We have been Maria's correspondents since January 2014. I will continue to update this post as we hear from her.
We received 16 letters, one project director's letter, one pastor's letter, and one country director's letter while corresponding with Maria. Her birthday is August 1. Maria lives with her parents and two siblings, a brother and a sister. Both her parents are employed as peasant farmers.
Project Info and Activities:
Maria attends TZ-401 in Babati, Arusha
* Home to approximately 120,000 residents
* Primary ethnic groups are Gorowas and Barbaigs
* Most commonly spoken languages are Kifyomi, Swahili & Barbaigs
* Most common work is work is animal herding or subsistence farming, although the majority is unemployed
* Average earning is $25 a month
* Regional Diet: maize, fish, rice & beans
* Common Health Problems: tuberculosis, dysentery, malaria
* Typical Houses: dirt floors, adobe walls, tin roofs
Center activities: Bible teaching, medical exams, health instruction, opportunities for community service, recreational activities, tutoring, HIV/AIDS prevention programs, and family events.
Miscellaneous Info from Letters:
* Favorites: walking, basketball, reading, singing, listening to music, other ball games, story telling, math, zebras
* Began attending college in 2016
Letter Highlights...
"God is with me in my life and He is good every day."
"I like the way you love animals. I also love kangaroo. I like zebra the way has good colors and attracts much."
"How are you doing my friend? My family is greeting you in the name of Jesus my friend. The aim of this letter is to thank you for the letter you sent me, I am doing fine with my studies and in good health, also my family is greeting you a lot and continues to pray for you."
"I'm also happy to hear the bird's story and I like them. I didn't know that there different penguins, I like Erect Cresteck because they have yellow hair and red in hands and red eyes."
"I'm also happy to hear that you have a friend and you love each other so much (Sarah). I also have a friend. We love each other so much. We share our daily life skills and knowledge about God, I'm so happy the way we love each other."
"I am doing well in my studies at college. I thank God for all. The aim of this letter is thanking you for the letter you have sent to me. I am very happy and also how you explained to me about snow. I am very happy. God bless you."
"The aim of this letter is to greet you and inform you my performance. I am doing well in my studies at university...Also, I love the way you remember me."
Gifts
Our friend Jessi brought a bag of gifts to Maria when she visited Tanzania in 2014!
And in response to the gift, Maria wrote: "I like the way you treat me. I received a soap, wash cloth, photos, notebook greeting card and stuffs. It was very sweet."
Final Letter
Maria was scheduled to complete Compassion's program in August 2017, and we received a final letter from her in July 2017.
"Praise the Lord Jesus, I'm doing well and I thank God for all things. I do not know how are you doing? I'm very fine and safe.
Aim of this letter is to say goodbye and to thank you for the support you gave me. Thank you for your support as you paid my school fees and bought to me the school uniform, exercise book, pens, bag, thank you so much. Also I visited national parks like Ngorongoro, Tarangire, Manyara na Serengeti. Also I visited the airport, milk industry and textile industry. At the center we were taught the word of God, physical study and sports. Thank you so much for the support to my parents, we were given the maize, beans, and cooking oil. Thank you so much. Thank you for the medical treatment we got, thank you for different spiritual and physical seminars I attended. Also after complete my studies and I have joined the hotel management course and I'm doing well at that college.
I would like to give you the memory verse from the scripture Mark 1:3, "The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Even as it is written in Isaiah the prophet, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, Who shall prepare thy way, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make ye ready the way of the Lord, Make his paths straight;"
Thank you so much and God bless you much."
To read the other posts in this series, click here.
