Friday, November 2, 2012

An exciting blog post from Compassion

I was excited to see this entry on the Compassion blog today - the community mentioned in it is only two hours away from where my Darika lives. It was good to get some more information about the Karen tribe, since Darika is Karen as well.

The Refugees of Sao-Hin

Monday, October 29, 2012

A Letter from Sweet Amina

There was a cream-colored envelope in my mailbox today!! And inside, a letter from Amina. Friends, I adore this little girl.

She writes:

Dear Cassie Buckel,

Praise our Lord Jesus. I hope that you are fine. My family members and I are fine. I'm doing well at school and at the center I have learned about self identification, and that I'm wonderfully made. 

Do you know that you are wonderfully made? I'm doing well in my studies and I hope that I will pass very well in my exams. I was in school holiday for census and I'm happy because I got your letter. Thanks because you remember me.

I sympathize for you for the death of your cat. Thank you for sending me your husband's photo. I'm happy for me to know what he does. I pray for him that he may be able to help those with fire issues. I have never seen sunsets because we are surrounded with mountains. Thank you for your love for me. My family loves you and prays for you to live long life. I ask you to pray for me to pass very well. Thank you for the gift you sent to me. That's all for today. Be blessed so much. 

From your child, Amina


I am "blessed so much..."  :)

Status Report... October 29th, 2012

Sitting… On the couch. I do a lot of that these days. :-/

Drinking… V8 V-Fusion Sparkling Strawberry Lemonade.

Thankful… that my headache is gone. It woke me up at 6:30 this morning, and I managed to stay in bed until just after 7 before giving up and getting out of bed and into the shower. Oh well... an early start never hurt anybody.

Thinking… About lots of things! Work today from 12 to 4, theology class tonight (ecclesiology!), delivering Meals on Wheels. I currently deliver on Tuesdays through the Dansville Senior Nutrition Center, but I'd like to get back into doing it for the hospital, too. I made a really sweet friend named Julia when I was delivering for the hospital, and I miss her a lot.

Reading… Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy by Eric Metaxas. Fabulous so far, and kind of a heavy read.

Also reading… Actually, this is the first time in a long while that I haven't been reading at least three things at once!

Excited… to be blogging again. My mind is buzzing with ideas for future posts. I really hope I can keep it up this time. It might be encouraging to know if I have readers... so if you're out there, give a shout?

Ready… for Hurricane Sandy. We're supposed to get some heavy wind and rain today, and I went out and bought some non-perishables in case we lose power. If I have to, I can cook on top of our gas stove.

Thankful… for my wonderful husband. He keeps my feet on the ground. I often let the issues I worry about snowball into something huge, and he is so good at talking me down and helping me to take things one step at a time.

Thursday, October 18, 2012

New Faces... and Some Updates

I'm so awful about writing regularly, so I apologize to anyone who follows my blog (and I can't imagine there are many of you!). But there has been a lot happening lately and I want to fill you in!

First of all, I received an updated photo of Yeimi, my new correspondence child in Mexico!

This is one tall, slender, lovely young lady!


 I also received her first letter. She writes:

This is me: Yeimi Coto Olivera and I'm 11 years old, I was promoted to 6th grade and my school's name is Rafael Ramirez Castaneda. 
This is my family: My mom is Ofelia Olivera, my dad Rolando Coto and my siblings: Viridiana and Jose Rolando. 
In my spare time, I like to: play, watch TV, and to read.
In my neighborhood: There is a park, museums, schools, fruit trees, etc. 
I dream about: Becoming a doctor. 

I get excited whenever I hear that a child wants to be a doctor - especially my sponsored kids, since they live in areas where quality medical care is so desperately needed!

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I have yet another correspondence child! I know, I'm completely crazy

In one of the recent Advocate Network emails, there was a call for correspondence sponsors. I knew that Compassion has set the limit at three correspondence kids, and I already have four, but I figured there was no harm in asking for one more... and it turned out to be a successful request. :)

So... meet Meyrlin, from Indonesia!


Isn't she precious? She looks like such a princess in her frilly pink dress. According to her packet, she's 8 years old - she looks more like 6! She attends the Benyamin Student Center, which is east of Kupang, Indonesia.

I got her first letter really quickly:

My parents/Guardians: Yesaya C. Lapudo'oh (Father); Sarlota Lapudo'oh (Mother)
My Best Food: Fish
Brothers and Sisters: Yolantri (16), Yuffriyadi (14)
My Favorite Color: Pink, Yellow
My best friend: Sonya
I Live: in a city
My hobby: Singing, reading
My best Bible story: Adam and Eve
To my sponsor: I am Meyrlin and I am very happy and joyful to have a sponsor. May god repay my sponsor's kindnesses and I will always pray so that happiness is always with you. 
Please pray: For my family and I so that we are always healthy and also for me so that I can keep on going to school.

I love that she likes singing and reading (two activities which are very close to my heart).

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A few months ago, I, along with a bunch of other Compassion sponsors from the OurCompassion community came on board with Auntie's Angels, a sponsorship organization that partners with an orphanage in Jinja, Uganda. Sponsorship is only $15 a month, and there are lots of children on the website who need sponsors!

I've decided to sponsor a young lady named Maria, who is 11 years old. I've sent my first letter to her, and received a photo of her holding it. :) She looks like such a sweet spirit.


Unfortunately, I know next to nothing about Maria, and won't until I receive a letter from her - and I'm not sure how long that will be in coming.

I also have a penpal through Auntie's Angels, named Slyvia:


She's so cute and serious. :) I haven't seen any pictures of Slyvia yet. I do know that the main organizer of the program is currently in Uganda with the students, and I'm hoping this means I'll have some pictures soon!

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I've also gotten involved with a hugely exciting new opportunity to minister to children in Uganda. Compassion Child Advocate Julie Hawbaker, who blogs over at Come to My Rescue, belongs to a church that has supported the Good Samaritan Children's Home for a while now. Recently, though, Julie has started a sponsorship program called Love Mercy Uganda at the home... and I've been in on it since the beginning. I was on OurCompassion when she started soliciting interest in the possibility of a sponsorship program, and I was "listening" in on the Yahoo group she started when she went to Uganda and saw the children first-hand. I was on-board when the first call for sponsors came, and I chose to sponsor the beautiful Jovia. There are currently 74 children at the home, and all of them were sponsored in less than two weeks. The community of sponsors that has become involved with Love Mercy is absolutely POURING out love for the children at the home - they're purchasing mosquito nets, blankets, opportunities for clean water... not to mention all of the packages, dolls, books and Bibles that are currently winging their way to Africa. It's been an incredible journey and I am SO glad to be in on it!

This is Jovia, my sponsored child at Love Mercy:


Jovia's African name is Kanyana, which means "Calf." She's 11 years old, and her birthday is September 25th. Her favorite color is blue, and she hopes to someday become a teacher. In her welcome packet, she asks me to pray that she can "get knowledge." :)

I've sent Jovia a package containing a Bible, a baby doll, some stickers, some underwear, and a letter and photo. I'm so excited to receive her first letter.

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Recently I've also been thinking about being able to help an older child... someone maybe even close to my own age, that I can help as more of a sister than an "auntie" or "godmother." I'd heard good things about the His Hands ministries, and I decided to check out their website to see if they had any young ladies available for sponsorship... and I found Nathalie.


Nathalie is 19 years old and lives in Haiti. She is currently attending secondary school in Terrier Rouge, which is a large community on the main trade route between Cap-Haitien and the border of the Dominican Republic. The Baptist Church in Terrier Rouge runs a school in the community. Nathalie attends the secondary school, which is comparable to middle and high school combined. Many of the students, like Nathalie, are older than the typical middle/high school student in the US - there are even some students on the web site who are available to sponsor are older than me!

I'm really excited about this, because essentially, my sponsorship pays for Nathalie's education. $50 twice a YEAR pays for her tuition and her school uniform.

I'm in awe of the opportunities God gives me to reach out and touch individual lives. :)

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Mail Call!! (For real this time.)



I got a letter from Amina a couple days ago! (Tanzania must be on a reciprocal writing program because I've gotten SO many letters from Amina.)

She writes:

Dear Cassie Buckel,

Praise the Lord Jesus. How are you getting on? I am doing well with my family, and I also thank God for I continue well with my lessons and I hope to do well in my exams. At the centre I continue well to learn Bible lessons and our teacher taught us "understanding and knowing religious knowledge." Things which have happened in my family are moving to our own new house, and stop renting (a house). I pray for a life with Christ centred love to you. Please pray for me with my family, that God's blessings will continue to be seen in our daily lives. 


I am in awe of this precious girl. Her knowledge of the Lord is such a blessing. And moving into her own house! How exciting!! I hope that my sponsorship had something to do with that... maybe. :)

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Mail Call!.... Sorta. :)

I keep all of my letters from my girls in binders, with a folder for each girl which holds stationery, envelopes, stickers, etc. Today, when I was flipping through, I found that I didn't put Darika's most recent letter in a sheet protector like I usually do. Instead, I stuck it in her folder. So it was almost like I got a new letter from her today!

Dear Cassie Buckel,

First may God lead you and your family in work always. Now my family and I are fine. I hope you and your family are fine too. I thank God very much that I have a chance to write to you again. My school will off at summer vacation soon. Now I read my books a lot for this exam so I may get good mark. Please pray for me too. In January, my friends and I played sport at other school. My team won 1st prize. I am very happy, I got cup too. I run a race and I got 3rd position, I got towel. Now my mother is a housewife. The weather at my home is still cold. How are you doing now? At last may God bless you and your family and may you have happiness. 

Love in Christ,
Darika

I love that Darika is so active - sports, races, dancing. She gets cute prizes, too... a cup, a towel. :) 

Saturday, July 7, 2012

An Update..

Hello all... I know it's been such a long time since my last post, and for that I'm sorry! I'll try to do better.

So the biggest change that's happened recently is that I lost my Areli. :(



Compassion called me about a week ago to tell me that she and her family were moving, and that she would be leaving the program. I don't feel like I ever really got the chance to know her - I only received three letters from her. I'm praying that she and her family will be happy and healthy wherever they end up.

On the up side, I now have a new little correspondent sister to bless and love... meet Yeimi Coto Olivera!


Yeimi is also from Mexico, and she's about the same age as Areli. I haven't gotten her information packet yet... once I get it, I'll write an introduction post for her. :)

To give you an update on the rest of the girls, I'll just copy their most recent letters for you to read.

Darika

Hello, my lovely elder sister. First of all, I would like to ask God to bless you and your family to be healthy and bless your work always. My family and I are doing well. I hope that you and your family are doing well. Dear Elder Sister, it is my school vacation. I am at home and help my parents do housework. In my free time I go to play with my friends outside. Sometimes I help my mother by seeking food for pigs in the forest. Sometimes I am at home. At my hometown, the farmers go to harvest rice at this time. My mother goes to harvest rice for money every day. When I am free I will go to the garden with my elder brother. I will pick vegetables to be food. The activities at the project, I go to join with my friends regularly. The weather in my hometown at this time, it rains less than before. It begins to be cool. I feel so warm and more comfortable because the weather in my hometown is most all the time. What is the weather like in your country? During your school vacation, where do you join the activities? I would like to ask you to pray to God for my health and my family's health. I always pray to God for Elder Sister and Elder Brother always. Lastly, I would like to ask God to bless you. 

Love in Christ,
Darika

Amina

Cassie Buckel, I greet you in the name of Jesus Christ. I am doing well with my family. How about you, how are you getting on? I thank you so much for the gift which you sent me for my birthday. With it I was able to buy a suitcase, sugar, soap, tea leaves, and sweets. I also paid for transport. I thank you so much for that gift and my family was also grateful and they say may God bless you in your duties and please pray for me with my family for God's blessings. I pray for a good health to you. Bye and may God bless you so much. 

Risda

Dear Cassie Buckel, I thank you for your birthday gift, which worth Rp 177,380.00 ($20.00). I spent it to buy clothes, shoes, pants and school supplies. I really needed them. I wear the clothes, sandal shoes and pants when I go to the church and project. I will soon face my national exams. Please pray that I will be able to do them well and I will graduate and get satisfying marks. Love, Risda

Yessenia

Dear sponsor Cassie Buckel, I greet you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. I want to tell you that on vacation I had a very good time and in the project we are making handicrafts, necklaces, bracelets, pillows, etc. Thank you for the Christmas gift. I bought pants and a blouse. I want to know: How was your Christmas? How are you spending your vacation? I want you to pray for my whole family and my sister who is sick. I say goodbye with a strong hug and a kiss.

Yessenia Dianely Vasquez N.

Prisca

Dear Cassie Buckel, Prisca greets you in Jesus' name. She is glad to write this letter to you. She and her family are very well by God's grace. She thanks you for your gift and card. The verse she is studying right now is Psalm 4. Her favorite friend in the project is: Mathanie Petit-Frere. Here in Haiti, the weather is very cold right now. She was glad to write to you. She will talk to you more. She hopes God will pour out  His blessings upon you. 

Cinthia

Hello my dear friend, may God protect you. I thank you for the gifts you have given, I enjoy it a lot. I have been doing well, in my birthday my aunt took me to the movies and I enjoyed a lot, I had my birthday on November 11th. I have a little cat named Chicita. In school I behave well, they congratulated me when I turned 13 years old. My horse name is Princesa. My family is big, I have a best friend in the project, her name is Patria. Which character do you admire from the Bible? How do you celebrate Christmas in your country? I pray for your family, pray for mine. I ask you to pray for me. Much love, your sponsored child, Cinthia Massiel