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

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!

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.

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!

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

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.

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!

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!