Aldair- Departure!

I recently introduced you to Aldair from Colombia.  I have been writing to him since May 2011 when I was linked up with him through Compassion.  He has wrote many long letters.  He is a very bright young man!  I am glad I was able to know him for 9 months.  Unfortunately, his family has moved out of the Compassion project area in Arjona Bolivar.  His project center details are below:

"Project Name:	El Buen Samaritano Student Center
Project Type:	Student Center
Start Date:	8/15/1996 8:28:42 AM
Last Update Date:	7/3/2001 12:00:00 AM
School Year Begins Month:	2

Your sponsored child lives on the plains of Arjona Bolivar, home to approximately 18,000 residents. Typical houses are constructed of brick or cement and have corrugated iron roofs. The spoken language is Spanish.

The regional diet consists of maize, fish, beef, plantains, cassava, bananas and rice. Common health problems in this area include skin infections, influenza, pneumonia and asthma. Most adults in Arjona Bolivar are unemployed but some work as street vendors and earn the equivalent of $172 per month. The community needs basic utilities service, proper housing, employment opportunities, pre- and primary schools and the Gospel.

Your sponsorship allows the staff of El Buen Samaritano Student Center to provide your sponsored child with Bible teaching, health and hygiene education, vaccinations, sports, birthday celebrations, life skills training. The center staff will also provide counseling and parents' school for the parents or guardians of your sponsored child.

General Information
Population:	18000
Name Of Major City:	Cartagena
Distance from Major City:	35 km southeast of Cartagena
Information last updated:	6/30/2011
Enviroment
Home floor typically made of:	Brick/Block/Cement
Home walls typically made of:	Brick/Block/Cement
Home roof typically made of:	Tin/Corrugated Iron
Warmest Month:	August
Avg. Temperature Of Warmest Month:	38C
Coolest Month:	December
Avg. Temperature Of Coolest Month:	25C
Climate:	Dry
Terrain:	Plains/Flat land
Planting Month(s):	February, August
Rainy Month(s):	May, June, August, September, October
Harvest Month(s):	March, December
Illness Month(s):	May, June, September, October, November
Economic
Average Family monthly income:	172.3200
Primary Occupation:	Street Market Vendor

"

I will be getting a new correspondence child soon, so I will update everyone on the new addition when I know who they are.  I wonder what country they will be from.  Any guesses?  I have 2 other children currently in the Compassion program.  One lives in Uganda and one in Guatemala. 

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

Saying Goodbye to Yessica

One of the many pretty pictures that Yessica has drawn for me

Yessica and her family in front of their home

Yessica in the doorway of her home in Guatemala City

Yessica and her family. Her father was at work at the time of the photo.

Yessica with her 2008 Christmas package

The first photo I saw of Yessica on the CI website. I chose her because of her sweet smile & that her family of 6 was living on $76 a month!!

Yessica's 2009 sponsorship photo

Two of the many photos that Steve took of Yessica when he visited her earlier this year

Yessica and her mother

Steve (our Google Group angel that visited several sponsored children along with his own in Guatemala), Yessica, & Yessica's mother

I haven't heard from Yessica in a while. Her last letter was in May. This is what it said:

Dear Heather:

I thank you for the letter and three pictures that you sent me. I am very happy with all that you have sent me. I feel very happy that you work in the hospital, and I like the babies. I pray that God allows you to go on with your work. My family and I are fine, and so is my education. I am fine thanks to the support that you send me. I will have time off at school soon. I say goodbye with a strong hug.

Yessica

Yesterday, I went to my CI account to see what I owe & figure out how much I can pay. I found an exclamation point next to her name, and I followed the exclamation point to the bottom of my sponsorship list. This is what I found:

(!) Forming a friendship with your sponsored child can be one of the most rewarding experiences of sponsorship. Unfortunately, there are times when children leave the program earlier than expected.

We just learned that your child has left the program due to unforeseen circumstances. A letter with details about this is already on the way and should reach you soon.

For your consideration, we've also sent you a photograph and personal profile of another child who needs your assistance. Please don't hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or would like to choose a different child to sponsor. Your sponsorship means a great deal to us. but it means even more to the desperately poor children whose lives can drastically change with your support. You can reach us by calling 1-800-888-3089 or sending an email to children@children.org. Our Sponsor Services department is available from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., Central time, Monday through Thursday and 7:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Friday.

For more information about why sponsored children leave the program, visit the Child Departures section of our website.

If I had to take a guess I would say that she left the program because the family doesn't need the services any more. When I first started sponsoring her, the family of six lived on $76 a month. More recently, they were making $234 a month. They turned out to be the family with the highest income of all of my sponsor kids.

I had just sent her a birthday package a couple of months ago for her birthday that is August 8th. Now, I am not sure if she will ever get it. I am not sure when exactly she left the program.

I hope this doesn't happen any time soon to any of my other kids!! I can't take too much heartbreak at one time!