Brayan's Questionnaire

I received Brayan's completed questionnaire last week. Here is what it said:

Height: 4 feet 1 inch

Weight: 67 pounds

Eye color: coffee

Hair color: coffee

Favorites:

Book: Math

Movie: Sponge Bob

Subject: Spanish

Color: Blue

Song: "El nino Robo"

T.V. program: Flinstones

Food: Pizza (note from me: they have the BEST pizza in Mexico! And you eat it with hot sauce!)

Famous person: Costel

Sport: Soccer

Animal: Tiger

Hobby: Watching t.v.

In my free time I like to... listen to music, play, and draw.

My goal for the future is to be... a doctor

I will never forget when... you sent me toys. When I got home, I played with them for a little while, and then I put them away for safe-keeping.

A funny momnet was... when I fell and I laughed. They hit me with a ball and I laughed.

A special memory... thank you for being my sponsor. I love you very much and I send you lots of kisses and to the girls.

My school activities... study math

My activities after school... do my homework. Help me mom do the dishes.

A Letter From Kevin

Dear Mrs. McLaughlin & Mrs. Fritch,

Hello! I hope that you are doing well. I live in Guayaquil, and I am writing these lines from my beautiful city. Let me tell you that I am doing well, and so is my mom and siblings. I'm doing great with my studies, and every day I learn a little more. During recess I have a nice time with my classmates, and we play soccer. We also like to talk about many things. When I get home, I do all of my homework and then I watch t.v. My favorite shows are Doraemon and Sponge Bob. I also like to listen to music. When I have dinner, I like to eat light. I say goodbye with lots of affection,

Kevin

Dulce's Response to my Questionnaire

Dulce decided to send a letter, instead of answering all of the questions I asked in the questionnaire. This is what she said:

About your letter, you know my favorite food is rice, beans and meat. My favorite cartoon is Dora the Explorer. Thank you for everything. I am growing, playing and studying so much. I send you a kiss. May God take care of you.

Dulce

Project #12 Mercy's IGP Thank You

Dear Sponsor,

I am the mother to Mercy thanking you for the bags of Kapenta (small fish) and beans. The items will be used for income generating venture which will help our family. I really appreciate it and as a family we shall make sure that it goes a long way in assisting us. It will make our life easier. Thanks once more. God bless you always. Mercy is happy!

yours,
Mother

Please list the gifts provided to child and family:

Kapenta and beans

Clothes

Transport

Mealie meal

What were the child's/family's comments when the gifts were delivered?

The family has thanked the sponsor for this donation and they are happy they will be able to realize some income from this IGA for self sustenance.

How will the gifts benefit the child?

The child has new clothes to wear and this has made her happy.

Note: The green dress Mercy is wearing in the photographs is one that I sent to her earlier this year.

A Rainbow of Colors

I have some more GREAT jewelry for anyone who would like to help complete Jonathan's Fundraiser & help out Steve! Jonathan's fundraiser only needs $150, and Steve's fundraiser could use $150+.

I just finished making some bracelets for Steve, and the above bracelets were two of them. Each bracelet is unique, but they all have two things in common- They have all 6 rainbow colors and sterling silver spacers in between. These type bracelets, also, look great with sterling silver & one or two solid colors alternating. For example, you might choose the 3 colors in the child's country's flag.

To help Steve further & finish out Jonathan's fundraiser, here is how you can get some of these bracelets:

1 bracelet= $3 ($1.50 to Maila & $1.50 to Jonathan)
2 bracelets= $5 ($2.50 to Maila & $2.50 to Jonathan)
5 bracelets= $10 ($5 to Maila & $5 to Jonathan)
20 bracelets= $35 ($17.50 to Maila & $17.50 to Jonathan)

These prices include shipping to anywhere in the US! To order, you just need to make a payment (half of the payment should be donated to Jonathan's fundraiser & the other half to Maila's fundraiser) After you make both payments, send me an e-mail with your address and how many bracelets you would like to order. I, also, need to know the sizes you want:

small- fits age 3 to 10
medium- fits age 11 to 15
large- fits 16 to adult

These will make great Christmas gifts, stocking stuffers, and EVEN fit in to a letter to your sponsor child!!

http://www.firstgiving.com/igp4jonathan

http://www.firstgiving.com/householditems4maila

Fundraiser #17 Paying Steve Back

I was holding this fundraising page to the side to let these other 3 fundraisers complete first. However, there has been an overwhelming "pay it back" response to all of Steve's generosity, so I decided to go ahead and give you the link. This is Steve's fundraiser. I know there are A LOT of you who would like to repay Steve, so I will be working on another page for him as well. We can start with this fundraiser, and in the meantime, I will set one up for Areceli (for which Steve will match every donation dollar for dollar!!!)

Let's see how fast we can get this one funded!!! Based on Steve's generosity, I would say, we can have this fundraiser completed by the end of the day today!!!

By the way, instead of going over the goal of this fundraiser, please hold your funds once this fundraiser is completed. I will have another fundraiser up for Areceli's home tonight, and the excess funds can go to that.

Let's show Steve how much his selfless dedication and kindness mean to us!

http://www.firstgiving.com/householditems4maila

Mack & Victor's Trip to Honduras Part 12

CI Day, Part 12 – Leaving the Mall:

After our shopping was completed, there was just enough time to get ice cream before we had to leave. Once we got outside the entrance, we discovered that our van and driver had gone AWOL. I think he had to pick up his own kids at school? Anyway, we got to spend a little more time with our kids + take some group photos while we waited for the vehicle to return. We just loitered in front of the mall, finishing our ice cream, until we could take the boys back to their respective homes.

Victor's thoughts: What would a fun day be without ice cream at the end? I didn't actually know the van driver was missing; I don't guess I was paying much attention at that point. It was nice to spend a bit of extra time with the boys because, to be honest, I had hoped we'd be able to spend more time with them than we actually had. Next time we are going to arrange things differently without the need for home visits and a lot less time spent traveling around. It would have been different if there were just one or two children as we would have all been able to ride in the van, but with a pack of us and a pack of them, it just wasn't doable.

An Ever-Giving Steve

Steve with Mario and his mother

Barbara wrote:

We all know how generous Steve Hogan is with his time and effort in providing photos and videos of some of our sponsored children during his trips to visits his sponsored children. Sometime even to the detriment of having less time with his own sponsored children. This is yet another example of his kindness in caring for less fortunate children. Some sponsors may remember Steve delivering a world globe to Mario my sponsored child during his visit to Chile at the end of June. At the same time I had asked CI to check into the possibility of starting an IGP for Mario's mother. The information was finally received but the news was devastating. Mario's mother had been forced to flee domestic violence taking with her Mario and his older sister. . Fortunately, they found temporary shelter of one room and cooking facilities in a church facility in exchange for Mario's mother keeping the church clean and other small duties. The children were given two meals a day at school and the church provided food at weekends.

The IGP was out of the question due to the new situation of the family; and CI's Chilean staff had sent an urgent Special needs list instead.. The only things that they had been able to bring with them were the gifts and Special Needs gifts that I had sent Mario over the years. Luckily, I had provided them with bunk beds a year earlier but had only been able to afford one mattress. So, Mario was sleeping on that one and a church member had lent them another mattress for his mother and sister to sleep on temporarily. Their clothes and other belongings were in boxes on the floor. They desperately needed another mattress since the owner wanted their's back plus somewhere to store their clothes and possesions.

Their situation prompted a generous anonymous sponsor to provide a large sum but there was still an amount left that I just could not afford. In a panic, and needing something to talk to, I sent an e-mail to the only other sponsor who had met Mario, our Steve, and explained his new, sad situation. Without any hesitation Steve immediately offered to contribute the balance required to provide the necessary items to the family. Needless to say I was very touched by Steve's concern and generousity to a child who was sponsored by somebody else.

This week Steve received the above shown thank you from Mario and the photos of their new acquisitions. Not wanting to open the floodgates of other sponsors asking Steve's help for their own children's sad situations but wanting to let others know of his extraordinary kindness I kept this all to myself. However, Steve gave his permission to tell his story in the hope that other sponsors might use the example to help others in a similar situation. So, once again, Steve, many thanks for your generous spirit and caring nature. As my mother used to say when not able to thank somebody in the present 'your reward will come in heaven!!"

The list of gifts provided to child and family

1 mattress
1 closet
1 chest of drawers
6 underwear
1 personal hygiene items
1 cereal and milk

The family's comments when the gifts were delivered

'They were very happy and thankful for the sponsor's donation and constant help.'

How will the gifts benefit the child and/or family?

'The donation means a great help for Mario and his family, because the chest of drawers and the closet will help the family store all the clothing, and the mattress has come in very good time, because the one they were using was only lent, and the owner had told the mother that they needed it back.'

Kevin's Questionnaire

Kevin, as you may remember is the child that Mack and I sponsor together. I sent him one of the questionnaires when we sent our first letters to him. Mack sent me pictures of her and her family, which I printed off and included with pictures of myself and my family. Then, I put both letters, the questionnaire, and the pictures all in one envelope.

Yesterday, I received his completed questionnaire (Jonathan & Kevin share the same community center, so the field must have sent them back at the same time).

First, I will start with Kevin's letter:

Hi, Mrs. Heather and Mrs. Mack!

I greet you very lovingly also I hope you are doing well. I thank you for your pictures. I answered your questions and I am attaching them in this letter. I live in a nice place. I live in the city of Guayaquil but I do know the country-side and like it so much. I study at a school that is big and nice. I have three siblings. One of them is 14 years old. She is named Julexi. The other is 5 years old and is named Jeremy. The last one is named Roberto, and he is 9 months old. I love the so much. I say goodbye with a big hug,

Kevin

Now here are the answers to the questions on the questionnaire:

Height: 4 feet 2 inches

Weight: 61 pounds

Eye color: Black

Hair color: Black

His Favorites:

Book: Math books

Movie: Happy Feet

Subject: Math

Color: Red

Music: Reggaeton

TV Program: The Power Rangers

Food: Noodles with chicken

Famous person: Michael Jackson

Sport: Soccer

Animal: Tiger

Hobby: Listening to music

In my free time, I like... helping my mom.

My goal for the future is... to become a doctor.

I will never forget when... my dad passed away.

A funny moment was... when I played with my father

A special memory was... when I went with my family to the park.

My school activities are... studying and drawing pictures.

My after-school activity is... to do my school work.

Jonathan's Letter & Fundraiser Update

I received a letter from Jonathan that went along with the questionaire that he filled out. This is what he said:

Hi, Heather!
I am writing this letter to answer your letter. I enjoy so much all of the things you send me. The beautiful phrases make me so happy. When I read your words they are very nice. I answered your questions, and I loved doing it. I even drew some pictures for you. I also tell you I am in good health.
I thank you very deeply for being a wonderful sponsor! I say good-bye with a big hug!
Jonathan

Now here is the fundraiser update:
Steve sent a donation of $25 yesterday. He never requested any bracelets, and after all he has done for all of us (visiting, photographing, videotaping, and giving gifts to our kids)... I just HAD to offer my bracelet services!! For any one who knows Steve, you know I am going to be busy making bracelets for awhile!!! He has 25 sponsor kids! Of course, that is the least I could do!

His donation brought the fundraiser to $334. Now, I have more great news...
Tomorrow, Alice will be purchasing some fundraiser items (8 bracelets and 25 calendars!!!) She will be making a donation to Jonathan's fundraiser for that of $54! That will bring his fundraiser to $388!!!

I am really in shock! That means that he only needs $153 to complete his fundraiser! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! He is going to have a GREAT Christmas!

http://www.firstgiving.com/igp4jonathan

Jonathan's Questionaire

I have sent a questionaire to each one of my sponsor kids. I just recently realized that I had never sent the questionaires out to the children I took over a year ago, so I jsut sent them out about a month or two ago.

This is where I got the questions from: Book of Memories

I only ever sent 4 of the pages. These are the pages I send:

Sobre mi mismo

En mi tiempo libre me gusta...

No me olvide de cuando...

Mis actividades escolares

Now, here are the answers that Jonathan gave:

Height: about 3 feet 8 inches

Weight: 60 pounds

Eye color: black

Hair color: black

His favorites:

Book: Sport magazines

Movie: Chucky

Subject: Math

Color: Yellow

Music: Reggaeton

TV Show: Sports

Food: Rice with tuna

Famous person: Ronaldhino, the soccer player

Sport: Soccer

Animal: Dog

Hobby: Playing soccer

(ok, I think I get that he likes SOCCER! LOL!)

*In my free time I like to... Play soccer, read and play marbles.

*My goal for the future is to... continue studying to become a great policeman.

*I will never forget when... I went on vacation with my aunt and cousins to the beach. We sailed in a boat to see the dolphins. It was really beautiful.

*A funny moment: My friend was playing soccer and he kicked the ball so hard his shoe flew onto the roof and his pants ripped!

*A special memory: When I lived with my parents. They spoiled me so much. Now they aren't with me anymore, but they are with God. I miss them a lot.

*My school activities: First thing when we get to school, we stand in line. After that, we go into the classroom. We write the things the teacher writes on the blackboard.

*My activities after class: When I get home I do my homework that the teacher has given me. I, also, study the multiplication table and division for the next day.

***special note, to get a similar questionaire for your English-speaking kids, check out this All About Me mini-book. I only send 4 pages from that one as well.

CI Christmas Gifts 2009

One of the great things about CI is that the kids get 4 special gifts every year (regardless of whether the sponsor has sent them anything special just for them), Greg at CI just released this list of what the kids will be receiving this year for Christmas:

The following are items that the children will receive for Christmas
this year:

Cartagena
A brand-new pair of jeans and two t-shirts.

Chile
A shirt and a zip-up vest.

Honduras
Boys – A new pair of pants that can be used as part of a school
uniform.
Girls – A skirt.

Sahay
A LED lantern and flashlight.

Santo Domingo
Boys – A new pair of dress pants.
Girls- A brand new skirt.

Manila
A new outfit.

Jalisco
Children ages 2 to 10 - A new outfit consisting of a pair of pants and
a white polo-style shirt.
Children ahes 11+: A pair of jeans and a T-shirt.

Quezon City
The opportunity to choose a new outfit from a variety of clothing
choices.

Zambia
Girls – A new dress.
Boys – A new pair of jeans and a short-sleeved shirt.

Tabaco
A portable mattress.

Guatemala
Boys – A new pair of jeans.
Girls – A new sweater.

Barranquilla
Two new shirts and a pair of jeans.

Legaspi
The opportunity to choose a brand new outfit.

Quito
Boys ages 2 to 10 - A shirt that can be used as part of a school
uniform or for everyday wear, plus a soccer ball.
Girls ages 2 to 10 - A new blouse that is appropriate for school wear,
and a fashion doll with accessories.
Boys and Girls ages 11+: A shirt that meets the requirements for a
school uniform and three pairs of socks.

Guayaquil
Boys and Girls ages 2 to 8 - A new polo-style shirt and a toy.
Boys and Girls ages 9 to 10 – A water bottle and a new shirt.
Boys and Girls ages 11+: A new shirt.

Little Rock
A warm winter jacket and a holiday stocking filled with school
supplies and sugarless candy.

Noteworthy news from CI

I found this post very interesting regarding one of Children International's goals. It was posted on the CI google group, and written by Neeta. I hope she has the other 9 program goals to share with us soon!:

Sometime ago, I had posted then ten program goals that our CI programs
are based on, and had promised an explanation of these goals. It’s
taken me a long while to live up to that promise, but here goes.

Goal 1: Basic Material Needs

Our sponsored kids live in circumstances where their families are
often challenged to provide for even basic needs, such as food,
clothes and shelter. So, in addressing this program goal, our
objective is to make sure that some basic needs of the kids and their
families are provided for. While we have other program goals focusing
on food and shelter (nutrition, housing and sanitation), through Goal
1, we try to address other basic needs the families may have.

Through the four Holiday gifts, more commonly known as the Birthday
gift, the Easter gift, the Christmas gift and the Special Hug gift,
agencies try to provide the children with basic items they may be in
need of. Agency staff and volunteers will usually meet with parent
groups to identify what gifts would be most useful to them. The usual
preference is to provide clothes and/or shoes, since parents cannot
usually afford them. Clothing items are selected to be useful by
season – for example, providing sweaters or even blankets during
winters. Through the Special Hug gift, agencies will usually gift
items that would be useful to the entire family, as a way of expanding
the program’s outreach to them. Items given out as Special hug gifts
could be dishware, mosquito nets, mattresses and sheets (so kids don’t
sleep on floors), a plastic table and chairs (which would double as a
dining table as well as a study table), etc.

When you consider that each agency works with 15,000 – 30,000 kids, it
is mind-boggling to work out the logistics of providing clothes
(color, types and sizes) to this many numbers of kids, of varying
ages. (Ever been shopping with two kids who want to go in different
directions at the same time?). Over the years, the agency staffs have
worked to develop best practices on doing this. In some cases, vendors
set up stalls in the community/service area centers, and display
clothing items approved by the agency for quality, and families choose
from there. Or, in other cases, measurements are taken and the clothes
are delivered by the vendors to the service area centers, where they
are picked up by the parents. But my favorite method has been
perfected by the agencies in the Philippines, where due to the easy
proximity of malls, agencies have simply tied up with the malls, and
parents and youth simply walk into the store on pre-defined days, and
shop for the clothes of their exact choice and color. This is fun to
watch, as it also becomes the family’s day out at the mall. This idea
has worked so well, that some of our agencies in other parts of the
world are also trying to explore the ideas in their own context.

When I meet with our sponsored children, I usually ask them what their
favorite program benefit is, and while there is a range of activities
they mention, what I hear most is that they love the Birthday gift. I
asked them why this is their favorite benefit, and one young lady
explained it well. She said that in her family, everyone is so busy
making a living, no one has time to remember or celebrate birthdays,
so it is just another day, and birthday gifts are out of the question.
So, when the agency gives her a birthday gift from her sponsor, she is
reminded that it is her birthday and a special day. She said “It’s my
most favorite benefit because it reminds me that I have a sponsor who
thinks I am very special.”
Neeta

Such a pretty Leydi (pronounced "Lady" in English)

I got a letter from Leydi today. Her letters always leave me hoping for more in the next letter. It isn't because they aren't sweet because they are. It is because they are very short (only take up half of a page if I am lucky, and you KNOW how small the CI writing page is anyway!)
I don't believe that she doesn't care to write more, I think it is more of her age, and schooling at this point. Whereas, my Ecuadorian boys write legibly and fill the page (even at the tender age of 8), in the Dominican Republic, my girls have always written differently. The letters are scrawled barely legible (ok, I am exaggerating a little) and very short. I can expect several words to be spelled incorrectly like: "ola" instead of "hola", "estoi" instead of "estoy", "mui" instead of "muy" (you get the idea). I am thinking that maybe spelling isn't a big deal in her class right now.
Leydi is only 8, so maybe once she reaches her teens she will have mastered her letters and writing. For now, I am grateful for what she sends, and even more so that she is healthy and happy!
This is what she wrote:

Hi! How are you? I am very well. I like to play after school. I wish good luck to Jaden and Morgan (I told her that they are doing school at home, so I think she is wishing them luck in their studies). I study English, too (I told her that the girls are learning Spanish). I like to read. I am very happy because I received your letter. A hug and a big kiss to you and your daughters. I close for now and look forward to your letter.
Leydi

How to be a book seller

Here is my latest article for home-based businesses. It is a great business for book lovers especially!


http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-29889-Dallas-Homebased-Business-Examiner~y2009m11d15-2nd-article

By the way, if any of you have a home-based business and would like to be featured in an article (and get publicity), please contact me. I am working on some interview questions now. When my interview questions are typed up, you can forward back the answers to me. After that, I will write an article about your business! A win-win for everyone!

Project #11A Pictures & Details

On October 21, 2009 Jhonalyn received
1 double size bed with mattress
1 Assorted grocery items
1 meals and transportation expense

What were the child's/family's comments when gifts were delivered?
Jhonalyn was so happy when she learned that she will be having a bed. She said " i will share it with my sibling because I also want her to enjoy the comfort of sleeping , it is very timely because some of our wooden bed and mat were damaged due to the flood caused by the recent typhoon"Ondoy"

How will the gifts benefit the child and/family?
The double-sized bed will be shared by Jhonalyn and her younger sibling, Joy Ann who is her closet sibling. Jhonalyn and Joy Ann will now share the comfort of sleeping every night. The groceries will be shared by the entire family in one week time.

Additional Comments:
Jhonalyn decided to buy a double bed instead of a single bed with beddings, because she really wanted to share the comfort of sleeping with her younger sibling, Joy Ann. Since the amount is enough for a double bed, she opted to purchase it with so much joy because she can share the blessing with one member of her family

Dear Mrs Schilling
A Blessed and Joyful day to you and your family
I just received another special gift from you and I'm very thankful for that. Because of your gift I was able to buy my new school bag, blouse, slippers, hair accessories and bed. I also bought groceries for my family. All the gifts are big help to me and my family. I really appreciate all your help.
Thank you very much and God Bless!
Jhonalyn

A Christmas Package for Kevin Bryan

You may remember my sponsor child Kevin Bryan in Ecuador. He is the child I share with Mack. It is so nice to share the sponsorship fees, take turns sending packages (it's my turn next), and the letter-writing responsibilities.
I wanted to sponsor him because my oldest brother's name is Bryan, and coincidentally, my youngest brother whose name is Kevin is on a mission in the state of Washington (where Mack lives). It was meant to be!
I don't have the money to send any of my kids packages for Christmas this year. Luckily, Mack wanted to send Kevin something. She filled up a box with items for Kevin (and her other child in Ecuador- Katherine), and then, she sent me a picture of what she put in the box.
This is what she sent him:


From top left:

A couple of those soccer field sticker sheets
A paddleball game set
An electronic soccer game
"Huevos verde y Jamon" by Dr. Suess
A cloth lunch box with Disney characters playing basketball
A baggie full of little soccer ball toys
Two big balloons
An anime (I don't remember the cartoon) pencil box + lots of colorful pencils/erasers
A pair of sports shorts
A really cool Animal Planet t-shirt with a spider on the front

After she took the photo, she found that she had some extra room, so she added:

A box of crayons
A little stuffed dog in a Santa hat
A set of two soccer ball tree ornaments (silly, I know ... unless they have evergreens in Ecuador?)

Freelance Writer

I did get a part-time job as a freelance writer with The Examiner, and will be looking for more work around that career. I am the Dallas Area writer for home-based business articles. Here is the link to my first article:
http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-29889-Dallas-Homebased-Business-Examiner~y2009m11d14-Unemployed--Now-is-your-time-to-start-a-homebased-business
This company pays based on the interest my article generates, so the more people that view my article, etc, the more money I am paid. That means it is all up to YOU the reader if I get paid tons of cash, or only pennies... There are a lot more great articles to come, so keep checking out my articles.
Also, if you are interested in being a freelance writer with The Examiner, I will receive $50 referral bonus (if the referral practices are followed). Therefore, contact me if you want more info.

Ugandan Christmas Package has been SHIPPED!

The Ugandan Christian Upliftment Primary School in Kampala, will soon be receiving a package!!! With all of the items I previously posted about (books, calendars, balloons, & Christmas cards), and then, all of the items shown above, the package is GiGaNtIc! It weighed in at 9 pounds and 4 ounces! Everything was firmly packed into a medium priority flat rate box, and there was not a space left for anything else!!

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you for helping Jonathan!!! This big package proves the help he has gotten in the past month. Stay tuned for pictures from Hellen when the package arrives! Don't expect the pictures until December some time, but I do hope they get these items in time for Christmas! Based on USPS, the package should arrive in 6 to 10 business days.

Extra Items for Barbara's 3 Ugandan Children

Barbara wanted to include some books, sticker books, workbooks, and balloons with her package. She added the extra cost for the items to Jonathan's fundraiser, and now her 3 kids will each have 2 books each, and Jonathan O. will have some balloons for his birthday!