Meet Jhojaris

I want to introduce you to Jhoajaris. She is my latest addition to our happy sponsor family! I would say she will be the last but I said that about 6 kids back so I realize it is a waste of breath! She lives in Barranquilla, Columbia. She has 5 siblings! And they live with her mother on $75 a month. I am hoping to be able to give them some extra help.

I am looking into adding one more and then I really have to stop. The little girls from Honduras are tugging at my heart strings, they are just beautiful. And there are some pretty poor ones listed. It would also give me the oppurtunity to learn more about yet another country.

I am holding out for a few days because I have also found another program. I am very happy with CI so I am reluctant to try out a new one. BUT there are a couple reasons I am considering it. I have a passion for helping kids with disabilities. And this program specializes in kids with disabilities. They even have a orphanage for those that had been abandoned. Another plus is they are in Ecuador where I already plan on visiting later in the year and you can actually volunteer with their program. I am waiting for information on cost/etc. Their website doesn't have a lot of information on the sponsorship program itself. So I have sent an e-mail. They say you can e-mail your child also.

I am hoping for a better mail week this week! I got nothing from CI this past week :-( I have been spoiled the last few weeks with letters and photos. I know in a couple months I will be getting plenty! I have now done 7 special needs donations and mailed out 8 direct packages. So hopefully May onward will be alot of good mail days!

"We Are The World"

I was listening to the words of "We Are The World", the original version. And it really hit home.....this is what everything we do for all our CI kids is all about. We are changing the world, each one of us and we are making it a better place for the kids and the families that we sponsor :-)

Today I found out that the funds for Jessicas wheelchair were sent to Quito and they are ordering her wheelchair! So hopefully in a couple months we will have pictures! I also have called in special needs donations for 4 of my kids. Jessica (for her walker in addition to her wheelchair), Anthony, Katherine, and Katerine. I funded them with special needs gifts first because I didn't have breakdowns for them so am just having the field get what they need most. My goal is to do two a year for each child so later in the year I will get their specific needs. I have special needs requests for Jostin, Brayan, and Lizbeth which are all over $200 so I am going to now work on theirs. Jessica still needs a bed also. So, slowly but surely. I have a fundraiser spot coming up on Make A Change so one of them will be taken care of there.

Easter packages have also gone out for all 7 kids! They will probably arrive after Easter since I haven't gotten into the right gear to get everything out in plenty of time but at least they will get them! I am starting to pick things up now for summer packages. I think I am going to send them out 2 at a time though....7 at once was majorly expensive!

The REAL Brayan!

This is the real Brayan! A few weeks ago I got family photos of Brayan. When I got them I realized that it was not the same little boy that was in the original photo that I got. He is a cutie but he always looks so serious! Anyway meet the real Brayan! I really wish I knew who that other little boy was so I could sponsor him also!

Brayans Letter!

I was happily surprised today when I went out to the mail box and had a letter from Brayans mom. This was my first letter from him. I love checking the mail lately. I have had a nice influx of CI mail which is always fun! I have been getting one day of mail a day which has been nice. I expect a slowdown soon though since I will be awaiting package pics and special needs gift reports now more then anything else! I still have two first letters to get but I think I have a few weeks for those! Anyway here is the letter from Brayan's mom:
Dear Sponsor,
I hope you are in good health along with your family. I thank you so much for choosing my son as your sponsored child. You are a good hearted person. May God bless and protect you. As for the child, I tell you that he is very cheerful and he likes to play with his siblings. He likes to eat all kinds of foods. He also likes to take his sister for a walk in her baby carriage. I am happy because my child belongs to this Sponsorship Program, Children Internacional. I say goodbye, Yanellis Medina

Too Lazy To Scan!

LOL So I intended to scan my letters from Jessica and Katherine. I have no real reason why I haven't except pure laziness! So I will type what was written here! I am not expecting tomorrow to be a good CI mail day even though the past Mondays have since I got two letters yesterday!
Here is Jessica's:
Dear Sponsor,
Hello, how are you? It makes me happy to greet you. I'm a cheerful and affectionate child. I'm in 4th grade. My favorite sbject is language and natural science. When I grow up, I want to be a doctor to take care of children. It makes me happy to live with my grandma, aunt, and nephew. I like to help at home. It makes me happy to have you as my sponsor. Thank you very much. Goodbye, kisses,
Jessica

And from Katherine:

Dear Sponsor,
Thanks for having chosen me as your sponsored child! I live in Guayaquil and I am writing these lines from my beautiful city. Let me tell you that I like to play with my siblings and help my mom to run the errands. I feel very happy because I am going to have a brother. My favorite subject is laguage. I like to eat mashed potatoes with eggs. I live with my parents and grandparents and I love them so much. I am in 1st grade (Equilvalent to 2nd basic year in Ecuador). I have many friends with whom I share my things when they need it. I also spend time with my dad because he take me for a walk. Says goodbye with affection,
Katherine

Two More Letters!

I received two more letters today! One from Jessica and One from Katherine! I will try to scan them in later and post them! Sure makes going to the mailbox a little bit better! I get so excited when I see those envelopes!

Brayan is not Brayan!

When I received the family pictures of Brayan I noticed that he did not look at all like the yearly photo I had gotten when I originally signed up to sponsor him. So I e-mailed Greg the photos and he agreed that there was a big difference and said he would send an inquiry to the field. Well guess what? LOL Turns out that adorable little boy is not Brayan. But good news is that the adorable little one in the green shirt IS! I am really glad I request family photos otherwise I would not have ever known until I got new pictures from a gift or his yearly pics!

More Pics of Jessica

These were taken last year. One of the writers from CI did a story on Jessica and sent me these pics!

Doubly Terrific Mail Day!!!!!

Today I went to the mailbox and had 4 envelopes from CI! Two of them were duplicates of my new sponsor Anthonys info. But the other two were family pics and special needs requests! First photos are Brayan and his family. He is the little guy I took on to honor my mom. He is from Columbia and has one brother and 2 sisters. The other is sweet Jostin! He has a brother and sister.

Package for Jessica

I sent out this package for Jessica in Quito on February 1st! Not alot of stuff but with the customs in Ecuador I am trying to stick with envelopes! In the package she got an Uno game, lip gloss, a photo album with pics, a coloring book, crayons, a notebook, pony tail holders, and stickers!

Pictures of Lizbeth at her home!

I was lucky enough to receive pictures today of Lizbeth and her family at her house. In the photos is Lizbeth (in the blue shirt), her sister Dana Nicole, her grandmother (her mom was at work), and a yound uncle. She looks different from her yearly photo. What a cutie patootie!