March Joy Dare

I'm linking up with Compassion Family, looking back over the month of March and considering all my Compassion Joys!



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Letters ~ we received 34 letters this month!
From Gizelle, Mariana, Emon (x3), Yeremy Orlando, Gatwiri, Rebecca Diana, Krishanth (x2), Nyinsaba, Nuraisha, Omar, Angel, Franco, Dafyne, Isabella, Bacha, Selam, Ana, Antony, Erick, Breiner, William, Jenny, Cissy, Gildas (x2), Earl John (x2), Juan, Phalam, Grace & Elinami!

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Birthdays ~ we celebrated 8 birthdays!

Samuel, 16 on March 3; Fabiola, 6 on March 4; Breiner, 10 on March 8; Luis, 11 on March 10; Dusabimana, 12 on March 15; Angel, 16 on March 19; Sophie, 13 on March 22; and Cissy, 16 on March 27!

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Photo Updates

Sanaipei in Kenya

Elsa in Mexico

Isabella in Colombia

Angela in Bolivia

Erick in Nicaragua

Zeynia in Ethiopia

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Hellos & Goodbyes

We said goodbye to Zeynia, but we welcomed Lydia of Uganda, Bristy of Bangladesh, Luis of Nicaragua and Joseph of Ghana!

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Fun Letter

Every now and then we receive an extra special letter that just illustrates the hopes and dreams that kids enrolled in Compassion have! This is from 17-year-old Erick of El Salvador.

"Good morning, beloved friends Eric and Hannah! I greet you very warmly and I hope you are very well! I want to tell you that I am very glad and thankful to God because He has kept me all this time, and I am also happy because on this day I received the precious letter with all the pictures of whales that you sent me. I loved watching the origami figures that you made, and of course that I will have fun trying to make one too. I have not had the opportunity to learn a lot about whales, so it seems interesting that you study about them and keep me informed about your discoveries. I tell you as well that today I will tell you about my dreams and if I think well, someday I will go diving in the ocean and to know about sea life, and for this I plan to travel by ship and to enjoy the trip and to arrive at some island and to start the adventure. I would also like to have more effort about knowing Jesus and to let Him guide my life. I have always dreamed about being an engineer and to get to build very high buildings because I love heights. What are the dreams you have and that you expect to fulfill later on? I want to ask you to please pray for God to let me fulfill my dreams, and also, someday I want to have the opportunity of meeting you in person. I send you all my fondness. From: Erick"

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February Joy Dare

I'm linking up with Compassion Family, looking back over the month of February and considering all my Compassion Joys!



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Letters ~ we received 29 letters this month!
From Gizelle, Jadson (x3), Fatao, Cissy, Erick, Alexandra, Selena, Fabiola, Estela, Elinami, Jenny, Sebastian, Selam (x2), Katherin, Kamplos, Dusabimana, Ismael (x2), Gabriel, Zeynia (x2), Jefry, Sa, Rose & Ndikubwimana (x2)!

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Birthdays ~ we celebrated 5 birthdays!

Grace, 18 on February 4; Selam, 20 on February 7; Ndikubwimana, 12 on February 11; Japhet, 17 on February 26; and Bacha, 6 on February 27.

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Photo Updates

Breiner of Ecuador

Krishanth of Sri Lanka

Christopher of Ghana

Valeria of Colombia

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Hellos & Goodbyes

Jadson graduated, and Fatao and Ana Yareth lost their sponsors, so we said three goodbyes this month. While it's always bittersweet to say goodbye to a graduate, we loved hearing that Jadson's plans are to attend the university and to share the gospel with everyone in his life! We also learned that his parents are now living above the poverty line thanks to Compassion's income-generating education!

In their places, we welcomed three sweet kids from Burkina Faso! Sophie is 12, Hinkiba is 7 and Mossou is 5.

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Extras

We received original artwork from Navodya! It did not come with a letter, but it is beautiful with handmade paper flowers and ribbon borders and a glued paper heart!

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Valentine's Video

If you haven't seen this great video from Compassion, I encourage you to take a minute to watch it!


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January Joy Dare

I'm linking up with Compassion Family, looking back over the month of January and considering all my Compassion Joys!



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Letters ~ we received 22 letters this month!
From Estela, Gil, Fernando, Gizelle, Feraol, Jhosbin, Niyinsaba, Nuraisha, Franco, Valeria, Antony, Ana, Grace (2), Phalam, Ndeleva, Krishanth, Samuel, Abel & Kenedy!

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Birthdays ~ we celebrated 6 birthdays!

Elinami, 20 on January 7; Jenny, 20 on January 21; Mariana, 16 on January 22; Earl John, 17 on January 25; Gil, 9 on January 29; and Luxandra, 10 on January 29.

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Photo Updates

Ismael of Kenya

Ana Yareth of Colombia

Antony of Dominican Republic

Selena of Ecuador

Cissy of Uganda

Sandra of Ghana

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Hellos & Goodbyes

We welcomed a new correspondent: meet Osmar of Bolivia!

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Extra Photos

Abel's financial sponsor sent him a gift and he was able to buy clothes!

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December Joy Dare

I'm linking up with Compassion Family, looking back over the month of December and considering all my Compassion Joys!



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Letters ~ we received 29 letters this month!
From Mary, Angela (x3), Dafyne, Mariana, Valeria (x2), Antony, Katherin, Breiner, Selena, Danjhely, Feraol, Seyefu, Elsa, Navodya, Anthony, Fabriola, Jhomary, Isabella, Jefry, Christopher, Abel, Cissy, Gatwiri, Sanaipei, Rebecca Diana & Gabriel!

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Birthdays ~ we celebrated 2 birthdays!

Antony, 13 on December 5; and Valeria, 16 on December 20.

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Photo Updates

Earl John's photo updated!

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Hellos & Goodbyes

We welcomed a new correspondent! Meet Dusabimana of Rwanda; Dusabimana attends the same project as Ndikubwimana. And meet Angela, who is my grandmother's sponsored child (Angela attends the same project that Jhomary did). I am going to help my mum correspond with Angela.

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Extra Photos

Abel's financial sponsor sent him a gift and he was able to buy clothes!

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November Joy Dare

I'm linking up with Compassion Family, looking back over the month of November and considering all my Compassion Joys!



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Letters ~ we received 29 letters this month!
From Fatao, Ana, Alexandra, Erick (El Salvador), Erick (Nicaragua), Zeynia, Gatwiri, William, Navodya (4), Niyinsaba, Katherin, Breiner, Selena, Sandra, Grace, Earl John, Rose, Elinami, Cissy, Sa, Kenedy, Luxandra, Japhet, Jenny, Nuraisha and Krishanth!

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Birthdays ~ we celebrated 2 birthdays!

Ndeleva, 16 on November 4; and Kenedy, 15 on November 15.

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Photo Updates

Nuraisha in Tanzania

Fatao in Burkina Faso

Kenedy in Colombia

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Hellos & Goodbyes

We welcomed a new correspondent! Meet Ana Yareth of Colombia!

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Extra Photos

Both William and Erick received gifts from their financial sponsors and we received extra photos!

William

Erick

Also, in 2015, we had the opportunity to send some larger gifts to our kids. This November, I just received photos from Feraol and Valeria with their gifts! Feraol was able to buy the chair and pot, along with the items he and his mom are holding. Valeria was able to buy the little stove and the clothes that are pictured!

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October Joy Dare

I'm linking up with Compassion Family, looking back over the month of October and considering all my Compassion Joys!



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Letters ~ we received 19 letters this month!
From Jhomary, Jose (x3), Isabella (x2), Jhosbin, Anthony, Rose, Gil, Franco, Yeremy Orlando, Phalam, Rebecca Diana, Dayan & Fabiola!

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Birthdays ~ we celebrated 3 birthdays!

Abel, 9 on October 10; Rose, 17 on October 17; and Krishanth, 9 on October 23.

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Marvelous Mud Hut

Over on the Compassion Family Blog, I shared this:

Then, before leaving Africa in our studies, we took a jaunt to the west to Kenya briefly and read The Marvelous Mud House by April Graney! April is a fellow Compassion sponsor and she wrote the story after visiting her sponsored child in Kenya!

The story parallels the lives of Ben in the USA and George in Kenya, and how they meet and influence each other's lives. Since our family is so passionate about sponsorship and our kids are growing up writing to sponsored kids, this book really touched home. The story is beautifully illustrated and has become one of Juanito's favorite books!

I highly encourage you to buy a copy of The Marvelous Mud Hut.

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September Joy Dare

I'm linking up with Compassion Family, looking back over the month of September and considering all my Compassion Joys!



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Letters ~ we received 30 letters this month!
From Dafyne, Antony, Bacha, Juan, Emon, Fernando, Angel, Estela, Gizelle, Mariana, Jadson, Kenedy, Valeria, Jefry, Breiner, Selena, Seyefu, Christopher, Kamplos, Jenny, Japhet, Abel, Nuraisha, Elinami, Gabriel, Cissy, Jhomary, Jose, Earl John & Erick!

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Birthdays ~ we celebrated 6 birthdays!

Danjhely, 17 on September 4; Feraol, 10 on September 5; Dayan, 16 on September 8; Isabella, 9 on September 22; Ana, 10 on September 27; and Jefry, 17 on September 29.

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Photo Updates

Ana in the Dominican Republic

Gatwiri in Kenya

Jefry in the Dominican Republic

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Hellos & Goodbyes

I had heard about "hidden" correspondents, a problem with the new system, but just recently experienced it myself! Nuraisha and Fabiola were assigned to us, but didn't show up on our account, so I didn't know about either until we received letters from both girls! Once we received the letters, the tech team at Compassion was able to make the girls visible! Nuraisha is just 4 years old and her birthday is May 17, the same as Eric's! And Fabiola is 5! Both girls are from Tanzania.

Also, our Sebastian from the Dominican Republic moved, and the area where he moved no longer has a Compassion project. I am sad to see him no longer able to attend. Please be praying for him, especially since his brother is deaf and mute. In Sebastian's place, his sponsor chose another child from the Dominican Republic, and we have the honor of writing! Please meet Yeremy Orlando!

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Extra Photos

Our BR-417 girls sent a photos with their birthday gifts!

Dafyne...

Gizelle...

Estela...

And Earl John sent his senior prom photos, where he was titled Mr. Awesome!

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