house on the news. The elementary school has been closed along with a preschool close by. They will spend the week disinfecting the buildings while the sick children are treated. Texas and Mexico are so close, that we are almost like one in the same. People come and go from Mexico to Texas all year long. I am sure this is just the beginning, but I hope that everyone recovers quickly & that the rest stay well!!

Only $70 more to go!!!

We are down to the end of Barbara's fundraiser for Miguel Angel in Mexico. You guys are amazing!!!! Soon, we will see the difference that you have made. When the thank you's begin pouring in, I will post them here for everyone to enjoy. Thank you for making such a big difference in these children's lives!!!

Here is the link to the fundraiser:

http://www.firstgiving.com/abed4miguel

Miguel Angel's Fundraiser

At long last, here is the link for Miguel Angel's fundraiser:
http://www.firstgiving.com/abed4miguel

Also, note that this is a different link than the one for Janet's fundraiser.

Please spread the word to anyone you think may be interested in helping him. Thanks!

Project #2~ A fundraiser for Miguel Angel in Mexico

The birthday celebration that Barbara set up for Miguel Angel's 8th birthday.

A trip to the Guadalajara Zoo with Barbara.




The picture above and below are the only pictures of the "other" Mexico that I took in my 4 months of living there (and subsequent visits back). I regret that I don't have more pictures to show of it, but it felt like an intrusion of their privacy. My dream job would be a photographer for CI, and maybe a tour guide/translator for the sponsor visitors to Mexico. Now, that would be the ultimate!
Ok, everyone, I must apologize first of all. I had big plans for this post, and being able to tell you about the other side of Mexico that tourists don't always see. However, I am stressed to the max right now. For those of you who don't know, I have 2 daughters (a 4 year old and a 2 year old). They are wanting my attention so badly, but I am being pulled in so many different directions by the different jobs I do that I haven't been able to give them much time today. So, instead, I am going to leave you with the wording that is not on Miguel Angel's fundraising page. The link will be released on Sunday. It is still under construction right now, so stay tuned. In the meantime, here is what the page says:

Thank you for visiting Miguel Angel's fundraising page!
Miguel Angel is Barbara's sponsored child in Mexico. This fundraiser is Project #2. The first project was funded very quickly with a lot of support shown to Robyn and her sponsored child Janet. Thank you, everyone who helped with that project!
Miguel Angel is in need of many things. Most importantly, right now, he could use a bed. At age nine he currently shares a bed with his parents in a dark bedroom opposite a septic toilet in an unwalled bathroom. Not only is the bed not big enough for all of them to sleep in, but it can be very hot and sticky during the scorching months of summer. Miguel Angel has been failing in school and, probably, this is partly due to his not getting enough sleep or rest.
Since Barbara is most aware of Miguel Angel's needs, I am including what she wrote about him & what he will receive with the money from the fundraiser:
Miguel Angel lives with his parents in a poor, isolated community located high up on a ridge - on the outskirts of Zapopan. He is the youngest child with three adult, married siblings with their own families. Despite his many problems he is very caring and good at playing with his many young nieces and nephews. Miguel Angel had a rough start in life because he once suffered from convulsions and various other childhood ailments which have all been treated successfully.

Miguel Angel's family share a borrowed, unfinished house with his elder brother's family who live upstairs. From the outside the house appears to be quite adequate but inside it is totally different. At the front of the house there are two tiny rooms with light and fresh air but the rest of the house is like a dark, airless cave with steps cut out of the rock; and the odd chicken making its way throughout. The only other room with fresh air and light is the kitchen at the back of the house which does not have a sink or a fridge. Since there is no running water in the community it has to be bought in by trucks and stored in barrels.

My hope that is that a new bed could be placed in one of the tiny rooms This would provide him with some fresh air and light and also be some distance away from the septic toilet. Hopefully, the added privacy and a comfortable bed would enable him to get sufficient rest and his grades would improve.

The chest of drawers is also necessary because, currently, his clothes are hung from a cord attached to the ceiling. I know that Miguel Angel would really benefit from having the following list of items and be most grateful:

A Bed $87.00 USD

Bed Sheets $20.00 "

Bed Spread $25.00 "

Shoes $14.00 "

Chest of drawers $54.00 "

Guadalajara, Jalisco, México

That would be me in the picture above


Though many people in the world can say they have been to Mexico, they may not be familiar with the interior of Mexico. Most people go to see the beaches, which tend to be like a mini-U.S. as everything is catered to the tourists. It is almost like you have never left the U.S. at all but merely traveled to the beach. The prices are just as high in the beach towns as they are in the U.S. itself. You may see more U.S. citizens than Mexican citizens on any given day. Travel to the interior of Mexico, and you will see a country of contrasts.

The line between rich and poor has been drawn in the dusty un-paved streets, and if you are one of the poor, it is impossible to cross that line. Zapopan is no different. In the state of Jalisco, the capital city (and largest city) is Guadalajara. Zapopan is second in population, and is an off-shoot of Guadalajara itself (it is part of the Guadalajara metropolitan area). Zapopan is home to more than 1 million people!!!

If you are planning a trip to Mexico, Zapopan is a great place to travel. Nuesta Senora de Zapopan Basilica is located there. The church building towers over the shaded town square. In the town square, you will find people every where enjoying the company of others. There are vendors selling everything from balloons/toys to food. Horse drawn carriages travel by introducing tourists to the beauty of the city.

If you do all of these things while you are there, don't forget to cross that line in the dusty road where the majority of the cities inhabitants live. While you can see poverty here in the U.S. and other developed countries, there is little here in the U.S. that will knock you down emotionally as much as seeing it in Mexico. The contrast from the town square to where the poorest of the poor live will bring you to your knees with tears!! Especially, if you have a sponsored child there, and you know that this is what they live everyday.

I want to give everyone a chance to see these beautiful pictures of Zapopan & Guadalajara today. Tomorrow, I will show you what it looks like where Miguel lives.