Friday, November 16, 2012

I am really starting to love Bolivia!


Today, I received my first letter from 17 year old Samuel. He lives near Cochabamba, Bolivia. My other sponsored child from Bolivia, Cesia, also lives near that town! Here is his letter..

"Dear friend Donna...
I greet you with the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ. I am very happy because you accepted to help me. I will be asking God every day to bless you. I am happy and I like being very friendly; I dream about being a good politic leader but I also like soccer; every day I am learning a lot. All this time I am reading. I like very much eating pique, a traditional food of my town and I have my dog Coqui and I spend my time with it when I am bored. Sometimes I go with my mother to the church services, it is very nice to serve God. I have lots of curiosity about knowing you. I would like you send me a photo of you. Love, Samuel"

He also drew me a really nice drawing. I can tell he is very proud of his country. Maybe someday he will be president of Bolivia and I can say, "That's my boy!"


Both he and Cesia mention Pique, so I had to look it up. According to Wikopedia, Pique macho (pronounced pee-kay maacho) is a typical Bolivian food said to come from Cochabamba. It is a mountain of marinated beef strips mixed with fried potatoes, onions, and peppers with a few sausage links for flavoring. A single portion is often enough for two people.
 


Thursday, November 15, 2012

Happy Birthday Irene!

Today, Irene is 21 years old. This lovely young woman is from Kenya. Her mother is the only parent she has. Her dad died in 1997. She has 2 older brothers and an older sister. She enjoys athletics, netball and table tennis. She enjoys gospel songs, light and delicious food. Her best subjects are biology and chemistry. Her favorite bible story is Joseph and Potipha's wife. Her favorite color is pink. This is her first letter that she sent to me... *smiles happily*

"Receive holy and joyous greetings from here hoping that you are still doing fine. I first appreciate your concern about my life in this world. I am happy to know about you and I am happy for your family. May God grant your family good health and skills for life. In our family am the last born of four, two girls and two boys. We live with our only mother who has been caring for us all through until when I completed my form four last year. I like reading novels, inspirational books and doing some physical exercises. We love going to church especially every Sunday. I also take part during Christmas carols.
Here in Kenya the weather is cool. It rains almost daily and we also have the solar insolation moderately. We also have the preparations for the next president. The campaigns are very stiff and I will also take part in voting. I am happy about Joanne. Tell her to keep up! I see you also like pets. I do. Especially cats. Your photos are nice and I feel good when I see them. Thank you very much.
I have been looking forward to joining campus. I want to study for Bachelor in Education Science. This because I love Biology and Chemistry. I request you also pray for me to have a chance at the university and to have a prosperous future. I get all inspiration from the book of Jeremiah. I love it."

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

My daughters Mini-Me

Sitting here along in my house a few nights ago and skimming through the children on the Compassion International site when a little cutie caught my eye... first off, she is blond.. second off, she has curly hair.. and third, she looks almost identical to what my daughter Joanne looked like at that age.

I resisted one night.. the next morning, she was still there, so I gave in and sponsored her! Please welcome Camila Andrea into my compassion family. She lives with her mother and father. She enjoys telling stories, playing with dolls and playing group games. She attends preschool and Bible classes. She lives in the coastal city of Barranquilla

Here are pictures of Camila and an old black and white picture of my now 19 year old daughter.


Saturday, October 20, 2012

To write, or not to write...

That is not the question at all! Of course I will continue writing each and everyone of my compassion kiddos.. if there is any question at all, it is how often!

I have heard how important letters are from the most important source of all, former compassion children. Each and every letter, even if it just a sort note like "Thinking and praying for you today.. " along with some tidbit about my daily routine. I may not think something is all that interesting, but some of the kids might think its funny that I get woken up every morning my a rooster crowing outside my window.. or some crazy thing my dog or cats did.

So, I write. The templates on the Compassion website are awesome! They make it so easy to write a nice, fairly short letter to the kids and attach up to three photos on it. And to top it off, no trips to the post office are required at all!

When I get letters from the kids, I put together a "care package" filled with crossword puzzles, coloring pages, stickers, etc etc. Lately I've been taking a 8.5x11 piece of cardstock and scrapbooking three photos or so onto it.. Hopefully it will be a little longer lasting that way. Then I write a personal reply letter and send the package merrily on its way to Colorado to begin its journey to the far reaches of the world.

Somewhere out there, according to Compassion, there are at least eight letters floating around in the postal system from Divya, Sangeetha and Suhasini in India; Cesia in Bolivia, and from Grace, Elisa and Florien in Rwanda. And so the cycle of letter writing continues..

Saturday, October 13, 2012

A Letter from the DR!

At long last I received my first letter from Jeison in the Dominican Republic! I was beginning to worry that I wouldn't get one before I left at the end of January to go visit him on my very first ever Compassion Sponsor tour! I can't wait to meet this boy in person! Here is his letter...

Dear Sponsor... How are you? It's a pleasure to me to find out you chose me. Thanks...I was born on January 9th, 1997. I live with me father. I have 4 siblings. I'm the 3rd.  I'm in 1st grade High School. My favorite subject is language. My favorite food is Moro de Hapichuelo with potato salad. I live in an area called "Brisas del Este". I would like to know if you are married. If you have children. What your favorite food is? I ask a prayer for my family and my studies. Goodbye.. with love... Yeison

Not bad at all for a first letter! *melts into a happy puddle*



Of course, I had to search out a recipe for his favorite dish.. Here 'tis!

Dominican Moro De Habichuelas

 ( Rice and Beans)

Ingredients

    • 2 cups rice
    • 4 cups water ( the water you boiled the beans in if possible)
    • 1 cup cooked red beans
    • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
    • 1 tablespoon tomato paste ( not sauce)
    • 1/4 cup cubanel green peppers or 1/4 cup green bell peppers, finely chopped
    • 1/2 medium red onions, chopped
    • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
    • 2 fresh garlic cloves, mashed ( or pressed)
    • 1 sprig fresh cilantro ( with stem)
    • 1 teaspoon fresh parsley, finely chopped
    • 1 chicken bouillon cubes or 1 chicken stock cubes
    • 1 teaspoon salt

Directions

  1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat and add the garlic, onions, oregano, pepper, parsley, and salt. Sautee for a minute then add the bouillon, stir until dissolved. Add the tomato paste and stir until heated.
  2. Add the beans and stir with your base. Heat for about a minute stirring constantly. Don't let it stick or burn. Increase heat to maximum and carefully add 1 cup of the water and allow it to simmer. When it starts to simmer, add the rice, stir and add the rest of the water. (at this point you should test for salt, it should be a bit saltier than you'd prefer because the beans and rice will absorb most of it). Bring to a boil.
  3. When it starts to boil reduce heat to the lowest possible and cover with a lid.
  4. After 15 minutes remove the lid, most of the water should have been reduced. Throw in the whole spring of cilantro and give everything a good stir from bottom to top. Cover again and let it cook for 10-15 more minutes.


Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Walk a Mile in their Shoes...

Errrr... What shoes?

I shiver as I look down at my tiny, calloused and very dirty feet. Wait! These aren't my feet! Reaching up I touch my face and hair. What happened to my long hair? The hair on the head I'm touching is cropped short and doesn't feel like it has been washed in a long time..

Where am I? The last thing I remember is looking at the profiles of some children that are still looking for a sponsor, my eyes having a hard time focusing because I really should have gone to bed already. Am I dreaming? But this feels way too real to be a dream. Taking stock of the situation while I try not to panic, I find out that I am apparently a little boy, but I have a ragged dress thrown over some way too large shorts. Don't I have any clothes of my own?

Then one thing becomes really, really apparent. I'm hungry. VERY hungry. As in haven't eaten in days hungry.

"Mahima!" I hear a voice calling me. I turn and see a bunch of other children waving at me. "Come on! Aren't you coming to the project today?"  They take off at a run and not knowing what else to do, I run after them, trying to ignore the feel of the rocks on the soles of my bare feet.

The rest of the morning is a blur. We arrive at the project, a very nice place. My stomach rumbles as I smell food. Some nice people help me wash my hands and give me a bowl which is soon filled with rice and vegetables. It was so good!! I ate every bit of it!

Afterwards, there are games and stories and other activities. Then as a tall man walks in, everyone stops and looks at him expectedly. "Mahima!" he calls out, "Come with me, please."

Shaking with fear, I follow him. Have I done something wrong? Inside his office, there are other people there, all smiling at me. "Good news Mahima! You have a sponsor!"

I can't express the joy that seemed to fill my whole body. One of the tutors takes my hand and leads me to a desk. "We are going to write your first letter to you new sponsor," I am told. "Don't worry, I will help you!"

Sitting down, he helps me to write the first of what I hoped to be many many letters...

This is a fictional story, but there is a little boy named Mahima from India that desperately needs a sponsor. His profile can be found at Sponsor Mahima

Sunday, September 23, 2012

Happy Birthday, Diluxana!

Today is Diluxana's 8th birthday! I fell in love with her when I saw her bright, happy smile. She lives in the mountainous community of Hali-ela, home to approximately 14,500 residents. Typical houses are constructed of dirt floors, mud walls and tin roofs. Hali-ela lies just to the sw of Badulla, the capitol of the Uva Province of Sri Lanka. It is almost completely encircled by the Badulu Oya River, and is about 2200' above sea level. The town is overshadowed by the Namunukula range of mountains. There are some wonderful things to see around where she lives - the Muthiyangana temple, the Dhowa temple, the ancient Bododa wooden bridge, and the Rawana water fall. Someday I would love to go see Diluxana. Her country is very beautiful!

Isn't she beautiful! I have received one letter from her so far. Her note said, "Dear Sponsor, My name is Diluxana. Thank you so much. I like to play cricket. I am studying in grade four. My favorite pet is cat." She also did a very nice, colorful drawing for me!

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

One More "Last" Child..

At least until someone graduates!

It all started with an awesome offer by a wonderful lady who will be going to Uganda for a visit. Sponsor a small sized young man and she has a package of athletic clothes for him.. So, being the helpful sort that I am *laughs* I went through the Compassion site and located not one, but 5 wonderful young men that were in the need of sponsors.

The first one was Anderson.. He is perfect, she said when I asked if the clothes would fit him..

He has a sweet expression on his face, but was that a bit of sadness in his eyes? No, Donna, you don't need another child in your overflowing quiver of children that you are sponsoring..

So, no having anything to do, I checked up on him a bit closer. People in his area earn around $5 a month! I can easily spend that on lunch everyday..  No, Donna, you usually sponsor girls, remember? And besides, you already have a little correspondence boy from El Salvador named Anderson.

Still bored, I go back and read the posts on Our Compassion, rejoicing that so many have had really good experiences with their kids from Uganda.. The clicking finger started to twitch.. I tried to walk away and do something else. But the Lord gave me the go ahead.

So I clicked. Please welcome Anderson into my Compassion family.



Anderson makes his home with his father and his mother. Carrying water, gathering firewood and teaching others are his household duties. His father is sometimes employed as a farmer and his mother is sometimes employed as a farmer. There are 5 children in the family. For fun, Anderson enjoys soccer, swimming and singing. He attends church activities, Bible class and Vacation Bible School regularly and is in high school where his performance is average. Anderson lives in the hillside community of Maliba, home to approximately 45,500 residents. Typical houses are constructed of dirt floors, mud walls and thatched roofs. The primary ethnic group is Bakonzo and the most commonly spoken language is Lukonzo. The regional diet consists of maize, beans, bananas, cassava, potatoes and goat. Common health problems in this area include malaria, HIV/AIDS, malnutrition and chest infections. Most adults in Maliba are unemployed but some work as farmers and earn the equivalent of $5 per month. This community needs income-generating projects, scholastic materials and tuition assistance.

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Welcome Bo to my Compassion Family!

Yet one more beloved teenager has joined my Compassion family. Bo is from the TH407 project 10 km southeast of Mahasarakha in Thailand. This is a new country for me to sponsor from and I'm looking forward to getting to know Bo over the next few years! She is living with her grandmother and enjoys ping pong, volleyball and singing.
I now have a grand total of 24 young people that are blessing my life. Just for haha's I went through and figured out that of the 21 that I actually sponsor, 16 of them are teenagers or young adults! Two of the remaining five are 10 years old, and one is 8. The other two are my munchkins.. they will be 5 and 6 shortly, so, when over the next 3 to 5 years my nest begins to empty again, I will still have a few of of the little ones to keep me company!


Monday, September 10, 2012

An Early Morning Letter to God

Good Morning God!

It is another beautiful morning here on the farm. The roosters are crowing as usual, letting me know that the sun is starting to peak over the horizon. Before long, the hens with their chicks will be roaming around adding their little cheeps to the morning chorus. Then of course, the horses will be letting me know its time to come outside and feed them. Till then, Lord, I'm enjoying this quiet time with you. Thank you for all the blessings you have given me!

Right now, I'm especially thinking of the 24 blessings you have laid upon my doorstep, so to speak. Thank you for each and every one of them, from the 20 year old young adults to the tiny 4 year old kidlets. What a crew! I love each and everyone of them! Lord, I have to admit, sometimes I think I went a little crazy having so many, but you have provided for the means for me to financially sponsor the ones that I do, plus the three "bonus" correspondence children. How can I thank you enough for putting them into my life? Having them has taught me to be even more diligent in my prayers, because much to my shame, I know I have let the everyday business of life overshadow my need to come to you and to talk with you just like I am doing now. Please forgive me Lord for not seeking you out more.

So, as I pray this morning for the health, safety and spiritual awakening of each of one of these precious children; please Lord, help me to remember that no matter if the mail box is empty, or if people think I have gone completely off my rocker in my old age, its not about me, its about Jhovie, Irene, Mary Paul, Beauplan, Ashley, Sangeetha, Suhasini, Jean Paul, Rubi, Janette, Samuel, Bo, Jeison, Divya, Rossy, Mariam, Janna, Grace, Elisa, Florien, Diluxana, Karolin, Anderson and last but not least, little Georgette!

Love, your daughter in Christ, Donna


Friday, September 7, 2012

Letter from Peru!

I got "Mi Primera Carta" (my first letter) from Jean Paul in Peru today! It lists the names of his parents, grandfather and brother. He lives on the coast and near his house is a school and church. His favorite food is "Arroz Con Pollo" (my 3rd child that list that particular food as their favorite!)

On the back he drew me a colorful stick figure picture of 2 boys playing soccer.. apparently an artist he is not.. but I love it anyway! I think I will attempt to do a drawing of some soccer player and send it to him.  This is what he wrote..

Dear Sponsor Donna Kirckof,
Greetings in the precious name of the Lord Jesus Christ hoping that you are in good health. I only have one year left to finish high school. I'm in 10th grade and I really like to play sports. How old are you? Pray for me and my family. Jean Paul Ladares Cabanilla

Short but sweet!

RECIPE FOR ARROZ CON POLLO:

Arroz con pollo means "Rice with Chicken" in Spanish. It is a classic dish of Spain and Latin America, with many different traditional ways to prepare it, unique to various countries. An arroz con pollo you find in Cuba may be quite different than one you find in Peru.


Easy Arroz con Pollo

  • 1-3/4 cups uncooked instant rice
  • 6 boneless pieces of chicken
  • Garlic salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) chicken broth
  • 1 cup picante sauce
  • 1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
  • 1/2 cup chopped onion
  • 1/2 cup chopped green pepper
  • 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
  • 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese 
Spread the rice in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Sprinkle both sides of chicken with garlic salt and pepper; place over rice. In a large bowl, combine the broth, picante sauce, tomato sauce, onion and green pepper; pour over the chicken. Cover and bake at 350° for 55 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 170°. Sprinkle with cheeses. Bake, uncovered, 5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Yield: 6 servings.

Thursday, September 6, 2012

My Little Dominican Firecracker

Have you ever looked at a picture and feel instantly head over heals in love? Well, that is what happened to me when I saw Karoline for the first time. I agonized over sponsoring her for awhile. After all, I already had 19 kids! And since she was in the Dominican Republic, that mean I would be making my 16 year old Jeison share my sponsor tour in February with a 6 year old. But in the end, I couldn't resist. Here she is!

Sunday, September 2, 2012

Blogging for Compassion

Well, I have jumped on the September Blog Month bandwagon. There are lots of prizes, none of which I will win :) but the main goal is to have 3,108 children sponsored during the month of September! I am sure we can do it! There are some awesome bloggers out there. Make sure that you click on the Compassion International banner on any of our sites before you chose a child that you want to sponsor.

If you have not noticed, I have a heart for the older children - the young men and women that will be shortly graduating out of the Compassion program. Too many of them will be finishing up their last couple of years without the encouraging words of a loving sponsor. So, please, consider sponsoring an older child! They are usually incredible letter writers and often times will be only a short time commitment.

So, for now, I have 19 sponsored children and 3 correspondence boys. Of those, 15 of them are teenagers! I love my little kidlets.. especially my little Georgette, who was the first child that I sponsored, but the teens have a special spot in my heart. I may not have them very long, but I will love them and support them with encouraging letters for as long as I do.. In the meantime I wait... I have received letters from 6 of them and have at least 2 more on the way. The rest will come in God's own timing!

Friday, August 24, 2012

I Thought I was done Lord!!!

But apparently not.. Let me introduce to you Irene Adero from Kenya. She just has a little bit over a year left in the program and softy that I am.. I couldn't let her go that last year without someone writing and encouraging her.. Now I know where the bonus check from work will be going..

She is 20, likes to sew and lives with her mother. She is part of the KE414 project..

And this lovely young lady is Mariam. She is 13, and lives in Burkina Faso. She is very special because she is an above average student! I'm looking forward to getting to know her and to encouraging her to continue her studies...

Thursday, August 23, 2012

Happy Birthday Rossy!

Sweet Rossy from Colombia is 13 years old today! She lives just outside of Cartagena. I received a wonderful letter from her last month that informed me of her parents names and that she has a brother named Ramiro Jose. Her favorite hobby is designing clothes, her favorite food is "arroz con pollo", her favorite subject in school is art (mine was too!), her favorite animals are dogs, and her favorite color is fuchsia (no ordinary pink for this gal!) Her letter went like this..

"Hello, I am grateful for choosing me as your sponsored child. I hope God will reward the work of your hands. I am well, thanks to God, and my family too. From now on I will keep you in my prayers. Also pray for me and my family's wellbeing. On the other hand, I want God to greatly bless you. We will soon be in touch, with love, Rossy Tamara." 

She drew me this awesome drawing..
And this is my beautiful Rossy..

Saturday, August 18, 2012

Twenty and Done?

I now have a grand total of twenty children that are part of my Compassion family and that shall be all until someone graduates out of the program or God changes my finances. I have a burden on my heart for the older children that for some reason or another, have found themselves without a sponsor for the last year or two of their time in the program. And those of us who have raised teenagers know how difficult those years can be even without throwing poverty into the picture!!

Let me introduce you to the final two members of my family (for now!)

This is Suhasini from India. She will be 20 years old in September and is a very lovely young woman. She is attending college now and her performance is above average. She enjoys singing, art and walking.  She is part of IN678, the Mullai Child Development Center which is located in Oorgaum which is 90km east of Bangalore. She will be graduating out of the program in Sept of 2014.

It was a struggle to pick my 20th child. I kept looking at other children from India, mainly from what I'm afraid to admit were somewhat selfish reasons. First off, they write in English usually! And secondly, I have heard from other sponsors, the children from India tend to be rather prolific writers, and who doesn't want more letters from their sponsored children? But the good Lord gave me a nudge and asked me if I was doing this for me, or was the need of the child more important? When I admitted that I was wrong and the need was more important, I felt the release to go ahead and sponsor this wonderful young lady.

May I introduce to you Janette from Haiti..  She is 17 and above average in school despite the conditions she lives in. Reading the Pastor's letter from her project, HA288 Capene Child Development Center, I found out that her community has over 90% unemployment and the most families there can cook "hardly one meal a day"! Needless to say, that broke my heart! Sweet Janette loves to play jacks, tell stories and art and I love her sassy little smile.


Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Increasing my Territory, Jabez style...

"Now Jabez was more honorable than his brothers, and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, 'Because I bore him in pain.' And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, 'Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain.' So God granted him what he requested" 

 (1 Chronicles 4:9-10) 

I believe that God is using Compassion so that I can "enlarge my territory" by being an influence to the children that I sponsor and their families. Well, yesterday and today my territory expanded yet again. I don't see how it can get any bigger, but God knows and he will provide!

Let me introduce you to the two newest members of my family. First, there is Samuel Pajari, a handsome young man from Bolivia. He is 17 years old and enjoys soccer, art and singing. 

And just sponsored this evening, is a lovely young woman named Mary Paul from India. Mary will be turning 20 in a few days, and that means I will only have her as part of the family for one year. I plan on making the most of that year that I possibly can! Mary enjoys singing, art and walking. She is attending college and her performance is above average!


God has blessed me indeed, and surely my territory has been expanded to a sphere of influence that I would have never expected at any time of my life. I am praying that God gives the now the ability to encourage and to influence these young people that are now a very important part of my life..

Sunday, August 12, 2012

Anderson

I got a really nice birthday present on the 10th - a letter from little 4 year old Anderson in El Salvador!


He lives in the countryside of San Luis la Herradura, which is 19 km S of Zacatecoluca. His favorite things are his toy cars, his favorite color is purple and when he grows up, he wants to become a doctor! Isn't that awesome? I will do my best to encourage any dream this little boy has, that is for sure.

Anderson's favorite food is a regional dish called Pupusas. An El Salvadoran treat, these homemade tortillas are stuffed with cheese and are great with a traditional coleslaw called curtido. To serve, slice open one side of a pupusa, and spoon curtido into the opening. Farmer's cheese or mozzarella can be substituted for queso blanco. Mix 2 cups maso harina with 1 cup of water, mix until it is a firm, moist dough. Let rest 5-10 minutes then cut into around 8 pieces and then shape into a ball. Make an indentation with your thumb and insert the desired filling, then seal the dough over the filling. Flatten the ball with the palms of your hand until it is about 5-6" round. Heat a greased skillet over medium-high flame. Cook each pupusa for about 1 to 2 minutes on each side, until lightly browned and blistered. Remove to a plate and hold warm until all pupusas are done.
  • Pupusas de Queso: With a cheese filling. Use grated quesillo, queso fresco, farmer's cheese, mozzarella, Swiss cheese or a combination. Add some minced green chile if you like.
  • Pupusas de Chicharrones: With a filling of fried chopped pork and a little tomato sauce. A reasonable facsimile can be made by pulsing 1 cup of cooked bacon with a little bit of tomato sauce in a food processor.
  • Pupusas de Frijoles Refritos: With a refried bean filling.
  • Pupusas Revueltas: Use a mixture of chicharrones, cheese and refried beans.
  • Pupusas de Queso y Loroco: With a cheese and tropical vine flower filling. Loroco can be found in jars at many Latin markets.
  • Pupusas de Arroz: A variety of pupusa that uses rice flour instead of corn masa.
  • Other Fillings: Cooked potatoes or finely minced, sautéed jalapeño peppers are also tasty fillings. Try a mixture of different fillings.

First Attempt at a Blog

I'm not sure what I'm doing here, but I am going to attempt to make a blog.

My name is Donna and I live on a farm in the central part of Washington State. God has blessed us and now I am doing what I can to bless someone else. Ever since I was a young Christian, I have wanted to go out to the Mission Field. That is obviously not going to happen! So, my mission field now are my Compassion International kids.